Something very soft struck Nandini’s cheek. She raised her face from Prithvi’s shoulder and moved back very slightly in puzzlement. Instantly, a flower toppled down from her neck and fell into the narrow crevice between their bodies. She clapped a hand over it, capturing it against his heart.

Pleased at having ‘saved’ it from falling to the earth, she smiled and then looked up curiously at the beautiful foliage giving them shade.

“You’ve earned an award for bravery.”

At the patently mischievous remark, she glanced at Prithvi. He was regarding her admiringly.

“For this?” she laughed, cradling the beautiful blossom in both her hands.

“What do you think?” he enquired solemnly.

The sparkle in her eyes dimmed with confusion, and then went out altogether in an alarmed flash.

Panic-stricken, Nandini pushed his arms away and spun around. But Kedar had vanished.

“He’s at the temple’s entrance. He left after giving the photograph,” Prithvi grinned

She turned back to him in astonishment and a new fear. She had hugged Prithvi without knowing that Kedar had gone. The bold nonchalance was natural for Prithvi, but not for her. This was the first time she had behaved so recklessly. Her heart couldn’t stop thudding with fright…

Too disturbed to berate him for the scare, Nandini muttered, “He must be waiting for us. We should go and -”

“He can come back here,” he said calmly.

She looked at him in exasperation. But his mulish expression told her arguments were pointless.

“Okay, I’ll call him,” she sighed.

As she turned to sprint with the flower gripped in her hands, Nandini inadvertently trod on another blossom that had dropped earlier, crushing it into the dirt…

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

Nandini looked uncertainly at Kedar as they walked back.

He hadn’t waited for her to say anything when she’d approached him on the temple’s steps. He’d just smiled as if he knew why she had come alone and then had taken the lead to head back to Prithvi.

“He doesn’t mean to be disrespectful, uncle,” she said hesitantly.

Insolence is in his blood, my dear girl, Kedar thought, but he nodded understandingly at her. Then his gaze swivelled to Prithvi, who was sitting serenely on a collapsed tree trunk, gazing at the photograph of his parents.

“Are you willing to listen now?” Kedar enquired as they neared him.

Prithvi glanced at him.

Kedar wished he had not spoken. His feeble attempt to wrest an apology for being distrusted initially had fallen flat on its face, as evidenced by the derision in the young man’s eyes.

And then there was this place.

Kedar loved its peacefulness, but it brought back memories of the days when, despite being an atheist, he’d spent most of his free time near the temple, running minor errands for Bhoothnath. Doing everything possible to steer clear of the appalling atmosphere at home. He’d been a wretched, sullen and under-confident youth, pathetically relying on the Bharadwaj family for some crumbs of stability.

Until this morning, he had believed those years were behind him. But the past couldn’t be buried. It was always around the corner, waiting to pounce upon an unsuspecting mind.

Feeling depressed, Kedar walked towards the other edge of the trunk and sat down. The sunlight had gained intensity but the sprawling branches of two trees in the backdrop sympathetically offered shade.

“Tell me,” a male voice ordered quietly.

Kedar looked to his right and saw that Prithvi had shifted his focus back to the photograph. Nandini had chosen a spot midway between him and Prithvi, and was sitting on the lush grass, legs folded neatly to one side, and a flower in one hand

Gazing at his linked hands, Kedar gently said, “Everything I tell you, I’ve either seen directly, or I’ve heard and understood it from people who were involved in the happenings. Though in many cases I understood the circumstances and heard the back stories much later. So…like I said yesterday, your parents loved each other. But their families – you must know about their enmity,” he prompted, looking at Prithvi.

“That’s a big pile of rubbish,” Prithvi said impatiently. “No one even remembers what the fight was about.”

“That is how your father felt about it too. The other men in your father’s family weren’t as sensible. They were committed to the antagonism. As were Priyamvada’s brothers,” Kedar grimaced slightly. “They were hot-tempered and vicious, and didn’t leave any opportunity to instigate fights with Aditya.”

“Rajyavardhan Singh also felt very strongly about it but he was busy enhancing the family’s wealth through business ventures. He left it to his brash sons to keep up the hostilities. But they couldn’t make much of a dent in Aditya’s life. In terms of money and power, he was a little ahead of your mother’s family, and he had much bigger issues in mind. He was deeply involved in social and development activities. So he ignored Priyamvada’s brothers and restrained his own family from getting into unnecessary fights. I think the battle would have stopped eventually if your parents hadn’t met at a concert.”

