Nandini came out of a reverie and realised she had been standing in the kitchen for longer than necessary. She had to return to the living room or Prithvi would wonder what she was doing in here...

A tremor of disbelief ran through her again.

Prithvi was here...in this house...he had returned. And she was holding a cup of the coffee he had prepared for her...for the first time in their lives.

She wanted to be immersed in the sweetness and joyousness of this unforgettable moment, and live...really live...for the first time in years.

However, the only thing she could truly believe was that he was physically present in the house. With respect to everything else, he seemed to be a...a familiar stranger...

Yes...everything about this meeting felt untrue, Nandini thought uneasily. It was as if she had unknowingly stumbled onto a stage where a strange drama was unfolding. Even the hot cup in her hands, incredibly precious as it was, felt like a prop in a play, or more accurately, an item conjured by magic, which had no basis in reality and could disappear any second.

Nandini clutched the cup tighter. She was soon going to wake up to a reality that would break her. But until then, just for a few moments, she wanted to savour this time when her mind was nearly empty of thoughts and her heart was full.

However, a deep foreboding was already trying to puncture the fragile bubble around her.

She didn't want to leave the kitchen. But she had to...

With a sharp rise in nervousness, Nandini turned to walk out of the kitchen, then stopped in dismay on noticing some dirt marks on the floor. They were very faint, but very much present. Her stomach sank as she recalled that she had forgotten to wash her feet before entering the house. If she'd been alone in the house, she would have cleaned up the floor before leaving. But it would look ridiculous to do that now, Nandini thought miserably. Then she wondered in horror if she had left marks on the stairs and the first floor too...

She shuddered to think about it. But she couldn't do anything about it now. Moreover, she had already laid bare her feelings through her actions...the marks on the floor were just extra proof, she thought with the despair of defeat.

Then just before entering the living room, one more chilling thought occurred to her, and she started to pray desperately that he would have chosen to sit at the dining table...

But Prithvi was not at the table.

He was seated on the sofa... on which they had sat together for some devastated moments on a quiet afternoon years ago...

The cup of coffee was on the centre table. He was gazing at it with a preoccupied air.

He glanced at her suddenly.

There was a ripple in the thick miasma between the two individuals in the room.

He ceased to be a stranger to her for a fragile moment. And the momentary glimpse she caught of the emotions in his eyes nearly made her retreat in shock.

But the curtains fell back into place almost instantly.

Prithvi concernedly asked, "Is there a problem?"

Shaken, Nandini gazed at him for a few moments, then quietly said, "No."

Seeking to divert her mind from the state of her heart, she tried to focus on the terrible pain in her legs and feet as she walked to the couch on the opposite side and sat down.

"Is the coffee okay?" he asked solicitously.

"It's wonderful," Nandini murmured, staring at the short table between them.

"Your expression says otherwise," Prithvi commented solemnly.

She forced herself to look at him and tried to smile. "I'm just a little confused with everything," she muttered, and then distractedly said, "I didn't see your car outside."

"I parked it a little far away. I didn't want your family or neighbours spotting it, and setting off a chain reaction before I was prepared for it," he shrugged.

Nandini nodded in understanding. Trying to grab some time to make sense of the thoughts in her head, she took a few large sips of the hot coffee.

She would have felt better if he too was drinking coffee and looking around the room awkwardly. But he wasn't doing either of those things. Looking supremely comfortable, he was continuing to look at her steadily.

"How have you been?" she asked abruptly, staring at the floor.

It was a simple question. One that was asked routinely by people who were meeting up after a long time.

But here...in this stifling room...the question sounded empty and absurd...even thoughtless...

Prithvi gravely said, "I know very little about good manners, but I think it would be considered more polite to look at someone while asking that question."

She cringed inwardly. Then, feeling increasingly cold, she lifted her gaze with an intense effort.

There was no animosity on his features, only a clinical interest.

"How have you been?" she asked quietly.

"The happiest I've been till date," he said seriously. "If my joy in life increases by an ounce more, I will be morally obligated to travel the world in a sleigh in December, distributing gifts."

