Nandini gazed pensively at the people and houses that were passing by while hearing Sumer Singh's faint snores from the seat in front of her.

Had she seen these places yesterday while travelling with the Garewals yesterday? She simply couldn't recollect, though she had a doubt if they had journeyed on so many stretches of rough, unpaved tracks yesterday. But even if she was blessed with a phenomenal memory, she would not have remembered sceneries from her journey yesterday because she'd been wholly absorbed with the thought of meeting Prithvi. She was absorbed in thoughts about him on this return journey as well, albeit in a more painful way....

Still, she continued to try to identify the landscapes, hoping that it would create a gap of at least some minutes between the last time she'd looked at him.

Then finally unable to resist the urge, she glanced at Prithvi diffidently.

His eyes were fixed on the road and he thankfully didn't seem aware of her frequent stares.

He had not looked at her after that strange interlude in the library. In fact, he appeared to have gone out of his way to avoid meeting her eyes, and she knew it was because of what had happened at the end of their talk.

Nandini shifted restlessly in her seat and looked outside again as her face turned hot.

A whirlwind of silken emotions made her stomach somersault and threatened to push out all other thoughts out of her head, but she desperately fought off its pull. She couldn't think about that now. She simply couldn't. And it was of the least importance in this situation, she scolded herself sharply. There were too many other things that needed attention.

Priyamvada was in her house. The dangerous woman whom she hated sincerely was in her house. She should have been going mad with terror and anger right now.

But she could still feel the unshakeable strength of the assurance Prithvi had given her. With the deep affection he had for her family, he would not have ignored the possibility of them being hurt by his mother unless he was fully confident that they were not in any danger.

Still, her fears and doubts about Priyamvada were too deeply entrenched to disappear that easily, and she could feel them quietly bubbling away in a corner of her heart for now. But as of now, the intensity of her negative emotions towards Priyamvada was almost negligible compared to her anxiety and anguish over Prithvi's state of mind.

Maybe it would change once she reached home and actually saw that wretched woman in Vrindavan. But for now, the only person she was able to think about was Prithvi...and about the things he said, and the pain and tension behind the words he had tried to speak casually while talking about his mother...and the agonising emotional trials he would have gone through over the past five years, and was still enduring.

Prithvi had not told her everything about his mother's illness. She was sure of it...and she also sure that, despite whatever he said about his mother, there was immense love buried under all that hate and rage.

She could feel the tension and emotional pressure he was under, and how hard he was struggling to avoid speeding. But today, she wouldn't have minded his rash driving at all if it meant they would reach Shamli sooner, so that the disquiet seething inside him right now could ease up a little. He hadn't even eaten anything for lunch. She hadn't either, but she was used to going without food because of her fasts, and she genuinely wasn't very hungry for now.

Realising she had been staring dumbly at Prithvi for several minutes now, Nandini hastily looked out the window again.

What was going on in her house right now, she wondered distractedly, and thought again about what her grandfather had said. He rarely told her outright that he needed her help. What could she possibly do to help Priyamvada...and would she be able to do it...

She didn't know the answers to anything at the moment, but if there was anything she could do to help that woman feel better, she would do it, Nandini resolved with a sudden determination. She would do anything for Prithvi's sake...

Then she abruptly felt like a tiny, feeble creature caught in the clutches of something that was vast and limitless. 

How strange her predicament was...and how merciless was the power of love ...

She hated Priyamvada with a vengeance and disliked even hearing her name being mentioned. And she had no qualms in acknowledging that if Priyamvada was not the mother of the man whom she loved more than life itself, she wouldn't have cared if the woman fell off a cliff. And yet, she was ardently praying right now for that same woman to be fine and healthy, and planning to do whatever she could to help her...all because she couldn't bear to see Prithvi in pain...

Then again, it was easier to feel this way while Priyamvada was out of sight. But it would be different when that lady would be in front of her. The last time she had seen Priyamvada, she had felt such loathing and fury towards her...

Nandini closed her eyes tiredly, feeling an overwhelming helplessness at the situation.

Her father's face flashed across her mind out of the blue.

Her father...who had never let personal differences influence him when someone was in trouble. He had gone out of his way to help even those people who had troubled him intentionally. She had to become capable of showing that same strength and compassion now.

