Prithvi sighed as the car made its way through the frequently bumpy streets of Shamli. He needed something that would take his mind off last night. Instead, for no fault of his, Bhoothnath was educating him about the miraculous powers of a million herbs. And that meant his mind had abundant time and energy to brood over matters that were better left alone.

Like how his anger and hostility had become a bit less over the course of one night after witnessing the crushing depths of her grief...

Like how he had realised last night that he was starting to get tired of constantly fighting his heart, his anger and hate, and his ego.

It would be so easy to cave in to his obsession for her. But he couldn't head in the direction in which he was being pushed by invisible hands. Nandini would hopefully have the wisdom to do what he had said and stay away from him. But if she didn't...

No, it didn't matter in any way...it didn't matter because he had the resilience to withstand anything, Prithvi thought with a mulish scowl. He had proven it to the world time and again.

Yet...if by some chance, the situation unfolded differently, the relationship would forever be frail...tottering on the edge of a sword...

Startled by his thoughts, Prithvi clamped down on them and tried to focus on the shops and houses going past them as the vehicle headed back to Vrindavan

He recalled strolling through these streets during his long walks while he'd been living here, and he knew if he did that today, he would see many familiar faces on the roads. There was comfort in that knowledge. There was comfort in this town.

The only other place where he felt this intense familiarity and ease was the Aadyabhoomi palace. He missed it, and often dreamt of it at night, especially the ancient sections of the fort. He wanted to go back there soon. Maybe he could go there after dropping his mother at Devgarh.

His mother...

She had been sound asleep when he had left. He wouldn't have left her side but he'd not wanted Bhoothnath to engage in the struggle of finding a rickshaw early in the morning. And Sarojini had assured him that she would not leave his mother's side until he was back and would give him a call immediately in case of any problem. The absence of phone calls from Vrindavan so far told him that his mother was fine, and no unfortunate incidents had taken place while he was away.

Other calls had come, but he had ignored them. The useless morons at Devgarh knew where his mother was, and that was enough information for them. But he was certain he would soon receive a call from a frantic Indrajit, , Prithvi thought resignedly, and he would have to answer that.

One phone call that had been conspicuous by its absence so far was Sankatmochan's, he mulled amusedly. The only possible reasons for that were that his old friend was sulking, or he was somehow unaware of yesterday's happenings – or he was lying dead somewhere.

He probably ought to call up someone at Taravan to ascertain that it was not the last one, Prithvi mulled with a frown.

Beside him, Bhoothnath was enthusiastically saying, "...that is why I say plants and herbs have tremendous power if you know how to harness them. And they have greater power when they are prepared by people with spiritual strength. It is my grandfather who taught me the most about herbs. And he learnt it from his parents and grandparents, and his great grandfather too was a renowned healer."

"Why stop there?" Prithvi grumbled. "I'm sure you can trace the talent back to the time of the Ramayana."

"I won't be surprised if that is true," Bhoothnath said snobbishly.

"I miss your horror stories," Prithvi said wistfully. "These plant fairytales make your ghost-busting experiences look like the Mission Impossible movies," he snorted.

Bhoothnath didn't understand the reference to the movies but he got the gist of the comment, and he frowned at Prithvi, "I'm giving you very important information about medicinal herbs. Just as I'd done before about demons and ghosts. All of it could be useful to you someday," he wagged his finger.

"Sure, with all the useful information you've given me, I can totally see myself pounding supernatural plants into a magical paste and giving it to a demon with toothache," Prithvi said sourly.

Bhoothnath looked at him indignantly, then a thought struck him, and he gave a surprised laugh.

"You haven't been so disrespectful after returning from abroad," he chuckled. "This is the first time you've been rude since then. I will scold you for the impudence some other time. For now, I am glad to see you finally becoming more of yourself," he said affectionally, patting Prithvi's shoulder.

Prithvi looked at him in alarm, and then gazed at the crater-filled, rough road ahead with troubled eyes.

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

Sitting cross-legged on the chair at the small kitchen table with her cup of tea, Nandini tried to be engaged in her mother's talks about the meal plans for the day. But the only thing she retained was that Mrs. Sharma, a neighbour and close friend of her mother's, would be sending breakfast for all of them.

As she drank the comforting beverage, Nandini struggled to control her mind. A part of her wanted to hold on to the fogginess to delay the moment when she would have to face bare truths – some painful, some unsettling.

Guilt and sorrow were still busy ripping apart her heart. It had broken her completely to discover the shocking amount of grief Prithvi had kept hidden within since childhood. How unbearable it would have been for him to grow up while never knowing or feeling that that he was loved purely for himself. She felt a virulent rage towards those who had punished him for being Adityaraj's son...but she didn't have the right to feel that anger because she had been worse than all of them...

And last night, she had not been able to speak a word of apology, and instead, she had been comforted by him. She needed to go to him and apologise. She hadn't done that until now only because of a deep worry that he would assume her regret meant she wanted to revive their relationship. But she couldn't continue to be silent after everything she had heard last night. She didn't know what she would say to him, but she had to express her regret in words somehow.

But he had warned her against coming close to him again.

A strange quiver went through her at the memory of what he had said...and what had happened after that....