Kedar halted, already feeling tired. He’d hoped to divulge most of what he knew and also seek some answers, but he wouldn’t be able to do it today. He needed a short respite in between. Evidently, he wasn’t as tough as he’d imagined.

He recommenced placidly, “I think they met thrice more by accident. And that was enough for both to become besotted with each other. But Aditya believed he was putting her in needless danger, as their families were foes. And he also felt he was being selfish because…well….he was a divorced man with a son. Priyamvada’s life didn’t have any such complications. Aditya decided that she deserved to get married to a man without flaws and burdens. Someone who had a clean slate. So he ended the relationship before it had barely begun. Your mother was -”

Kedar tried to find a milder replacement for ‘apoplectic’. From what Siddharth had said, Priyamvada had reacted like a virago.

“Upset,” he said finally. “But Aditya was adamant. Ultimately, she had to accept his wishes.  She decided to choose a life partner from the countless proposals that were pouring in for her. News about the each person being considered and Priyamvada’s meetings with the eligible men would reach Aditya from many sources. The effect on your father… let’s just say he suffered terribly,” Kedar said blandly. “He was madly in love with Priyamvada…and to hear that other men were courting her…coveting her….it was tough on him. But he didn’t reverse his decision. And then one day he heard that she had chosen her groom. A man named Vikrant.”

The name triggered immediate reactions in his audience. Nandini shot a nervous look at Prithvi, who gazed back at her with a strange grimness. Then Prithvi stowed the photograph in his shirt’s pocket and rose to his feet. He began pacing slowly, radiating an anger that couldn’t be contained.

Kedar felt flummoxed. He could discount Prithvi’s response as the boy was likely to have interacted with Vikrant, but how did Nandini know that *********? He considered a short interrogation, but then decided against it. He would do it later. At present, his only goal was to finish the story and leave the woods.

He cleared his throat and went on, “Aditya wanted to make sure Vikrant was suitable for Priyamvada. He hired investigators. They returned with the information that Vikrant was a scoundrel. Alcohol and prostitutes were his prime interests. Also, his family was on the brink of bankruptcy, and Vikrant intended to use Priyamvada’s money to restore his family’s position. Aditya immediately sent your mother a letter through a reliable intermediary, revealing Vikrant’s truth and asking her to break the alliance at once. She replied she would do so only if Aditya changed his mind and agreed to marry her. With that route blocked, Aditya took other measures. He made sure that relevant information about Vikrant reached Rajyavardhan Singh and Priyamvada’s brothers. But that also didn’t make a difference. He then threatened Vikrant with dire consequences. It didn’t work. He was outmanoeuvred at every turn.”

“Your father became desperate. He went back to his attempts to persuade Priyamvada. He took grave risks and met her in person a few times, trying hard to make her see reason. During that time, he kept sending her gifts and flowers to deflect suspicions from your mother and make it seem like he was hounding and stalking her, because Priyamvada’s family would have reacted violently if they suspected that she was in love with him. Overall, he ensured that news of his “obsession” with her spread far and wide. That way, even if someone spotted them together, it would be assumed that he was forcing his attentions on her. I’m sure you can imagine how Priyamvada’s family reacted to the situation.  But Aditya easily kept them in line.”

“He wasn’t successful in convincing Priyamvada though. She went ahead with her engagement to Vikrant. And to make matters worse, she swore that if Aditya tried to harm Vikrant or sabotage the wedding plans, she would end her life, unless he did all that with the intention of marrying her himself. And then for some reason, Rajyavardhan Singh brought forward the date of the wedding by a month.”

Prithvi stopped strolling and stared at Kedar with mildly furrowed brows.

“Aditya realised he didn’t have a choice. He had to marry Priyamvada. And if you ask me, I think the day he reached that conclusion was probably one of the happiest days of his life,” Kedar said dryly. “So both your parents got what they wanted. Aditya was confident that he could handle his family’s hostility. He also wasn't worried about his own life being in danger because of Rajyavardhan Singh and his sons but he was terrified that your mother’s family would hurt her if they got an inkling of….. And he was right to think on those lines. Your uncles hated Aditya. They also had very little love for their sister and scant respect for human life.  They would have found a way to slaughter your mother if they discovered she had willingly married the enemy. And that too days before her wedding to Vikrant. The only way out was to make her a figure of pity. And the only person whose pity could be evoked was Rajyavardhan Singh.”

