Indrajit awakened from his nap and was instantly filled with profound relief.  His eyelids were being dragged down by a powerful force but he fought against the pull. He didn't want to drift back into sleep. He couldn't bear more of those convoluted, mind-twisting dreams.

They had begun shortly after his brother had taken his step-mother out of the room.

A few minor aspects had been different in each dream. He had been a child in some and a teenager in others. The settings too had been different, though he couldn't remember any of them. But a horrific common theme had run through the dreams.

In half of them, he was with his father...happy, talking, hopeful...and then his father would turn into Prithvi. And before he could react with anger, Prithvi would transform into their father again...

The other dreams uniformly began with him fighting Prithvi fiercely, displaying a strength that he did not possess in real life. However, each time he would come close to killing Prithvi, his father would take his brother's place, and then he would realise he had been fighting his father all along.

And so it had continued in dream after dream. Adityaraj turning into Prithvi...Prithvi turning into Adityaraj...melding into each other until the lines between them were so blurred that they became indistinguishable...

As he struggled to stay awake and emerge from the painful and suffocating confusion, he realised someone was standing beside him and speaking to him.

Was it Prithvi...or his father...no, it was another face.

It was Jiva, he recognised wearily. The fellow was telling him eagerly that Prithvi had asked him to return.

Was it Prithvi...or was it their father who had asked Jiva to return?

They were two different people, weren't they? Or were they the same...

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

Rajeshwari did not look at her beautiful surroundings as she followed Sumer Singh. She had grown up in more luxurious settings, and the loveliness of Aadyabhoomi's interiors did not hold any appeal for her.

Moreover, she was quite tensed at the moment. Prithvi's great-uncle, Uday Singh, had asked to see her. Why? Why did he want to meet her? She couldn't guess the reason because she didn't know much about the man. All she knew was that her grandfather loathed him. And that was usually proof of a person's goodness.

Yet, she was terrified of meeting new people. And the prospect of meeting a relative of Prithvi's from his father's side was daunting. But she was desperate to make a good impression on everyone in Aadyabhoomi, and so she'd somehow put on a brave front while accepting Uday Singh's request. Nonetheless, she was extremely glad that Kadambari was walking right behind her. And the man who had brought the request, Sumer Singh...he seemed sombre and gloomy but he had a solidly reassuring air about him. It was comforting to walk between the middle-aged duo.

Prithvi, of course, was the reason she had shown the courage to step out of the room. She had met him after more than a decade, but there wasn't any doubt in her head that if anything went wrong, he would take care of her. No, it was more than that. Nothing could go wrong as long as he was on her side. Maybe Prithvi would be with Uday Singh. And perhaps Nandini too would be there. It would be amazing to meet that adorable, friendly girl again...

With her mood brightening a little, Rajeshwari straightened her posture and walked with a firmer tread.

The woman walking a couple of steps behind her would not have noticed the difference since she was busy scowling at the back of Sumer Singh's head.

Kadambari wasn't sure she would be able to walk for another 10 minutes in silence. Her patience had depleted to a negligible level and her irritation towards Sumer Singh was increasing. The man had landed up at the doorstep and had informed her that Uday Singh wanted to meet the princess. His doom-laden expression had frightened her, and she had asked anxiously if everything was fine.

"Nothing is fine," he had replied curtly. Frightened, she had begun to question him further when Rajeshwari had emerged from her room. Sumer Singh had greeted the princess respectfully and then had repeated his request. And surprisingly, Rajeshwari had consented after a fleeting hesitation.

And that had put an end to any interrogation that she could have carried out, Kadambari fretted. She couldn't understand what was going on. It was clear that something horrible had happened but what was it? Were Prithvi and Nandini okay? Was Priyamvada fine? Why had Uday Singh asked to meet the princess? What could have happened...

It must definitely have something to do with Prithvi, Kadambari thought distraughtly. Why else would Sumer Singh seem half-dead.

On reaching the large hall, all three individuals halted at the threshold.

With her courage plummeting again, Rajeshwari shrank back slightly.

Uday Singh rose to his feet and advanced towards them with a sweet, welcoming smile.

With feigned surprise, he said, "Sumer, you didn't tell me Princess Rajeshwari was a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl. I would have taken greater care with my dressing."

