Chapter 37
"I've been hearing your explanations about Prithvi for years now, Sumer. I've had enough. I think it is time we were given a chance to talk to him."
"Yes, I agree with Nath. I have been waiting to talk to Aditya's son for so long. And he is coming here right now. This would be a good time for us to approach him."
"That won't be advisable," Sumer Singh repudiated, holding his ground against the three elderly men surrounding him. "Prithvi is not yet ready to listen to or accept our version of the story, and forcing something upon him is as wise as needling a sleeping lion."
"You have been standing in our way for too long, Sumer," one of them snapped. "We have done as much work as you to protect him to the best of our ability all these years. We deserve a chance to get to know him as well as you do."
"I agree, but Prithvi accepted my presence in his life on the sole condition that I will not rake up the past, and especially not any topic concerning his father."
"What I cannot understand is how you could have let these thoughts fester in him for so long!" a bearded man said angrily. "Adityaraj gave you the freedom to choose an occupation when it had been your duty to simply stay by his side, protecting him. You owe it to him to tell his son the truth.....The truth that his father would have preferred to die rather than be the cause of Priyamvada's tears."
"Perhaps Sumer has grown too fond of being a father figure in Prithvi's life and is reluctant to give up the position," the third man rasped out.
"How dare you question my loyalty to his majesty Adityaraj!" Sumer Singh demanded angrily. "I have told Prithvi everything I know, and yet he refuses to forgive and forget. And no one can blame him for that, after everything that he has seen Priyamvada endure, and after everything he has gone through himself."
"That is the problem. That you've only told him what you know….the limited parts what all of us know," the first man said pensively. "If we need to convince Prithvi, we need to find out once and for all what had truly happened back then."
The bearded man spoke up again, "We don't have much time for all that. Whatever the king is planning will definitely come to light soon. And I will not stand by and watch Prithvi accept the inheritance on his mother's side, when it is
only right that he claims his lawful share in the royal legacy of his father."
"But Indrajit -"
" - is still apparently recovering from his last encounter with Prithvi. The injury on the head is taking its time to heal. So we need not worry about him - for the moment. As and when everything comes out in the open, he will have no choice but to share everything that Adityaraj left behind with his younger brother. I do hope I won't have to fight one son of Adityaraj to secure the rights of the other, but if Indrajit doesn't relent by choice, we'll be left with no option but
to use force. "
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In the fading light, Sumer Singh looked at the boy who was walking beside him quietly.
Prithvi had been very silent from the time he had come to pick up the old guard from the hotel. Sumer Singh had initially thought it was because the young master's temper
had been aggravated by the presence of his friends.
The men had thankfully remained at a distance, though their keen eyes had been avidly trying to study Adityaraj's son. But as in the past, Prithvi hadn't spared them a glance. He hadn't even bothered to step out of the car and Sumer Singh had apologized to his friends through his eyes before getting into the car.
As the car had moved out of the hotel's patio, he had waited expectantly for the derogatory but funny comments that were inevitable every time he returned after meeting his old gang, which always managed to elicit reluctant laughter from him. But only sombre silence had greeted him. And now they were returning after leaving the car at the rental place, and still, Prithvi hadn't uttered a word.
"My lord, is something wrong?"
Prithvi didn't respond by word or look, and Sumer Singh felt his wariness increase as he realised that the young lad was looking unnaturally subdued and distressed.
"Prithvi?"
Prithvi started and looked at him.
"Did you say something, Baba?"
"What is disturbing you this badly?" Sumer Singh frowned, "You've not been yourself ever since you came to the hotel."
"There isn't anything - I just thought I'll give you a break from hearing taunts about your flea-bitten, dorky friends. Oh damn, just broke that resolution," Prithvi grinned.
The carefree words did not ease the suspicion in Sumer Singh's heart, but he knew Prithvi wasn't going to share whatever it was that was upsetting him so much and he felt averse to prying.
As they neared the house, Prithvi turned to him again. "Baba, you go ahead. I'll be home in a short while."
"Do you want me to come along with you?" Sumer Singh asked diffidently, though he already knew the answer to his question.