Nandini turned pale. She wanted to get up and walk out of the house. But she wasn't sure if her limbs would cooperate. Her throat was clogged with tears, and she suddenly felt petrified that she would break down in front of him. Wanting to get rid of the painful knot in her throat, she quickly drank more of the coffee.

"Thanks for helping Rajeshwari."

Startled, she looked at him, and tentatively asked, "Disha told you?"

Not deigning to respond to her question, he casually enquired, "What have you and Mochi told the family about her visit?"

"Mochi bhaiya told them she was passing by Shamli, and that she had heard a lot about us from Sumer uncle - and you. And so, she wanted to meet us. Maa and grandpa insisted that she should stay with us for some days...and that's how she..."

Prithvi gave a nod. "Okay.."

Nandini hesitantly asked, "Should I tell Rajeshwari that you're here?"

"No, thanks," he said courteously. "You've done enough. Now you only have to forget you saw me, and remember to act surprised when Rajeshwari tells you that I'm on my way to Shamli and will reach in the evening. I hope to make her think it's a coincidence. If she shares her amazement with you over it, just pretend to believe in the strange ways of the universe."

"Oh...alright...you'll be at home till then?" she asked uncertainly.

"No, I'll be going out," Prithvi replied briefly. "I plan to leave in about 10 minutes actually, and I should return by -"

"You still look tired, you should rest for a while more,"" Nandini ventured impulsively, with a pleading gaze.

As a slight grimness marred his features, she felt as though she had shown excessive liberty with a person whom she'd just met.

"Thank you for your concern," Prithvi said civilly. "As I was about to say, I will return by around five or so."

Reddening, Nandini looked down at her nearly empty cup. His coffee was still untouched, she noted dully.

She rose to her feet, muttering, "I should leave. Thank you for the coffee."

"No problem," he said amiably, getting up. "It's the least I could do for the person who helped my sister. And raided a store for me."

Nandini smiled wanly without looking at him, and then hastened to the kitchen. She started to pour the small amount of coffee into the sink, but couldn't do it. Feeling sick of herself, she drank the still hot liquid as fast as she could. Then she washed the cup and placed it on the platform.

Nandini left the kitchen swiftly and walked straight to the dining table to pick up her bag and shawl. Then she somehow managed to turn towards him.

"I'll see you in the evening then," Prithvi said solemnly.

Nandini replied with a mute nod, and then walked out of the house. The faint sound of the doors being shut made her halt near the tulsi plant. But she didn't turn, and after a moment, continued to stroll towards the small gate between the houses.

Upon entering Vrindavan's yard, Nandini headed to the small tap. After washing her feet thoroughly in cold water, she started to walk towards her house, but then paused again.

She looked numbly at the neighbouring house.

The meeting had been more civilised and peaceful than anything she could have hoped for in a million years....and more chilling and soul-shattering than the most painful encounter she could have imagined...

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

Prithvi tilted the cup of coffee into the sink and watched the dark liquid go down the drain. Then he put the bread and milk and other products back into the bag in which they had been brought into the house.

He'd initially thought he would return home by noon. But he'd changed his mind a short time ago and decided to stay away until evening. He could drive around known and unknown places in the town to while away his time.

Prithvi took the bag to the living room and placed them on the table. As he started to go upstairs, he diligently ignored the faint marks on the floor that had been left by the unusually red, ill-treated feet that had been bare on the road earlier in the morning...

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

Disha sat very still in the chair in the small conference room, alertly waiting for the door to open.

The prince had informed her that he was on the way to the hotel, and would let her know once he had reached. In the meantime, she had been told to check if a small meeting room could be booked for an hour. She had done the needful and sent him a message about the location of the room. He would be arriving any minute.

She mentally arranged the flow of the information that she needed to provide to the prince. She did not have to think about what to exclude and what to add. There was no point in lying to Prithvi. Just like his mother, he had the uncanny ability to segregate the truth from the lies. If there was a kernel of falsehood in a mountain of truth, he would discern it. Even if that wasn't the case, she would not have lied about anything. But she was scared stiff of telling him the truth because it would show Rajeshwari in poor light...

