Indrajit halted before each stall briefly and listened without interest to the manager's descriptions of the occupant's health and habits. The stench of the horses made him want to cover his nose, but he stifled the urge as usual.

However, he was careful to keep a safe distance from the large animals. If his staff was amused by his fear, they were wise enough to hide it. They were less successful at hiding at their confusion.

The curiosity didn't bother him. They didn't need to know that his fear and dislike were the results of a major accident in his early teens, and that he was still determined to own some of the finest breeds in the world solely because his father had loved horses and had been an amazing rider.

Perceiving the sounds of someone approaching him, Indrajit stopped and spun disinterestedly. Then his body tensed up.

Jiva, whose main job was to maintain a close scrutiny on Prithvi's life, was walking rapidly towards him. His face showcased fear mingled with triumph, and Indrajit instantly knew what he was about to say...

"He has found the whore?" he asked slowly as Jiva bowed.

Jiva was startled by the question, but he hid his shock and said, "Yes, your highness. They reached Aadyabhoomi about an hour ago. I don't have all the details yet, but -"

He stopped talking as his master walked away wordlessly.

Indrajit strode out of the stable headed for the squat building that housed the manager's office.

His employees stared at him from afar. Hardly any of them had the courage to go near him when he was in a normal state. So, now when a toxic anger was oozing out of him, they knew enough to steer clear for the next few hours.

Indrajit walked straight to the manager's air-conditioned office and shut the door behind him. He tried to reach the chair behind the desk but his shaking legs gave away.

He fell to his knees and braced his hands on the wooden floor. Nausea rose within him and his head spun madly. Drops of sweat dripped from his face and fell on the carpet.

Someone had grabbed his innards and was twisting them excruciatingly.

Whimpering in discomfort, Indrajit slowly lowered his trembling body to the floor on his side and curled up. His shaking hands covered his ears to block out the silent scream that had exploded inside him when he'd heard of his father's demise and had not died out yet.

He remained in that position that for a long time. Then when breathing became a little easier, he turned on his back and stared at the ceiling.

He had to rise above the pain and think...

The news had come out of the blue. And while he had assigned additional men to track Prithvi's movements, he had not really expected it. The idea of Priyamvada being alive had sounded like an outlandish plot of a B grade movie.

But she actually was alive. His father had died...but the filthy woman had been enjoying life all these years...

And now she had returned...

This was a blessing beyond his greatest dreams.

He would be able to kill her with his own hands now. He would take his most ruthless guards, who would be armed to the teeth with deadly weapons, to Aadyabhoomi today itself. Priyamvada would bid goodbye to life in the most painful way imaginable. And every single person who tried to stop him would meet the same fate.

A flicker of doubt punctured the savage excitement on Indrajit's face.

He hadn't thought about the biggest obstacle between him and his dream. An insufferable hurdle named Prithvi.

In the frenzy of the fight, any of his men could end up putting a bullet in his step-brother. But Prithvi's death was his right. And he was determined to defeat and kill Prithvi in a fair way. However, as of today, he wasn't a match for his step-brother in terms of physical strength or fighting skills. He was undergoing training and building his strength and stamina steadily. But he needed more time to prepare his mind and body for that final skirmish.

Then again, he wanted to see the woman who had destroyed his childhood and given him a lifetime of pain. He had not come across any picture of her so far and had never attempted to look for one, because he had not wanted to see that cursed face. But now he wanted to look at her and tell her directly that she was going to pay for her sins. If he couldn't do that today, it was alright. It would give him great satisfaction to notify his step-brother that Priyamvada's days were numbered.

Then content at having created an atmosphere of terror and uncertainty, he would return home and wait for the right time and place. Prithvi couldn't protect his mother for eternity. He would make a mistake one day. And when that fateful day arrived, he would extract vengeance for every tear he had shed.

Mother and son would travel to hell on the same day. The sequence of deaths wasn't relevant...the manner was. Priyamvada would be exterminated like an insect. Prithvi, however, would be killed by him in an honourable battle. And that would prove to their father that he, Indrajit, was the braver...stronger...better son.

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

A glowing gaze fixed on the beautiful wreath in her hands, Nandini ambled out of the small garden. It seemed to have magical properties, as the old stones around her felt kindly and protective once again and a new-found calmness had encased her heart.

