Colouring with mortification, Nandini laughed feebly but didn't look at him. 

The uneasiness in the laugh didn't go unnoticed by Prithvi, and the amusement in his eyes deepened when she stood up with a forced casualness and nonchalantly said, "I...errm...I should be going back home now," without meeting his eyes.

She turned and then gave a startled gasp when he pulled her hand and made her sit back down again. 

"Okay, okay, let's not rush into anything," Prithvi said soothingly, putting an arm around her and squashing her against him. "It's only been five years after all since you've been making me wait," he said compassionately. "So...let's just make out again tonight, and we can see where it leads to."

Nandini blushed harder and her lips quivered with laughter.  But trying to hide her bashfulness and look serious, she exasperatedly said, "This is not funny."

"This is the one sacred subject in the universe I will not joke about," he replied in a hurt tone. "So that's decided then? Will you come to my room again? Or should I sneak into yours?"

She clapped her hands to her ears while bursting with half-panicky giggles, and managed to pleadingly groan, "Stop it."

"I think it will be more fun if I sneak into your room," he suggested. "You don't have to wear anything sexy. Unless you already are...What's underneath here?" he asked with interest, his index finger tugging at her neckline

With a part nervous and part laughing squeal, Nandini struck his hand away and stood up again to leave.

He grabbed her arm and yanked, and she gave another squeak of panicky laugher as he pulled her onto his lap, tightly wrapping his hands around her from behind and nestling his face against hers.

Her heart stopped as a thrill of shy delight swept through her.

Then both were simultaneously hit by the shocked awareness of the long years that had passed since he had last held her like this. In an instant, something changed in the atmosphere, and the air was suffused with the sombre and haunting shades of unbearable loss.

There had been so many 'lasts' in the weeks leading up to their separation...that unforgettable time before the ugly shadows of the past had found them

The last time they had embraced each other  ...the last time they had kissed in the silent euphoria of innocent love...the last time they had smiled at each other, their eyes and hearts soft with the unimaginable happiness they had only found with each other...the last time they'd enjoyed moments of humour and laughter...the last time they had sat together in silence without needing to speak...the last silly argument that had ended as quickly as it had flared up, with no burdens so heavy that it couldn't be cast off. There was even the last time they had fought viciously - for reasons that seemed meaningless now - before real hell had broken loose in their lives.

Until then, through the entire emotional rollercoaster that they had been through in their relationship, they had unconsciously been sustained by the belief that there would always be more chances...to be with each other...to make amends after fights...to show their love...to laugh...to tease...and to fight again...

And then, almost overnight, the possibilities of tomorrow had disappeared...leaving behind the mangled wreckage of two hearts...

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

She felt as though lifetimes had gone past since his arms had been around her like this... the warmth of his body against her back...the delightful feeling of the side of his face pressing against her cheek.

She had to remember the smallest details of this extraordinarily beautiful and special moment, and any more such moments that could come her way in the next four days. Because such moments would not bless her life again after that, Nandini thought with the excruciating clarity that was finally returning to her mind. The same cold-blooded clarity that had pushed her to end the relationship five years ago. It had weakened over the years, beaten down by the torment of separation, and it had been overpowered by love from the moment she had seen him again... and had nearly disappeared since last night. But the sickening interaction with Priyamvada in Vrindavan's yard had cleared the brain fog that had afflicted her, and brought that old clarity back to life...and now she couldn't turn her face away from it again...

Although her fear of Priyamvada had nearly died out this afternoon, her hate towards the woman had spiralled to new levels.

Everything Priyamvada had said - and the appalling, heartless way in which she had said it - had been an icy reminder of why she had taken the hardest decision of her life years ago. She was responsible for her family's safety, wellbeing and happiness, and so she needed to continue to protect them from Priyamvada...which meant she couldn't be with Prithvi. It wasn't possible...

Tears of anguish flooded Nandini's eyes. Turning her face more towards him, she placed her hand against his other cheek

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

Prithvi felt the immensity of her love surround him...it enveloped him snugly. The scent of sandalwood...and underneath it, the sweeter fragrance of her soft, pliant body...

The stillness and peace that was suffusing him was unreal. And he was suddenly assailed by one more memory...that of the first time he had sensed that he would feel at home wherever she was...

