Nandini stole another glance at the clock piece in the living room. It was 9:45 PM. All had taken their dinner, except her. Grandpa had retired to his room for the night, and Prakash was morosely fiddling with the knobs on the television set, apparently hoping that some miracle would happen and it would start working again.

More than an hour had passed since Prithvi had walked out the door.

Around 15 minutes after he had left, she had heard a car make its way to the gate of the house and had wanted to go and see who it was. But by the time she had extricated herself from her mother's fussing and hurried to the door, she only saw the vehicle pulling away from the gate. Who had come at this late hour to Ayodhya and left so soon….

Feeling too restless, she absently went upstairs to her room and plonked herself down on the bed. Then she jumped up and opened her cupboard, excavated a small and ragged doll from it, and scrambled back onto the bed with it.

"Why isn't he back yet?" she asked the doll, who had been one of her best friends as an 8-year old, in a whisper. "What is he doing there? What should I do? I'm so confused….I feel like my heart is going to burst. And that's not my fault, you know," she went on indignantly, "how else am I supposed to feel…this is the first time….the first time a – a boy hugged me. I know he only did it because he thought I had been seriously injured….but still…why did he … and why did I feel... no, I didn't like it. I really didn't...I didn't feel anything at all," she said desperately. "Only…maybe just a little safe, a little content...a little happy. But that's only because he was safe and sound. And I was so scared that he might be -"

The sound of the door being shut fluttered up to her. "That must be him," she said happily, and leapt off the bed after keeping the doll aside carefully.

Half an hour later, however, she was more worried than ever. Prithvi had returned, but something had changed….

He was avoiding her, even looking through her….not meeting her gaze even accidentally…he had refused dinner and then had disappeared into his room.

His face appeared to be besieged with dark shadows, and for a brief moment when his eyes had met hers, they had been more troubled and preoccupied than she had ever seen before.

The way he was behaving....Nandini wondered if the event that had shaken her had ever taken place…. if he had ever pulled her into his arms in the sharp relief that she was unharmed and breathing…..

He seemed cold and forbidding once again….the way he had been when he had first arrived here…

**********************

In a faraway place, Sumer Singh's phone rang insistently. He sat up in bed, groped around for the night light for a few moments before locating the switch. He picked up the phone, squinted to see the name and then swiftly held it to his ear.

"My lord? What's wrong? You've never called this late before," he said anxiously.

"Nothing's wrong. What is the situation there? They were having some trouble with a builder, weren't they?"

"They had a land-related problem with a builder. But the matter has been sorted. How is everyone there?"

"All are fine," Prithvi said shortly. "When do you plan to come back, Baba?"

"I'll be home the day after tomorrow. Is everything alright there, my lord?" Sumer Singh asked, perplexed. "This is the first time you've asked about my return since I left."

"There isn't any problem," he replied evenly. "But as soon as you return, we need to find another place to stay."

"Another house!" the elderly man repeated blankly.

"Once you're back, we'll move as soon as possible."

Sumer Singh recovered sufficiently from the shock he'd just received to ask the pressing question. "But why, my lord? Did something happen again? Did Indrajit -"

"No, not him," Prithvi said tiredly. "He isn't the only lunatic in the family, is he?"

"Then you mean the king!! But – but he wants you back at any cost," Sumer Singh spluttered. "So why did his men try to attack you."

"They didn't come for me. They only wanted your precious box."

"What! They dared to lay their hands on it!" he cried.

"They couldn't. Our meeting took place before they could ransack your room. But if the fools had asked me politely, I would have gift-wrapped it and given it to them," Prithvi added reflectively.

"It is your father's legacy, my lord," Sumer Singh said sternly, "such disrespect to it is unbecoming of a son."

"Yes, its my father's legacy, and that's precisely why I despise it," Prithvi said bitingly, "and if you've forgotten, Baba, his actual legacy is that of destroying the lives of everyone who…." he stopped mid-sentence, struggling to keep his words under check to avoid hurting the man on the other end of the line. "But that's not important…Nandini was hurt again today."

"Nandini was…but how? Is she alright?"