Rajeshwari turned red with surprise, and then smiled shyly. She knew she was small for her age and had heard taunts about it since years, especially from her grandfather. But the elderly gentleman had not said it with derision or disgust. He had meant to compliment her. It was the first time that she had been at the receiving end of flattery. It was shocking, and quite agreeable ...

"Please do come inside. I am eager to meet the famous princess of Devgarh," Uday Singh urged.

Trying not to smile more widely, Rajeshwari stepped into the room and walked tentatively towards Uday Singh.

"I am Uday Singh, Prithvi's great-uncle. It is a great pleasure and honour to meet you," Uday Singh said warmly, bowing to her. "Prithvi would have been here but he has to finish some work urgently and will meet us later."

Rajeshwari smiled and mumbled, "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

"Please have a seat," Uday Singh prompted, gesturing to the sofa. "You must be so tired since you travelled all night."

Rajeshwari timorously took the proffered seat. She waited till Uday Singh had also sat down, and then timidly said, "It was not too bad. And I rested for a while after reaching Aadyabhoomi."

"That is good. And I must admit, you're a very brave girl for having travelled alone over such a great distance," Uday Singh said admiringly

Rajeshwari blushed with pleasure.

Standing protectively near the sofa, an astonished Kadambari watched Rajeshwari warm up quickly to Uday Singh.

She had never known the princess to feel comfortable with a stranger so swiftly. Uday Singh was being gracious and kind towards Rajeshwari, like a grandfather treating a favoured grandchild, and it was becoming quite difficult to remember his reputation. He did not put the onus of the conversation on the young girl, and managed to single-handedly create a wonderfully calm and friendly ambience. Uday Singh chatted comfortably about Prithvi and the Aadyabhoomi palace, made servants bring plates of scrumptious-looking sweet dishes, as if trying to make a young child happy, and generally made the princess feel like the most treasured guest of the house...

It would have pleased her to witness the lovely meeting if she'd not been going mad with tension. Kadambari scowled at Sumer Singh. But oblivious to her angry looks, he remained standing in a corner like a broom.

Kadambari's attention automatically snapped back to Rajeshwari when there was a lull in the conversation and she saw that silver bowl in the princess's hands, which had once contained walnut halwa, was empty. Kadambari hastened to take the bowl from Rajeshwari's hands and placed it on the table.

Clutching her hands together with an abrupt spike of nervousness, Rajeshwari haltingly asked, "Can – Can I ask you something?"

"Anything except my age," Uday Singh winked.

Rajeshwari giggled. Then she shyly asked, "Can I meet Nandini?"

"Oh yes, Nandini," Uday Singh said lightly. He wondered how the girls were acquainted but he couldn't satisfy his curiosity just yet. The topic of Nandini was a dangerous one right now and need to be wrapped up swiftly and neatly.

"I would have brought her before you in a jiffy. Unfortunately, she has left for her hometown because of a family emergency. Her immediately family is fine," he assured on seeing fear mix with the initial disappointment on Rajeshwari's face. "Some problem with the distant family. Very distant," he emphasized. "But Nandini is a very kind girl, so she wanted to be with them in their time of need."

Kadambari looked at Sumer Singh in shock. The man seemed more determined than before to avoid looking at her.

Nandini had left? Without meeting her for the last time? It wasn't possible. But that could explain Sumer Singh's morose attitude. So, Nandini had really gone back home...that bundle of cuteness and joy had left. She had known the girl would have had to leave one day, but not like this...without any forewarning or a goodbye, Kadambari thought unhappily. And she certainly hadn't known that it would upset her to this extent. If she was feeling so sad, she couldn't imagine Prithvi's anguish. She needed to see her child and comfort him somehow. But why had Nandini really left? Was it really because of a family problem? Her instincts said it was a lie, and something worse had happened. But what if it was true? The poor girl would be so distressed. Setting aside her disappointment and suspicions for a moment, Kadambari shut her eyes for a second and prayed fervently for the problems in Nandini's family to be resolved soon.

"She is very kind," Rajeshwari agreed eagerly, then tentatively asked, "Would it be possible for me to visit her later?"

"Of course, I am sure she will be happy to meet you," Uday Singh said with a confidence that he didn't feel. "But, you see, Prithvi is greatly saddened by her departure. So, I request you to avoid mentioning Nandini in front of him for a few weeks."