He had not known those were the last moments of simple, untainted joys he would experience for years. And so, believing that he had a lifetime with her, he had not experienced the true weight of grief when even the most exquisite moments of love and happiness had passed.

But he could feel it now...because this time around he knew it was very likely that moments like these would not come his way again.

Not because his confusion had lessened. If anything, it had escalated by many degrees from the moment she had sat by his side. 

But she wasn't in the same space as him anymore. He could sense it somehow in the gentleness of her hand on his face, and he could hear the distant roar of his angry heart in response to it. But at a mind-level, he felt a slight hope for himself. Her continued determination to keep him out of her life because of someone else's actions would probably be the only cure for the insanity in him that was demanding her return to his life.

Because here was the root of the biggest conflicts he had with her from the very start, and one that had roused his anger many times while they had been in the relationship.

The fact that, for him, his relationship with her was – and continued to be - a universe of its own, in which no one apart from him and her had any importance...any role to play. And in stark contrast to that was her view of their relationship...in which he was and would always remain the least relevant factor...

The cynical realisation was already helping him a little, forcing him to see more clearly than before that it would be the height of idiocy to let her accompany him tomorrow. He could put an end to his mother's stupid drama today itself, and tomorrow, he could leave Shamli without taking Nandini along, and that would be the wisest decision for both of them.

"Tomorrow...you should stay back in Shamli," Prithvi muttered. "Or it won't end well for either of us."

Nandini bit down hard on the inside of her lips and withdrew her hand from his face. He was right about that. She knew he was. But if she wasn't going to get more days with him, it meant this would be the last day she could spend with him like this. Her whole being flailed around in pain at the thought.

"If you don't want me to come along, I won't," she whispered with a trembling voice. "But it is just four days...nothing's going to change in that time. The days will go past before we know it, and then I'll return home. And that will be the end of it."

The finality in her tone confirmed what he had already sensed. She was readying herself for the second parting of the ways, he reflected jadedly.

"You're stronger than I am...you always have been," he said quietly. "You'll be able to go back to your normal life at the end of those days. But that's not how it will play out for me."

Stunned, she couldn't reply for some moments, then she unsteadily said,

"I'm not stronger than you. It won't be easy for me either."

"I didn't say it would be easy for you, but it will be easier for you than for me," he retorted bluntly. "And that is why I want you to give up the stupid idea of dragging this out for some more days. If you want to say your goodbyes, say it now and be done with it," he said tersely, his voice roughening with the anger he was trying to subdue even as his arms unconsciously constricted around her waist.

He felt her flinch from the whiplash in his tone, and instantly regretted the harshness. But she wasn't listening to reason, and he needed to make her understand the seriousness of what he was saying.

As her eyes dampened again, Nandini felt her spirits sink miserably into the ground. She should have expected him to say something like that. He wasn't given to emotional nonsense like she was. What he had said practical and sensible. It was also unendurable for her. How could she even consider parting permanently from him in this moment...

The silence was unbroken for a while, then he frustratedly said, "Fine, four days."

With her face lighting up, she glanced at him with unbridled relief and happiness.

"But you need to spend those days as far away from me as possible," he said grimly.

"Okay," she agreed quickly. She was definitely not going to be able stay apart from him but she would agree to anything right now.

"And you're not allowed to smile at me. Or smile or laugh in my vicinity," he said seriously.

Already struggling to avoid doing either of those things, she nodded vigorously.

"No talking either - unless you want to go on an abusive rant about my mother," he said thoughtfully. "That's perfectly acceptable. A big bowl of popcorn would be a great accompaniment to that conversation."

Her mouth was twitching with laughter now, but she somehow mumbled, "Okay."

"You also cannot look at me with those pumpkin eyes for more than three seconds consecutively," he commanded. "Unless you're looking at me with anger. No – cancel that out. You look even hotter than usual when you're angry," he brooded. "Just don't look at me continuously for more than three seconds. Agree?"

Reddening, she looked away with a shy giggle.

"And you also agree that we should get lust out of the way immediately by letting me do whatever I want to you," he said solemnly.