A clanking of heavy jewellery somewhere in the vicinity brought Nandini to a halt. Alarmed, she hid the flowery circlet behind her back and walked ahead slowly. When she reached the turning that led to the corridor with Priyamvada's room, she peered out cautiously.

A young woman clad in the attire of the old-time palace maids was hastening along the corridor, searching for someone.

Then she spotted Nandini and flashed a relieved smile while rushing forward. "Madamji, Sumer Singhji and Kadambariji are looking for you."

Taking care to keep the wreath hidden, Nandini smiled back brightly and said, "Okay, I'll come with you...but could you take me to my room first?"

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

"I don't have time to waste," Kadambari scowled at Sumer Singh. "The salespersons are waiting for me. And I need to check if the tailors are good at their jobs before I give them any work."

"Nandini will be here shortly," Sumer Singh said irately as he paced tensely across the room while looking at his phone. "A delay of five minutes will not cause any catastrophe."

"It is easy for you to say," Kadambari snapped, shifting restlessly in the large chair. "All you have to do is stare at your phone and behave as if you're preparing for a war."

Sumer Singh pushed down a snarky rejoinder and rigidly said, "I'll wait outside."

He left the room and strolled to the closed yard in front of it. He was on the edge as it was, and the irritating woman's complaints were testing his patience further. It didn't help that her last comment had been eerily close to the truth. Everything depended on the next call that he would be receiving from his informant. He had conveyed Prithvi's questions and the answers would determine the scale of their preparations.

He'd completed two of the tasks entrusted by Prithvi. He'd obtained all necessary information from Sakshi and convinced Uday Singh to go to his suite and rest. But other responsibilities were still glaring at him resentfully...

"Sumer uncle, you wanted to see me?" a sweet voice asked him and he spun to see Nandini walking up to him.

Sumer Singh offered a wan smile. "Yes...I need your help, Nandini."

"Am at your service, uncle," she quipped chirpily. Her mood was wonderful despite having found out very recently that her phone had stopped working. She'd rebooted it a couple of times but the screen had remained obstinately blank. It had troubled her fleetingly, then she had gone back to the cupboard and looked at the lovely tiara stowed behind her clothes. And a zing of happiness had driven out all concerns from her head.

"Please convince that – Kadambari to do as Prithvi says," Sumer Singh requested. "You see, he wants her to call up Princess Rajeshwari and ask her to come to Aadyabhoomi. He has also asked me to travel to Devgarh to escort her to this palace if required. But Kadambari is refusing to make the call until she speaks to you. She's waiting for you in that room."

"She wants to talk to me about it?" Nandini asked, startled. "Why?"

"She's mentally unstable, that's why," Sumer Singh diagnosed crabbily. "And Nandini, please remind her that Prithvi doesn't want Princess Rajeshwari to know anything about...today's events. And Prithvi also wanted me to tell you that you don't have to wait downstairs. You can go back to your room and relax. His Highness Uday Singh has retired to his room, and you will be bored sitting in that hall by yourself. And if anything goes – I mean...if there is any need for your presence, I will let you know immediately," he added awkwardly.

The middle-aged man's discomfiture perplexed Nandini. He was plainly stressed about some serious issue.

"Sumer uncle, why are you so worried?" Nandini asked doubtfully.

"Oh I'm not worried at all," Sumer Singh denied vigorously, lying through his nose. "I have to go now...I'll see you later."

Nandini wasn't convinced by his answer. However, he didn't let her follow up with any more questions and departed speedily.

In a contemplative mood, she turned to go to the room indicated by Sumer Singh but stopped on seeing Kadambari walk into the yard.

"He left? That's good," Kadambari said with satisfaction.

Confused, Nandini said, "Choti maa, what's going on? Sumer uncle said -"

Kadambari caught her forearm and urgently asked, "Nandini, tell me honestly - Is it true? Does Prithvi really want Princess Rajeshwari to come here? Or is he doing this out of a sense of obligation..."

"Prithvi doesn't have any resentment against her, Choti maa," Nandini reassured earnestly, inwardly relieved that the problem wasn't anything more serious. "He wholeheartedly wants her to come to Aadyabhoomi tomorrow."

The anxiety on Kadambari's chubby face lessened by a smidge but she nervously said, "But he has told me I mustn't tell her that Her Highness Priyamvada has been found. And that if I happen to interact with Her Highness, I must not convey anything that she says to Princess Rajeshwari. Why did he say that?"

