Priyamvada gazed at the flames crackling in the fireplace, untangling as well as knotting certain threads in her mind.
She heard someone gently ask, "Mother, are you okay?""
Priyamvada looked up and smiled at a worried Indrajit. "Yes, I am," she assured, and gestured at a nearby armchair. "Sit beside me, Indrajit."
Indrajit sat down tentatively.
"Prithvi's flight has landed?" Priyamvada asked casually.
Indrajit murmured, "Yes, Sumer Singh was present at the airport. He and Kadambari are on their way to Devgarh. He will drop her there and return to our great-uncle's palace. Prithvi has left for the cabin."
"For how long this time?"
"Not more than a month," Indrajit said quickly. Then he awkwardly added, "I don't know why he didn't -"
"You don't have to feel guilty about what he did, Indrajit," Priyamvada said softly. "I was prepared for the possibility."
But wasn't entirely true. Despite her previous experiences, she had foolishly hoped that Prithvi would travel with her this time. And then her son had indifferently informed her of his plans an hour before leaving for the airport.
"He has asked me to look after you well during the journey," Indrajit said intently.
Priyamvada was touched by the emotions behind the lie. She stretched out a hand to touch his forearm. "You will visit me in Devgarh?"
Indrajit nodded emphatically. "Yes, Mother, I will."
How strange was her life, Priyamvada reflected. She could never have imagined that a day would come when her own flesh and blood would become a cause of never-ending pain, and the child whose existence had irked her once upon a time would become a source of constant solace...
*********************************
Jittery with tension, Rajeshwari peered at the dishes on the dining table in the big chamber that adjoined the living room. She'd developed a keen interest in food over the years, but today, the delicious scents were not calming her down.
"Prithvi didn't tell you at what time he would arrive?" she asked Disha again, sitting down at the table. She had tried to get in touch with him to find out, but her calls had not gone through.
Disha patiently said, "No, your highness, but I think he should be here any minute now."
"Okay. You've told the staff, haven't you? That they shouldn't tell him about Nandini," Rajeshwari said anxiously.
"Yes, everyone is aware, your highness."
"Okay, that's good," Rajeshwari muttered.
She only had to be careful for a short time because Prithvi had said he intended leave within an hour. Still, it was typical of her perennial bad luck that Prithvi would pay her a visit the very next day after she had chitchatted with Nandini for hours like they were best friends. But she was grateful that he had not made it a complete surprise as he usually did, and had informed her in advance. Nevertheless, it was saddening to think that, if not for the meeting with Nandini, she would have been overjoyed to know that Prithvi was on his way.
She should have guessed that Prithvi would not travel with the rest of the family. He hadn't done it for about three years now. She didn't know why...but he either left a few days before or after. However, he always took her, Uday Singh, Kadambari and Sumer Singh along with him. He was about four years younger than her...yet, apart from the fun-filled teasing, he looked after her like a father.
Almost moved to tears with shame and remorse, Rajeshwari got up and walked out of the chamber. As she entered the main living room, she saw her secondary attendant, Nimmi, hastening towards her. Even if the girl hadn't spoken, her flustered and dazed appearance would have given Rajeshwari the intimation for which she had been waiting.
"The prince has arrived, your highness," Nimmi said breathlessly.
Rajeshwari was reminding herself of the things she had to avoid saying when a broad-shouldered man who was well over six feet in height strode into the room, smiling warmly at her.
Rajeshwari rushed to embrace her brother.
Prithvi dropped his large brown bag to the floor and hugged her with his left arm, his right hand patting the top of her head in the affectionate manner that she loved.
"I'm sorry," Rajeshwari blurted miserably.
"I'm sorry, Rai," he replied, sounding just as unhappy as her.
Baffled, Rajeshwari moved back and asked, "Why are you sorry?"
"I don't know. I just assumed this is an interesting new style of greeting," Prithvi said solemnly.