"Okay - no - what?" Nandini yelped, and then nearly jumped out of his arms. She swung around to look at him with a mock sternness on her blushing face, hands on her hips, and a laughing amusement in her eyes.

He grinned. "It was a worth a try."

Nandini shook her head with a blushing laugh, and started to walk away, secretly worried that he would change his decision to take her along if she stayed longer.

She gasped as both her arms were seized suddenly and she was tugged backwards, and then his lips were against her left ear.

"I'm serious about what I said before," Prithvi murmured. "Let me remind you again...I'm starting to distrust myself more and more by the second, and if I'm pushed too far, you won't like what happens next," he said softly. "Because this time if I decide to make you mine, the anger and other unpleasant things I feel towards you will not be able to stop me. And neither will your stupid beliefs and fears. And as for your family...my family...I didn't care about their opinions regarding this relationship back then, I don't care about it now, and I will not care about it in the future as well," he stated flatly. "On the whole, I will probably make your life difficult to the point where you will start to think the old me was a positive delight to deal with."

She listened to him with a thundering heart and sharply quickened breaths, befuddled and unsure if it was acute fear or a strangely tantalising excitement that was making her stomach churn madly.

Then his cool mouth pressed lingeringly against the side of her neck...where the skin was still very sensitive from his sensual assault of the morning. She drew a shaky gasp at the red-hot pleasure of the kiss.

Then she was released. Not having the nerve to look at him, she walked away slowly towards the outside world in a sweet haze. But after every few yards, her feet turned around automatically and she looked at him with uncertainty. And each time she turned, it was the same view that met her.

Prithvi standing immovably in the same spot, arms crossed, silently gazing at her, his eyes burning fiercely...

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

Nandini was startled by the voice of her brother, and looked around to see him coming towards her from the direction of a classmate's house.

"I called out to you one hundred times, Di!" Prakash scowled, walking to her.

"I didn't hear you," she replied absently, nervously looking back with a prayer that Prithvi would not emerge yet from the block of trees behind her.

Prakash frowned at her strictly. "Where are you coming from? Did you go to the old temple again? You shouldn't be going there alone. It's dangerous."

"It's not dangerous at all," Nandini said dismissively, walking towards the house quickly to take her brother's attention away from the woods.

"People say it is haunted. But maybe that's because they saw you loitering there," Prakash snorted, picking up pace to walk with her.

Nandini gave a well-practised rap to the back of her brother's head, and then asked, "Why did you get so late?" It was not unusual for him to reach home late, and she already knew it would one of three reasons. He was helping someone with their studies, or he was playing a game of football or cricket post school, or he had gone along with one of his friends to play idiotic video games.

Rubbing his head, Prakash grimaced at her and grumblingly said, "You would know if you woke up early instead of lazing around. I was helping some of my friends with the coursework. Why didn't you resume office today? Is it because of Priyamvada aunty? Is she still unwell?" he asked uneasily.

"No, she's fine now," Nandini said, stiffening. "She...became alright in the morning itself."

"That's superb!" Prakash said happily. "Prithvi bhaiya must be so relieved. You know he dropped me and the others to school today. My friends were so excited to sit in his car, and when we got down in front of the school, everyone was looking at us. And when I told everyone Prithvi bhaiya is like a part of our family, they were so impressed," he prattled proudly. "You know his car costs more three crores! It feels so good to sit inside and – "

Prakash stopped on seeing his sister look like he had used some abusive words.

Alarmed, he hurriedly said, "Are you angry because I went in his car? It was just because he offered! And it would have been rude to refuse," he lied anxiously. He was quite sure he had jumped into the car even before Prithvi had completed the sentence.

Forcing her broken brain to start working again, Nandini mumbled, "No, it's not about – I just remembered something. What were you saying..."

A car worth more than three crores...and it was just one of the vehicles that he owned. And that too was a small drop in the ocean, with all the properties and the palaces and God alone knew what else. It was making her head spin nauseatingly. She could continue trying to bury her head in the sand to avoid thinking about the gargantuan gap between their social classes. But it would always come right back to punch her in the face, she thought miserably.

Relieved but still thinking it would be wise to change the subject, Prakash asked,

"Why did you take leave if aunty had become okay?"

