Walking into the cool living room, Prithvi sat down heavily in one of the armchairs and propped up his feet on the centre table. Lounging back, he gazed with unfocussed eyes at the bars of the window that opened into the front yard.

Now that it was decided that Nandini would be coming along, he had to resign himself to having a very turbulent time for the next few days. But perhaps it would not be as bad as he was expecting. With his friends and the others being around, he would probably be able to keep some distance from her, and she would have the sense to do the same.

And even if that didn't happen, anytime he felt close to losing his grip over rationality, he only had to think for a moment about that one afternoon five years ago, and his deep-rooted anger towards her would come to his rescue.

Just as it was coming up now...along with the memory of the shock he'd sustained, and the unthinkable pain that had nearly annihilated him.

Regardless of how strong or deep her feelings were for him, she was still very much capable of easily discarding him at any minute.

He could never trust his heart with her again. He had to remember that always...

Prithvi looked distractedly at the buzzing phone near his feet, and picked it up. It was Sankatmochan, who had been found roaming around in the jungles around Taravan, hopelessly lost and ravenous, as the security staff had updated him.

As soon he answered the call, he heard the illogical and hyper outburst he had expected.

"Nandini came here, and then you both left for Shamli with Sumer Singh because your mother had gone to Vrindavan and fallen sick there, and you didn't tell me any of this!" Sankatmochan yelled. "And you would have known I had returned to the house some time ago and you still didn't call me up to ask me how I was. Some friend you are, and you -"

"Who found you?" Prithvi asked testily.

There was a sullen silence, and then Sankatmochan mumbled, "The men you'd sent to look for me."

"And they took long to find you because you're wandered so far off in the wrong direction. What on earth were you doing?" Prithvi frowned.

"I had gone to a temple that was deep in the woods, and when I was there, I met a man who told me about another shrine on a hilltop, and I lost my way while trying to find it, and I had to sleep in a chilly, abandoned, half-broken house at night," Sankatmochan groaned. "And there was no cell phone reception so I couldn't call anyone. And I tried to figure out the way by studying the stars, but I kept getting more and more lost in the forest," he said shamefacedly.

"Studying the stars? Mochi, are you insane?" Prithvi said irately. "I've seen you miss elephant-sized signs on the roadside."

Sankatmochan fidgeted sheepishly, then asked, "How is your mother now?"

"She's fine now. We'll be leaving tomorrow for some hill station near Shamli and staying there for some days. She has invited Yamini and the others too," Prithvi shared casually. Sankatmochan would eventually learn from someone that Nandini was also part of the group that would be staying there, but that someone was not going to be him.

"Oh...so that's where your stupid friends and Rajeshwari have left for," Sankatmochan said thoughtfully, then with a sudden agitation, he said, "But you cannot leave so soon. You should stay in Shamli for some more days. Talk to Nandini and -"

"Mochi, I don't want to hear anything about that," Prithvi said impatiently. "How is the thakur doing?"

"He was happy and fine until some time ago, but then your nasty stepbrother landed here, and now everyone in the house is walking on eggshells," Sankatmochan grumbled.

"Indrajit is there?" Prithvi asked, surprised. He had assumed Indrajit had not called him because his mother would have spoken to him by now. But it was unlike Indrajit to not inform him that he had arrived at Taravan. And also, Indrajit was absolutely not the kind of person to give surprise visits. He usually gave his intimations very much in advance and tended to follow it up with unnecessary and frequent confirmations.

Winding up the phone call with Sankatmochan after a couple of minutes, Prithvi called up his brother.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

"You're in Taravan?" Prithvi asked perplexedly.

Sitting in his room with the shades drawn tightly to keep out sunlight, Indrajit awkwardly said, "Yes...I thought of coming here to visit you, but then...everything went wrong."

Prithvi raised his brows. Indrajit was terrible at lying, mainly because of lack of practice. After his grandparents and mother had passed away, there had been no authority figure in his life, and so he had no longer needed to fabricate any stories.