Rajeshwari giggled in spite of her anxiety. "No, no...it's not. I'm sorry about something I did." Turning sombre, she rapidly said, "I met Nandini by accident last weekend. Not here. Or Shamli. We met in a market in another town. I was bored of staying alone, so I asked Nandini if she could come here to meet me. She arrived yesterday evening, and we spoke for a long time. She stayed for the night, and left today morning. I'm very sorry!" she said desperately. "I know I shouldn't have -"
"Why are you guilty about that?" Prithvi enquired, brows raised.
Rajeshwari's eyes widened. "I thought you might not like it....so, you wouldn't mind if I keep in touch with her?"
"Why would it matter to me, you silly little mustard woman," he asked testily, then picked up the bag and walked to the sofa.
"I'm so glad you feel that way," Rajeshwari said exuberantly, experiencing massive relief. Quickly closing the disagreeable subject in her mind, she hurried after her brother and said, "I'd thought you would leave straight for your cabin from the airport. But I'm very happy you're here. Kadambari went straight to Devgarh?"
Prithvi placed the bag on the centre table and sat down on the sofa. "Yeah, Baba will drop her there, and then go back to the thakur's place. I have advised them to use the trip to be honest about their feelings...maybe sing a few movie songs to express themselves if they were feeling too shy."
"You tease them too much," Rajeshwari laughed, sitting on an adjacent armchair. Now that her tension about Nandini had disappeared, she was feeling jubilant. In fact, she'd not been in such a good mood for months. The knowledge that Prithvi was back in the country was immensely reassuring. He had a miraculous ability to make problems vanish into thin air, even across long distances. There was only one issue in her life for which she could not seek his help. She couldn't even speak to him about it. It would be better to die first.
"They accused me of that," Prithvi admitted. "And instead of being grateful for my excellent suggestion, both of them announced they will not be speaking to me for a while," he said sadly, then tetchily added, "which is very convenient for them since I won't be around for the next three months."
"Three months?" Rajeshwari said in dismay. "That's too long."
She saw a shadow flit across her brother's features.
"It's really not," Prithvi muttered. "But if you need anything, you know you just have to give Sumer Baba a call. He will let me know."
Rajeshwari nodded, but she was disturbed by the tiny alteration in his mood. So, she hastily changed the subject. "It must have been tough for you to find the way to this bungalow."
"Not much. I would have reached early in the morning but I took a wrong turn and lost my way. All because of a dinosaur," Prithvi stated, poker-faced.
"A dinosaur?" Rajeshwari asked with a whoop of laughter.
"It's true. I saw one of those prehistoric creatures this morning," he insisted. "A velociraptor, I think. Small but very fast and dangerous."
"You and your stories," she shook her head amusedly. After ensuring that no servants were present, she opened the bag and joyfully yelped, "You brought my favourite chocolates. And my favourite snacks."
"I did?" he asked in surprise. "That's a coincidence, you know. I just asked for the things that five-year-old kids like," he claimed.
Rajeshwari chuckled, and then asked, "How's everyone at home?"
"The queen mother is kind-hearted and honest as always," Prithvi said gravely. "And Indrajit is continuing with his mission to make me want to go for a swim in shark-infested waters."
"I think he loves you very much," Rajeshwari said gently.
Prithvi looked revolted. "Is that your way of putting me off food? It's not going to work. Now am I going to get some lunch? Or should I tell Choti maa about this inhuman treatment?" he asked grouchily.
"Don't do that...whether she's upset with you or not, Kadambari will kill me," Rajeshwari sniggered. "Lunch is ready. Come, let's go to the dining room."
"Now you're talking," he said approvingly. "But before we eat, I have one other thing to tell you."
"What is it?" she asked worriedly, alarmed by the slight sombreness that had appeared on his features.
"You will not be travelling for charity work from now onwards, Rai," Prithvi stated flatly. "You can do whatever you want while staying at any of the palaces you like. And you will not be going to Devgarh. Not for a day or an hour or a minute. Sumer Baba will give you a list of places where you could stay without wanting to set yourself on fire. You can select any one of those residences. If anyone questions you, tell them it's my decision. And if anyone has a problem with it, they can discuss it with me after I return."