Rajeshwari's eyes showed a flicker of intelligence. "I understand. I will not mention Nandini to him until he speaks of her."

"Wonderful. Now, princess, I have a few other things to tell you. Prithvi would have told you himself, but as I said, he is fully occupied with some work at the moment and so he entrusted the task to me. This announcement is a much bigger and happier one. Your aunt, Priyamvada, has been found," he stated dramatically and tensed up for an intense reaction and numerous questions.

Rajeshwari's eyes widened and a vague happiness appeared in them. "He found Priyamvada Bua? That's wonderful. I'm very happy for him," she said sincerely.

She really was glad for Prithvi. For her aunt...she didn't really have any particular emotion to share. She hardly had any significant memories of Priyamvada. Her aunt had been a silent, listless woman who had scarcely appeared alive, Rajeshwari recalled. Her own parents had terrified her with their impatience and aggressive attitudes. But she had never felt threatened in Priyamvada's presence. If anything, Priyamvada' absolute dullness had made her feel better about herself.

"Errr...yes, yes, we all are," Uday Singh agreed weakly, disconcerted by the lukewarm response. While the princess was surprised, she wasn't shocked. And she didn't seem to have any questions at all. He might just have told her that the rains were going to be particularly heavy this year...

He looked askance at the plump woman who had apparently been the princess's closest attendant.

Kadambari's face was coated with an embarrassed colour, but she stubbornly maintained an impassive look. She would not allow anyone to insinuate in any way that there was something wrong about Rajeshwari. The princess had endured enough of that since childhood. Rajeshwari wasn't abnormal. She was simply different. And as she had been ridiculed and mistreated for years, the princess had developed a powerful sense of self-preservation, and tended to evaluate situations on the basis of how it would affect her. What was wrong about that, Kadambari thought sniffly.

When Uday Singh looked at Rajeshwari again, it was to see that the little girl was starting to look odd.

"What is wrong, Rajeshwari?" he asked, alarmed. "Are you feeling unwell?"

With fear dawning on her face, Rajeshwari whispered, "If Prithvi has found Bua, it means grandfather will come here. I can't live under his rule again...I can't. He will kill me. I know he will..."

"Prithvi told me you would be worried," Uday Singh fibbed effortlessly. "But you don't have to waste a second being anxious about that. Prithvi will not let your grandfather behave badly with you, and if that man does anything to hurt you, Prithvi will beat him up. And I will help," Uday Singh assured gallantly.

"Prithvi will beat him up?" Rajeshwari asked in wonder. She couldn't believe it. Then she thought of her brother, his hate for her grandfather, and the stories she had heard of his bravery and strength. The most crucial fact that brought down her fear slowly, however, was the knowledge that Prithvi was the only human being of whom Rajyavardhan Singh was afraid. How wonderful it would be if her grandfather did end up offending Prithvi, and then would be thrashed in front of her...

Uday Singh felt a growing uneasiness as he watched a sequence of childish expressions skim across Rajeshwari's face. And the strangely vengeful smile that curved her thin lips at the end made him positively uncomfortable. Was there some history of mental trouble on Priyamvada's side of the family too, he mused uneasily.

Unnerved by the young girl's behaviour and the prolonged silence, Uday Singh quickly said, "I will take you to meet Priyamvada, if you're comfortable with the idea. I also have to tell you about one other person in the palace. Indrajit – Prithvi's step-brother. Have you met him before?"

Continuing to seem unfocussed, Rajeshwari shook her head and said, "I only know that he has tried to kill Prithvi many times."

"Oh you know how it is with brothers," Uday Singh said feebly, "Bloody fights are how they show affection. Everything is fine between them now." He had no love for Indrajit, but unluckily, the young man was Aditya's son, and  defensiveness in front of an outsider had come instinctively.

"As I was saying, Indrajit is staying with us too," he continued easily. "But you won't be able to meet him anytime soon. Indrajit met with an accident yesterday, and he is bedridden with multiple injuries. He will not be able to speak with you. I doubt he will even know you're in the room. So, we will meet your Priyamvada Bua today, and we can visit Indrajit after a few days. Does that sound fine to you?" he asked genially.

His words permeated very slowly into Rajeshwari's mind. Once she realised what he had said, her panicky fingers started fiddling with each other convulsively. She didn't want to meet Priyamvada or Indrajit. Not now or later. She couldn't deal with any more strangers. And Indrajit had always appeared to be as cruel and mad as her grandfather. 