"I just didn't feel like going today," she replied without thinking.

Prakash looked at his sister with a profoundly wise and concerned expression. "Di, you are already their laziest and most useless employee. If you keep taking leave like this, they will throw you out of the company soon."

He sniggered as she frowned at him, and then spent the next few seconds laughing and dodging his sister's playful efforts to hit him.

As they reached the house, he happily declared, "This is an awesome day. Priyamvada aunty has recovered, I went to school in the most superb car and became a superstar in my class thanks to Prithvi bhaiya, and you've stopped pretending to be sick, so I don't have to go up and down the stairs to serve you food and water and tea, like you're the queen of Shamli and I'm your servant."

Nandini rolled her eyes. "Your brain can't come up with any new form of complaints, can it? It has been recycling the same taunts since years," she ridiculed. "No wonder you're useless at creative projects."

"I'm not useless at them," he said indignantly, and then haughtily said, "I just find them a waste of time."

"Yeah, that is what your art teachers must think about you," Nandini said disparagingly, lowering her voice as she entered the house.

She looked at the door of Priyamvada's room, and a volatile mix of anger, hate and disgust, which had been suppressed for a while by bright and soft emotions, suddenly exploded in her.

Prakash knocked on his sister's head.

Nandini turned and glared at him. "What was that for?"

"Why are you looking at that door like that?" he asked her suspiciously as he tossed his school bag onto the couch. "Like it's a haunted room that contains a demon that has been terrorising this family?

Mentally tell her brother that he was closer to the truth that he imagined, Nandini walked into the kitchen to heat up lunch for him while asking him about his classes.

She didn't need to ask him if he was hungry. He was always ready for food, especially if something interesting had been prepared. And she was sure her mother would have cooked special dishes today.

As she bustled around the kitchen and listened to her brother talk about school, her mind was only partially present.

She was certain she had made it clear to Prithvi that she was not going to let their relationship go further. And he would have understood it...wouldn't he have? And yet, he had still warned her again...a warning that was sending pleasant shivers through her...

But she couldn't let her emotions get the upper hand again. He meant what he had said...she had no choice but to accept that now. He had given those instructions in a funny manner to make her laugh, but he had not been joking about it. And that meant she would have to think even harder about every little thing she did around him from now on. And that was going to be incredibly difficult for her because it was her heart that pulled the strings in everything related to him...

Prakash looked confusedly at his sister as she mumbled something about watering plants and left the kitchen. He hadn't yet talked about the exciting cricket match that they had played during games period today. He would tell her about it later, he decided contentedly and continued to wolf down the delicious, hot food that she had placed before him some minutes ago.

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

Priyamvada woken up from an uneasy nap with a raging thirst and teary eyes. It took her some minutes to bring her emotions under control. She'd seen an unusual dream that had simultaneously healed her heart and broken it into more pieces. 

The details were fading quickly, but in the dream, Aditya had been alive. And she had been living a very happy life with her husband and their little son...a beautiful, chubby-cheeked boy with mischief written all over his cute face.

Priyamvada shut her eyes tightly and tried to recollect everything before it slipped out of her mind. She knew she had seen many things...but she could only recall one scene vividly now.

Aditya was playing with Prithvi, teaching him to fight with toy swords. Both were being hilarious and adorable. She was laughing as she looked at their mock fights, her heart so full of happiness and pride as she gazed upon the two extraordinary males that made up her world...

Such a beautiful dream...the most beautiful one she had ever seen. And it had felt so real...her heart was still feeling warm and fuzzy from the joy...

It could have been real...it should have been real...

That was the life they should have had...the three of them – and Indrajit too – all of them living the same happy, normal and peaceful life that millions of families were leading all over the world.

And there would have been more children. She had wanted so much to give Aditya the children...the big family that he had longed for...

But what had fate brought her...

A devastating loss from which she would never recover. And a son who despised her wholeheartedly.

Priyamvada shuddered.

It was the cruellest dream she had seen so far...one that had mocked her with the possibility of what her life could have been like...

Why had she been shown this...

Was it a mingled warning and punishment from the power that protected this wretched family, she wondered with an abrupt terror. Because of what she had said this afternoon to Nandini?