Nandini bravely did her best to seem unaware of the truth. "I don't know, Choti maa...but he must have his reasons. You have to trust him and do as he says," she said gently.

Kadambari vacillated for a moment, and then tentatively said, "There is one more reason I wanted to speak to you before calling up the princess. It is actually the main cause of my reluctance..."

"What is it, Choti maa?"

Highly uncomfortable and dejected, Kadambari muttered, "I was wondering if...no...no, it's alright. It's nothing. Just a foolish tension." Then she smiled at Nandini. "You can wait here while I talk to the princess. And after that, if you like, you can come with me to choose the sarees and jewellery for Her Highness Priyamvada."

Nandini hesitantly said, "I want to wait downstairs, Choti maa."

She was half afraid that Kadambari would be offended. But the older woman appeared pleased with her decision.

"Alright, come with me. I'll show you the way," Kadambari said affectionately.

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

Prithvi paced along the large windows, waiting for his phone to buzz into life with a critical message.

Over five hours had passed since his mother had pretended to be drowsy to evade his questions. He had done as she'd asked and had not left the room. When hunger pangs had become annoying, he had disinterestedly picked up fruits from the large basket in the living room. But he had not stepped out of the room because she was looking for him every few minutes with genuine panic.

After she'd gone to bed, he had thought about his cousin sister and Rajyavardhan Singh for about five minutes. Then he had thought about the list of errands he had sent to Sumer Singh via a string of short messages. They had included some directions for Kadambari, persuading Uday Singh to return to his room, and making sure someone would look after Nandini. And also to convince her that she didn't have to stay near this suite. He could have told her that himself but he'd felt deceitful even while typing the words in his message to Sumer Singh - and he'd felt like a bigger fraud when the news that she had chosen to wait in the hall had filled him with relief.

The most crucial task he had assigned to Sumer Singh, however, had nothing to do with the people in the palace and everything to do with his step-brother who would be landing at the doorstep even before Rajyavardhan.

Indrajit had kept track of every development in his life with a fanatical sincerity for years. And the surveillance had become more intensive since he had begun the search for his mother. So, he'd known it wouldn't take long for Indrajit to get the latest news and rush to Aadyabhoomi like a deranged dog.

And his step-brother had not disappointed him. Sumer Singh's efforts had revealed that Indrajit was on his way and would be reaching Aadyabhoomi very soon.

Prithvi glanced at his seemingly asleep mother. He would wait for a while longer, then he would leave her in the care of Kadambari and go to meet his second-most favourite relative in the world.

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

Kadambari hurried towards Priyamvada's suite, accompanied by a troop of maids who were carefully carrying boxes of extremely expensive sarees, inner wear, nightgowns and jewellery.

She had agonised over the purchase of each item. The responsibility of choosing clothes and jewellery for a member of the royal family she had served for years had been extremely daunting to begin with. And the malevolence she had sensed in Priyamvada had turned shopping into a nerve-wrecking exercise.

Then she'd had to supervise a group of expert tailors as they stitched blouses and made alterations to the nightgowns. The hours had flown past when she'd been engrossed in her work...

Kadambari gestured to the maids to halt when they were five feet away from the door, and went forward alone to rap faintly on the door.

When Prithvi opened the door, she hurriedly said, "Your highness, I'm sorry it took so much time."

Prithvi frowned. "I didn't hear anything beyond the first two words, Choti maa."

Embarrassed, Kadambari smiled contritely. "Don't be angry...I just think it will be best if I address you as -"

"It won't," he retorted grimly.

Kadambari fought an unexpected gush of tears, and forcibly brought a smile on her face. "Alright, it was a mistake. Did you have food? You don't look like you -"

The sound of Priyamvada's voice interrupted her concerned query.

"Wait for a minute, Choti maa," Prithvi murmured to Kadambari and strode to the bedroom to find his mother sitting up.

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

Priyamvada had used the last few hours well. Her mind was clear and emotions were under her control again. She had made a list of the people about whom she required detailed information. Some basic priorities had been set and a few simple tactics had been devised.

She had been her natural self in the afternoon, and that had been a mistake. It wouldn't create long-term problems though. She knew how to reverse the damage.

Priyamvada gazed lovingly at the young man who was walking to her. She pinched her left hand viciously under the coverlet to convince herself that this was her reality now. A wonderful son who not only resembled his amazing father but was as sweet and thoughtful as him.