"She won't be alright until we leave from here. She was hurt again only because she was with me," Prithvi said in an almost inaudible voice, closing his eyes and leaning against the headboard of his bed.

"I can understand your guilt, my lord. But please…please think once again," Sumer Singh requested desperately, feeling oddly like the only light that come into Prithvi and his lives in a long time was being extinguished.

"There is nothing more to consider, Baba. So far, I've managed not to have any innocent life on my conscience …..and I don't want to start now. The longer we stay here, the more danger she and her whole family will be in. If anything happened to her…or her family….I'll….No, it is best that we leave."

*******************

"Nandini,"

Nandini halted at the threshold of her room and found her mother looking quizzically in the direction of the steps leading to the terrace.

"What's wrong, ma?"

"Did you lock the door to the terrace. I feel there is a draft coming from the top. Just check once before you go to sleep, will you?""

Nandini nodded. "I'll go and make sure, but I want you to go to bed right away, ma."

She walked over to her mother, propelled her into the room and made her sit down on the bed. "Good night, ma," she smiled.

Sarojini smiled in return, caught hold of her lovely face in warm hands, and brought down her forehead for a kiss. "I hope this smile stays on your face always," she said fervently on an impulse, looking at her daughter's perplexed but pleased expression.….then wondered what had made her say it.

Once her mother had lied down, she went up to the cupboard in the room to take out the terrace keys. As she casually gazed out the adjoining window, she saw someone standing in the corner of the large ground in front of the house. She moved closer to window and stilled in surprise.

Prithvi was standing at a considerable distance away, looking in the direction of the main road, apparently waiting for someone. Even as she watched a car's headlights lit up the darkness. The vehicle was coming straight at him with great speed, but Prithvi continued to stand his ground, looking unfazed into the car's headlights.

Why wasn't he getting out of the way….

She was just about to cry out a warning even though he was too far to hear her, when the car came to a halt inches from him and its lights switched off. Nandini watched in bewildered silence as a figure got out of the driver's seat, and walked towards Prithvi.

Who was it….what was the meaning of this ill-timed meeting…. Was it friend or foe….

Nandini immediately hurried out of the room and ran downstairs, through the open door and into the courtyard. She had just pushed open the gate when she realized that Prithvi was just a few meters away, walking towards the house himself.

Lost in thought, he was walking slowly in the direction of the house, eyes on the ground. It was only when he was some steps away that he looked up and saw her standing anxiously at the gate, a slight breeze making her dupatta flutter gracefully, and playing with her long hair.

He drew to a sudden halt and they stared at each other wordlessly for a moment. Then she looked over at the spot where the car had stopped, but the area was barren now. She returned her gaze to Prithvi uncertainly.

"What are you doing outside at this time?" he demanded suddenly, ignoring the hesitant question in her black eyes.

Nandini recoiled a little at the sharpness of his tone.

"I saw the car…and that man," she said tentatively, "and I thought, I'll just see…." she stopped, as even the darkness around couldn't veil the bleak understanding that flashed in his eyes. And she knew he had realised perfectly well what had brought her running to the gate.

"It was only a friend," he said quietly. "Whatever happened today….will never happen again, I promise. Now go to sleep."

She smiled in relief, nodded and slowly turned around to go inside the house.

"Nandini,"

She swung around to see Prithvi still standing outside the gate….looking strangely uncomfortable.

"Baba will be back soon…and after he returns, we-," he hesitated for a second, "we'll be moving out of Ayodhya."

Nandini stood unmoving as the words inched their way into her consciousness. "Moving…from here?" she echoed in a astonished whisper, knowing instinctively that he was not playing with her feelings this time….this wasn't a trick…she knew it as surely as she discerned the terrible chill spreading through her chest. He actually meant to leave….

He nodded curtly, not looking at her. "After what happened today, that would be the best thing for…Sumer Baba and me," he added after the slightest of pauses. "This place is too isolated and lonely. And many of my….many people have come to know about this house. It would be better for us if we lived in the center of the town, where there are more people at hand."

Nandini struggled to overcome her shock. He was going to go away from her little world, away from Ayodhya….from her. But even through the despair settling down around her, she knew he was right….he would be safer in a more crowded place, where people would know immediately if he was in trouble. Where no one would dare to kill him in broad daylight, and wouldn't break into his house before night had properly set in. If his safety lay in this, then she could bear everything else….