"I'd spoken to Mother a while back," Indrajit said quickly, talking more confidently now. "What actually happened to her?"

"The same old issue," Prithvi replied briefly.

"That shouldn't have happened again. Prithvi, you know she went there because of you. Because of your never-ending obsession with that girl and that family," Indrajit accused angrily.

"Indrajit, you need to shut up," Prithvi said calmly.

"Mother was right," Indrajit said in frustration before cutting the call. "You will never learn your lesson."

Prithvi looked in surprise at the phone. Indrajit had given up the argument very quickly. Was he unwell or something...

There were a couple of knocks on the door, and he looked up to see an anxious Sarojini at the threshold.

He rose from the chair quickly. "Is something wrong, Mrs. Bharadwaj?"

"Nothing to worry, your mother is fine," Sarojini said hastily. "But she says wants to leave today itself. She said she's still not feeling like her usual self, and so she spoke to the family doctor and he said it would be good for her to spend some time in the midst of nature. So, she wants to go to Neevpara, it's one of the hill stations near Shamli. And her staff has made all the necessary arrayments for your stay there. She said she would tell you herself, but I thought I should check if you're here and inform you, because your mother seemed a little upset..."

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

Priyamvada looked at herself in the mirror and felt disgusted at the pale, frail looking face she saw in it, and the faintly crumpled saree. But she couldn't be bothered with putting on make-up or taking out a new saree from her bag. Dressing up would require a considerable bit of energy, and she had to save it for talking to Bhoothnath and Sarojini about taking the useless girl along.

She looked at her luggage. She had not packed her own luggage for years, and she had not done it today either. Sarojini, who seemed to be perpetually dying for a chance to serve others, had packed everything for her. Not very efficiently or neatly, but some compromises had to be made at times.

For now, she just wanted to get out of this house. The dream was still breaking her heart, and the meeting with the little boy – Prakash - had somehow simultaneously soothed and disturbed her. In truth, she didn't want to see anything connected to this house for some days, let alone that miserable girl. But that was a cross that she had to bear...

Standing before the hideous, plastic rimmed mirror, Priyamvada began to comb her short hair. When her son walked into the room, she didn't look at him and continued with the combing. The image of the small adorable child jumping around with his father was too fresh in her mind...

"I assume Sarojini has told you I wish to leave today itself," she said smoothly. "I just need to speak to the old man about taking Nandini along, and then, after tea, we can leave. It would seem rude to these people if we rush off before tea. I'm hoping that should all be done by around five. We're going to a place called Neevpara. The chalet's name is The Rosebush. You will easily find it on the map in your phone."

Prithvi looked at his mother closely. Her face had a pinched look that clearly said she was troubled about something. And the reason she had given Sarojini was pure hogwash. His mother would not voluntarily seek the doctor's advice even if it was the only way to prevent nuclear war.

"What is the actual reason you want to leave today itself?" he asked with a faint frown.

"It is not because I'm losing my mind again," Priyamvada said acidly. "I'm feeling claustrophobic in this hut, and want to breathe more freely. Once we leave, you will only have to tolerate my presence until the main road. My team will be waiting there for me, and I will be travelling in another car from that point," she said flatly. "So you'll be able to travel with some of your most treasured companions, unless Sumer Singh decides he would rather stay here than spend his time trying to protect you from your own mother," she added bitingly.

Prithvi looked at his mother coldly, then he looked at his phone that had suddenly started ringing. He opened the doors and walked out of the room.

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

Coming to a halt under the leafy shade of the large tree, Sumer Singh tried to decide if he should rest for some time on the round platform built around the trunk or if he should go to Ayodhya for a siesta. He wasn't feeling very sleepy, which was unusual. It was probably because he was back in this precious place after so long, and he wanted to once again experience everything that he had stored in his memories. And he was also feeling more reluctant than before to go near Vrindavan and Ayodhya.