"I'm sorry if your rest was disturbed, Maa," Prithvi apologised with apparent sincerity.

"Not at all," Priyamvada assured eagerly in a low voice. "I've been half awake for the past few minutes."

"Are you hungry? Do you want tea or coffee?" Prithvi asked caringly.

"A cup of coffee would be nice," she admitted. "But who is it outside?"

"Choti maa has brought your new clothes. But I can ask her and the maids to leave and come back later to help you."

"Choti maa...who is that?" Priyamvada whispered blankly. But the answer came from a dodgy memory before he could answer. "The cook...you call her...Choti maa?"

"I do," he affirmed.

Enduring an acrid bite of jealousy and hate, Priyamvada waited for explanations. But none came her way. Her son continued to speak as if he hadn't insulted her cruelly by giving such an epithet to a servant.

"So...should I ask them to leave, Maa?" Prithvi asked courteously.

He wasn't going to offer any excuse for the impropriety, Priyamvada realised with shock. But she swallowed the bitter pill and smiled benignly. "Let Kadambari stay behind to help me. The other servants can leave," she said blandly.

Her son didn't react to the covert insult. He agreed with a nod and left the room.

Content with the response, Priyamvada climbed out of bed gracefully and stood up. She smoothened her hair and adjusted her saree.

Prithvi returned to the room after some moments and solemnly said, "The servants have left. Only Choti maa is here now. And your coffee will arrive soon."

Hiding her actual sentiments, Priyamvada smiled as she grasped her son's arm and they walked to the other room.

She had woken up with a feeling of power and control over her situation. However, a nameless fear and uneasiness were beginning to assail her. Her son was caring, innocent and trusting. The years couldn't have changed him much. And she was his mother. A mother couldn't be wrong about her own child...

In the sitting room, the food had been taken away. Textile boxes and jewellery sets had been arranged tastefully on the table.

Kadambari was waiting nervously near the door and she greeted Priyamvada by folding her hands reverently.

"Kadambari, did you choose all these things for me?" Priyamvada asked pleasantly.

"Yes, your highness," Kadambari said nervously.

Priyamvada graciously said, "Thank you for going to all this trouble for me."

The kindness and sincerity in the statement astounded Kadambari. Then a massive rock was lifted from her heart and her happiness suddenly knew no bounds. She had obviously misunderstood Priyamvada in the afternoon...

"It was an honour, your highness," she gushed joyfully.

Priyamvada looked at her son confidently, expecting to see an approving smile on his face.

But he was regarding her soberly, and for an awful second, she felt certain that he had seen through her pretence.

"Maa, I need to go to my room for a while," Prithvi said gently. "Choti maa knows my phone number. Once you're ready, you can ask her to give me a call."

Priyamvada masked the sharp surge of anxiety in her chest and reluctantly said, "Okay.."

Once the door was closed, she compelled her face to remain calm and then looked at Kadambari.

"Could you run a bath for me, Kadambari?" Priyamvada asked courteously. "You can choose any of these new clothes for me. I don't have any particular choice...I simply want to change out of this saree as soon as possible," she said ruefully.

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

Indrajit's blank gaze stayed on the road ahead as the car began ascending the hill that was crowned by the Aadyabhoomi palace.

On a rational level, he knew this was a futile journey.

The likelihood that he would be able to even see the bitch from afar was non-existent. And it would have been more enjoyable in the long term to stay away from the palace for some weeks and let Prithvi presume that the peace would last. Then the horror of the scheduled bloodbath would have been much more impactful.

Yet, he couldn't turn back. A blistering whirlpool of hatred and rage was propelling him towards Aadyabhoomi and it wouldn't abate until he had sown seeds of unrest in the hearts of those who had ruined his life with their existence.

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

Prithvi walked silently into the hall in which he had spoken to Sakshi earlier in the day.

Curled up in an armchair, Nandini was sleeping peacefully.

He walked to her and gazed at her quietly.

Her face was pale, and she appeared exhausted. Unconsciously wishing to erase the pallor from her face, he ran a finger gently over a warm cheek.

When a cute crinkle emerged on her forehead, Prithvi withdrew his hand swiftly. He didn't want to awaken her.

The possibility that he would experience tranquillity anytime in the near future was laughably low. He could, however, avoid ruining her peace of mind with unnecessary news. She didn't need to know anything about Indrajit since he was not going to stink up the premises for long...

An icy darkness returned to Prithvi's gaze as he strode out of the room.