"No...I – I'd like to be alone for a while," Prithvi replied evasively.
Though he wasn't feeling at ease, Sumer Singh nodded and resumed his walk to the house.
Prithvi waited till Sumer Singh had entered the gate. Then he turned and walked in the direction opposite to the house.....towards the temple.
There were several people walking around at this hour, but it was too dark to make out anyone's faces and for anyone to recognise him, which did well for him. The area outside the temple, especially, was quite dark as the bulb at the entrance had given out, though there was a strange glow in front of it.
As he neared the shrine, he saw that the little bit of light was coming from the lamp burning brightly in the alcove of the tree in front of the doors. He stood before it in utter stillness for some moments.
Bhoothnath had closed the temple for the night. But the shut wooden doors were no match for the intensity of the emotion in his eyes as they reached out to the divine power slumbering within their confines.
Then Prithvi's palms came together slowly and his eyes closed.
And only for the second time in more than 10 years, he prayed.
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The enormous room with gold-embroidered wall coverings and curtains of cream velvet was one of the finest halls in the palace. In its exclusive insides, burnished gold artifacts shone proudly, enhancing the dazzling sheen of the room. Huge gilt-framed paintings of long-dead members of the family looked down impressively on the people in the room. Four golden lions were positioned at each corner around the centre of the room, poised to kill to protect, and in the middle stood two beautiful thrones.
One of these was occupied by the king. The other was empty.
The old man looked at the 22-year old girl in front of him who was shivering uncontrollably.
"Have you understood anything of what I told you?" he asked tetchily.
"Yes, grandfather," Rajeshwari whispered, but her mind was still buzzing with everything he had said. She would never survive the bizarre plan.... why was he putting her though this....
"So what are you still looking as blank as you did when you first stepped into the room?" her grandfather demanded with disgust.
"I – I've truly understood what you've said, grandfather,"
"Look at her, Manohar! She is unable to even stand in one place without shaking like a withered leaf," the king denounced scathingly. "Can I leave the future of this family in the hands of someone as pathetic as this? This is why I am hell bent on convincing Prithvi to return home."
Manohar looked in alarm at Rajeshwari, who had started sobbing again as usual. Why couldn't the girl keep herself in check at least until she was out of the room.
"I have never doubted the wisdom of your decisions, your majesty," Manohar lied, trying to keep the king's attention from Rajeshwari. The truth was that he had questioned the judgment of the monarch innumerable times in the past, but had been too afraid to open his mouth.
"I have offered Prithvi everything....this palace, the untold wealth that lies within these walls and in banks across the world. And he still refuses to budge an inch….why? Where am I going wrong, Manohar?"
"Your majesty, as I have said before....it wouldn't do to forget that he is Priyamvada's son," Manohar said softly. "She was the only one amongst your three children who valued people and their emotions over status and money, and even after so many years after her death, she still holds a big place in the hearts of the people in this city and the bordering villages. So I believe if you wish to win Prithvi over, promises of wealth and power will not be of any help."
"I want my grandson back at any cost, Manohar! He is the only one worthy of succeeding me. The only one who is capable in every possible way!"
Manohar held his peace this time. He had almost overstepped his boundary with his last statements and it was a miracle that he hadn't been squashed for bringing up Priyamvada's memories again.
The old man leaned forward and clutched his forehead with his wrinkled hands. "How unlucky am I that this girl did not die in that crash instead of her brother. Then I would have had at least some hope for our family if Prithvi continued to be adamant about not returning to us."
"But both my grandsons are out of reach.....one is dead and the other....the one I'm banking on the most....is unwilling to even meet me. Prithvi....my treasured grandson! To make things worse, I've been saddled with a worthless burden like this girl, and have to ear the ignominy of having a grandchild who is stunted physically and mentally," he ranted frenziedly.
Rajeshwari's sobs were no longer inaudible and her grandfather raised his head at the sounds and looked at her with almost frightening hatred.
"The form of a child and the brain of a retard," he snarled, and Rajeshwari cringed at the oft-repeated taunt. "Nobody who sees you would believe you have any royal blood in your veins. That is why none of the families of our eminence have been agreeable to the idea of accepting you into their fold."