Dumbfounded, Rajeshwari gaped at him for some time. Then, an ecstatic smile spread on her face.
Prithvi grinned.
*****************************
The few people on the railway platform were perplexed by the beautiful young woman who was sitting on the bench located at one end of the platform. Many trains had come and gone, but she'd not stirred from the bench and had continued to stare vacantly ahead, tears sliding down her red face.
The shop-owners had approached her with water and food. A handful of female travellers had tried to comfort her. But she had not responded to anyone, and had not shown any signs of awareness apart from wiping her tears every few minutes.
Everyone left her alone after a while.
Nandini felt utterly sapped of energy. She had not cried for years, and had thought she'd secured a permanent victory over her heart. It had taken mere minutes for the huge delusion to be destroyed.
After having sat at the station for about five hours, her head began to spin. And that's when she remembered she hadn't eaten anything since dinner on Wednesday. She took out the packet of dry fruits, which her mother had forced her to carry, and the bottle of water from her bag.
It was a paltry meal but it helped stop the dizziness. Then she booked a ticket online on her phone and began to wait for the train.
Darkness had fallen by the time Nandini reached home. She took a bath quickly and sat down for dinner. While answering her family's interested questions about her training with splendid creativity, she ate almost double her usual portion, making her mother very happy. Then she spent close to an hour chatting with all of them and also had a small bowl of mango ice-cream before going to her room.
And all the while, she was only seeing a man standing atop a confusing flight of stairs...emitting the scorching radiance of the rising sun...
When she closed her eyes in the darkness, the image grew in clarity and brilliance, and did not fade throughout the night.
It seemed to have been emblazoned on her eyes forever.
**********************************
Prithvi parked the midnight blue SUV by the side of the lonely road. Then he switched on his phone.
There were many missed calls. Most of them were irrelevant. Indrajit had called him several times, and had subsequently sent a harsh, detailed essay - divided across eight messages - about the need to be responsible and dutiful and some other hilarious things. He would save it for a bit of light reading in the coming weeks. He replied to the messages with a time-tested technique. Three whole lines of one emoticon - the pile of poop.
Kadambari and Sumer Singh had individually sent stiff-toned messages asking him about his whereabouts. He responded to both by asking them to get their horoscopes matched soon.
Prithvi switched off the phone again and kept it on the dashboard.
He got out of the vehicle. It was freezing and windy. He usually enjoyed this weather...
The lights of a town were visible in the distance. He would halt there for tonight.
Prithvi walked to the front of the SUV and lounged against the hood, gazing at the far-off illuminations...still unable to make sense of the day.
He had driven non-stop for hours from the nearest airport to reach Nikumbh, and had been faintly tired when he'd arrived at the village. That was why he had reduced the speed of the vehicle....which was how he had spotted the board that mentioned the stepwell and provided the directions to it. He'd not made a conscious decision to visit the stepwell, but had somehow found himself getting down from the SUV at one point and walking towards it...
Later, in a morbid replay of a long-gone day that was quite fresh in his mind, he had wandered aimlessly for hours, unaware of and unconcerned about where he was heading.
However, he'd managed to restrict the increase in his self-hate by eventually fulfilling the purposes with which he had set out to meet Rajeshwari, apart from that of surprising her. He'd given his sister sufficient notice about his plans because he'd wanted to her to have enough time to calm down. Alternatively, she could have used the hours to come up with a good lie. Ultimately, Rajeshwari had not done either...and she had not told him the entire truth too. He could have uncovered it in a minute. But he didn't want to know the reasons for her actions. He didn't want to know anything about it at all.
Prithvi looked up at the shimmering stars in the sky.
They shrank from the coldness in his gaze.
Not again, he thought with a deathly calm. Never again...