Her eyes wildly darted around and above her. "I'm not going to hurt the girl or the family. I swear on my son! Don't hurt him," she whispered shakily. "Don't take my child from me!"

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

Prakash washed his plate and kept it along with the others, and only then did he notice the new cutlery

He gave it a surprised look, and then with a shrug at the mysterious behaviours of mothers, he walked to the living room and to the sofa on which his bag was lying.

He opened it once to verify that he had brought back his books from his friend's house. As he was closing the bag, he sensed that someone had walked into the kitchen. Assuming it was his mother, he walked to the kitchen, loudly saying, "Maa..."

He was startled to see Priyamvada in place of his mother, and realised she was just as shocked to see him. She had been ill yesterday...she probably didn't remember meeting him.

Priyamvada stared at the young boy as he introduced himself brightly. The child apparently thought she had forgotten him. She had not. This was Prakash Bharadwaj, the least relevant member of the family as far as her plans for Nandini and Prithvi were concerned.

She remembered this little chit of a boy talking to her yesterday with the kindly, mature manner of a ninety-year-old. Yes, she remembered him, but she had not looked forward to meeting him. She disliked children. She did not like meeting them or interacting with them in any way. Especially boys, because they always became painful reminders of the years that she had lost with her son.

"Do you want something? Should I make tea for you?" Prakash asked her eagerly. "I make better tea than my sister," he claimed proudly, then hastily added, "But don't tell her I said so!"

"Yes, I would like that, thank you," Priyamvada said absently.

Why had she said that? She didn't want tea. She had come to the kitchen because she had wanted water, Priyamvada reminded herself as she dazedly walked to one of the ugly chairs in the kitchen and sat down.

Maa...he had called her Maa...

She struggled to rationalise the unexpected force of emotions that had disrupted her mind.

The boy had mistakenly thought she was his mother and called her 'Maa', which her son only called her during the times when she was in her unwell and rambling state.

She had second-hand knowledge that children tended to look for their mothers as soon as they reached home. But she had never experienced such a thing. She did not know how it felt.

Would this have happened in her life if...if things had been normal? Would her son have come home from school and looked for her like this...

If destiny had not destroyed their lives, Prithvi would have had a battalion of attendants to pamper him when he returned from his school. But she would never have let any servants take her place.

While growing up, she had seen many women who had essentially handed over the care of their children to an accomplished staff of servants. And she had expected to lead a similar life...until she had felt the first stirrings in her womb, and a love unlike anything she had felt before had taken over her heart...

"Di told me you felt better today morning," Prakash prattled cheerily as he placed the saucepan on the gas stove. "I was really glad to know that. Prithvi bhaiya was very worried about you yesterday. I hadn't seen him look so tensed before. I can understand...I also feel very upset when Maa or Di are unwell. When they are not walking around giving orders and scolding me, it feels like the whole house has shut down," he said sheepishly.

Priyamvada looked at Prakash and quietly said, "Your mother would want to know you have returned from school."

"No, no, it's okay. I don't want to disturb her sleep," Prakash replied promptly. "If she hasn't heard me yet, she must be really tired."

"You love your mother very much," Priyamvada said, almost to herself.

Prakash looked at her in surprise at the strange comment. "Yes, of course I do. All children love their mothers. And I have two of them! My mother and my sister. That means a double dose of love - and of strictness too..." he chuckled.

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

Bhoothnath opened the doors of the temple, entered inside and hurriedly shut the doors behind him. The carved wooden doors of the inner sanctum would remain closed, but just being in this space was calming for him.

The shrine was supposed to be closed at this time. But in the past few years, he had gotten into the habit of sitting here in the afternoon whenever he was in need of some respite from his increasing anxieties about Nandini.

He had let her go with Aruna and Rajesh because of a presentiment that had assailed him while he was in the temple, which was confirmed later when he'd happened to overhear strangers discussing unsavoury truths about the politician and son. But once Nandini had left, he had started to feel he had given in to a baseless fear, and felt foolish. However, after the phone call he had received a short time back today, he wished he had not encouraged her to return.