Priyamvada was back to normal...and by now, the woman would have worked her strange magic on the innocent family, convincing them that she was the epitome of kindness and courtesy, and Bhoothnath must be wondering why he had not spoken about Priyamvada in favourable terms in all these years.

Discomfited, Sumer Singh walked to the platform and sat down, trying to enjoy the breeze and quietness in the locality. Some movement caught his eye, and he looked towards the temple. He saw Nandini come out of the structure, followed by Bhoothnath.

Bhoothnath saw him first, and then Nandini too looked at him and both of them smiled broadly. He smiled back and started to get down to walk to them. But Bhoothnath gestured to him to remain seated, and said something to Nandini, who nodded. Then she gave him a small wave across the distance and began to walk towards Vrindavan, and Bhoothnath started to walk towards him.

While nearing the tree, Bhoothnath loudly said, "Sumer, did Prithvi tell you? His mother is nearly back to normal now."

"Yes, Prithvi informed me in the morning," Sumer Singh said lightly with a nod, and waited resignedly to hear glowing praises.

Bhoothnath also took a seat on the platform, but remained silent.

Noticing a slightly uneasy look on the older man's face, Sumer Singh said, "Bhoothnathji, is everything okay?"

"Eh? Oh...yes, everything is fine," Bhoothnath said airily. For a second, he had considered sharing his problem with Sumer Singh, but then his mind had decided against it. But there was a delicate question he could get an answer to...

"Sumer...can I ask you something?" he asked Sumer Singh apprehensively. "But this must stay between you and me. Prithvi must not hear about it."

Although mystified, Sumer Singh assuringly said, "You can ask me anything you wish. I will not tell him."

Bhoothnath uncomfortably said, "Today morning, while I was speaking with Prithvi and his mother, the subject of Nandini's marriage came up, and...this could be my imagination, but I felt Prithvi seemed a little...angry while we were talking about it, and then he became very quiet.
Has he spoken to you about...or have you ever felt that he has...something in his mind in that regard?"

Shocked, Sumer Singh automatically said, "No, no, there is nothing like that. I am sure of it," he said vehemently. "Prithvi doesn't like his mother interfering in other people's lives. He has told her not to do that before, but she doesn't listen. And then his temper flares up...that's all. In fact, I am a hundred percent confident that Prithvi doesn't have any...any such thoughts about Nandini," he lied vigorously.

"Oh...well, that's alright then," Bhoothnath muttered.

Sumer Singh heard the slight relief in the tone, and it stung him dreadfully. Angry and upset, he battled a very strong impulse to ask Bhoothnath why it would be a terrible thing if Prithvi did have feelings for Nandini.

But Bhoothnath seemed to understand his silence, and hurriedly said, "Don't misunderstand me, Sumer. You know how much I love and appreciate Prithvi. I actually cannot think of anyone better for Nandini," he said with a deep sigh.

With his agitation reducing, Sumer Singh tersely asked, "Then why..."

"You know how it is in our culture...marriages are not only about the boy and girl," Bhoothnath said regretfully. "It is about building relationships with another family, and the disparity between both the families is too huge."

Sumer Singh felt somewhat calmer and pacified. It was still hard to accept what Bhoothnath was saying, but at least it wasn't too big a roadblock. If...if something magically made things right between Nandini and Prithvi, these kind of issues could be resolved.

"And Prithvi's mother...I'm not sure I would want someone like that to be Nandini's mother-in-law," Bhoothnath admitted. "She spoke to us for a long time in the morning, and I now have a good understanding of what you'd hinted at during our conversations in the last five years. But she is also a very grief-stricken woman. There are some things that could help cure her completely, but it could take a long time."

He refrained from mentioning that the strange structure of the family – which consisted of a step-brother, a cousin sister and a grandfather with whom Prithvi didn't have a good relationship - was also a major negative factor. That would be too sensitive a topic...

Bhoothnath turned to Sumer Singh, and then bemusedly asked, "Why do you look surprised?"

Subduing his astonishment, Sumer Singh slowly said, "Most people don't see through her behaviour."