Kedar paused to soothe his throat and collect his thoughts, and then ruefully went on, “You’ll find it difficult to believe this…but Priyamvada was the apple of her father's eye back then. Brutal as he was, he wouldn’t have let his sons harm a hair on Priyamvada’s head if he assumed she was a victim, not a co-conspirator. On the other hand, if he found out that Priyamvada was equally responsible, he was ruthless and vindictive enough to hunt her down and kill her with his own hands.”

“So Aditya devised a plan that laid the responsibility completely on him and exonerated Priyamvada of all blame. I don’t suppose your mother liked the idea. However, her grand and well-publicised wedding with Vikrant was close at hand. She had to agree. I don’t have much of an idea about how he and your mother executed the plan. I do know your father didn’t share his plans with anyone. His family and friends heard the same fabricated story that was spread by Aditya himself. "As weeks and months went past, more and more 'spicy' details were added to the tale by imaginative souls."

"At that time, only three or four people knew the actual story behind Priyamvada’s abduction. But I'd thought the truth would come out eventually,” Kedar brooded. "I can't believe people still think Aditya....it's terrible," he muttered and lapsed into silence for some moments. Then he sighed and continued, "Anyway, Aditya continued to be worried about Priyamvada’s safety even after the marriage. And his fears were not imagined,” he said gruffly. “Priyamvada’s father and brothers were on a rampage for months after her abduction. They failed to harm Aditya but there were rumours that they tortured and killed many people who were suspected of aiding your father. They didn’t know that Aditya had ensured protection and secrecy for those who had helped him. "

"Your father never lowered his guard and your parents’ lives thereafter were fiercely shielded from outside eyes. Aditya remained in touch with a handful of highly trusted people, but I think Priyamvada cut off relations with every person she had known prior to her marriage. Aditya built a fortress of secrecy around their lives to protect his wife. And I guess he didn’t let it crumble till his death,” he finished grimly.

Neither of his listeners stirred or spoke. Standing very still, Prithvi was gazing into the distance, immersed in some deliberations. A pale Nandini also seemed lost in thought.

Drained and downcast, Kedar looked at his watch as a pointer to his next lines.

“I have to leave for office,” he murmured, standing up. “Nandini, I’ll come to Vrindavan in the evening. You can talk to your family now, but remember, your grandfather doesn’t know anything about Adityaraj or Priyamvada apart from the fact that they were your father’s friends. That goes for your mother too. Siddharth felt it would be safer to keep them in the dark. Now it’s up to you to decide….”

“Okay…thank you, uncle” Nandini said quietly, starting to rise respectfully. He stalled her with a kind sign, and then wordlessly walked away.

Prithvi turned to see Kedar disappear around the curve of the path that led to the main square.

Under normal circumstances, he would have sliced apart the man and his narrative, as he had done frequently in the past with many people who had come up to him with wild theories that justified Adityaraj. 

But not an iota of distrust had entered his mind as he’d listened to Kedar. In each word of the blunt narrative, the truth had shone fiercely.

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

Kedar had reached the highway by the time he realised he had forgotten to show them the second photograph. But it was a forgivable lapse. After all, he had just visited a place that had been very important to him during his youth, not least because it had been witness to his first major infatuation…

Kedar mopped his sweaty face with the sleeve of his shirt as he waited for Bhoothnath to emerge from the temple so he could hand over the sacred plants and herbs that he’d been asked to purchase in the morning. He lolled against the stone wall of the shrine in the meantime, gawking at the continuous stream of men and women stepping through the doors to offer obeisance to the deity inside. Many of them were holding plates containing garlands, coconuts, and other assorted items for worship in the temple.

He sneered at their ridiculous faith in a nonexistent entity. Money was the only God he believed in.

A commotion pulled his gaze towards the road that led to the shrine.

Two burly men were pushing aside people to make way for someone. Kedar knew those men and the person they were trying to protect from accidental contact with the masses. Adityaraj was apparently visiting the temple today.

Acrid jealousy rose like bile in Kedar’s throat as a tall and well-built man in a dashing grey suit came into sight.

It was a glaringly unfair world. There was Adityaraj….a person blessed with every fortune. And here he was….deprived of the smallest pleasures. Siddharth claimed Adityaraj had gone through hell in his personal life and had only recently found happiness again. But that was just drivel. Any amount of grief could be withstood if you were rich.

The worst part was that he couldn’t himself to hate Adityaraj. The man was always courteous and kind towards him despite the enormous difference in their stations. 

Kedar became alert and moved away from the wall.

Adityaraj hadn’t arrived alone. An unknown female was walking by his side.

A willowy woman of unusual loveliness clad in a blue saree and glistening pearl ornaments.