Bhoothnath walked towards the plastic chairs that were stacked up in a corner of the temple. He picked one up and placed it in front of the inner sanctum. He sat down on the chair with a sigh. In every joy and sorrow, it always was the powerful divine consciousness of his tutelary deity that his heart reached out to first. And today he was here with a plea for help. He was beginning to feel a little afraid that he might not be equipped to deal with this problem. He had to keep Nandini safe at any cost, and he needed to find out the best way to do that.

The urge to unburden his heart to Prithvi had become very strong post the threatening phone call. But he couldn't do that. He was not going to embroil Prithvi in this unpleasant situation when the boy was already struggling emotionally because of his mother. And this wasn't a small problem. It could prove dangerous for Prithvi if he involved him in this matter. Or even Sumer Singh and Rajesh. He knew they were all very wealthy and had useful contacts, but the politician too was very rich, and in addition, he was also corrupt and powerful, with strong ties to both criminals and the police.

Bhoothnath looked appealingly at the shut doors of the inner sanctum. He needed a solution – or courage to face the situation. Exhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and drew his senses within.

As he sat in the energised space, in minutes, his breaths slowed, and his mind grew increasingly still, and he was immersed in a beautiful stillness for a while, his inner self automatically connecting to the sacred, golden consciousness that was represented by the beautiful form of his beloved deity. 

Slowly, his anxieties and fears dissolved, and he felt a calm strength grow within him. Whatever happened, he could handle it, because he was never alone...never without help...

Then, out of the silence, a single word came spinning out of the sparkling darkness.

Prithvi...

Bhoothnath's forehead wrinkled in meditation. Was this coming out of his own mind...because of his original impulse to take Prithvi's help? Surprised, Bhoothnath opened his eyes slowly and looked quizzically at the doors of the inner sanctum. Was this confirmation that he must tell Prithvi about this problem? No, he could not and would not do that, he resignedly told Lord Narayana.

He erased his thoughts again and went back into silence. 

The name appeared again, shining more brightly than before...

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

Priyamvada watched the boy closely. He was very unlike most of the smug and crafty teenaged brats she had come across in recent years. The child had a genuinely happy and innocent air...like that of a soul that was unaware of the cruel and twisted nature of the world.

Prithvi had also been of this age once.

With a terrible hollowness in her chest, Priyamvada thought of his school pictures, which were the only photos Sumer Singh had of him because of his serious dislike for being photographed, which he had inherited from her.

She remembered the details of each image of the exceptionally handsome boy with the clearly irritated countenance, with a sober aloofness in the eyes that shouldn't have been present in so young a child...

She somberly accepted the cup of tea from Prakash, and casually asked, "Which school do you go to?" as he sat down opposite her with a cheerful smile.

She knew the answer of course. She knew everything about all members of this family. But she had to start speaking to stop her mind from going deeper into the abyss.

So, as she drank the admittedly good cup of tea, which had been served in the old and disgusting cup instead of the new and disgusting one, she asked him about his school and his favourite subjects and his interest in sports. Then before she could continue with the list of inane questions she habitually asked each child she was forced to meet, Prakash interestedly asked her, "Aunty, you'll be staying here for some days, won't you?"

"No, Prithvi and I will be leaving tomorrow to a place that is very close to Shamli," Priyamvada answered politely. "And since your sister's vacation was cut short because of me, I plan to ask her and your family if she can join us until Monday. But don't tell anyone about this until I bring it up," she directed. 

She usually adopted a phony warm and loving attitude while talking to children, but she was finding it difficult to do that now. She was talking to the boy without any pretense. It felt very strange to say the least. And she had no idea why she was discussing her plans with him like he was a grown-up who mattered.

Then she noted that he looked a little disheartened.

"You're disappointed," she commented. "You don't want your sister to go with us?"

"It's not that," Prakash said quickly, then he ruefully said, "I just don't like it much when Di goes away. The house feels very empty without her. Don't tell her I said that too," he added quickly.

Priyamvada attempted a little to seem as if she understood him, but she simply couldn't imagine any place not becoming happier and better with that girl's departure. And yet, she didn't feel comfortable with the child's obvious discontent.

"After your exams this year, I will arrange for you and your family to have a good vacation at the same place or an even better one. Would you like that?" she asked him softly.