**************************************
On Saturday morning, adhering to her usual practice, Nandini woke up early in the morning, bathed and went to the temple where her grandfather and Sankatmochan were already busy. She helped them with a number of duties. Then she sat in the lotus posture before the beatific idol of Lord Mahavishnu and folded her hands. As always, before beginning her prayers, she pleaded for their benefit to be offered to another person...whose silent gaze was burning into her...
A common thread linked the time that she was awake and asleep.
From sunrise to nightfall, she would obsessively relive each second of the encounter. It was a different matter that it had taken her three days to even think about that moment without being browbeaten by her feelings...
She would wonder if she could have behaved differently
If, after the initial shock, she could have smiled at him. And if he would have smiled back...
Or if she could have walked up to him calmly and spoken to him...asked him how he was. And if he would have responded...
She would feel enraged at herself for having wasted a priceless opportunity to speak to him...just because of her inability to rein in her emotions. But then she would recall the shockwave that had hit her out of the blue, and would be forced to admit to herself that she couldn't have reacted in any other way. The jolt of seeing him without any forewarning had been too much for her.
She still attempted to visualise a scenario in which she would have overcome the disbelief. But the series of those thoughts would come to an abrupt stop when she would recall the change in his expression. Her mind refused to venture beyond that point.
Then she would go back to the start again...to that moment when she had looked up and seen him...
And then there were the nights, when she dreamt of him over and over again. She forgot most of them on waking up. But some of the dreams were unusually vivid and remained stuck in her head for long. In those, she would invariably be back in the depths of the stepwell, but the situation would play out differently each time.
She would rush up to him and embrace him. And then she would realise that he wasn't real, but an idol made of rock.
Or he would speak harshly and walk off, and she would be left in despair.
But sometimes...sometimes, he would hold out a hand, and she would walk up to him to hold it. And then she would awaken with a happiness so real and intense that it would linger in her heart for the whole day. On two occasions, the scenes ended in rehashed memories of intimacy that shocked her into waking up.
On other nights, when sleep eluded her completely, Nandini wished she could curse the impulse that had urged her to stop at an unknown place in an unfamiliar village. But the words wouldn't form in her mind. And she would acknowledge bitterly that, if presented with a choice, she would give up every bit of happiness and peace to see him again, even if it was only for a moment.
And so many of her illusions had been shattered by the meeting, including the one that she'd created on the basis of what Rajeshwari had told her.
The other broken illusions were older...and among them was a belief that she could continue with everyday life without seeing or speaking to him again. Now her heart was clamouring for a chance to see him again just once...to listen to his voice...and to speak to him one last time like a mature adult instead of running away like a panicky child.
Once...just once...
************************************
"Why isn't he here yet?" Nandini asked anxiously, looking at her watch.
"Yes, he's late," Sudhakar agreed with a faint agitation.
"Both of you are so impatient," Meenakshi laughed.
"You have no idea how much I look forward to this every day," Nandini said forlornly.
Her face brightened up when the cabin's door opened but it fell again on seeing a young man in his late twenties.
"You were expecting someone special?" Mohnish asked teasingly as he pushed his chair to the empty space between the three desks.
"Look at the time, Mohnish. Of course, I was," Nandini said gloomily, then she perked up on seeing the door open again.
A dignified man in a blue-grey uniform with a smattering of grey in his hair and a tray of white cups entered the cabin.
"Yay!" Nandini cheered gleefully, getting up quickly and hurrying to the man. "God bless you with a long life, Kaka."
The others in the cabin, including the peon, laughed at her enthusiasm.
Nandini took cups from the tray and handed them to her friends. After she had taken one for herself with a heartfelt "Thank you", the peon left to distribute the remaining cups to the other employees.
While savouring the hot tea, Meenakshi secretively asked, "Mohnish, is it true we might get good pay hikes this year?"
Mohnish, who was part of the human resources department, smiled and nodded vigorously while righteously saying, "I'm not supposed to talk about that."