Did he really mean...no, he couldn't have meant it. She had sensed his immeasurable anger and animosity towards her before. So, how could he have been serious about that.

But she had felt afraid last night. Afraid of the almost unearthly power and obstinacy that had emanated from his words...from him. She'd felt afraid in a way that she hadn't ever been five years before.

He was surely trying to frighten her into being sensible and keeping a distance from him. But what if he wasn't...what if he meant it...

Her thoughts and feelings felt utterly separated from reality, and she was getting frightened of the images and possibilities that were floating through her head.

She despised Priyamvada, and she didn't want her family to have anything to do with that woman. And then there was the enormous gulf between the families - financially, socially...and in so many other ways. But she'd been aware of that gap five years ago, even if she'd not known the vastness of it. 

If Priyamvada had been a different person, would those other issues have seemed so important...

Nandini came out of some dangerous daydreaming with a start on hearing her mother worriedly whisper, "She's back. I don't think she has had a bath yet. I'll go and talk to her."

Nandini sat up with a start, putting her feet back on the ground, and warily leaned sideways to look into the living room while her mother hastened towards Priyamvada. She could see the couch, and Priyamvada had just walked into her line of vision and taken a seat.

She sat up straight again, and waited uneasily. Hopefully, her mother wouldn't need her help again. 

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

"Priyamvadaji, are you alright?" Sarojini asked anxiously, approaching her.

Relaxing against the sofa with her eyes shut, Priyamvada murmured, "Yes."

Sarojini kindly asked, "Would you like to have tea?"

"Yes, in about ten minutes," Priyamvada answered absently. "And if it's not too much trouble, may I make a request?" she said very politely, looking at Sarojini. "I'm not in the habit of using cups or glasses or any cutlery used by other people. So, if possible..."

"Oh! Yes, of course," Sarojini said hurriedly. "That won't be a problem at all."

"Thank you, I truly appreciate it," Priyamvada said with a nod.

In a flustered state, Sarojini left the room and hastened to the kitchen.

A look of derision crossed Priyamvada's face. The dense woman hadn't realised that she was back to normal. Almost...almost back to normal...

Priyamvada closed her eyes wearily and placed her head back against the couch. Was it wise to have asked for that? She didn't know. Maybe she shouldn't have. Her head was spinning slightly, and she was shaken by her return to normalcy, and the awful reality that had been waiting for her...

It was while she'd been heading for the bath that the shift had happened. She'd felt overcome by exhaustion, and she'd sat down on the bed, and then bit by bit, the clouds that had obscured her thinking since yesterday had shifted. And she'd shuddered in horror and revulsion as the realisation of where she was had hit her.

Now she remembered almost everything that had happened since yesterday. Only, it seemed to have happened to someone else. Some other woman had walked in a delirium with bare feet to this tiny hut of a house, collapsed at the threshold and then become a troubled, distressed wretch who wouldn't stop talking about her child - to the son who despised her. The sole thing she couldn't recollect was...what had caused her to fall unconscious.

And although clarity and logic had returned to her, she was still besieged by the anguish of the woman who had spent years in destitute homes, waiting for death so she could rejoin her husband and son.

Priyamvada winced at the memories.

She hated the vulnerability that any illness brought, and despised being unwell even in the privacy of her royal suites. And now she had been in that pathetic, vulnerable state in front of the family that repulsed and frightened her in equal measure.

If she dwelled at length about this place and the people around her, she wouldn't be able to stay in this cursed house for another second. She didn't want to meet or speak to anyone in the Bharadwaj family, least of all that terrible girl because of whom her son hated her. And tomorrow, at first light, she would leave this place.

But she had to hold on for a day and at least make a small effort to achieve the goals for which she had come to Shamli in the first place. Her decision might have partly been driven by her sickness, but there was no circumstance or twist in life that couldn't be exploited for one's benefit. And as much as she hated everything about this situation, she had to admit it had brought along unforeseen advantages. She could ingratiate herself into the family's affections much easier if she could spend the whole day here as an inhabitant of the home, rather than just a guest who spent an hour or two.

And then she could leave... and never return to this terrible place regardless of the events that would unfold eventually. She already hated this place, and after this humiliating experience, she despised it more than before. She was truly and completely done with Shamli.

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

Nandini looked quizzically at her mother who had walked into the kitchen in a flurry, and was now opening the cabinets hastily, looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" she asked her mother, rising quickly.

"Where are those new cups and the dinnerware set that you'd purchased for Diwali?" Sarojini asked, sounding very hassled. She looked worriedly towards the door, and then at Nandini and whispered, "Stand near the door and make sure she isn't walking out." She was feeling horrible at this oversight on her part. Why hadn't she thought of this herself! She had used the fancy plates that was only used for guests, but Priyamvada and Prithvi were not ordinary people. She should have used the new kitchenware yesterday itself, instead of making their guests ask for it.

Nandini confusedly did as her mother had asked, but then a suspicion arose in her muddled mind. She had heard some murmurs but Priyamvada had spoken in too low a voice for her to be able to understand the words. She asked her mother in a whisper, "Why are you looking for that all of a sudden? Did she tell you something?" 