"Really? Can that happen?" Prakash asked her excitedly. "Yes, I would love that! But...but I don't think my family will agree," he said with a sudden dampening of enthusiasm.

"Leave that to me," Priyamvada commanded.

His cute face lighting up again, Prakash exuberantly asked, "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise," Priyamvada said with a hint of a faint smile. Then disturbed by the sign of weakness in herself, she stood up and civilly said, "Thank you for the tea, Prakash. I have to return to the room now."

Prakash nodded vigorously. "Yes, aunty, you should rest. You look very tired."

He waited until she had gone into her room before punching the air in happy jubilation. His vacations usually meant trips to the house of close relatives and cousins in other towns, and he did love that very much. But it would be fantastic to visit some new place with his family. This day was getting better and better!

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

Bhoothnath opened his eyes and leaned back in the chair, engrossed in thought. After a few minutes, he looked behind quickly on hearing the temple's doors open.

"How did you know I was here?" Bhoothnath asked Nandini in surprise as she closed the doors behind her and walked up to him.

Nandini kneeled down near him and tentatively said, "After watering the plants at the back of the house, I was coming to the front yard when I saw you entering the temple. I finished with both front yards and waited for some more time but you still didn't come out. And then I got worried. Why are you sitting here like this, grandpa?" she asked him apprehensively.

"No need to be worried," he said airily, keeping his hand on her head. "I just felt like sitting here quietly  for a while."

Not convinced, Nandini looked at him doubtfully.

Then Bhoothnath timidly asked her, "Are you angry with me?"

"Angry? Why?" Nandini asked, perplexed.

"Because I scolded you in front of everyone in the morning," he said guiltily.

The memory gave Nandini a small jolt. She had forgotten all about the morning's scene because of...all that had happened later. Suddenly overcome by an intense shame, she looked away from her grandfather, unable to meet his eyes. 

"You didn't scold me...and I'm not angry," she mumbled.

"You are still upset with me," Bhoothnath deduced worriedly, mistaking the emotions on Nandini's face.

Forcing herself to look up at his innocent and trusting face, Nandini quickly said, "I'm not! I promise! And...and I apologised to her later, and she forgave me," she muttered, almost choking on the last few words.

Bhoothnath heaved a huge sigh of relief and smiled happily. "I'm really proud of you for apologising to her. You know how much I hate being stern with you, but I had to stop you from speaking badly with her," he explained anxiously. "You are sensitive to people's energies, just like I am, so you might have sensed that she is not at all what she portrays herself to be. But you must still not speak harshly to her."

Nandini looked at her grandfather in disbelief. With his simplicity and otherworldliness, she had expected to him to praise Priyamvada. But he had seen right through the manipulative woman, which she should have expected after all that she had seen after she'd begun helping him seriously in his work, Nandini reflected ashamedly, and then she heard her grandfather soberly say, "She is a woman who is tormented by many demons."

Aghast, Nandini stared at him. "Demons?" she asked blankly.

Bhoothnath hastily clarified, "Not the real kind. I'm referring to inner demons, which can be just as dangerous and difficult to get rid of. Yes...she's definitely ill. But it is not her body or mind that is unwell. The losses she has suffered have injured her at the soul level. Her energies are in complete disarray...weak, scattered. She is very troubled, and there is too much grief in her heart. Her heart...her spirit needs to be healed."

Bhoothnath mulled silently for a minute, then continued, "It would do tremendous good if she would read the Ramayana. It would be especially beneficial for her because Shri Ram is the patron deity of her family. But from what I've understood, she will not agree to do anything of that kind," he said sadly, then ponderingly said, "Maybe if someone could read it to her every day...and there are many remedies that could help her. There are potent plant medicines that, if used correctly, could help to some extent to cleanse her energies and bring her inner world back into alignment. But these measures will only help if she believes in them and truly desires to be healed. Or it will all be useless," he said, shaking his head. And then he got up with another sigh.

As her grandfather stood up, Nandini came to herself abruptly. She rose to her feet, and hastened to open the temple's doors for her grandfather.

Just before stepping out, Bhoothnath looked towards the doors of the inner sanctum. And as he had done countless times before, he silently surrendered all his fears and doubts to the lotus feet that had always been the biggest anchor of his life...

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