Sumer Singh was waiting for him at the midway point and he launched into a review of arrangements as soon as Prithvi was within hearing distance.

"My Lord, he should be arriving in another five minutes. The gates have been left open. Inside the palace, the most trustworthy men have been stationed at all the entrances. Three of them will guard the main door," Sumer Singh muttered agitatedly as they walked together. "I think we should post guards all around the queen's suite just to be safe."

"That won't be necessary, Baba," Prithvi replied calmly. "He's not going to start his battle today or he wouldn't be arriving with just one guard."

"It does seem as though he doesn't plan to create any major trouble," Sumer Singh conceded unwillingly. "But I don't understand his intention."

"The day I start understanding exactly what goes on inside his psychotic skull, shoot me dead. But this time, it's possible he just wants to let me know of his homicidal plans. You know he has his own unique code of ethics...which is probably engraved in a book made of human entrails," Prithvi speculated broodingly. "It must contain gems such as give your step-brother a minimum notice of one day before slaughtering him and his family, make soups out of only those humans whose blood tests reveal a healthy level of Vitamin D, turn into a whining hyena only on the full moon nights that fall during the mating season of chimpanzees...that sort of stuff."

Sumer Singh chuckled. But then he subdued his laughter and earnestly said, "My Lord, I still think we should take more precautions."

"Baba, Indrajit will have to kill me to get to my mother," Prithvi stated matter-of-factly. "He can put a bullet in me and end the story easily. But he hasn't done that so far. So, it's likely that he wants to kill me in a good old-fashioned fight. And the day his hand-eye coordination improves to that extent, cows and pigs will perform a ballet in the sky. That will be the sign that it's time to take him seriously," he said solemnly.

"You may be right, My Lord," Sumer Singh chortled again. He didn't speak as they walked out of the palace's large doors, which were shut behind them by three guards.

Prithvi walked across the shining marble floor to the short flight of stairs. He sat down languidly on the topmost step and asked, "You've told the guards, haven't you? That I don't want any of them to be present when I'm talking to Indrajit."

Standing beside him, Sumer Singh muttered, "Yes, but they are not happy with your decision."

Unruffled, Prithvi said, "I prefer them to be unhappy than dead."

"They want to show their support for you," Sumer Singh divulged. "My Lord, we could...we could stop Indrajit at the gates -"

"I told you...It's not necessary. And I don't want them to try any stunts even if the situation is serious. Their lives will mean nothing to Indrajit. He will punish them with death," Prithvi said tiredly. "If they close the gates and stay away, he'll still see it as treachery on their part and he'll hunt them down another day." He glanced at Sumer Singh and said, "Baba, I think you too should -"

"Please don't ask me to stay inside," Sumer Singh said hurriedly.

"Fine...but you will not speak to Indrajit or interfere in any way."

"I won't. But if at any time I sense you're in danger -"

"You can jump to my rescue and thereby save mankind's future," Prithvi said promptly.

Sumer Singh shook his head with a laugh, then he saw the car speeding towards them.

"My Lord, he's here..."

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

A succession of bizarre dreams started pushing Nandini closer and closer to wakefulness. She opened her eyes in the midst of a particularly weird one, and it took her a minute to get her bearings. Yawning, she sat up straight and looked around the empty hall and squinted at the ornate clock on the wall.

She had spent many hours in the room and had slept like the dead for the past 40 minutes. Several times during the day, she had left the room and gone for very short walks...and each time she had come running back on hearing sounds that resembled the opening of a door.

Oddly, though she had been alone, she'd felt pampered. One maid had brought magazines and novels for her to read. Another girl had helped her find a landline so that she could call up her family and inform them that her phone wasn't working. Others had popped in frequently to bring her eatables, tea and fresh fruit juices and they had stopped only after she had insisted that she wanted only fruits.

Nandini rose from the chair and stretched her back. Outside, the time of dusk was near. She walked drowsily out of the room and walked automatically towards Priyamvada's room.

But Nandini's feet stopped within seconds as she realised where she was heading. And in the next moment, she sensed that Prithvi wasn't in his mother's suite anymore. She dithered confusedly in the corridor and then glanced cautiously at the closed door to Priyamvada's room.

Sunlight was fading but the lights had not been switched on yet. She usually liked this time of the day, when light and darkness were about to merge for quiet, beautiful minutes.

Today, though, there was a restless tinge to the silence.