"No man wants to accept you for a wife irrespective of how much riches I put on offer – and who can blame them.....when even death didn't want you," he spat out, and rose from the chair unsteadily and hobbled out of the room with the support of his favourite gold and jewelled walking stick.
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Nandini looked into the distance, waiting impatiently for the bus. She hadn't been to college in two days, and now the weekend was already here. With any luck, she would be able to avoid Daya and just concentrate on the lectures. Tinkering with the coins in her hand, she swung around to walk and sit down on the metal bench of the bus stop and then halted in surprise to see Prithvi walking nonchalantly towards the bus stop, with the college bag strung over his shoulder.
Stiffening, she resolutely turned away and took a seat at one end of the bench,
joining two other strangers. She had waited all through yesterday evening for some sign of him relenting. But when he hadn't tried to contact her at all, the turbulence in her heart had slowly turned to anger. If he didn't care enough, neither did she.
Then she had called up Rishabh in the morning and learnt that Prithvi had been there for a visit, and her annoyance had increased.
Prithvi smiled amusedly and walked up to the bench and sat down as close to her as socially acceptable.
"What are you doing here?" Nandini asked tartly, shifting away from him.
"What else would I do at a bus stop except wait for the bus," he replied seriously, casually moving along the seat himself to be closer to her. When she began to budge again, he offhandedly said, "If you move away again, I'll make you sit on my lap."
Nandini looked at him angrily but didn't make another attempt to stir, aware that he wouldn't hesitate at all to do as he said.
"But why are you going to college by bus?" she asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry. I'm not doing it because I'm finding it difficult to let you out of my sight," he said gravely. "My bike is at the college, in case you've forgotten."
"But even when your bike hadn't arrived, you never travelled by bus," Nandini plodded on, ignoring the earlier comment.
"Kept an eye out for me, did you?" he grinned.
"I did no such thing," she retorted irately, feeling embarrassed. "I don't care how you go to college. You can fly there for all I care. And I don't want to talk to you anymore."
"I was hoping you'd feel that way," he said with gratitude. "I'm just not in the mood to listen to brainless chatter."
"You're the most awful person I've ever known," Nandini hissed, flushing with anger.
"You're breaking my heart," he said sarcastically.
To everyone's good fortune, at this juncture, a whirring sound in the distance announced that the long awaited bus was finally making its appearance. Still fuming, Nandini rose to her feet instantly and stomped towards the road. Not turning
around at all, she got into the bus as it stopped and walked to the front of the partially crowded vehicle. She sat down on an empty seat near the window and vehemently slammed her bag on the seat next to hers so he wouldn't be able to take it.
Prithvi grinned at the eloquent gesture and chose a vacant seat on the other side. When the seat beside her remained empty, instead of feeling relieved, Nandini felt more infuriated...and even more determined not to glance in his direction.
As the bus conductor passed her, she held out the change, but he looked at her in confusion. "Your ticket has been paid for by that boy there."
Though bristling on the inside, she managed to smile and said, "He has mistaken me for someone else. Please take this."
Sensing Prithvi's frown even though she couldn't see it, Nandini took the ticket from the conductor and sat back smugly with a satisfied grin.
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Nandini sneaked a cautious look at the boy walking beside her on the lonely road leading to the college campus. Some severity in his outline told her that he was still annoyed at the fact that she had refused to accept the ticket he had paid for. But she also felt pleased that he was quietly walking by her side at a leisurely pace and not with his natural swiftness through which he could have left her far behind.
They had walked along the picturesque and isolated road for quite a while before she felt coerced to give in as always.
"Did you go to meet Rishabh today in the morning?" she asked tentatively.
"Yeah, had to take care of some formalities if he has to be discharged today," Prithvi replied tersely.
"If you had told me, I would have come with you to see him," she complained.
"I wouldn't have taken you along even if you'd asked," he stated bluntly. "The town is still just opening up slowly after the flare-ups that happened day before yesterday."
Nandini stared at him quizzically, and then, all of a sudden, she felt unexpectedly certain that he had come along to ensure that she'd be safe if any violence erupted again. It was true that he didn't have his bike with him, but he could still have travelled to college through other modes if he wanted to....