"It's so difficult to get the truth out of you, you should be a spy," Nandini giggled. He was one of the rare men in the office who didn't irk her. In fact, with his simple and friendly nature, he reminded her of Rishabh, who was pursuing advanced studies in one of the most elite institutions in India.
As Mohnish laughed, the door opened for the third time and a good-looking young woman sauntered into the cabin, her pencil heels making a clicking noise as they struck the floor.
"Mohnish, I'd asked for your help over the vouchers," Kamya said petulantly.
"I'll come to your desk in ten minutes," Mohnish said calmly.
Kamya turned towards Nandini. "Hey, I saw you from far today morning when I was getting out of my car, and I mistakenly thought you were wearing smart clothes for once," she said jovially.
"If the clothes look good, you should know the person wearing them cannot possibly be me," Nandini replied brightly.
With a shrill laugh, Kamya said, "Gosh, you're the only person I know who takes so much pride in having bad taste."
"Oh that's nothing compared to my pride in my thick skin," Nandini said sweetly.
Kamya gave her a stiff smile and then left the cabin.
"I love it when you deal with her like that," Meenakshi laughed.
Nandini chuckled.
"She will never forgive you for stealing the limelight from her," Sudhakar commented with a chortle.
"Please tell her if she takes it back, I will give her all my savings and my whole salary every month," Nandini said dryly.
"I hope no one has troubled you again, Nandini," Mohnish said sharply.
"After the way she dealt with them, they will think twice before overstepping their boundaries," Meenakshi said proudly.
Nandini smiled wanly. The situation had improved, but she felt fully comfortable only when the irritating elements were not in office.
At 5:30 pm, when her colleagues rose to leave, Nandini also shut down her computer for the day. She usually stayed back for a while to just think in peace. If the creeps were loitering around, she would wait at the bus stop and catch the bus that came at 6:10 pm, on which she could meet her 'bus friend'.
But today, and for the next ten days, she wanted to reach home soon because her grandfather had left for their native village that morning for important work related to his ancestral land. She had intended to accompany him, but then Sankatmochan had insisted on doing so. Now the temple was being managed by a two highly respected and pious priests whom her grandfather had known for over thirty years
Nandini stood for a few minutes in the bus, and then found a seat next to an elderly man. She took out her phone from her bag to check for messages, and spent some minutes chatting with her friends. Then she began to shop online for a new phone for her mother. The old one had stopped working properly last month, and the repairs were not helping.
As she was reading up on the features and making comparisons, the phone started to ring, displaying an unknown number.
She answered it unsurely.
"Good evening, Nandini. I hope you remember me," Rajeshwari said with a nervous giggle.
Surprise, joy and gratitude rendered Nandini speechless for a moment. Then she happily said, "Rajeshwari...How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. I know what you're thinking, Nandini," Rajeshwari said ruefully. "You're wondering why I'm calling you after I told you I couldn't –
"No, no, I'm glad you called," Nandini said hurriedly, her heartbeat quickening.
"I knew you would be," Rajeshwari said eagerly. "I thought I should tell you about a miraculous thing that happened. Prithvi visited me on the same day that you left! He and Kadambari had arrived earlier than the others. I should have expected it. He usually travels separately," she said reflectively. "Kadambari went to Devgarh, and Prithvi left for his cabin. Oh, you might not know about the cabin...see, Prithvi likes to go a place in the mountains twice a year at least. He goes for about one or one-and-a-half months at a time usually, but he intends to stay there for three months this time. He wanted to meet me before he left. Just think, if you'd waited in the bungalow till afternoon, you could have met him," she mused with awe.
Then Rajeshwari continued, "Anyway, we spoke for some time, and - you know how I was feeling guilty about meeting you, so I told him the truth. And he was fine with it!" she said gaily. "It wasn't a big surprise because I know he doesn't care about the past anymore. But I wasn't expecting him to be so cool about it. He even told me I could be in touch with you if I liked. I would have called you earlier to tell you this but I was busy with some work. And now since Prithvi is completely fine with...everything...I wanted to ask a favour of you."