She impulsively picked up her phone from the table and went through the messages she had sent day before yesterday when she had been frightened out of her wits.

"Your highness, we are in Shamli. The princess had arranged to meet someone here in a hotel. The queen learnt about her plans and arrived at the hotel. I was very worried, so I sent a message to Nandini. She arrived soon, and interrupted the meeting. I don't know what happened next. But the queen left soon after that. She is furious with me, and very possibly with Nandini too. Now I'm afraid I have put my family and Nandini in danger. Please advise."

Then upon realising that she had not mentioned Rajeshwari's devastated condition, she had sent another message in a hurry, informing him about the same, and had also added that the princess intended to stay with Nandini for a few days. In the third message, she had let him know that the princess had asked her to leave for Gaganpur.

Prithvi had responded after some time with a curt message, stating that he was on his way to Shamli and directing her to stay put in the hotel till his arrival.

The reply had astonished her. She had assumed he would send across instructions, not come to the town himself. And if he was already in Shamli, he would have left almost immediately after receiving her messages. That meant the situation was definitely more serious than she had thought, Disha assured herself again. It was confirmation that she had been right to inform him.

With any luck, the prince would see the situation from her point of view, and also understand why she had sought Nandini's help.

It was clear that some major complications were linked to Nandini, Disha reflected. Rajeshwari had not wanted her brother to know about Nandini's visit to Nikumbh. And then there was Nandini's behaviour on learning that Priyamvada was in the banquet hall...

There was a strong suggestion of a failed romantic relationship. The cause was obviously the staggering differences in the backgrounds. She could understand it. Yet, when she thought of Nandini and Prithvi together...the image seemed to be right somehow, Disha pondered. Then she gave herself a mental rap for squandering her energies in idle and useless contemplation over a matter that was not connected to her in any way.

The only point she needed to remember in that regard was that Rajeshwari had buoyantly shared with her that Prithvi had been completely fine on hearing about Nandini's visit. If that had not been the case, she wouldn't have considered reaching out to Nandini for help, Disha reminded herself.

She stood up quickly when the door opened, and a tall, young man strode into the room.

"Sit down," Prithvi said briefly while walking to the other side of the table. He occupied a chair opposite her and leaned back. "Tell me everything from the start. Don't leave out anything," he said brusquely without any preamble, fixing a stone-cold gaze upon her.

Disha maintained her look of calm, but she was quaking on the inside. She had been able to suppress her fear of the queen's anger through her faith in Prithvi's ability to shield her. But if she ever incurred Prithvi's wrath, there was no one on earth who would be able to come to her rescue.

"Yes, your highness," she said hurriedly. "A day after your visit to Nikumbh, we moved to the property in Gaganpur. The princess seemed to be on the phone constantly, but everything was fine otherwise. Then, some days ago, she told me about her plan to visit Shamli. She didn't give any explanations. She only told me that I had to accompany her to Shamli, stay for a day, and then return to Gaganpur. The other staff members were told to stay back in Gaganpur and wait for future instructions. I believed it was a very dangerous plan for her to stay alone in Shamli, so I tried to reason with her. But she - "

When Disha halted, Prithvi nonchalantly said, "She got angry and threatened you?"

"Yes," Disha said reluctantly.

"Affection does not usually make me stupid," Prithvi said tersely. "I know what my sister is like. You don't need to hide anything."

Feeling more confident and relaxed, Disha murmured, "Thank you, your highness. Well, the princess warned me against telling you or anyone else in the family. And she told me if I did not obey her unquestioningly, she would complain to you about me and get me fired from this job. I didn't know what to do. I felt if I cautioned her further, she wouldn't allow me also to accompany her to Shamli, and that would be even more risky. The bodyguards and the other employees asked me to confirm the orders. I told them to obey the princess. In the days that followed, the princess looked unusually excited, nervous and happy. She didn't ask me to make any arrangements, and said she had done everything by herself. On the night before our departure from Gaganpur, I overheard her when she was on the phone. It happened just by accident," she adjoined hastily.