Bhoothnath smiled wisely at him. "I grew up watching people from all walks of life approach my family in search of some relief...mental, physical, spiritual. So, along with my spiritual teachings, I learned a lot about human nature, and that has helped me tremendously all my life. I don't go merely by anyone's words, I see their actions. But even more than that, I sense the energy underneath their behaviour. That often tells me what their words try to hide. Energy...that is the truest evidence of a person's real nature. It declares what kind of human beings they are...and how much they can be trusted. All of us have the ability to gauge the energy of a person or a place. You have it too for sure. The inner voice that tells you when something is wrong."

"Yes, but my instincts are not as sharp as yours," Sumer Singh said dryly.

"That is because I grew up in an environment where my natural abilities were understood and honed. If I had been forced to only have a conventional education and join the crowd that depended on a salary or business, I wouldn't have been able to explore what was within me." Then Bhoothnath added, "You know...when Rajesh told us that you and Prithvi were coming to stay here, I was happy at first. The next day, I had some misgivings, because it felt a little dangerous to have a boy of that age around my Nandini. But I trusted Rajesh's instincts and his love for my family. I knew he wouldn't send anyone without being fully sure that they could be trusted not to cause any trouble. And then when I met you and Prithvi, all my uncertainties disappeared. Prithvi..." he chuckled. "The boy was so rude and arrogant when he had first come here. He would not speak to me with the respect I am accustomed to, and that would have been enough for me to make both of you vacate the house within the first week," he admitted.

"I should be honest...I was worried you would do that because of Prithvi's behaviour," Sumer Singh said sheepishly.

Bhoothnath chortled. "Back then, many people in this locality had asked me why I put up with it. Do you want to know why I didn't ask you both to leave? And why I didn't get offended with anything he said?"

Sumer Singh shook his head with a puzzled smile.

"I couldn't sense any negative or wicked sentiments or intentions in anything he said or did," Bhoothnath said simply. "It was like listening to the temper tantrums of a two-year-old child. I could only sense an extraordinary goodness, integrity and nobility in him. I realised he has a lot of anger regarding the past, but his anger was – and is - just his pain in disguise. There is no trace of evil in him. I know we have some silly arguments, but I actually enjoy those very much," he chuckled. Then he soberly said, "You know...Prithvi doesn't believe in god, but I believe he is a special child of the divine, just like Nandini and Prakash." Bhoothnath sighed, "I cannot tell you how much I wish he belonged to a different family...a simple one like my own...so I could give Nandini in marriage to him..."

When there was no response, he looked at Sumer Singh, who was embarrassedly brushing a hand over his eyes.

With a compassionate smile, Bhoothnath kept a hand on the other man's shoulders.

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

Feeling a tad uneasy, Nandini walked hurriedly towards her home. Her grandfather's words were ringing in her head, and apart from her suddenly conflicted sentiments towards Priyamvada, she was now also worried that her grandfather would not let her leave with Prithvi since he had understood something of Priyamvada's true nature. But he'd also sounded so compassionate towards the woman...

As she approached the gate, her mother came out of the house and seemed surprised to see her.

"Where had you gone? I thought you were asleep," Sarojini said distractedly, and without waiting for an answer, she asked, "Have you seen your grandfather? He's not in his room."

Nandini pointed to the far away tree, under which two men were seated. "He's talking to Sumer uncle there..."

Sarojini looked towards the men, and said, "If he doesn't come home in a short time, you'll have to call him."

"Why? Is there some problem?" Nandini asked her apprehensively.

"Priyamvadaji has said she wants to leave today itself."

"What? Why?" Nandini asked, startled.

"She said she spoke to her doctor and he has asked her spend some time in nature, so they're going to Neevpara," Sarojini replied. "When I came downstairs after my nap and checked on her, she asked for water, and then she said she would like to leave today by evening. Prithvi had told her in the morning that they could leave today but she had refused at that time. He talked to her just now, and they've decided to leave after an hour or so. But I feel she is a bit upset. I don't know if she just made up the reason for leaving or if it is the truth. I hope she's not leaving because she's offended by something we did," she said worriedly, and then looked suspiciously at her daughter. "What happened after I went upstairs? Were you rude to her again?"