With her mind reeling frenziedly, Nandini could only numbly repeat, "Favour?"
"Yes. I need to be in Shamli for four or five days," Rajeshwari confided timorously, looking down at her notes and reading from them, so that she wouldn't commit any mistakes. "I'm working on a charity project that's a surprise for my family. So...can I stay with you? But no one in your family must know that I am Prithvi's sister. And it's also very important that my family should not find out anything about this. I especially don't want them to know I might be staying with you. Because apart from my great-uncle and Sumer Singh, everyone hates you," she said uncomfortably. "But I heard from Sumer Singh that your grandfather and Sankatmochan have gone to some village for a few days. And no one else in your family is in touch with the people in my family, right? So, this would be the perfect time for me to stay with you."
Rajeshwari's index finger moved to the second-last point. "But I should tell you this is just an arrangement for staying," she clarified. "And it's just for me. Disha and my team won't be with me. I will live in your house like an ordinary person. I will be respectful and polite towards everyone in your family, but I will not mingle with any of you. And I will not discuss anything about Prithvi or my family with you. I do not want any photographs to be clicked of me. I will leave in the morning before breakfast and return in the evening after dinner. I know your house isn't the kind of residence to which I'm accustomed. But I have lived in really bad places in the past three months, and your house is much better and bigger than many of those houses. I would need an entire room to myself, naturally. The guest room on the ground floor would be sufficient for me. Sumer Singh had told me about your house," she added hastily.
Rajeshwari looked indecisively at the last point. No, she couldn't raise the issue of compensating Nandini for the stay any more than she could have offered to pay Prithvi for the chocolates he'd brought for her. It was peculiar that she felt so strongly about it and was comparing two radically different relationships. Her bond with Prithvi was one of the most wonderful things in her life, while she'd had a proper, long conversation with Nandini only once yet. But she was confident about how she felt...and that was enough...
"Okay, yes, that's everything I wanted to say," Rajeshwari said. She was glad Nandini had not interrupted her with questions. It would have disturbed her flow, and muddled up her brain. She cautiously added, "You can tell me honestly if you're not comfortable with the arrangement. That would be okay. I will find another place to stay in Shamli."
Having gotten a grip over the conversation, Nandini gently said, "You can stay with us for as long as you like on your terms. I will think of an excuse that could convince my family, and call you back in about 15 minutes."
"I knew you would agree," Rajeshwari said joyfully. "Of course, you can take your time. I'll wait. And Nandini, please don't tell your family anything today. I'm still planning a few details, and I want to be sure about everything first. I'll reach Shamli tomorrow, and check into one of the hotels. Then I'll call you in the evening to confirm the details. After that, you could tell your family. And don't use my real name. Your family should be told that my name is Raji. So...I will come to your house day after tomorrow. Would that be okay with you?"
"Yes, absolutely," Nandini said softly. "I'll call you back in a short while."
She looked dazedly at her phone. She didn't need time to cook up an excuse. She needed it to process what Rajeshwari had said about him. Her mind would tear apart every line later to look for deeper meaning, but she couldn't think about Rajeshwari's request until she had repressed the uproar in her heart.
When a quarter of an hour were nearly over, Nandini shifted her attention to Rajeshwari.
It was easy to cook up a story. Rajeshwari was a cousin of one of her colleagues, Keerti, in Bhanupur. She had come to Shamli for business purposes for a few days. But her family did not want her to stay alone in a hotel. So, Keerti had asked her if Rajeshwari could stay in Vrindavan for a few days. Rajeshwari was a very shy and introverted woman, so she would probably not talk much to any of them. She would be busy all day, and only needed a place to sleep at night...
The bus was crowded. To sidestep the dangers of being overheard by any acquaintances, Nandini disembarked four steps before her usual halt. Standing at one corner of the nearly empty bus stop, she called up Rajeshwari, who sounded as gleeful as a child on hearing the yarn.