"Go on," Prithvi said impatiently.

"I heard only a small portion of what she was saying, but she was begging someone to meet her. It was...difficult to listen to," she muttered. "I didn't wait for too long because I didn't want her to know I was nearby. But from whatever I heard, it seemed as if the person did not want to meet her, and she was trying very hard to convince him. On the day we left Gaganpur, she asked me to switch off my phone, and said I should not switch it on again unless she gave me permission. I did as she said, but I kept the instrument with me at all times. She switched off her own phone too."

"We reached the hotel in the afternoon and checked into a room on the second floor. It wasn't one of the deluxe ones. In fact, I think it was one of the cheaper rooms in the hotel. She asked me to help her dress up well. Towards evening, she received a call on the hotel's intercom. She looked really happy and thrilled after that. She asked me to accompany her to the banquet hall on the first floor. She told me she would go inside alone, and then I had to return to her room and wait. It was clear that she didn't want me to come along with her, but she was also very nervous, and wanted some support. When we were leaving, I realised she had left her phone behind. I tried to give it to her, but she asked me to keep it with myself. She also insisted on going by the stairs, not the lift."

"When we reached the banquet hall, she told me to leave, and then hurried into the room. I had a...a bad feeling, so I continued to wait. Just seconds later, the doors opened and the queen's bodyguards came out of the hall. I realised the queen had found out about the plans, and - I panicked. I was afraid to think of what the princess was facing, and I wanted to help her but I didn't know what to do. I waited outside the hall for some time. I switched on both our phones, and tried to think about whom I could call for some help. I felt someone else connected to the family could intervene and make the situation...easier for the princess. Or at least provide some emotional support to the princess after the storm had blown over. But I couldn't inform Sumer Singhji or the others in the family. Then I thought of Nandini. After our return to India, Nandini was the only person with whom I had seen the princess interact with on an almost equal level," she explained quickly. "And I knew she resided in the town. So, I thought she might - "

"If I want an explanation, I'll ask for it," Prithvi said irascibly. "Just tell me what happened."

"Yes, your highness," Disha mumbled. "I managed to send a message to Nandini without being noticed by the guards, and requested her to come to the hotel. I knew I wouldn't be able to answer any of her questions, so I told her I wouldn't be able to interact further via the phone. But I had to ensure that Nandini would be allowed to come to the first floor in case she did decide to help us. And I also wanted to find out what exactly was happening. When I started to leave, the queen's guards asked me where I was going. I told them I didn't need their permission to go anywhere I wanted. Although they got a little angry, they didn't stop me from leaving."

"I didn't approach the manager or the reception to get answers because I didn't want to give them an impression that I didn't know what was going on. By a stroke of luck, I quickly found a junior staff member who gave me useful information in exchange for money. He didn't know that I was the princess's attendant. He told me that a woman from a very rich family had booked the entire first floor of the hotel for this evening. And she had insisted that no one apart her and her guest - a man - should be allowed to enter the floor. Then the girl's mother had found out and had arrived at the hotel, and was now chastising the girl. The first floor had been made off limits for everyone, and there were security guards in the lifts who weren't allowing anyone to exit on the floor."

"I went up to the receptionists under the pretext of confirming the instructions, and I added very strictly that if a girl named Nandini Bharadwaj arrived at the hotel and wanted to go to the first floor, she should be allowed to do so. I was worried they would know that I had accompanied Rajeshwari, so I was prepared for the possibility that they would want to seek confirmation from their superiors, but they didn't create any problems. I think they assumed from my manner that I was speaking on behalf of the queen. Then I went back to the first floor. Nandini arrived in short while. When I told Nandini that the queen was inside, she..."

Disha faltered, unable to find the right words to explain what had happened in those scary moments.

"She what?" Prithvi asked casually, with an air of a fearsome quietness.