But she had to showcase polite behaviour, or Prithvi could feel hurt. Moreover, if the relationship between the step-brothers had improved, she would obviously have to meet Indrajit sooner or later. In that case, wouldn't it be better if she could do it when he didn't have the ability to speak to her. Then the worst would be over, and she would feel better about meeting Priyamvada...

Rajeshwari gulped nervously and asked, "Can I meet Indrajit first?"

"Of course, you can," Uday Singh said, alarmed. "But he is supposed to be in a terrible condition and it would not be a pleasant sight."

Too stressed to follow protocol, Kadambari quickly addressed Rajeshwari. "Your Highness, it was a serious accident and he is injured severely. You have never seen any person in such a situation before. Please think about it seriously before -"

"That will not be a problem," Rajeshwari insisted, desperate to stick to her safe plan. "I will meet him right away."

"Alright, then we will meet Indrajit first," Uday Singh said unhappily. He did not want to meet Indrajit irrespective of what condition the latter was in. But he had dug the pit himself, hadn't he...

"Sumer, you and Kadambari must remain here in case Prithvi comes looking for me. He might need to see you both," he said pointedly. He believed in what he had told Sumer Singh about Prithvi's toughness. But the lad had suffered too much in a short time. It was likely he would need the comfort of familiar faces, and Sumer Singh and Kadambari would be able to look after him if required.

Kadambari was torn between the need to be with Rajeshwari and her eagerness to see Prithvi. However, Rajeshwari made the decision easy for her by reluctantly saying, "You can stay here, don't worry about me."

Kadambari looked indecisively at Rajeshwari. The young girl was palpably tensed but was trying to be courageous.

"Are you sure, Your Highness?"

Rajeshwari nodded. She was sure that she wanted Kadambari with her, but she didn't want to seem like a frightened child. And if Prithvi was upset, Kadambari could help him feel better. She had failed to be a good elder sister to him in their childhood, Rajeshwari thought sadly. But now she had a second chance to make amends, and she would not let it go to waste...

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

Outside the hall, Kadambari waited till she was sure that Uday Singh and Rajeshwari were out of hearing distance and then marched to stand before Sumer Singh.

"Tell me what really happened?" she demanded in agitation.

"I don't know enough to tell you," Sumer Singh replied tiredly.

"You do know!" Kadambari accused. "And you're deliberately keeping -"

"Quiet," Sumer Singh snapped, startling Kadambari into silence. "Prithvi is here...be silent and don't pester him for heaven's sake," he said harshly.

Furious at the remarks but eager to see Prithvi, Kadambari spun around and gave a faint start.

The young man who was striding towards them resembled Prithvi and he even smiled at her. Despite that, he seemed to be someone else entirely....someone unapproachable and cold.

With her worry shooting up, Kadambari hastened to him and anxiously asked, "Prithvi, are you okay? Where is Nandini? Why did she leave? Was there really a family emergency? This man is not telling me anything," she complained indignantly, pointing at Sumer Singh.

"He doesn't know much himself, Choti maa," Prithvi replied calmingly. "I'll bring you both up to speed but I will not speak of this again to either of you." He fell silent for a few seconds, and quietly said, "Today morning, Maa went to speak to Nandini. For reasons I don't know yet, Maa...Maa hit her....and then she apparently told Nandini that her father had been against the idea of any relationship between...."

Prithvi paused for a second, then evenly continued, "Nandini doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore. She says it is because of her father's wishes. The actual reason is different but I don't know what it is. And I doubt it will make any difference to – " he stopped again, and then matter-of-factly said, "Anyway, she went back to Mrs Bhargava's house. Then her grandfather dropped by unexpectedly and decided to take her back home. By now, they must be on their way back to Shamli. Now all of us know everything there is to know. I don't want to speak about this anymore. You can discuss it among yourselves as much as you want but not in front of me or with me. Is that understood?" he asked flatly, looking at his stunned audience.

A minute passed before Sumer Singh unsteadily said, "Yes, my Lord."

Prithvi looked questioningly at Kadambari, who looked at him helplessly and then gave a trembling nod.

Shunting aside the subject, Prithvi glanced around the area and a crease appeared on his forehead. "Where is Rajeshwari, Choti maa? She hasn't gone to meet Maa, has she?" he asked sharply.