Then, as she waited for the next bus to arrive, Nandini wondered idly about Rajeshwari's true purpose.
'Raji', whose call had come over two weeks after her stay in Nikumbh, was clearly lying about her mission in Shamli as well as the source of her information. And besides the initial part of the conversation, it was obvious that she had read out everything from written notes. Rajeshwari would surely be aware that the plan was not at all fool-proof. But the inherently naïve and timid girl wouldn't be going to such lengths for trivial reasons. Something huge must be going on in her life...
It also didn't require much intelligence to sense that she was inviting trouble for herself by falling in line with Rajeshwari's plans, Nandini mulled dispassionately. However, she wasn't worried about it. She was only curious to know in what form the trouble would arrive.
**********************************
The next day, Nandini began to wait for Rajeshwari's call post lunch itself. She could focus on her work till half past four in the evening, then she gave up. She called back on the number from which Rajeshwari had gotten in touch with her. But the phone was switched off. Nandini tried to reach Disha but the calls wouldn't go beyond two short beeps. Messages also weren't being delivered to both the phones. Rajeshwari hadn't mentioned the name of the hotel, but there were only two five-star ones in Shamli. From what she knew, those hotels were not going to divulge information about their guests over the phone. They were unlikely to do it even if she went there in person. But she had to try.
Maybe she was overreacting. Rajeshwari had said she would call in the evening. And that was a broad period, wasn't it? Perhaps she intended to call at six or seven or even after that...
But she wouldn't be at peace until she knew that Rajeshwari was okay, Nandini thought uneasily. Last night, she'd been too absorbed in analysing what Rajeshwari had said at the beginning of the conversation. She'd thought about the other things only today morning, and subsequently, the vague suspicions of yesterday had taken a more concrete form. They had also brought along a nameless disquiet, which wouldn't be quelled until she spoke to Rajeshwari again.
If she couldn't get any information from the hotels or get in touch with Rajeshwari or Disha over the next three hours, she would have to call up Sankatmochan, and then the police, Nandini resolved. Nothing was more important than Rajeshwari's safety...
She noted the address and telephone numbers of the hotels from their websites, and then looked at the clock. There were about ten minutes left for 5:30 pm. She had a bit more work to finish, but she had time until tomorrow to complete it. She said a quick goodbye to her surprised colleagues, and left hurriedly.
As Nandini stepped beyond the gate of the premises, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Disha.
Can you come to Hotel Silver Swan as soon as you can? I'm on the first floor, outside the banquet hall. When you come out of the lift, turn left. The banquet hall is at the end of the corridor. Please respond through messages only. I won't be able to answer any calls or send any more messages.
The address and phone number of the hotel were given below the message.
Nandini stared at the screen for a few moments, then she sent a message that she was on the way. Grim-faced, she looked at the steady stream of traffic and hailed a rickshaw.
*********************************
Disha tried not to look at the lift doors every time it opened, but her tension was making it difficult. She didn't know what exactly Nandini could do in this situation...but she'd not had any other option and she couldn't sit idle when the princess was in trouble. And Nandini knew the family, didn't she? There had to be something she could do to help.
Disha looked apprehensively towards the lift, and felt a gush of relief on seeing Nandini striding towards her.
But then, almost immediately, she regretted her senseless decision.
Though she had met Nandini only once before, it wasn't so long ago that she should have forgotten the young lady's gentle and vulnerable look.
How could she have thought Nandini would be able to do anything, Disha thought in frustration. To send Nandini into the banquet room would be as foolhardy as sending an innocent lamb to defeat a fire-breathing dragon. But it wasn't too late. She could still prevent any more disasters.
Sensing the frowns of the hulking men who were guarding the banquet hall, Disha hastened towards Nandini.
Nandini slowed down. The fear on Disha's face was a highly restrained version of the terror she had seen on Rajeshwari's countenance outside the store.
Slightly breathless, Nandini sharply asked, "What's wrong, Disha? Where is Rajeshwari?"