Then she realized that he had stopped talking, and had uprooted his gaze from the walls of the house and was finally looking at her. It was too dark for her to see his expression clearly, but she assumed he was waiting for some response. With a concentrated effort, she pulled herself out of the inertia.

"You're right. That would be the best thing to do," she said lightly, staring at the shadows on the ground, her fingers clenched tightly around the terrace keys in her hand. "You – and Sumer uncle – would be safer in a house in the main part of the town."

"Nandini, listen…" he muttered.

"I forgot I have to – to lock the terrace," she interrupted before he could anything else, "its very late, you should go to sleep too."

And then she spun around and with deliberate slowness made her way into the hall and up the stairway, not looking back. Only after she had entered the comforting darkness of her room and closed the door did she let the tears come.

*************************

"Where are you dragging me to, Vrinda?" Nandini asked in exasperation for what felt like the umpteenth time as they struggled along a teeming corridor.

"Just come along and see," Vrinda insisted. "It's very exciting."

After jostling through a particularly congested section, they landed in front of a big board placed outside the canteen. Nandini was surprised to see Nishi and Rishabh waiting, beaming uniformly.

"Hi Nishi…Hi Rishabh!" she smiled, "you disappeared again for a few days."

"I didn't!" Rishabh protested. "These two traitors went to meet you without telling me. And then I had to go home for a couple of days. Is that bruise on your forehead from the accident?"

"No, the girl bumped her head against the door yesterday," Vrinda said severely.

"What's with you and injuries these days? That's the second mishap you've had in the past month," Nishi frowned. "Hmmm…and the second one since Prithvi moved into Shamli. That's very coincidental, isn't it?"

"None of it was Prithvi's fault, if that's what you are thinking," Nandini said indignantly, feeling extremely defensive. "He's always tried to protect me and -"

"I was only making an observation," Nishi apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to say that Prithvi had anything to do with your accidents."

"Oh…that's ok. It's just….I'm feeling a little ill today," Nandini said, already feeling ashamed at the way she had reacted.

"You'll feel better if you read this notice," Vrinda grinned.

Nandini turned her attention to the board and swiftly read through the contents. It was a big colourful notice put up by the drama club, announcing the auditions for two dramas to be staged in March. One was based on a famous novel and the other was based on a legendary story.

She looked at her friends quizzically….what did she have to do with this…..

"Errrr…what's so exciting about this?"

"We are all going to the audition! You should come too!" Rishabh said excitedly.

For the first time since last night, Nandini laughed. "Audition for a drama? Me?"

"Come on, Nandini. You've acted in a school play before! "

"Nishi I was 6 years old then and my role was that of a tree," she chuckled. "I don't think these plays would have any role for plants."

A girl who had been standing nearby and had heard the conversation turned towards Nandini. "But you should take part, Nandini. You'll be perfect for the second play," she said excitedly, "it's the role of a princess, and you would look perfect as one."

"Exactly!" Vrinda exclaimed, and Nishi and Rishabh nodded eagerly.

Feeling embarrassed with the number of eyes that were on her all of a sudden, Nandini turned beet-red.

"No, I cant, Shreya…I really can't. I have terrible stage fright," she said earnestly. "I'll help you guys with your auditions, but there is no way I'll take part."

**************************

Standing on a stool at the entrance of the temple, Nandini tied the other end of the garland to the nail hook and then stepped down to review her handiwork.

"Is this arrangement ok, grandpa?"

Bhoothnath peeped out from the inner sanctum and surveyed the fruit of her efforts. "It's beautiful, Nandini," he smiled. "Now go home and have some tea and something to eat. You shouldn't have come here straight from college, you must be so tired."

"I'm not tired at all, grandpa," she said reassuringly. She picked up her bag from a corner and began to leave, then hesitated. "Grandpa, is Prithvi at home?"