Keeping her eyes shut, she did what she had regularly done since childhood. She prayed to her father for help and guidance.

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

Sumer Singh woke up from his doze with a faint start. He had seen a bundle of ghastly nightmares revolving around Prithvi during the brief nap, and he felt vastly relieved on realising none of it had happened in reality.

He looked at his watch. With the speed at which Prithvi was driving and the numerous short-cuts he was taking wherever possible, they could reach Shamli by around four.

Sumer Singh looked concernedly towards his right.

Prithvi's eyes were on the road, but it was easy to discern that the young man's mind wasn't here, Sumer Singh reflected heavily.

The small basket with toasted butter and jam sandwiches and fresh fruit juice bottles was sitting in between the two front seats, with its contents untouched. Neither Nandini nor Prithvi had eaten anything in Taravan, and a short while ago, he had requested both of them to eat at least one sandwich each. Nandini had refused apologetically, while Prithvi had merely shaken his head.

He had not asked more than since, aware that both were very stressed. His own stress levels were quite high, he was feeling exhausted, and he dreaded the idea of what was waiting for them in Vrindavan. But then he had felt tired even before getting into the SUV at Taravan...because of the mini chaos that had preceded their departure. So much had happened in a very short span...

While Prithvi had been talking to Nandini about the disturbing developments in Shamli, he had gone to the hall to see if he could talk to Uday Singh about the situation. The three girls had been huddled up on the sofa and busy reading something on their phones, giving him sufficient time to explain to Uday Singh everything that Prithvi had said. The news had plainly startled the old man but then the celebrated resiliency of the Rathore family had come into play, as had Uday Singh's theatrical skills.

Uday Singh had done exactly as Prithvi had wanted, and he'd done it with flair. He had painted such a dour and boring image of Shahpur and detailed such an exciting itinerary for a tour to see some of the most beautiful palaces and forts owned by the family that the girls had dropped their plans of going along with Prithvi. And later, when Nandini had come to the room and tentatively mentioned that she had to go back home, Uday Singh had innocently suggested that she could accompany Prithvi since Shamli was on the way to Shahpur, and that Sumer Singh could go with them since he had not visited Shamli in a long time. He'd also helped Nandini manage the conversation with the Garewals, and had insisted that the couple visit Taravan for lunch as planned.

Prithvi's talk with Nandini had gone on for a while - and that was natural, since it was a very difficult conversation, Sumer Singh defended in his mind. He had happened to be back in the room when Nandini had walked in to talk to Uday Singh. The poor girl had appeared worried, but then he'd been surprised at the confidence with which she had lied about her reasons for going back to her house. Rajeshwari was very saddened by Nandini's abrupt departure, but somehow, despite her own troubles, Nandini had managed to cheer up the princess before leaving, Sumer Singh thought affectionately.

Overall, it had been an action-packed day until now. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so sleepy, Sumer Singh reflected while stifling a yawn.

"Baba, stop trying to stay awake," Prithvi said impatiently.

"No, it's dangerous to sleep when you're sitting next to the person driving," Sumer Singh said stoutly, and then insisted, "It's fine. I can stay awake."

"Sit at the back with Nandini," Prithvi ordered.

Sumer Singh was shocked at the suggestion. "That will make you look like my chauffer. No, absolutely not."

"I can sit in the front, if that's okay with both of you," Nandini said tentatively. "I'm not sleepy."

The unexpected suggestion was met with a stunned silence.

Startled, Sumer Singh glanced at Prithvi in panic while trying to think of a reason for not exchanging seats. He obviously couldn't ask Prithvi openly if he would be okay with that arrangement.

Prithvi didn't look at him. It was a sensible idea, but it was not in his best interests. His irritation and discomfort over what he had done in the library was still so strong that he'd even stifled the urge to ask her to stop looking at him with those pity-filled eyes. He had hoped to avoid looking at her or interacting with her for a lot longer but she had taken that decision out of his hands now. And he was very confident that in a short time from now he was going to say or do something idiotic again.

Resigned to the situation, he muttered, "It's fine with me," and then brought the car to a halt by the roadside.

A few minutes later, a still befuddled and confused Sumer Singh was sitting at the back while Nandini was fastening her seat belt in the seat next to Prithvi.