She had purchased the beautiful, fancy dinner set and lovely new tea cups during the festival season under the mistaken assumption that her mother would be pleased. Her mother had rewarded her with a scolding about how she had stopped valuing money and had allowed financial independence to go to her head, and how she would ruin her future husband's household through wasteful expenditure. Her mother hadn't allowed her or Prakash to touch the boxes and had put them away in storage, declaring that they would never use such expensive utensils.

Exasperated, Sarojini looked at her. "She only said she wants tea after ten minutes." She absolutely couldn't tell Nandini about this. Her quick-tempered daughter would take great offense at Priyamvada's valid and harmless request.

"Why are you looking for the boxes then?" Nandini demanded to know.

"It struck me only now that our guests are very wealthy people, and we shouldn't have used our ordinary cups and plates for them," Sarojini said distractedly, and then exhaled in relief on finding the boxes in one of the lower cabinets. She placed them on the platform, and then felt a hesitation before opening the first box. She had intended to inaugurate it on the special occasion when Nandini's marriage would be fixed. But it was more important to keep their guests happy.

Then, with the same resignation with which she had let go of a thousand small and big dreams in the past, Sarojini sadly opened the box, saying, "I have to sit with her. Wash and dry all of these so we can use them for breakfast. And after about ten minutes, make tea for her and bring it in one of these new cups."

Nandini half-heartedly walked back into the kitchen and started to carry the cups and dinnerware in batches to the sink. Something Priyamvada had said or done had rattled her mother. She already had troubles that were driving her mad, she couldn't also deal with this new uneasiness. She had to find out what was going on.

After washing and drying the last piece of cutlery, she started to prepare tea. She'd not heard any conversation in the past few minutes, and when she peeked into the living room, she saw Priyamvada sitting with her eyes closed, and her mother going through her phone.

As she was pouring the hot liquid into a new cup, her mother reappeared to say that she needed to buy vegetables from the vendor who had stopped his cart some feet away from their gate.

"Make sure you use a tray, and sit with her until I come back," Sarojini instructed her before scurrying out of the house.

Nandini glanced suddenly towards the window.

Prithvi was close...returning from his trip with her grandfather. Her heart had already begun its nutty dance, and her face was already becoming warm. With the awful and messy conflict going on inside her, how was she going to face him...

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

In the emotional high of having just wrapped up a thrilling supernatural story, Bhoothnath did not perceive any change in his young friend as they neared Vrindavan.

Bhoothnath contently surveyed the square, and then he noted the man waving at them. "Prithvi, stop, stop, look...it's Sumer."

Prithvi glanced confusedly in the direction that Bhoothnath was pointing. Then he quickly brought the car to a halt by the side of a house, and lowered the glass.

While nearing the vehicle, Sumer Singh smiled at both of them, and said, "I was just strolling around this place. I have an invitation for breakfast from Mr. Jha, and I've also promised some of the others in the neighbourhood that I will meet up with them. So, I will not be at home much today."

"Sounds like a very busy schedule," Prithvi told him solemnly. He knew perfectly well why Sumer Singh didn't want to be around Vrindavan... 

Sumer Singh smiled guiltily, and moved back, saying, "I just wanted to inform you both so you don't get worried about me. Please go ahead."

Prithvi nodded and restarted the car.

As the vehicle passed by the temple, Bhoothnath peered towards it to see if there was any rush. "Okay, it doesn't seem crowded," he said contentedly. "I can meet your mother before leaving the house."

"Great," Prithvi said vaguely without hearing him.

A determined glint came into Bhoothnath's eyes. From the start, he'd felt instinctively certain that Priyamvada's cure could happen through his family, and while he'd been meditating in the early hours of the morning, he'd received an inner confirmation about the same. And he'd also received an insight about a medicine that could help her. His mission to find the right herbs had failed today, but he would check with his other sources. If the medicine was meant to be made, he would able to find the ingredients.

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

Engrossed in heavy contemplations, Nandini picked up the tray and walked out of the kitchen, and then paused. Priyamvada was standing in front of the photos-covered wall, very still and focussed, staring at the pictures.

Perturbed by the sight, Nandini waited tentatively for some seconds, then she kept the tray on the centre table, and reluctantly approached Priyamvada, awkwardly saying, "Please have tea."

Studying the photos, Priyamvada asked, "Where is Prithvi?"

Nandini was disconcerted more by the calmness of the question than the question itself. There was a marked difference in the tone compared to the woman who had asked for cotton sarees.

Feeling uneasy, Nandini tried to answer the query based on what she had heard last night, and muttered, "He is fine in Devgarh, he is being looked after well."

"I'm asking about my 25-year-old son, who is perfectly capable of taking care of himself," Priyamvada replied unemotionally.

Caught off-guard, Nandini stared at her, trying to understand what was happening. If Priyamvada was asking for the grown-up Prithvi, did it mean she had recovered from that terrible state...

"He has gone out," she replied slowly. "He will be back soon."

Priyamvada looked at her then, and softly said, "Nandini Bharadwaj...the biggest bane of my life."

The disgust and contempt in her gaze startled Nandini, and then her face flushed red.