It was Sumer Singh who answered. "Not yet. But – you see, the princess was very eager to meet you. I visited your suite and knocked a few times but -"

"I was busy with the assignment. What did you do then?" he asked briefly.

"I told His Highness Uday Singh. He was happy to meet Rajeshwari. He told her about the queen...and he also told her that Indrajit met with an accident and is bedridden. His Highness told the princess that she could meet your step-brother after he had recovered. But she insisted on going immediately."

She was hoping she would be spared the ordeal of having a conversation later, Prithvi deduced resignedly. But Indrajit's state was not one that could be endured by his tiny, ultra-sensitive cousin. The courtesy call would probably give her brain abundant, creative material for nightmares for the next two years. 

Prithvi immediately started to set off for Indrajit's suite, then he turned to Sumer Singh and Kadambari. "Baba, you should rest for some hours. Choti maa, you too," he directed. "Go to your room. I'll bring Rajeshwari there in some time."

"My Lord, His Highness Uday Singh plans to visit the queen next," Sumer Singh informed tensely.

"Not going to happen today," Prithvi said curtly. "Both of you do as I said. I don't want to see either of you loitering around the palace for the next two hours."

Tears gushed into Kadambari's eyes as she watched him leave.

"What do we do? How should we help him?" she asked in a quivering voice.

"We can't do anything now," Sumer Singh said bitterly. "I've lost him...we've all lost him..."

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

A guard led them to Indrajit's suite.

The number of people buzzing outside the room petrified Rajeshwari. But she thought of her brother and felt a little stronger. No one would have the courage to misbehave with her since she was Prithvi's sister. Still, she hid behind Uday Singh to avoid being seen.

Then they were entering a room filled with medical equipment and some strange looking people in medical costumes. And in the centre of the room, there was bed on which a man was sleeping. He was covered with bandages from head to toe.

Rajeshwari wanted to stay near the door, but Uday Singh walked ahead, and she had to follow him to retain her shield.

Struggling to overcome her numerous fears, Rajeshwari peered out of Uday Singh's shadow to look at Indrajit.

His face was smashed completely, and his limbs and torso were heavily plastered.She stared cautiously at Indrajit's features. While some pity arose in her heart, it was another emotion that kept her attention glued to him.

He looked as wretched as she had felt at all times before coming to Aadyabhoomi...

She heard Uday Singh say, "Princess, we must leave now."

Rajeshwari didn't want to obey. She wanted to stare at the injured man a little longer.

Then she saw Indrajit's eyes flutter, and panicking, she retreated hurriedly and followed Uday Singh out of the room.

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

Prithvi had not yet reached the suite when he saw Rajeshwari and Uday Singh turning around the corner of a passageway and walking towards him.

Prithvi quickly analysed both of them.

To his surprise, Rajeshwari seemed perfectly fine, albeit quite thoughtful. Uday Singh, though, had a sickly look.

Rajeshwari smiled with great happiness and excitement on spotting her brother and received a quick smile in return. Prithvi turned serious as he looked at Uday Singh.

"Why did you have to put so much strain on yourself?" he asked Uday Singh sharply, moving ahead with quick strides.

"I'm fit and fine," Uday Singh lied shakily. He had never had the stomach to witness gruesome sights, and Indrajit's state had been far worse than he'd expected...

"I was apparently taught the wrong meaning of that phrase. Thanks to you, I know now that 'fit and fine' means 'I'm going to collapse and die'," Prithvi stated caustically.

Uday Singh chuckled, and then sheepishly admitted. "I do feel a little rundown. But I had planned to take Rajeshwari to meet your mother, and then go for a tour of the palace."

"Not a good idea for today," Prithvi said casually, addressing both of them. "Maa's not feeling well. The meeting can happen later, okay?" he asked Rajeshwari.

Thrilled that she didn't have to meet anyone else today, Rajeshwari nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright, now you come with me," Prithvi said grimly, holding Uday Singh's arm. "I'll take you to a nearby room for now. You can go to your own room after you feel better."

"How are you feeling, Prithvi?" Uday Singh asked in a very low mutter, regarding his great-nephew compassionately.

"I'm fine," Prithvi said briefly, "I know you're concerned...but don't ask me that question again. I don't want to talk about it – ever."