Absorbed in her own narration, Disha slowly said, "I don't know how to describe it. I can only tell you that Nandini changed all of a sudden...she became a different person. She looked so enraged that I felt a little frightened. Even the guards couldn't stop her from going into the banquet hall. I don't know what happened inside the room, but the queen left soon after Nandini's arrival. When I went inside, the princess was in very bad shape, but Nandini spoke to her for a long time, and helped her feel better. And the next day, she called up the princess many times to cheer her up. I honestly don't know how I would have handled everything if Nandini hadn't helped. She is an amaz-"

"That's all I wanted to know, thanks," Prithvi interrupted briskly. "You can ignore the queen mother's threats, whatever they were. But next time, don't wait till your neck is on the line before informing me," he said grimly.

"Yes, your highness. And I apologise sincerely for not fulfilling my responsibilities well," Disha said nervously.

"You did the best you could," he dismissed. "It's fine. I'll take care of the rest. You don't have to stay here anymore. Go home to your family and stay with them for a few days. I'll let you know when it's time for you to resume your duties."

Taken aback, Disha spluttered out words of gratitude, which were brushed off by an impatient gesture. She had anticipated a fair hearing, but this was far beyond her expectations. He seemed to have understood the extreme stress she had been under for the past few days...

Also, while she had known he would listen to her patiently, she was amazed by the calmness with which he had heard the shocking and disturbing details of the story. It gave her the courage to get  one more thing to get off her chest.

"I'm also sorry about entangling Nandini in this situation," she said guiltily. "I'm afraid for her. It will be on my conscience if -"

"She'll be fine," Prithvi replied unconcernedly. "It will be a better use of your time to worry about whomever she's against..."

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

Priyamvada looked to the right of the business report that was open in front of her on the teak wood table. Her phone was ringing, and her son's name was on the screen. It fell silent after a few rings.

This was the first time Prithvi had given her a call. But all she could feel was a mixture of weariness and dread, because she knew what the conversation was going to be about...

She looked at the young man on the other side of the table. He had looked up when the phone had started ringing but had smartly gone back to pretending to be absorbed in a file.

"Rajiv, you may take that file and go through it in the office room," Priyamvada said formally. "You can give me your suggestions in the evening."

Rajiv sprang to his feet and bowed. "Yes, your highness," he murmured.

He took the file and left the room hurriedly.

Priyamvada stared at the phone's screen for a minute, and then called up her son. The phone rang for a long time, and she was on the verge of giving up when it was answered at last.

"Good morning, queen mother," Prithvi said graciously.

"Prithvi, where are you?" she asked sharply.

"Your spies haven't told you yet? Prithvi asked in surprise. "But I'm glad about this failure of theirs. Because now I have the great pleasure of letting you know that I'm in Shamli."

Priyamvada reclined heavily in her chair. "What are you doing there?" she asked warily.

"I'm here to throw a party to celebrate your appointment as the chief of the moral police," Prithvi said seriously.

Priyamvada pursed her lips. "How did you find out?" she asked tautly.

"I attended one of the espionage classes that you conduct for the CIA every week."

"Prithvi, this is not a conversation we should have on the telephone," she said firmly.

"You have it all wrong, queen mother," he informed her. "This is a conversation that we should absolutely not have in person....as I might end up saying things that I shouldn't be saying to the woman who is supposed to have given birth to me."

Anger and grief flickered on Priyamvada's features. "Rajeshwari was at the hotel to meet a man," she said harshly. "She planned to spend a week with him."

"So? She is not a child," Prithvi retorted coldly. "As long as she is safe and happy, she has the right to do whatever she wants. I'm sure you already know every detail about the person she was planning to meet, including his daily bowel moments. Do you have any information that leads you to believe that the man whom she likes is dangerous in some way and could hurt her? And I'm asking for the truth here...not harmless facts that you can twist to suit your purpose."

Priyamvada struggled briefly with herself, then frigidly said, "No."

"Then you will not interfere in her life," he commanded flatly. "And I hope for your own sake that you haven't told anyone else about what happened in Shamli, and that includes your Dai maa or your father."

"I have not," Priyamvada snapped. "I would not disclose this despicable and shameful incident to anyone."

"Those are big words for someone who did far worse things when she was much younger than Rajeshwari," Prithvi said derisively.