So, Priyamvada had gone back to being a revolting person who deserved no pity or understanding. But she would not rise to the bait. Priyamvada had just come out of a dreadful condition...and while any ugly replies she gave now would not make any difference to the other woman, it would weigh on her conscience later.

"No silly responses this time?" Priyamvada asked with a slight sneer as she walked to the sofa and sat down again. "Since when did you become so dignified?"

She picked up the cup of tea and looked at it with raised brows. "Is this the best you have in your kitchen? God almighty...I didn't know you were so poverty stricken."

Looking daggers at her, Nandini clenched her fists and crossed them behind her back. Priyamvada had definitely told her mother something insulting, and she would seek retaliation for it someday. But she would not give Priyamvada the satisfaction of eliciting a nasty response from her in these circumstances. 

The good thing was that if Priyamvada was fine enough to behave like this, she could get out of the house immediately and go back to any of her stupid palaces.

But Prithvi would also definitely leave with his mother, Nandini realised with a horrible sinking feeling in her chest. Would she be able to endure that...

Alerted by the noise of a car, she looked abruptly at the door. His vehicle had stopped near the gate, and now she could hear a murmured conversation between him, her grandfather and her mother. 

As she walked automatically to the door, she briefly forgot everyone else...

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

Prithvi silently extricated himself from the conversation when it became about a neighbour's generous offering to send breakfast, and he headed towards the house. He was just taken a few steps when Nandini appeared at the threshold of the house.

Irked at his accelerated heartbeat, he paused and looked at her, and saw colour bloom on her cheeks. She lowered her eyes and walked down the steps into the yard.

He expected her to ignore him and approach her mother and grandfather. But she halted at a midpoint between him and the other two, and with her gaze flitting awkwardly from him to her family members, she muttered, "Your mother is - I think she's okay now. She's talking...normally."

The announcement astonished Prithvi, but he'd noted the pinched look with which she had glanced back at the house while speaking and the interesting inflection in the last word...

Turning somber, he turned and strode towards the house.

With exclamations of surprise and delight, Bhoothnath and Sarojini also began to hurry after him. But Nandini quickly stalled them, saying, "I think we should give him a minute..."

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

In the living room, Prithvi saw his mother sitting on the sofa, calmly drinking tea.

Priyamvada glanced at him unemotionally, and he instantly felt relieved. Although she still looked tired and dispirited, there was the usual sharp intelligence in the eyes that had been missing yesterday.

Sipping surprisingly good tea, Priyamvada acerbically said, "I am fine now, so you can stop with the ridiculous babysitting."

Prithvi didn't deign to reply and simply studied his mother astutely as he walked towards the chair that faced her. She had pulled out of that rough phase, and there was no longer any danger of her wandering away because of hallucinations. But she wasn't fully out of the woods yet. In her normal state, she was extremely rigid about not meeting or interacting with outsiders until she had bathed and was dressed up impeccably. But this morning, she was in the same clothes that she'd slept in, and there was an untidiness in her appearance.

And the cup in his mother's hands was new. She had probably demanded it, Prithvi thought with a surge of irritation. But that too was a sign that she wasn't completely fine yet. She was here to impress them, but she had made a demand without caring that it could offend them or showcase her in poor light. The lack of tact was another indication that her mind wasn't settled yet. But she would recover soon from now on...

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

Feeling uneasy and jittery, Nandini intuitively walked in front of her family as they made their way into the house. She was frightened and angry, and also afraid for her family

As they entered the living room, Prithvi didn't look at her, but she couldn't look at anyone else. She'd expected him to look glad or relieved. But she didn't see either of those emotions on his face. He only seemed very thoughtful as he regarded his mother.

Priyamvada placed the cup back on the table, and stood up to face Bhoothnath and Sarojini who were entering the house right after Nandini.

Priyamvada joined her palms and walked towards them, and with the utmost humility and grace, she said, "Bhoothnathji, Sarojini...I am very sorry for the scare I gave your family yesterday, and the problems and discomfort that my illness might have caused all of you. I'm fine now, and I'm so grateful to all of you for taking such good care of me," she expressed with overflowing gratitude.

Nandini stared in disbelief as her grandfather and mother responded to Priyamvada with immense warmth and happiness and vehemently assured her that she had not troubled them in any way at all, and also heartily praised Prithvi for the incredible care he had shown towards his mother.

She was aware that every word and emotion of Priyamvada was artificial and deceitful, but her speech had sounded incredibly sincere and sweet. She couldn't believe it was the same woman whose gaze had spit venom at her just minutes ago...

Standing behind the armchair with his arms crossed now, Prithvi looked stonily at his mother

Her brain had recovered to the extent she needed to play her games, and he had to stop her before she unleashed all kinds of hell in his life. Before returning to India, he had been indifferent to her manipulations. None of her most intricate strategies had impacted him or his life. But right now, he was feeling a little too unsure about himself. A handful of more complications would be sufficient to unhinge him completely. And his mother was more than capable of manufacturing those complications.

Priyamvada turned to Prithvi and walked up to him, and then kept a cold hand on his face. "Yes, indeed...I have a very caring and dutiful son," she said with saccharine sweetness. "I'm greatly blessed to be his mother."