Still trying to decide what to do, Nandini uncertainly resumed her walk to Priyamvada's suite.

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

Jiva got down from the car and rushed to open the passenger door.

Indrajit disembarked stiffly and strolled towards Prithvi, his pallid face pinched with anger at the irreverence with which his step-brother was perched casually on the steps of the sacred citadel of their forefathers. But he didn't want to focus on anything except Priyamvada today. He would unleash his wrath for each crime on the last day of Prithvi's life.

He directed a disparaging look at Sumer Singh, then fastened his malevolent eyes on Prithvi again.

Prithvi waited patiently till his brother had halted at a supposedly safe distance. Then he tiredly asked, "To what do I owe this visual abuse."

Indrajit expressionlessly said, "We can talk inside."

"We can...but we won't," Prithvi refused placidly.

"You cannot stop me from entering the palace," Indrajit said softly.

"I disrespectfully disagree," Prithvi smiled coldly. "Just be patient for some days. Once we leave, you can settle down here and fulfil your childhood dream of starting a ballroom dancing class. Now tell me why you're fouling up my day."

"This is a courtesy call. Wouldn't it be considered impolite of me if I didn't visit your revered mother when she took the trouble of returning from the dead?" Indrajit leered.

"Your birth was the biggest insult to the entire universe. This shouldn't bother you."

A muscle twitched on Indrajit's face. "I want to meet her, Prithvi," he said roughly.

"It's strange that I literally cannot think of anything that is less likely to happen," Prithvi said with interest.

"Don't be afraid," Indrajit smiled malignantly. "I don't plan to kill her today. I have no weapons on me."

"You underestimate yourself," Prithvi countered seriously. "Your body odour routinely causes birds to fall dead from the sky."

Indrajit clenched his teeth. "Let me speak to her face-to-face for a minute. Then I'll leave you alone for a month.

"You have to do the following things if you want to meet her," Prithvi instructed solemnly. "Kill me or wait for me to die. Attend my funeral to make sure that my body is burnt into ashes. Scatter those ashes across four different continents and then wait for a year just to be on the safe side. After that, you can meet my mother and speak to her for hours every day for the rest of your life."

Indrajit's voice trembled with rage and frustration as he said, "If that's your decision, I'm more than happy, because I can start my hunt without delay. All these years...I'd thought I'd lost the chance to kill her with my own hands but luck has favoured me."

"Your luck will run out in another 60 seconds if you don't leave," Prithvi said tonelessly.

Indrajit sneered. "You can try as hard as you like to protect her, but rest assured, you will be performing her funeral rites very soon."

"I don't give you enough credit," Prithvi said sincerely. "You have a powerful imagination. Why don't you try writing fantasy novels and base the main character on yourself – a whiny little man who can't see that he's standing in quicksand because his head is very far up his ass."

"Just for that, I think I will tell you how I'm going to slaughter her," Indrajit said venomously. "As you know, I prefer guns, but this is the weapon I'll be using for that special occasion."

He glanced at Jiva, who walked to the car and took a brown paper bag from the dashboard. He drew out a butcher's knife out of the bag. It had a broad, glistening blade and a plain wooden handle.

"What happened to your sword?" Prithvi asked quizzically. "You put it in the washing machine even though the instructions clearly stated it had to be dry cleaned?"

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

Ensconced in a chair, Priyamvada waited edgily as Kadambari carefully chose and set out a selection of garments on the bed. She was unimpressed with what she had seen till now. Everything was commonplace and ordinary. But they would have to suffice till she was confident enough to take back the reins of life.

Her features did not reflect any of her true thoughts and displayed a sweet calmness. And when she muttered insincere words of appreciation, Kadambari could hardly contain her delight.

Then Kadambari went into the bathroom to run the bath, and Priyamvada allowed the vacant room to see her annoyance.

She couldn't wait to rinse the grime of 13 years from her body. Her mind and spirit needed the same treatment, but their cleansing would take much longer, Priyamvada thought wearily.

She also wanted to see her son. He'd said he was going to his room. She didn't even know where it was. After she had freshened up, she would ask him to return immediately. She couldn't let him stray from her side until she got rid of the chilling fear that her child was going to disappear from her life again. She knew it was an illogical fear...but that awareness didn't make it any more bearable...

Aditya walked past her...tormented and helpless...