A horn blared somewhere behind them and they both turned to see a car speeding along the road.
"That's Nishi's car," Nandini smiled.
"Great. You can go along with her so that I won't have to crawl to college at this pace," Prithvi advised keenly.
Ignoring him, Nandini grinned at her friends as the car came to gradual stop near her. Nishi and Vrinda huddled to the window
with beaming faces that held a thousand questions, which plainly told Nandini that they had frantically been discussing the scene of seeing Prithvi walking along with her just a second ago. But strangely she didn't experience the unease she had been dreading since yesterday while contemplating the time when her friends would start guessing the new, terrifying yet wonderful, turn her life had taken. There was only a funny kind of relief to contend with....
"Hi Nishi...Vrinda!" she smiled cheerfully.
"Hi Nandini!" they said in chorus, and their eyes transferred timidly to
Prithvi.
"Hi Prithvi!" Nishi said, while Vrinda content herself with just smiling gloriously, and giving Nandini very gleeful and sneaky looks, which made her turn scarlet.
"Hi!" Prithvi muttered.
"Come with us, you two. We'll go together," Vrinda said eagerly.
"I prefer to walk," Prithvi demurred easily, and turned to Nandini. "You should go ahead with them."
Nandini found four pairs of eyes, including that of the driver, fixed on her, waiting for her answer. She sighed faintly, conscious that her next statement would sentence her to a solid round of interrogation later.
"I'll come walking too, Vrinda. We'll catch up outside the class."
Surprisingly, Nishi didn't try to force her too much, and when the question obvious on Vrinda's face also didn't surface, Nandini knew Nishi would have pinched her to keep her quiet.
When the car had sped off, and they had started walking again, Prithvi fixed her with a questioning frown. "I told you to go with them, didn't I?" he said testily. "I'm used to walking alone anyway, and it would have been more comfortable for you to go in the car."
"I am most comfortable when I'm with you," she murmured, staring at the dry leaves and twigs on the ground as her face grew warm.
As her statement met with silence, she hazarded a glance at him and gulped at the softness in his gaze. "I'm sorry you'll have to walk at a snail's pace again," she teased to tide over the awkwardness.
"I don't think I'll mind it much," he muttered, moving closer. His fingers reached out
and entwined themselves between hers, and then his hand enveloped her palm warmly. Turning pink with delight, Nandini unknowingly inched a little closer, and as they walked on ahead, their arms brushed from shoulder to fingertip.
"I used to love this road because it's so green and peaceful," she said softly some time later.
"Why the past tense? It still is like that."
"Not for me. Not since that day when Indrajit....I've hated walking on this street after that," she whispered.
"You met him on one of his bad days. He's usually quite a load of fun, especially when he's struggling to come up with smart-sounding insults," Prithvi grinned irreverently, though the clasp around her hand tautened for a moment.
"Don't joke about it," she said exasperatedly. "Do you know how terrified I was that day? And not just because of your brother," she recalled with a laugh. "When I yelled and you turned back, I thought you were going to kill me for shouting like
that."
To her astonishment, the careless comment seemed to make Prithvi uncomfortable. She was feeling a little shy herself recalling the sweet moments when he had wiped her tears away gently, but even then, instinct told her that something about that moment had escaped her notice in the horrors of all the ensuing events.
Teasing time.
"So why did you turn back that day, Prithvi?" she asked
innocently.
"Don't remember," he said distantly.
"I'll help you recollect," she smiled mischievously. "As I remember it, I told you that I won't let you go home alone and -"
"Will the college conduct a full day's lectures today?" he cut in abruptly.
"You're sidestepping my question again! Do you have to be so mysterious about everything?" she accused crossly.
"Do you have to see a mystery in everything?" he countered.
"Alright, don't tell me. I'll figure it out myself," she sniffed. "By the way, what time has the professor asked you to come?"
"He hasn't called me at all."
"But you usually come to college only when you have some session scheduled with him," she argued feebly, whilst hopelessly wondering if he would be willing to say that he had come at this time for her sake.
However, characteristically, he had a very different explanation.