Nandini's forehead crinkled with confusion and antagonism. It should have been a touching scene, but the look that Priyamvada was giving her son didn't contain even a fraction of the emotion that she was expressing through her words. There was only an inexplicable anger in the eyes. Prithvi had shown so much care towards the woman yesterday...what earthly reason did she have to be angry at him, Nandini thought furiously.

Prithvi coolly removed his mother's hand from his cheek, solemnly saying, "You're not nearly as blessed as I am, queen mother."

Priyamvada gave a perfunctory smile and then looked suddenly at Nandini.

"This is your daughter, Nandini, isn't it?" she asked Sarojini warmly.

"Oh...yes. Do you remember her?" Sarojini said timidly, remembering the previous day's scene.

"I cannot forget her even if I want to," Priyamvada said with a silvery laugh that brought an irritated frown on her son's face and almost sent a shiver down Nandini's spine. "She was a lovely child, and has grown up to become such a pretty girl. You must be so proud of her."

"She is our pride and joy," Bhoothnath said with a pleased smile, while Sarojini beamed. Then he curiously asked Priyamvada, "When did you errm...when did the..."

Repressing a spurt of irritation at the reference to her problem, Priyamvada murmured, "It happened while I was sitting here. I think I'd just spoken to Sarojini about something...I don't remember what it was about," she said unsurely, and saw the expected rush of compassion on Sarojini's face. "I was half asleep for some minutes, and then it felt like I was waking up from a bad dream," she said with a doleful smile. If Sarojini had any grouse about her demand, it was definitely gone now.

"That is wonderful," Bhoothnath said happily.

Prithvi addressed his mother civilly, "You look a little tired. I think you should rest for some time."

Priyamvada glanced sardonically at him and then at the others. "My son is always so worried about me," she gushed. Then she looked at him again and soothingly said, "I'm fine and well now, Prithvi. You can stop worrying unnecessarily."

"If you're feeling so much better, I think we can leave today...at the earliest," Prithvi retorted briefly. His mother had been struggling to find his weakest point since a long time now. And she was going to discover it very soon in these circumstances, and then she would exploit it anyway she could. He had to take her away from here immediately.

Nandini looked at him in dismay, but he didn't meet her eyes.

"I'm afraid not," Priyamvada refused lightly. "I've met these wonderful people after so long. I would like to be here for one more day. If it is not too much of a problem for all of you," she anxiously asked Bhoothnath and Sarojini, and smiled warmly as they responded precisely as she expected them to.

She had known that they were innocent and naïve, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that they were going to be much easier to manipulate than she'd previously expected. It was a  heartwarming thought.

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

Nandini glanced at the kitchen sill while washing the vessels used for breakfast, which had been a hot meal of puris and vegetable sabji.

No crows or other birds or squirrels had come yet for the puris that she had placed for them. They were probably scared off by the malevolent woman in the living room, Nandini thought sullenly as she placed the clean utensils in their usual spots.

She looked uncomfortably at two sets of plates, cups and saucers – which had been used by Prithvi and Priyamvada – that were placed apart from the rest. And her mother had made a note of whose was which, so they wouldn't get mixed up with each other.

It was not a normal sight in this kitchen to keep plates separately like this, and it was disturbing her.

Priyamvada was still conversing with her grandfather and mother, showcasing deep and affectionate interest in every aspect of their lives.

It was bewildering and unnerving. She had experienced Priyamvada's hate and anger towards her and her family, but if that wasn't the case, she would have been as impressed and delighted by Priyamvada as her family was.

She should probably have felt better on seeing Priyamvada's charming behaviour with her family, but the woman's ability to camouflage her real self to this extent was frightening her. And when she tried to think of what intentions Priyamvada had behind this charade, it was terrifying her further. She felt as if she was watching a spider weave its shimmering web in preparation for trapping its meals.

She was too unnerved and troubled, and was grateful that, during breakfast, her unusually nervous and eager-to-please mother had taken over completely, and served everyone and ensured that everyone had eaten their fill before getting up. Her only job had been to stand in the background and bring spoons or glasses from the kitchen. She would very likely have messed up any bigger tasks. Later, she and her mother had sat together for breakfast, and though she'd eaten as usual, she didn't remember what the food had tasted like. Her focus had been torn between Prithvi and Priyamvada...

Keeping her hands on the platform, Nandini peered into the living room. But she couldn't see Prithvi, or hear his voice. If it wasn't for her inner knowing, she would have thought he had left the house.

He had not looked at her once or acknowledged her presence in the room. And the sensible part of her...the part that was very uneasy about Priyamvada knew why he was behaving like that, and that she needed to behave the same way in Priyamvada's presence. But the idiotic part of her was dictating her behaviour each time he was around, Nandini thought glumly. Love and worry were constantly pulling her eyes to him, which was why she had decided to skulk around in the kitchen for a while.

Snatches of conversation from the living room broke into her gloomy ponderings, and suddenly, she was infuriated.

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

"Nandini is only a year younger than Prithvi, isn't she? I'd thought marriages happened at an early age in your family. Haven't you been looking out for a good match for her?" Priyamvada innocently asked the Bharadwajs.