Uday Singh accepted the caveat with a submissive nod. This had always been the attitude of almost all the men in his family – choose death over display of emotions.

Prithvi signalled to the nearest two guards to follow him. The men rushed to obey.

He glanced at Rajeshwari and said, "Come along. We'll dump him in some room and then I'll take you around this portion of the palace. It will be a short tour though. I need to finish some work by tonight. But tomorrow onwards, we'll sit together each day to talk smack about Rajyavardhan and plot his murder," he grinned.

"I would love that," Rajeshwari giggled.

"Can I join in the discussion?" Uday Singh asked hopefully. "I haven't met the man but would love to see him dead."

"I like the attitude," Prithvi appreciated. "You're in."

He kept up the banter smoothly for the rest of the way, not giving any indication of the brutal, red-hot currents of pain that were crippling his insides every few seconds...

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

Sarojini set three plates on the table, calling out, "Prakash, come downstairs for dinner."

A stubborn voice responded loudly, "I'm not hungry now. I'll eat later"

Sarojini sighed. She didn't force him to obey. He had been morose since Nandini had left, and she knew he was getting increasingly bored at home without his sister. Her father in law was in the same boat, and she couldn't really help either of them because she too was missing Nandini quite badly. The house felt desolate without her daughter. But she had to do something to cheer everyone up since there was still some time left for Nandini's return.

Sarojini looked at the old clock in the room and anxiously wondered when her father-in-law would return. He had called up before boarding the train to Shamli and had said he would return in time for dinner. He should have been home by now. If Sankatmochan had been around, she would have requested him to go to the railway station. But he had gone to the other end of town to attend the wedding of a friend and was not going to return before midnight.

Then, almost in answer to her prayers, she heard the noise of an autorickshaw and happily walked to the door, loudly saying. "Prakash, your grandfather is back."

Before she had opened the door, her son was running down the stairs. "What did he bring for me?" he asked eagerly, jumping over the last two steps.

"He doesn't need to bring anything for you each time he goes out of town," Sarojini said firmly as she opened the bolts. "And don't ask him anything of that kind. Let him come inside and – Prakash!" she said exasperatedly.

He had darted out of the house the instant the door was opened, and she followed him quickly.

Sarojini heard Prakash's thrilled yelp of, "Di," and felt confused for a second, then in the weak illumination provided by the nearest streetlights, she saw the girl alighting from the rickshaw parked outside the gate.

"Nandini, you're back," she exclaimed happily.

"How was my surprise?" Bhoothnath asked proudly as he paid the rickshaw driver.

Prakash opened the gate and rushed to hug his sister impulsively.

"You're this happy to see me after such a short gap?" Nandini teased laughingly. "Then I should have stayed away a few more days."

Embarrassed at having shown his sentimental side, her little brother let go of her and grabbed her bag.

"Don't pick it. It's heavy for you," Nandini said quickly above the noise of the departing rickshaw, and tried to take back the bag.

"I can lift it," Prakash declared indignantly, and proceeded to half-drag the bag into the house.

"You're getting the bag dirty," Bhoothnath scolded, walking to the gate with bags of eatables in his hands.

Nandini took the bags from his hands and looked at her mother, and her smile faded for a second. The exuberance that she had maintained from afternoon abandoned her. She wanted to put her arms around her mother and weep till she could feel whole again. But that wasn't going to happen in this lifetime...

Sarojini had watched the interaction between her family and had seen Nandini's cheerfulness. However, though she couldn't see Nandini's features clearly in the faint light, she felt certain that her daughter was struggling not to cry and was in dire need of comfort.

Nandini compelled a smile to return to her face and approached her mother. "Maa, why do you look so serious?" she asked gaily. "Aren't you glad I came back sooner than expected?"

The light from the living room fell upon her face, and Sarojini gasped in shock. "What happened to you? How did you get hurt?" she asked frantically, holding her daughter's face.

"She fell down the stairs in the Bhargava's house today morning," Bhoothnath informed his daughter-in-law sorrowfully. "That is why I decided to bring her home," he stated hurriedly, wanting to exonerate himself from any possible accusation of having selfish motives.

"Fell down the stairs?" Sarojini repeated in dismay. "How did it happen? Are you hurt anywhere else? Did you see a doctor? Should we go to see one right now?"

"Maa, I'm okay. It just looks bad," Nandini said pacifyingly.