"No, he went to main town some time ago….said he had some important work there. We didn't want to let him set off alone, after all he is still recovering. But today morning the doctor had said the leg has almost healed, and he has replaced the big bandages on his head, chest and arm with smaller ones. So that boy was adamant that we let him go by himself," grandpa sighed.

Nandini stepped out the temple and scanned the sky, which was littered with grey clouds. This dark and gloomy weather was really strange at this time of the year, as the monsoons were quite far away. But maybe even the weather gods knew the state of her heart….and were only reflecting it….

Prithvi had gone to the main town….so he was already on the lookout for another house….perhaps they would move away before the week was over…

She was half way across the ground when she heard the sounds of someone chattering loudly and she turned to her right to see an incredible sight.

A stout woman, her face caked with make up, was deep in animated conversation with a visibly annoyed Prithvi who was frowning at her in return. She recognized the lady to be Neelu aunty, one of the recent residents of the locality who was relatively wealthier than the others in the area, and was extremely fond of dressing up garishly.

Nandini watched with growing amusement as the elderly woman gesticulated wildly, apparently telling him some very interesting story. Then she also began punctuating her talks with frequent playful pats to Prithvi's upper arm, and Nandini lapsed into giggles, even though she was standing alone in the midst of many passersby'.

But caution overcame hilarity very soon, as she saw that Prithvi's fair face was quickly turning red with contained anger. From experience, Nandini knew his miniscule store of patience was wearing out very fast and the oblivious woman in front of him was going to be blasted off her feet in a couple of minutes.

As she hurried over to them, Prithvi looked around and the irritation on his face became slightly tempered with relief.

The woman also turned around and gave her a broad smile. "Hello Nandini. I was just complaining to Prithvi here that he hasn't been mingling much with all of us. It isn't good for a young boy like him to keep so much to himself. The next time you come home, be sure to bring him along too."

"I'll definitely do that, aunty," Nandini grinned, ignoring the lethal look she sensed on her face.

"My sister is coming to Shamli with her son next month. I've told her so much about you that she is simply dying to meet my Nandini," Neelu aunty trilled.

"That is so sweet of you, aunty. I'll definitely come to meet them." She was enveloped in a big hug and got a noisy kiss on her cheek. The woman turned to Prithvi with the intention of giving him another pat, or perhaps a hug, but Nandini assumed that something in his expression may have warned her against it, because she contented herself by giving him another blissful smile and then waddled off.

"Where did that thing escape from? The circus?" Prithvi seethed.

"Neelu aunty is a very sweet person," Nandini protested, "She is just very motherly and loving. What's wrong with that?"

"There was nothing motherly in the way she was looking at me," Prithvi muttered.

"What?" she asked confusedly.

"Nothing," he said irately, and started to walk towards the house but she continued to stand there. After striding a few steps, realizing that she hadn't moved, he stopped and turned around.

"Weren't you going home too?"

"I was…but I thought…," Nandini hesitated, was she being crazy…but there was no harm in asking. "I know you'll be moving away in a few days…and I thought, before you go, -"

"May God bless you both with a long life and everlasting happiness."

Startled, Nandini turned to see a very old man standing near them, draped in saffron robes, a sturdy stick in one hand and a begging bowl in the other. From the mild surprise in Prithvi's eyes, she knew that he too had not heard the man draw near.

A gentle smile played on the man's face, which seemed to be glowing with an inexplicable luster. An ancient but clean cloth bag hung on one bony shoulder.

"Would you give this hermit some alms, child?" the ascetic asked softly. "Some rice and old clothes would be enormously valuable to this weary body."

"That is your fee for granting everlasting happiness and a long life? That's some bargain," Prithvi said with raised eyebrows before Nandini could say anything.

"Don't be disrespectful," she said angrily, and quickly walked towards the old man and prostrated reverentially at his feet. He placed a wrinkled hand on her head in blessing, while Prithvi looked on derisively.

She stood up with joined palms.

"My house is just near here, baba. I'll be back with clothes and food in a few moments," she said gently. When he nodded with a beatific smile, she swiftly spun around and ran towards the house.

Still disdainful of the whole scene, Prithvi turned around to follow her to the house.

"So you've decided to go away, son."