She had intentionally brought up the subject out of the blue, so she could see her darling son's reaction. And the gamble had paid off magnificently! Prithvi, who was sitting somewhat opposite to her, had been mostly silent for the past hour, and he'd been regarding her with his usual expression of coldness plus mild disgust. He hadn't even looked interested in the talk when the Bharadwajs had thanked her for the beautiful gift she had sent for them.

But now...now he looked like someone had flung a bucket of reddish paint at his face.

Priyamvada nearly laughed aloud in jubilation. At last...at long last she had found the weakness she'd been looking for since so long!

"We are, but we haven't found the right match yet," Bhoothnath said resignedly, while Sarojini became downcast.

Priyamvada courteously said, "I know of several good families that are looking for brides for their sons, and I can vouch for each one of them. But if you can tell me the kind of person and family you have in mind, I could help you find the best match for Nandini."

Prithvi stayed silent and kept his eyes on the wall above his mother's head, fighting to rein in his rage. He had expected this...he had known she was going to raise this revolting topic. And it had still triggered him. He had struggled to keep his eyes away from Nandini all this while, but his mother had ultimately succeeded in finding the chink in his armour. And when she'd looked at him moments ago, she had closely resembled a shark that had tasted human blood for the first time.

But she had to be kept from discovering just how huge this vulnerability was, and that the mere talk of Nandini's marriage caused his temper to skyrocket to these uncontrollable, violent levels...

"We're not looking for anyone, so we don't need your help," a female voice said frigidly.

Bhoothnath, Priyamvada and Sarojini had varying expressions as they looked at the angry girl who had stormed over from the kitchen. Bhoothnath looked alarmed, Priyamvada's brows were raised, and Sarojini was positively horrified.

Nandini maintained her furious gaze on Priyamvada. She couldn't care about her family members' reactions in this matter, and she didn't have the nerve to look at Prithvi. She knew why the terrible woman had raised this subject. But she was not going to let her get away with it.

Prithvi didn't look towards her, and merely shifted his gaze from the wall to the floor. His features remained steely and flushed but the ferocious tension in his shoulders seemed to ease very faintly.

"Nandini, is this how you speak with an elder," Sarojini chastised her severely, "Apologise to her!"

"Please don't scold her," Priyamvada requested, exuding deep regret. "I probably overstepped a boundary by bringing this up," she said ruefully.

Growing more upset, Sarojini fretfully said, "You did not overstep any boundary, Priyamvadaji," and she glared at Nandini.

Nandini glowered at Priyamvada, and then looked at her mother. "I didn't say anything wrong. I've told you I don't want to get married, and I don't want her to waste her precious time on me," she said frostily. If her mother could see the bubbling wrath within her, she would applaud her for the immense control she was exhibiting over her speech.

"Nandini, that is enough," Bhoothnath said calmly, peering at her soberly. "You should go to your room".

Taken aback, Nandini looked at her grandfather.

His tone had barely contained any sternness, but he'd hardly ever spoken to her in this manner before. And it felt equivalent to him shouting at her.

Feeling intensely hurt but helpless, she turned and angrily marched towards the stairway. When she reached the first landing, she gave into a strong inner push and looked towards Prithvi, expecting him to be looking elsewhere again.

Well, he was looking at her now, and the trapped fury in his gaze chilled her blood.

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

Priyamvada waited until Nandini had gone out of sight, and then earnestly said, "I apologise for spoiling everyone's mood. But I had the best intentions in mind."

Her attention was on her son as she spoke. She would have enjoyed seeing a stronger reaction from him, but that was fine. She had gotten what she wanted. She could easily drag the topic, but now she was feeling a tad reluctant. She ought to give her child some respite. It was always rough on him when she fell ill, since she apparently wouldn't stop babbling about his childhood and Devgarh, both of which were painful subjects. And now the boy was also infuriated with the weak, spineless girl who had backed away from the fight so easily. Yes, he deserved a bit of respite for now...

Priyamvada listened with an air of gratitude as the Bharadwajs assured her keenly that they wholly appreciated her offer to help to find a bridegroom for Nandini. And then she effortlessly switched the conversation to other topics.

Prithvi didn't feel surprise or relief that his mother had stopped twisting the knife in the wound. He didn't care what else she did, because it was Nandini's face that was making his blood boil at the moment.

Although he had not looked at her, the force of her anger and aggression had been obvious. Yet, a couple of words serenely spoken by her grandfather had been sufficient for her to wrap up her rebellion, wave a white flag and retreat docilely.

Nothing had changed in the last five years. Her family's opinions and orders were still the most crucial things for her, and he continued to be a superfluous, easy-to-discard part of her existence...

Prithvi waited for another quarter of an hour, silently battling dark and volatile feelings. Then he politely excused himself, citing the need to make work-related calls, and left the house.

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

Nandini paced through the room agitatedly, striving to think of the right words that could convey her feelings...about last night and today morning. However, everything felt pitifully inadequate.

But she also just couldn't stay away from Prithvi and stew in this turmoil any longer. And anyway, she found it nearly impossible to plan her conversations with him. Her heart and mind had their own agendas when it came to him, and she was only a powerless participant.

Nandini stopped walking abruptly and looked at the door, twisting her fingers in acute nervousness.