Priyamvada. It was definitely Priyamvada, Kedar decided immediately. And she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Heart beating fast, Kedar ran through the throng towards the striking couple that had become the cynosure of the crowd’s attention.

The guards allowed him to pass and he eagerly approached Adityaraj, his eyes continuously darting to the exquisite woman.

“Did you arrive just now?” he asked stupidly.

The woman spoke before Aditya could reply. “Are all the beggars in this town so brazen, Adi?” she asked innocently, looking up curiously at her handsome companion.

Kedar felt abashed. But the charming way she’d asked the question in her sweet voice….no one could have found it offensive. And the light in her eyes as she looked at Aditya….

He would blissfully lay down his life for her if she spared him one glance of that kind.

Adityaraj chuckled. “Priya, this is Kedar…he is Siddharth’s friend. Kedar, this is Priyamvada.”

Kedar joined his hands. “Namaste,” he mumbled.

Priyamvada didn’t return his shy greeting. “Siddharth accepts beggars as friends?” she asked Adityaraj with surprise, fluttering her eyelashes. “He really is a kind man,” she added admiringly.

“Don’t make fun of the poor man, Priya,” Aditya laughed as Kedar flushed, “Come…let’s go inside and meet Siddharth’s father. He is a great man…very wise and knowledgeable.”

“Yes, he is!” Kedar said eagerly, forgetting his discomfiture in the excitement of being able to contribute something to the conversation. “People from different regions come to Shamli to request him to conduct ceremonies for them. And – and it is said that your wishes will be granted soon if you pray in this temple,” he pressed on. He knew what he would ask for if he had the faith.

“That is true. I’ve experienced it myself,” Adityaraj smiled, but Priyamvada’s features turned icy as she stared at Kedar.

And suddenly, to his everlasting humiliation, Kedar realised she had somehow guessed the trend of his feelings.

Priyamvada’s softly feminine veneer fell apart, unveiling a harsh, arrogant woman who was disgusted at his audacity to dream of her even for a second. She was looking at him like he was a slimy insect that had poked its head out of the gutter where it belonged. It frightened him. And he also abruptly became painfully aware of every flaw in his appearance. His acne-ridden face, the puny moustache, the heavily scented oil in his hair, the miniscule tear in the pocket of his old shirt…

Then Priyamvada flicked a hand in an impatient and humiliatingly dismissive gesture.

Kedar fearfully jumped aside to let them pass, wondering if Adityaraj knew what he was getting into by marrying that woman…

Now decades later, Kedar laughed mentally as he pondered the lightning speed at which he had fallen in and out of love. Priyamvada’s scorn had stomped out the flame of passion just as swiftly as her good looks had lit it.

Romantic affairs had given him a miss after that humiliating encounter. And he was grateful.

Respect, affection and trust. These were the emotions that were important in a relationship. Love simply created mayhem that could sometimes last for decades.

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

Emerging from a mental labyrinth, Nandini twisted around to look at Prithvi.

Hands folded, he was walking along the perimeter of the temple, looking quiet and subdued.

Deep compassion welled up in her gaze. Uncharacteristically, he hadn’t said one single snarky word while Kedar was speaking. In fact, he’d hardly spoken at all. And although she’d abstained from glancing at him frequently in Kedar’s presence, she’d felt Prithvi’s turmoil increasing steadily on realising that everything he had known and believed about his father had been a lie.

She wanted to go to him, but sensed that he needed a little time.

Nandini moved a few feet ahead and reached the fallen tree.  Then she turned around and sat back down on the thick grass with her legs stretched out, resting her back against the trunk.

Bits and pieces of the extraordinary tale she had heard were playing repeatedly in her mind.  Kedar uncle hadn’t said anything about her father’s friendship with Prithvi’s parents. And she wouldn’t have remembered to raise the topic even if she had the chance, Nandini reflected as she absently twirled the flower between her fingers.  

Aditya and Priyamvada’s story had shaken her too much to ponder over anything else.

The love, the violence…the sacrifices…

She would have found it incredible once that two people had gone to such lengths for each other. To be with each other. It now felt like very natural behaviour. And yet, to sever all links with your family and friends.…it would have taken tremendous inner strength.

Priyamvada had truly been an extraordinary woman.

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

Prithvi’s thoughts were hurtling back to a time when he hadn’t heard the terrible stories or even seen a picture of his father.

In his childish enthusiasm, he had conjured up a character in his mind. His father, he had decided, was a handsome, brave and kind man. Far superior to the men in the palace and village.