Prithvi froze and slowly spun around to face the ascetic, who was looking at him with profound compassion in his crinkled features. "What did you just say?" he demanded in a low voice.

"You think it is for the best….for her best…to keep her safe," the man said contemplatively. "I'll pray that your decision be proved right in time, but who can say with the vagaries of fate."

"Who the hell are you? Who sent you here?" Prithvi asked fiercely, moving towards him threateningly.

The old man only smiled. "I'm as much a wanderer as the wind. I do not know where I'll be one instant to the other…..I go wherever my fate takes me….for I'm a mere puppet of the stars."

Prithvi stared at the man in silence for a minute. The stranger was genuinely old and frail, with limbs that were totally gnarled and misshapen with age. But there was a curious and kind light in his eyes, as though he could see the deepest thoughts of men, and feel nothing but pity….

It was no enemy in disguise…

"I'm doing the right thing," Prithvi said tightly, though his eyes were suddenly revealing some intense turmoil.

"Maybe…and maybe not."

"What you want from me?" Prithvi asked, frustrated.

"Nothing," came the simple answer. "I only thought...that perhaps….you may have missed one possible outcome of your decision."

"What do you mean?"

"Those who desire your destruction…they know her now, don't they? And on both the occasions that you both faced danger, you courted death to protect her. Won't those who wish you harm have seen that," the mysterious man mulled aloud, and the blood slowly drained from Prithvi's face as the import of the words sank in….

"If they can't find you, they'll come looking for her….to reach you through her, and to use her to make you do as they want. And this time, she'll have to face them alone."

The creaky sound of a gate opening reached their ears, and Prithvi saw Nandini come out of the gate with her arms wrapped around a big bundle of clothes, and a bag of food hanging around one elbow.

"But then I might be wrong," the hermit spoke again, "And maybe she is capable enough to take care of herself and her family."

He had barely finished the sentence when Nandini stumbled on a stray plastic bag in her path and fell to her knees. Prithvi unconsciously moved to help her, but then many small children playing nearby rushed to her rescue. One tiny boy took the chance to put his arms around her neck from the behind and kiss her cheek, and Nandini laughed and tickled him. And then with the rather unnecessary help of more than five overenthusiastic children, she got to her feet and thanked each of them with a kiss or by tousling their hair.

"And if she finds herself defenseless against them," the man continued as if there had not been any interruption and Prithvi, whose troubled eyes had been fixed on the girl, gave a small start as though he had forgotten his presence, "She'll just have to abandon her fate to their mercy…..to the mercy of men who don't know the meaning of the word….and who would undoubtedly like having a beautiful young girl in their power."

"Shut your mouth!" Prithvi said in a dangerously quiet voice, his face turning dark with rage.

"You find the mere thought unbearable, I wonder how you'll face its realization," the old man said kindly, as Nandini approached them with a sunny smile. "You believe you write your own destiny, Prithvi….And if you depart from here, you'll be writing the destiny of this girl and her family too. And a cruel destiny it will be. Is that what you wish, son?"

Prithvi who was still pale didn't answer.

Nandini reached them and worshipfully handed over the alms to the man, who took the rice and kept it in his bag, and held the bundle of clothes at his side.

Then once again he placed a gnarled hand on her head. "May you be protected from all harm, child. I pray that your happiness and wellbeing always be in the right hands."

He began to amble away, using the stick for support, and then abruptly turned towards Prithvi. "Destiny is always unpredictable, son….it can bring great sorrow….but it can also grant unlimited joy…remember this…" And then he was on his way again, leaving behind a slightly shaken boy and a very puzzled girl.

"What did he mean by that?" Nandini asked bemusedly. "Destiny is always unpredictable….hmmm…did you also get that peaceful feeling when he came closer? And what were you doing here all this time? You weren't making fun of him, were you?"

"Write all your questions down on piece of paper, and someday in the future, if I'm in the mind to torture myself, I'll try to answer them," he said irritably.

"You are leaving in a few days….can't you at least be nice until then," Nandini said in a hurt tone.

"Leave me alone, will you?" he snarled, and stalked away angrily towards the main road.

Nandini watched him go with a mixture of pain and surprise. Then she turned around and despondently made her way back to the house.

************************