Disha gave her a strained smile. "I'm sorry I frightened you," she apologised. "The situation isn't as bad as I had thought. You don't have to do anything. Everything is under control. You can go home."
"Stop lying," Nandini said angrily. "Tell me where she is right now."
Taken aback by the show of temper, Disha unthinkingly replied, "In the banquet hall. No, wait!" she exclaimed as Nandini started to go past her. "The princess is not alone. She's with the - the queen," she whispered tensely.
Disha was accustomed to seeing two reactions whenever she mentioned the queen - great awe or stark fear. Or both.
Neither of those emotions were visible on Nandini's features.
Instead, the lovely face suddenly seemed to be ablaze with an acrid fury and loathing.
Looking away, Nandini absently retreated a couple of feet until her back countered the wall. This wasn't a shock. She had expected it from the instant she had read Disha's message...or even before that. But she needed a few moments to subdue her instinctive reactions to the mention of the person she hated the most in the world. She remained motionless for some seconds, then glanced at Disha with unemotional eyes.
Confounded and inexplicably frightened, Disha stared wordlessly at Nandini, and she remained silent as the other woman straightened from the wall and proceeded swiftly to the banquet hall.
The guards had been watching the bizarre scene with suspicious frowns, and they stiffened as Nandini walked up to them.
The woman was disconcertingly beautiful, but her clothes declared loud and clear that she did not belong to the league of the people in the banquet room.
One of the burly guards raised an arm to forewarn her.
"No one has permission to go inside," he informed.
"I don't need permission. Please move aside," Nandini said courteously.
"Please turn around and walk away," the other guard said.
"Not going to happen," she said coolly.
The guards glanced at each other. With the reputation of the queen whom they served and loved, and their own formidable body structures, they'd not had to face this sort of an attitude from anyone so far.
In a move that had not failed to work till date, both the men hardened their features and advanced threateningly, with one of them cautioning, "Please don't make us use force."
Staying put, Nandini smiled coldly. "I would like to see you try."
Bemused, the men looked at each other doubtfully. The woman's behaviour wasn't just atrocious...it was abnormal. And the absence of the tiniest anxiety was giving them pause.
Using their hesitation, Nandini stalked through the space between the guards and pushed open the banquet hall's heavy doors. They swung shut behind her as she came across a sight that she would not forget for a very long time.
The big room contained several small round tables and cushioned chairs. All of them had been stacked against the walls to create a large clearing in the middle. There was a comfortable high-back chair in the centre of that clearing. Decked with glittering diamonds, a woman in a magenta and grey silk saree was seated in the high-back chair.
About five feet away, a young woman was kneeling on the floor, shuddering hands folded in a prayerful gesture. Shaking like a leaf, Rajeshwari was weeping noiselessly.
Numerous fierce emotions erupted on Priyamvada's face on seeing the person who had interrupted the private discussion.
Then her fine features only revealed a faint surprise mingled with amusement.
"My my...Look who has deigned to join us on this lovely evening," Priyamvada smiled with a mocking delight.
Crying, Rajeshwari turned her bewildered face towards the doors. Disbelief brought her tears to a brief halt, and then, with a crazed hope in her eyes, she tried to rise to move towards Nandini.
Emerging from a stupor, Nandini hurried to Rajeshwari and helped her rise to her feet. She hugged the quaking form tightly in the way that she would have comforted a child. Then her gaze shifted to Priyamvada.
"Make note of this auspicious event, Rajeshwari," Priyamvada said pleasantly with a voice that sent another shiver down Rajeshwari's spine. "We have been graced by the presence of the precious heir apparent of the long-deceased king of compassion and righteousness. A heavenly event if there ever was one."
Then Rajeshwari heard Nandini speak to her aunt, and even through the smog of terror and misery, it struck her that she had not heard such a cold sound before.
"You're pleased too easily," Nandini said in a polite tone. "As far as I am concerned, a heavenly event would be to see your picture in the obituary column."
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