"That is what she has been saying since I met her," Bhoothnath grumbled. "Take her inside. Give her some food. She didn't eat or drink anything on the journey back."

Sarojini put an arm tightly around her daughter and led her into the house. Prakash came bouncing down the stairs again, jubilant at having dragged the bag to his sister's room. His spirited progress was cut short when he saw her face in the bright light of the living room.

"Di, what happened to you?" he asked, dismayed.

"She tripped down the stairs in that house," Sarojini said worriedly, taking Nandini to the sofa and making her sit down.

"You should not have allowed her to go to your friend's house, grandpa," Prakash said angrily. "What kind of a friend is she! How could she let Di fall down! She should have -"

"Enough, enough, my dear great-grandfather," Nandini chuckled. "This is my fault, not anyone else's. I was careless and ran down the stairs, and that's why it happened."

"That stairway was evil, take it from me," Bhoothnath muttered grumpily, sitting down in his favourite chair.

Prakash continued to look annoyed but didn't criticize Janki Bhargava again. He sat next his sister, who put an arm around him warmly.

For the subsequent twenty minutes, the living room buzzed with activity. Sarojini prepared a paste of turmeric powder and ghee and applied it on her daughter's cheek and lips. Then she brought mustard seeds and red chillies and removed the evil eye from her child. Bhoothnath brought a red thread from his room and tied it around Nandini's right wrist with multiple knots, muttering mantras under his breath while doing so. Prakash alternatively sat by her side and bounced around her restlessly, unusually solemn and worried. The bags of eatables that they had brought from Vishranti Nagar remained untouched.

As her family fussed over her with unconditional love, Nandini wanted to die. They did not deserve to have a liar and cheat like her in their midst. She had broken their trust constantly over the past few months, and they didn't know anything at all about it. But she would spend the rest of her life atoning for her sins, and would never again do anything that would require her to deceive them, Nandini swore with a ruthless resolve.

Over a long dinner, she chatted with everyone with complete normalcy and gaiety, and then thankfully, her mother had insisted that she should go to bed.

Once in her room, Nandini mechanically changed into her nightdress and then sat on the bed with her back to the wall, eyes closed.  There was no part of her that wasn't hurting. And she was so exhausted that her body didn't seem capable of moving again. But sleep was nowhere on the horizon tonight. Perhaps she would never sleep again. Maybe she would spend every night like this from now onwards...staring into an abyss of blistering anguish and remorse...

"Di, why aren't you sleeping?"

She opened her eyes and looked towards the door. Her brother was anxiously peeking in through a gap. "Are you in pain?"

"Not at all," Nandini assured, and warmly said, "Come inside."

"But you looked like you were about to cry," Prakash said doubtfully while walking to the bed. An appalling thought occurred to him. "You didn't want to come back?" he asked anxiously.

"Of course, I did!" Nandini said emphatically. "I missed all of you so much that I wanted to come back the next day."

"Really? Good," Prakash said happily, reassured. He climbed onto the bed and sat beside her.

Nandini touched his cheek and softly said, "I will be here always to protect all of you."

Prakash frowned at his sister. "Protect? Why will you have to protect us? I'm the man of the house. It's my job to protect you, maa and grandpa," he said mulishly. Then he uneasily said, "But you have to be here, okay? Don't go anywhere again. Even if – even if you get married, you have stay in this house forever," he demanded obstinately.

Nandini shifted position to sit facing her brother. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper. "I will never get married."

Elated, Prakash said, "You mean it? Never?"

"Never," she affirmed. "But this is just between you and me. Don't tell anyone else, okay?" she said sternly.

"I give you a man's word," Prakash said solemnly.

"But I have a doubt. After you get married, what if your wife doesn't like me and asks me to leave this house? What will we do then?" Nandini asked worriedly.

"No problem at all, Di! You could move into Ayodhya," Prakash replied promptly, and reasonably added, "We will send food to you three times a day."

He laughed and vaulted out of bed before his astonished sister could grab him and ran out of the room.

Nandini laughingly threatened, "I'll get you for that tomorrow, you brat."

Prakash gave some incoherent response from the safety of his locked room

Her face losing all animation, Nandini sat immobile for a long time before rising tiredly from the bed to close the door and turn out the light. Then she resumed her earlier position, and continued to gaze into the darkness that had become her life from this day onwards...

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