Lost in thought, Prithvi strode into the room and then stilled on seeing the palpably nervous girl standing near the cupboard.

Walking towards her, he grimly asked, "When I told you yesterday that you should stay away from me, what you heard was that you should take the first chance you get to come to my room?"

With her skin turning red with embarrassment, Nandini uncertainly said, "I won't do this again but I wanted to tell you...yesterday I didn't...I couldn't apologise. And –"

"I accept your apology, thank you," he retorted sarcastically. "It changes everything for me. Now I can begin my whole life afresh."

The derision in his tone made her flinch, and she could feel that his mood was worsening, but she refused to give up.

"I know it might not mean anything to you," she said miserably. "But I need to say it. I –"

"Apologies are meaningful only if the person who is apologising feels they wouldn't make the same mistake or decision again if given a chance, and that's not what you mean," Prithvi cut in bitingly. "You only want to make it clear that you feel worse about what you did after listening to my sob story last night. And that doesn't make a **** of a difference to me. So, leave me alone and go back home. Maybe you'll be in time to hear your grandfather discussing your wedding arrangements."

As the pallor on her skin increased, Nandini felt the harsh prickling of tears, but she pushed them back. She couldn't allow this moment to become a repeat of last night. Neither could she think of anything to say that wouldn't sound worthless to him.

"It isn't how you think," she began to explain miserably. "I'd tried to talk to you about it last time, and –"

"And what exactly were you going to tell me? That your family is forcing you to get married?" he asked mockingly.

"They are!" she said exasperatedly, with the first flares of annoyance in her eyes. "They have been forcing me to get married for more than two years now, and -"

"Save that bullshit for someone else," Prithvi rejoined tersely. "Your family wouldn't force you to do anything if their lives depended on it. And even if they did, since when have you gone against anything they wanted," he asked derisively. "In fact, going by the great trailer I saw a short time ago, your grandfather will need about five seconds to convince you."

Nandini felt a surge of despair. How would she explain to him why even the mildest reproof from her grandfather affected her so severely.

"You don't understand," she said with a helpless frustration. "He has rarely spoken to me like that before, and I can't stand it when he does. But that doesn't mean I'll obey him if he pressurises me to get married," she said insistently, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

He looked at her coldly. "Alright, fine, so your story is that your family is forcing you to get married, but you intend to spend the rest of your life with the memories of whatever the hell happened between us for a few months," he said with withering sarcasm. "And you expect me to lead the same kind of life – alone and past-obsessed. And that is how the two of us can set a shining example of how a disastrous relationship can make common sense disappear."

The savage ridicule in his words and tone devastated her. With mortified colour flooding her face, she unconsciously moved back, horribly shaken. The brutal accuracy with which he had described the life she had prepared herself to live had felt like a hard punch to the stomach. And what he said about her expectation regarding him had been even more painful to hear. But memories arose from a deep, shameful recess in her heart, forcing her to remember the maddened jealousy that had burnt her up when she'd thought there was something going on between him and Grishma...

"I...I don't expect you to be alone," she said unsteadily.

"You don't? So, you'll be okay if I tell you I've been in a few relationships in the past five years?" Prithvi enquired.

Her body turned ice-cold. White-faced, she stared at him in utter disbelief.

Prithvi felt a moment's compunction on seeing her distraught reaction, but his wrath pushed down the regret. He was done with walking on eggshells around the edges of this life-destroying relationship. If this was the day it was finally going to turn to ashes, then so be it.

Her entire system appeared to shut down, devastated by a shock so crippling that neither thoughts nor speech were remotely possible. This...this possibility...this fear was what had shattered her time and again for a while now. It had destroyed her composure utterly even when it had only been a doubt that had sprouted from her heart on the way to Taravan, and later, when she was in Taravan. The pain and shock of hearing him voice it out was beyond anything she had endured so far.

She tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out. Then she finally managed to harshly whisper, "Is that true?"

"What if it is?" he enquired remorselessly.

All of a sudden, a ferocious rage erupted within her, erasing the softness and vulnerability from her features.

She stared at him with a wild anger, her breaths becoming faster. "You asked me to stay away. I will do that for the rest of my life if you tell me there was even one moment...just one single moment in the last five years when there was someone else. That is all it will take me to walk away from you right now...and forever."

"You'll walk away and do what?" he questioned disparagingly. "Go back to living like the doomed protagonist of a tragic movie?"

The fury in her eyes intensified. "No, I'll think about moving on too...the way my family wants me to," she stated fiercely, uttering the biggest lie she had ever uttered in her life.

The mockery in his eyes changed abruptly into a black, violent outrage.

He walked slowly towards her and paused so close that she needed to tilt up her face to meet his eyes.

"Say that again," Prithvi said in a quiet and deadly tone, his face tight with fury.

Nandini looked up at him without any trace of nervousness. Her expressive eyes only held fury and an unbearable torment that was close to driving her insane.

"I'll say it a hundred times to your face," she snapped. "But I want to know your answer first. Has there been anyone else? Even if it was only as one thought...for one second," she demanded shakily

Prithvi's eyes blazed with a dark rage as he muttered, almost to himself, "You're asking the wrong question. You need to ask me if there was one moment...even with all the anger and loathing I feel for you...if there was even one single moment when I could stop thinking about you," he murmured bitterly.