"It's difficult to study at home with that stupid fatso lounging around
all day talking about all kinds of crap," Prithvi said smoothly, "especially since he's begun writing that ridiculous book," he scowled.
"He's writing a book! That's wonderful! But on what?" Nandini asked.
"I – I don't know," Prithvi said awkwardly, inexplicably turning faintly red.
The college's gate came into view and he immediately set her hand free and they moved a little apart. They strolled quietly until they reached the spot where tables and chairs had been placed in the open for students. They had just come in the sight of the few students occupying the tables, when three boys stared at Prithvi, then jumped up from their chairs and started walking away quickly.
Nandini watched in puzzlement as Dhiren, Nilesh and Abhay marched as fast they could away from the cluster of tables by the side of the huge lawn. They were the biggest bullies in the college, so the unnatural anxiety on their faces was quite surprising. That was, until she remembered the incident Rishabh had recounted to them, when Prithvi had rescued him from the brutality of the three boys. But she would have to hear it afresh to know why they were so afraid of Prithvi now, she thought, trying to hold back a laugh.
"I'll study here for some time before going upstairs to the library," Prithvi said, coming to a halt.
"Won't you get bored sitting by yourself for so long?" she asked.
"Stop fussing about me," he said impatiently. "I can sit by myself for however long I need to. And even if I get bored, I'm sure I'll find some company," he said seriously and his gaze flickered to the college's entrance where Tisha was frantically waving to him while being chivvied inside by her friends.
Nandini spun to follow his eyes and then turned around, irritated and appalled. "You don't have to look for any company," she said angrily, hitting his arm which had been rising to return the wave, "How long will you be here?"
"Not sure," he shrugged, and uncomfortably added, "It depends."
"You'll be going home on your bike, wont you?" she asked hesitantly.
"No, I'm leaving it here for one more day. I can't risk it getting damaged if any demonstrations take place again today. So I'll be going home by the bus," he said, not quite meeting her eyes, which gave final confirmation to her train of thoughts.
But he would have to be cajoled to accompany her while returning home. That was for sure, even though it was the main reason he had come to college.
"If you wait a little, we could go home together," she said brightly.
"You enjoyed ignoring me in the bus so much that you want to do it again?" he asked, looking disgruntled at the memory.
"I won't behave like that this time! I promise! I don't think I'll have more than two lectures today because of all the tensions. Will you please wait for me?" she implored sweetly with an appealing smile.
"Fine, I'll wait," he mumbled, looking cutely discomfited. "Now don't waste my time and go to your class."
"Okay, okay, I'll go," she chuckled.
But as she swung away, Nandini quickly found that they had become an attraction of sorts, with students staring at her and Prithvi with quite a bit of curiosity. Fortunately, there weren't too many people loitering at this time, and she felt her awkwardness ease on not seeing any known figures in the meager population.
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Concealed by the leafy tangles of a bush, Suvek stood immobile by the side of the campus road, his heart having transformed into ice in his chest.
He had been a mute witness to the entire exchange between the girl and the boy and he wished nothing more than to wipe out the scene from his eyes so that it wouldn't torture him in the coming days. He had been too far away to hear their conversation, but there had not been any real need to listen to the words.
He felt increasingly numb as the image of Nandini's beautiful face as she had spoken vivaciously with that guy flashed across his mind again. She had even hit Prithvi playfully with a shy kind of freedom that hinted at a bond far deeper than friendship.
Towards the end of their talk, her expressions had clearly revealed that she was convincing him to do something. Her eyes had sparkled and the innocent smile on her face had never looked as sweet.
Did she even know how enticing she looked while trying to charm and persuade....Each little feature and action of hers seemed designed to drive the sanest of men crazy with passion.
And none of it was for him....everything was for that arrogant fellow over whom everyone in the college was fawning over, right from the faculty members to teenaged girls...
What was hurting him more than anything, however, was their absolute absorption in each other to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. Like it could have rained fire from the heavens, but they wouldn't have noticed…..
But he wouldn't let this happen. There had to be some way to nip the relationship in the bud….
He'd only adopt fair means of course….but if that failed, then….
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