"No, I wasn't. I swear," Nandini said hastily. "She talked to me for some time, and then she went back to her room.

Sarojini looked at her doubtfully and then walked back into the house.

"Did she say anything else?" Nandini asked hesitantly, her heart jumping in her chest as she followed her mother.

"She said she wants to talk to your grandfather before she leaves," Sarojini said vaguely. "That is why I said you'll have to call him if he doesn't come home soon."

Cold with nervousness, Nandini waited for her grandfather to return, and thankfully, Bhoothnath and Sumer Singh arrived at Vrindavan in a short time.

The men were just telling her and her mother that Prithvi had let him know about the change in plans when Priyamvada emerged from her room.

Nandini tried to keep her face neutral, but the conflict in her emotions towards Priyamvada instantly began to subside as anger and disgust arose within her at the sight of the woman.

Sumer Singh instantly stood up again, and started to move back.

In a very friendly tone, Priyamvada said, "Please sit down, Sumer."

Sumer Singh hesitated, then took his seat again.

Nandini clenched her teeth in anger. There had been nothing outwardly objectionable in Priyamvada's tone, but it had still infuriated her.

Her stomach was already churning with fear at the possibility that her grandfather would not grant permission. And as Priyamvada began to work her bogus charm on her family again, she started to once again feel revulsion towards the other woman. The combination of everything was too much for her.

Nandini moved unobtrusively towards the staircase and then discreetly escaped to her room.

Trying to keep a positive mindset, Nandini opened her cupboard and tried to think of which clothes she could take with her. It would have been great if she could have gotten the bag she had taken with her while travelling with the Garewals. It had everything she needed for a short trip.

A short trip...

She had planned to stay with the Garewals for a week, and meet Prithvi at least once or twice during that time. Then she had thought she would be spending her afternoon with Prithvi at Taravan. Then the trip that was supposed to happen tomorrow had suddenly gotten preponed to today.

Nothing...nothing had gone as planned till now. And she could almost believe fate was laughing at her for thinking about the clothes she would wear for the next four days. With the way each hour was unfolding, it was possible that she would be back home tomorrow morning, Nandini thought unhappily.

That is if she was allowed to go with Prithvi in the first place...

Nandini leaned weakly against the nearby table as her heart began to sink. It was very possible that her grandfather would refuse...so, was this going to be the last hour before her separation from Prithvi...

She shuddered to think of it. No...that couldn't be...she couldn't endure it...

A glimmer of determination appeared in Nandini's eyes. She couldn't succumb to the negative thoughts. She could use her vivid imagination for a positive purpose instead.

With a deep breath, Nandini straightened up and looked at the contents of her cupboard again, and started to select the prettiest outfits she could find.

She had heard of Neevpara from Nishi, and remembered her friend talking about it being a cold and windy place. Her nicest warm clothing was in the bag that was with the Garewals, but there were some good sweaters and shawls in the cupboard.

After having mentally decided which ones she would take along, her mind started to fuss over what trinkets she could take along with her.

And then she stopped herself again. She was getting too carried away by positive thoughts now. She had to keep her heart grounded. At the end of this trip, she was going to have to walk away from Prithvi, and that would be the finale of their relationship, Nandini thought with a searing grief. She couldn't afford to forget that.

Nandini slowly reached into a shelf of the cupboard, and some minutes later, she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, with an assortment of items on her lap. Two pairs of anklets, silvery bangles, a simple gold chain, the gift she had brought for Kadambari from the exhibition...

Her eyes burned as she picked up the anklets and bangles in both hands and held them to her chest. It was devastating to even think of giving them back, but she had to do it. She would give them to him just before returning home.

It would convince him that she was serious about her decision to stay apart.

But she was fearfully aware that, as of now, he wasn't the one who needed convincing... she was...

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