She gaped at him in a stunned silence, hardly able to understand what he had said for a minute. She had fallen into the blackest, soul-sucking abyss from which she could never return, and then she had suddenly been yanked back into a sunshine so bright that it was blinding.

And then the significance of what he had said started to calm the uncontrollably destructive storm he himself had triggered, and the life-giving relief that swept through her was too potent, and she abruptly felt horridly weak and shaky...

She shut her eyes for a moment, shaking on the inside because of the unspeakably volatile emotions that had rendered her apart and then put her together again in minutes, and when her eyes opened again, there was still an anguished fury in them. Glaring up at him, she hissed, "If you ever again say anything about there being someone else in your life, even as a joke, I'll kill you, I swear."

He'd been gazing down at her with starkly powerful emotions. But now the stormy anger was reignited in his eyes too.

They stared at each other in a raging turbulence.

Then his hands grasped her hips and he tugged her forward and his mouth was burning against hers, ruthless in its desire and anger. She responded passionately, coiling her arms tightly around his neck, uncaring of the pain that he was inflicting.

Not even twelve hours had passed since they had been in each other's arms, but they clung to each other as if they had been deprived of the other for years...

At some point, she became distantly aware that her back was now pressing against the cool surface of the wall. And then a tiny alarm started to ring in her head, but she shut it out and clutched at him even more tightly.

But the hateful sound of warnings grew louder and louder, until she was forced to eventually hear them. And cold snaps of reality began to flit through her mind, forcing her to wake up from the inexpressibly beautiful dream she'd been lost in.

She was in his room. The door was open. Sumer Singh was staying here too. And he or anyone else could see them right now...

As full-blown panic began to set in, she wrenched her lips away from his and half-heartedly pushed against his broad shoulders, whispering, "Stop...we have to...we shouldn't – we can't..."

He frowned at her, then captured her lips roughly.

He was overwhelmingly powerful in every way, and she felt too weak to resist. But she had to come out of this spell immediately or it could lead to catastrophe. Using her entire energy, she made a vehement effort to push him away.

He raised his head again and scowled at her.

She impulsively used his marginally loosened grip to tear herself away and dashed towards the door that was just some feet away.

He seized her arm and smoothly spun her around back into his embrace again while simultaneously pushing the door with the other hand, slamming it shut.

With the breath driven out of her body, she looked at him in a bewilderment, unsure of what had just happened.

In one moment, she had thought she had escaped, and in the next one, she was plastered against him again, with her left hand pinned behind her, and the door was closed.

And that shut door now seemed much more dangerous than the open one.

"You have to let me go," she pleaded. "If Sumer uncle comes back –"

"He won't walk in without permission," he replied unconcernedly while burying his fingers in her hair to turn her face up and seized her mouth again in a hard kiss that caused uncontrollable somersaults in her stomach

Then he released her throbbing mouth and buried his face in her throat, his lips pressing flaming hot kisses on every bit of the silken skin, sending incredible bolts of pleasure through her in an endless stream. He released her arm, and his hands languidly caressed her waist, hips and back.

Eyes closed, she was immersed in sensual delight. The delicate fingers of one hand dug deep into his hair, while her other hand clutched his shoulder.

His mouth was searing her skin as it moved indolently over the velvety expanse of her throat and languorously nuzzled the curve of her neck...then his lips were again trailing over her soft skin in a slow, heated exploration.

Intoxicating sensations shoved out whatever meagre sense had come into her head, and turned her limp and pliant...until she felt his hands touch the curves of her breasts.

With a startled gasp, she jerked backwards, and looked at him with a fear-filled uncertainty on her beautiful face.

He gazed at her with impassioned eyes, and the intense softness in him made her heart stop.

His hands motionless against the side of her breasts, he lowered his head and kissed her with a melting tenderness.

Slowly, the frightened chaos in her chest started to quieten down, but her heart was still pounding frenziedly, and her breaths were becoming shorter...

His hands moved sinuously over her breasts, and this time her gasp was lost under the increasingly fervent demands of his lips.

She was trembling now. She clutched his upper arms, her fingers holding fistfuls of his shirt, to quell the instinctive impulse to grip his hands to stop them immediately. Just a few moments more...and then she would stop him.

He softly cupped the unexpectedly voluptuous, supple flesh in his hands, then caressed the breasts intimately, as if exploring their lusciousness, in ways that were causing luscious tremors deep within her.

She could feel the burning warmth of his fingers on the sensitive skin even through her clothes...how would it be to feel them without this barrier...

His fingers brushed tantalisingly against the sensitive tips of her breasts. As a hot pleasure spiralled through her, she squirmed in his arms with a tiny muffled cry.

His hands ceased their sensual torment, and he raised his head and gazed at her. The crimson on her cheeks...the dazed innocence in her gorgeous eyes...the glistening lips, inflamed by his kisses...

This feeling he was experiencing...this had to be the most intense form of enchantment that existed in the earthly realm. And he didn't think he was going to be able to resist it for much longer...

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