Sumer Singh tried to stay awake for some time, then he gave up and leaned back and shut his eyes.

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

It took very little time for Nandini to regret her impulsive offer to Sumer Singh.

It had been easier for her to look at Prithvi frequently from the backseat. Now she couldn't keep glancing at him as per her heart's adamant demands, she thought with a sigh.

Prithvi glanced tentatively at her beautiful profile. She looked exhausted and a little pale. Her fears for her family's safety were largely responsible for that undoubtedly, but it was also obviously way past her lunch time, and Sumer Singh had told him in private that she had refused to eat anything at the house in Taravan.

He tersely muttered, "You should eat something. It's going to take more than two hours to reach Shamli."

She looked at him quickly, and was about to say that she wasn't hungry, but a bright thought held back the words, and after a minute, she hesitantly said, "I'll eat something if you do."

He looked at her irately. "You can stay hungry then."

"Okay," she agreed docilely with a shrug.

Prithvi gave her an irritated look, but didn't react for about five minutes. Then his left hand opened the basket, picked up a packet of sandwiches and tossed it into her lap

Extremely delighted – and also afraid that he would change his mind, Nandini opened the packet and hurriedly took one sandwich, and in her haste and happiness, she unthinkingly held it to his lips.

Prithvi looked at her with raised brows.

Becoming violently red with intense mortification, Nandini quickly lowered her eyes and hand, and extended the sandwich to him formally.

Prithvi caught her wrist and raised it to his mouth to take a bite of the sandwich, then casually took the sandwich out of her hands and continued to have it.

A euphoric joy exploded within Nandini, almost absurd in its intensity, and she smiled happily as she took one sandwich for herself.

Then flushed tints appeared on both faces, with both simultaneously struck by the awareness that they had behaved unwisely in the last few minutes - and that they had briefly forgotten that they were not alone in the car.

Nandini bit into her sandwich while feigning interest in the passing scenery, and after a couple of minutes, she tentatively looked at him to see if he had finished having the first one. When she picked up one more sandwich and extended it to him, she half expected him to refuse, but to her relief and gladness, he took it from her hands. In that instant, the awkwardness seemed to lift, and in its place, an odd comfort gradually settled between them.

She continued to offer more sandwiches to him, and he took them from her without objection. They ate in silence while he continued to drive without a break. After a while, he murmured, "Thanks, I'm done". She felt an impulse to coerce him to have at least one more, but she repressed it somehow and kept the sandwich back in the basket. She opened a small glass bottle that contained fruit juice and gave it to him, and after he had accepted it, she opened one for herself too and drank the delicious lemon ginger juice. He handed the empty bottle to her, and she kept both glass containers back in a much lighter basket.

Although both of them remained quiet, the silence remained very restful...until familiar sights began to appear, indicating that Shamli was coming closer now, a gnawing tension slowly began to fill up the insides of the vehicle.

Nandini felt icy trickles of fear in her chest. The anxiety about her family that had been subdued so far was now beginning to rumble louder, and yet, her biggest preoccupation continued to be about Prithvi. She discreetly joined her hands in her lap and prayed hard that Priyamvada's condition be fine, so he would be reassured when they reached the house.

She cast worried glances at him as they approached the outskirts of the town. She could see the brutal strain on the increasing tightness of his features...she could feel it within her...and it was breaking her heart.

In the seat behind her, Sumer Singh was struggling with equally difficult emotions.

He had woken up a short while ago from a surprisingly deep slumber, and since then, he had been guiltily aware of a slowly increasing happiness at the thought of being back in Shamli again and meeting the Bharadwaj family, and seeing the temple, and the peaceful locality. Over the years, he had tried not to brood too much over the blissful memories of their stay in Shamli, but now he couldn't stop thinking about acutely he had missed the small town and the Bharadwaj family in the last five years.

Sumer Singh looked shamefacedly at Prithvi, who had increased the speed of the SUV by several notches in the past quarter of an hour.

It was wrong and simply unacceptable for him to have positive emotions at this point about the journey, considering what had led to it. And he had been depressed enough when they had set out from Taravan. However, the realisation that they were very close to Shamli had shifted something in him, and a curious, powerful sense of hope and joy had suffused his heart all of a sudden.