Priyamvada's face turned ashen. But then she infuriatedly said, "You treat her like she's a child. Are you telling me you are not disturbed by the fact that she -"

"I will continue to treat her like that for as long as I'm alive," he said grimly. "That doesn't mean I've taken leave of my senses and am unaware that she is a grown woman. I'm warning you," he said quietly, his tone suddenly reverberating with the searing rage he had masked so far. "Don't ever make her cry again or do anything that hurts her. Stay out of her life. And stay away from Shamli."

"Away from Shamli, or away from a particular person in Shamli?" Priyamvada asked tartly.

"Feel free to choose the option that upsets you the most," Prithvi said mockingly.

The call ended.

Priyamvada stared blankly at the report on the table, her thoughts far away. After a couple of minutes, she called up Rajiv and gave him some instructions. Then she resumed her work with a sense of peace.

If her son thought he was going to have a satisfactory time in Shamli, he was going to receive an unpleasant surprise soon...

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

Rajeshwari got down from the bed drowsily. This was earlier than her usual waking time, but she didn't want to create a bad impression on her first morning in the house. She opened her large bag of toiletries to take a few necessary items, and then went to the washroom to freshen up.

She returned to the room after about fifteen minutes, replaced the contents of her bag and walked to the table. She had delayed checking her phone in the hope that when she eventually looked at it, there would be at least one message of apology or regret from Indrajit. But he had not bothered to send anything of that sort. There was a new message from someone else though...

Astonished, she blinked a few times rapidly and read the message again, checking the words as well as the name of the sender twice.

It was a message from Prithvi. Prithvi...who was supposed to be completely out of reach for at least two more months.

She had panicked on seeing that he was the sender. But now she was more confused and astonished than anxious.

'Hey mustard, I had to cut short my vacation because of some urgent work. Not going to any of the family homes as of now. Planning to stay in a small town for about a week. You can call me whenever you wish. Will see you after a few days.'

Rajeshwari read the message many times to make sure she had not misunderstood. It was astounding that Prithvi had returned earlier than expected. He had never done it before...

She meticulously typed out a reply, expressing her sadness that he was forced to give up on his holiday and then asked him where he was going to be staying.

'I'll tell you, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone else. I'll let them know once I reach my destination.'

She assured him that she would keep his secret, and waited for the next message.

It came soon.

'Plan to go to Shamli. This is just between you and me for now, okay? Heard from Sumer baba that you're staying alone in Gaganpur. If you like, I can pick you up on the way, and we can go together to Shamli. I think you will like meeting the Bharadwajs. Let me know what you think.'

Rajeshwari stared in shock at the screen. Then, clutching the phone, she began to pace mindlessly through the small room while her panicked mind threw up the most frightening and horrendous scenarios.

But with time, her mental frenzy began to diminish. She looked at her phone again to study his messages intently, and then she started to feel a little calmer.

Rajeshwari sat down on the bed and tried to think about the situation more serenely.

Prithvi never lied to her, so his reasons for returning to the plains must truly not have anything to do with her.

And there was no way he would have found out what had happened at the hotel. She could vouch for the fact that her aunt and Disha wouldn't have told anyone. Despite her horrific behaviour in the banquet hall, her aunt loved her too much to speak of this to anyone within the family, leave alone servants like Haimavati...and Sumer Singh, who was the only person could contact Prithvi when he was in the mountains. Disha wouldn't have the guts to spill the secret since her job would be in jeopardy, and she also did not have any means of contacting Prithvi directly. That left Nandini, who had already promised to maintain silence. But she could extract the assurance once more to be on the safe side.

If this had been a less serious issue, the person who was most likely to reveal the truth would have been she herself, since she'd never been able to keep a secret from Prithvi, Rajeshwari contemplated dolefully. But this was one issue over which she could not speak to him even if it wrecked her on the inside.