He had cremated that image soon after. But the wish for a father he could look up to had surfaced sporadically in later years when someone unexpectedly mentioned Adityaraj or spoke of his greatness. However, it hadn’t been strong enough to shatter the stranglehold of hate. 

And now, after years of anger and detestation, he had learnt that he was the one who needed to seek forgiveness and make reparations to the man who had sired him.

His father wasn’t just innocent. He was worthy of admiration and respect. And love.

Prithvi paused in his slow strides and closed his eyes for a brief moment.  He had known genuine happiness and peace after his arrival in Shamli. Now he had gotten a glimpse of freedom as well.

He turned and gazed at the pretty imp who had made it possible, directly or indirectly. 

Nandini was still sitting on the grass, one dainty ankle crossed over the other. She was pensively staring at the flower being twirled between her fingers, a small pout on her lips. She looked confused, anxious and alluringly sweet.

She was clearly living the story in her mind. And feeling acutely overwhelmed.

In truth, his feelings too had taken many unexpected turns while listening to his parents’ story.  

And to his quiet disbelief, at one point, he had found himself identifying with his father’s thought process. He could effortlessly empathise with the savage and merciless instinct to protect someone from the slightest harm, irrespective of any dangers or infamy that came his way.

Conversely, though, he couldn’t understand or relate to the sentiments behind his father’s decision to step back from his mother’s life and stand by silently as other men tried to win the hand of the woman he wanted for himself.

He didn’t need to analyse his psyche to know that his father’s big-hearted and self-sacrificing attitude had evaded him entirely in this regard, Prithvi contemplated ironically. The genes of some unknown, and absolutely cold-blooded, ancestor had guaranteed the absence of any altruistic tendencies in matters of the heart.

He would have to be dead and gone from this world – and the next – for another man to deem it safe to nurture the tiniest hope about Nandini…

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

Nandini came out of her reverie as a muscular arm brushed against her shoulder.

Prithvi was settling beside her on the ground.

She looked tentatively at him. Then keeping the flower to one side, she silently threaded a hand around his arm and entwined her fingers with his. His fingers gently locked over her hand. 

Nandini shuffled closer and rested a cheek on his shoulder. “I love you,” she said softly.

“You owe me around one thousand of those,” Prithvi said darkly even as he raised her delicate hand to his lips. 

She blushed as he kissed the tips of slim fingers. Then finding her tongue, she playfully asked, “And how is that?”

“You haven’t said it for a year,” he accused.

Amused, she raised her and countered his reproachful eyes. “We haven’t even known each other for that long,” she giggled.

“Then I guess it just feels like a year,” Prithvi conceded grumpily. 

“I’ll do my best to make up for lost time,” Nandini laughed, yanking at his cheek with her other hand.

As if in retaliation to that insult, he released her hand, shifted his position and then lied down on the grass, settling his head comfortably on her lap.

Colours of amazement and pleasure coated her cheeks as she looked down at him. She stroked his head lovingly.

Contented and more at peace than even before, Prithvi lazily studied pieces of a magnificently blue sky visible through the branches and thought about his mother’s stubbornness, his deceased uncles and some contradictions pertaining to the unfortunately alive Rajyavardhan Singh….

Irritation rose at the recollection of his grandfather, but it was doused by the gentle movement of Nandini’s fingers running through his hair.  

Not for the first time, he reluctantly wondered if there was a therapeutic power within her.  It was not easy to find another explanation for the startling changes that had occurred over the last few months.

The bitter rage that had been part of him had lessened drastically. Inner demons that had tormented him for years were diminishing into feeble shadows. The nightmares had ceased completely. 

And somewhere along the line, without his knowledge, the utter indifference to life had changed into a consuming and intense desire to live…

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

Rajyavardhan Singh stood against the marble railing of the massive balcony, staring at acres and acres of verdant green land.  

It was his by inheritance.

Unlike many of his peers, however, he’d not been content to relax in the financial power of his legacy. He’d devoted his life to multiplying his family fortune, expecting to hand down the fruits of his labour to his heirs one day. He’d not considered the likelihood that he might not have any.

“Your majesty, wouldn’t it be more prudent to wait until we know for certain?” Manohar queried nervously from his post near the door. “We’ve been searching for months but we haven’t -”

“He could have died that day. Died without knowing,” Rajyavardhan Singh replied unsteadily, keeping his eyes on the horizon. “No, I don’t want to keep it a secret any longer. I have to tell Prithvi that his mother…my Priya,” he whispered with a slight break in his voice, “Priya might be alive...”

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