Was it just his wishful thinking, stimulated by the memories of the joyful times that he had experienced in the town? Or was it his instinct that was saying something good could come out of this. That this could a new beginning...a fresh start for Prithvi...

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

Prithvi's jawline taunted as the vehicle sped along the road that led towards the locality where Vrindavan was situated.

He'd not spoken to Bhoothnath after that first phone call. And he wanted to believe Bhoothnath had not called him up because his mother was fine, but it was more likely that the family had wanted to spare him any more worry until he had reached. However, all he wanted was for his mother to remain in the house until he reached, because there was a very real danger that she would leave the house in one of her insensible states without anyone being aware. Any other issue he could handle.

He was well aware of the heightened anxieties of the other two individuals in the car. But as of now, there was nothing he could say that could help either of them feel better.

Prithvi felt a faint relief as the car neared Vrindavan. The serene look of the house alleviated some of his stress. After parking the car in front of the house, he got down and swiftly pushed open the gate and hurried to the threshold, then exhaled with a deep relief.

His mother was sitting on the sofa, safe and sound. Sarojini had been sitting adjacent to her, but she stood up and smiled with great relief on seeing him.

He smiled briefly at Sarojini, then he looked at his mother again.

The pallu of Priyamvada's saree was draped around her head, and a shawl was wrapped around her. Pieces of pearl and diamond jewellery – bracelets, rings, a necklace, earrings - were placed on the small table in front of the sofa.

Sarojini watched both of them with trepidation, uncertain about what she could tell Prithvi and what Priyamvada was about to do next.

Prithvi walked slowly into the house, gently saying, "Maa..."

Priyamvada looked at him with an unreadable expression. Then ignoring him, she rose to her feet and politely addressed Sarojini, "I need to go to Devgarh now. My son is waiting for me."

Confused, Sarojini started to speak, but stopped on seeing a subtle gesture from Prithvi, who silently cautioned her against saying anything.

He gently said, "I know the place. I can take you to Devgarh tomorrow."

Priyamvada turned to Prithvi again and walked towards him, staring at him with haunted eyes. "Are you from Devgarh? Did you see my son?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes, I did. He's fine," Prithvi assured.

"No one is hurting him?" Priyamvada asked urgently.

"No...no one is hurting him," Prithvi said in a quiet tone.

"Are they giving him food on time?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, they are," Prithvi muttered.

"Good...that's good," Priyamvada muttered distractedly, then she asked Prithvi keenly, "You'll take me there tomorrow, won't you? You'll be here until then? You won't leave, will you?" she questioned him cautiously.

"No, I won't leave," Prithvi said pacifyingly.

"Thank you, I'm grateful," Priyamvada said a tremulous smile, folding her palms.

Then her eyes darted to the extremely pale young girl who was standing near the doors.

She looked vacantly at Prithvi again and then turned to Sarojini.

"Who is this?" she timidly asked Sarojini, indicating Nandini.

"That is Nandini, my daughter," Sarojini answered hastily with a weak, nervous smile.

Priyamvada abruptly looked terrified and agitated.

"No, that can't be," Priyamvada said in a slightly shrill tone, shaking her head. "Your daughter is a tiny little thing. She's really small...younger than my son. Where is she?" she asked, looking around restlessly.

Prithvi quickly started to respond but Nandini's tranquil voice replied first.

"She has gone to stay with some relatives in the village," Nandini told Priyamvada calmly. "I'm her cousin's daughter," she said, gesturing to her bemused but relieved mother.

The panic on Priyamvada's visage diminished.

"Oh...is that so? Okay, okay," she mumbled, and then glanced around with a helpless air, as if unsure of what to do next.

"Sit down please," Nandini told Priyamvada civilly, with her words carrying a delicate ring of authority. "We'll bring you tea."

Priyamvada looked at her doubtfully, then silently walked back to the sofa and sat down, slightly rocking back and forth while clutching the shawl tightly around her.

Nandini felt Prithvi's gaze on her, and she looked at him.

He was staring at her with shocked eyes.

Highly flustered, Nandini glanced away hastily with a burning face. She didn't know why she was saying these things – or how she was speaking so spontaneously and peacefully, given that she was feeling shell-shocked and horrified at Priyamvada's state...

Standing at the doors, with his arm draped around Sumer Singh's shoulders, Bhoothnath smiled with pride and satisfaction.

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