And as for her reason to be in Shamli, she already had the readymade story that Sankatmochan had concocted. Of course, she couldn't tell Prithvi that she was still engaged in that horrible charity work. But she could tell him that she had wanted to meet Nandini's family and see the place where he had stayed. And he had been completely fine with her decision to meet Nandini, hadn't he? And he himself had offered to bring her to meet the Bharadwaj family...

And if Prithvi would be here, she wouldn't feel alone at all. Nandini's presence was amazingly comforting, but the solace she found in her brother's pampering and teasing was incomparable. And to add to the benefits, her aunt would be extremely upset to learn that Prithvi was in Shamli, Rajeshwari thought with considerable pleasure.

She pondered over all the points continually until her anxieties were under control. Then she tapped on the screen and held the phone to her ear.

"Prithvi, you're really coming here?" she asked keenly as soon as the phone was answered.

"No, I'm going to Shamli," he corrected her innocently. "But like I said, if you want to come with me, I can pick you up."

Rajeshwari gulped nervously, and mumbled. "I'm already in Shamli."

There was a short silence, then Prithvi disbelievingly asked, "You're joking, right? You're not really in Shamli."

She giggled at his astonishment, and then sheepishly said, "I reached last night. I just thought of meeting Nandini's family and seeing the house where you had stayed for some months."

"But that's a creepy coincidence," he said suspiciously. "Typical of Shamli though. Still, I'm not sure I want to be a part of this supernatural conspiracy. I think I'll go elsewhere..."

Rajeshwari laughingly said, "No, no, you have to come to Shamli."

He grinned. "Okay, if you insist."

"What time will you be here?"

"If I don't have to pick you up, I can take a shorter route, and reach in the evening."

That would give her sufficient time to be mentally prepared, Rajeshwari thought with relief.

"Okay, travel safely and try to reach as soon as you can," she said affectionately.

In a thoughtful mood, Prithvi kept the phone back in his coat's pocket. If Rajeshwari spilled the truth on seeing him, it would mean the situation wasn't as serious as he suspected. But if she kept her silence, then...

He sighed.

Then he glanced out of the window and looked at a glorious vista of velvety green grass, bunches of pure white clouds against a blue sky and emerald hills.

It was an attractive, inviting landscape.

But Prithvi did not get down from the car.

He leaned back in his seat and gazed at the hauntingly beautiful view with clouded eyes...

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

Rajeshwari went to the stairway and cautiously called out to Nandini.

A sweet, smiling face appeared downstairs, and greeted her.

"Good morning! Shall I bring tea for you?" Nandini asked cheerfully.

"Not yet. Could you come upstairs for a minute?" Rajeshwari asked tentatively.

"Sure," Nandini smiled, and hurried up the stairs with a hammering heart.

Rajeshwari was about to give her the 'news'... and then she wouldn't have the option of believing that she had merely seen an exceptionally realistic nightmare.

She followed Rajeshwari to her room, and sat beside her on the bed.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, guiltily feigning innocence.

"Prithvi is coming here...to Shamli," Rajeshwari said in a hushed whisper, looking simultaneously happy and worried. "He will reach in the evening."

With a convincing show of surprise, Nandini chirpily exclaimed, "Really? That's wonderful."

"It's a coincidence. Can you believe it?" Rajeshwari said in an awed voice.

"I can. The craziest of coincidences happen all the time in Shamli," Nandini said with a bittersweet smile.

"Prithvi also said something of that sort," Rajeshwari said, surprised. "Anyway, he doesn't know why I came to Shamli," she said anxiously. "I know Bua won't tell him or anyone else, and Disha will not dare to do anything of that sort. The only other person who knows about this is you. You cannot tell him anything about what happened in the hotel."

"I won't," Nandini promised. "I will never speak of what happened. Not to him or to anyone else."

Reassured, Rajeshwari smilingly said, "Okay, let's go downstairs and tell your mother. She and Prakash will be very happy, won't they?"

"Oh yes. And my grandfather too," Nandini added genially.

"You will be happy too once you meet him," Rajeshwari said gently. "I know he will be as polite and normal towards you as he is with everyone else."

With over-bright eyes, Nandini smiled unsteadily and held up two crossed fingers. "I hope you're right..."

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