Priyamvada sat up suddenly, her heart hammering with dread. The image vanished in a second. She'd had this particular experience a few times in the past. And each time she had known that her husband was in tremendous pain and wanted to prevent something desperately. Back at the ashram, she'd run after him to help but had always ended up screaming in frustration on the streets...

But she had more control over her reactions today. She would find out what was happening and she would stop it, Priyamvada swore as she rose from the chair and hastened to the door.

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

Nandini froze as the door flung open and a grey-haired woman rushed out.

However, Priyamvada didn't seem to have seen her at all. Her frantic eyes were scouring the area, and then they appeared to have seen the desired object.

"Adi, wait," Priyamvada pleaded loudly.

Nandini turned instinctively to look at the corridor behind her but it was barren. She swivelled back and watched in a mix of fright and bewilderment as Priyamvada began to run past her.

She swiftly blocked the way and fearfully asked, "Aunty, what's wro-

Enraged at the audacity, Priyamvada pushed aside the obstruction.

Nandini dashed hard against the wall, crying out as a terrible pain bolted through her right arm.

"Don't ever come in my way again," Priyamvada spat.

Tears flooded Nandini's eyes. Clutching her arm, she chokingly mumbled, "I'm sorry."

Unaffected, Priyamvada looked back at the spot where she last had seen her husband and nearly broke down with frustration. Where was he...why did he want her to do...

She glanced angrily at Nandini. "What lies in that direction?"

Nandini wiped her face and timidly replied, "I think it leads to the main entrance."

"Take me there," Priyamvada demanded.

Caught in a terrible tug of war between terror and wisdom, Nandini stammered, "I – I don't think – can we wait for Prithvi?" she asked imploringly.

Priyamvada's hands itched to strike the pale face in front of her. She controlled them somehow. This was not the time to make an enemy of the girl. This was the time to use her.

And something told her that there was one guaranteed way of securing Nandini's help...

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

"It's an ordinary, crude knife. I bought it on the way from a roadside hawker. An apt weapon for a woman like her, don't you think?" Indrajit asked softly. "A bullet will be an easy way out for her. But I intend for her to die a slow and painful death. I'll cut her up and feed the pieces to dogs. Then I'll let the blood dry on it and exhibit it on the wall in my office as my most invaluable souvenir."

"Can I have a look at it?" Prithvi asked impassively.

Indrajit gave his permission to Jiva through a feeble nod. Nonetheless, he watched suspiciously as Jiva walked to Prithvi and presented the knife.

Prithvi gave it a derisive look and then nonchalantly cut a line across his left palm. "Her blood runs in me too. So here..." he said coolly, coating the blade with the blood streaming out of the wound.

"Prithvi!" Sumer Singh exclaimed.

Indrajit turned a frigid gaze upon at him. "Don't call him by his name, you -"

"He can call me anything he wants," Prithvi interrupted brusquely, extending the hilt of the bloodied knife to a dumbfounded Jiva. Unconcerned about his bleeding hand, he looked at Indrajit and shrugged. "This way, you get your souvenir, and as a bonus, you avoid spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair...which will be your fate if you try anything foolish. And yes, exhibit it prominently. I don't want to hear that you placed it in between the fake animal heads that you love to flaunt to your invisible friends."

Sumer Singh hastened to sit beside Prithvi and began to wrap a large white cotton handkerchief around the wounded hand.

"Is this your audition for the heroine's role in a 1980s movie?" Prithvi asked him dryly.

Sumer Singh smiled weakly as he tied the rudimentary bandage. It was a bad gash and had splattered the white marble floor with large dark red drops. But it was the underlying significance of the injury that was petrifying him. It was plain to him that Prithvi's calm behaviour was a façade, and the young man was repressing a wrath too deep to be expressed through words. It was a miracle that he had not lost his temper yet. If this conversation had happened some months ago, pieces of Indrajit would probably have been littered on the ground by now.

Indrajit's eyes spewed poisonous anger at the two men sitting on the stairs and then at Jiva. "Throw it away," he snarled.

Frightened by the tell-tale signs of Indrajit's unravelling mind, Jiva flung the knife to the floor.

"So I mutilated my hand for nothing? Story of my life," Prithvi sighed with regret. Then he rose to his feet. "Alright...it's time to end this shitty summit. It was more nauseating than usual to see you. Now it's time for you to go home. And if you know what's good for you, stay far away from me and mine," he added calmly.

"Did your girlfriend tell you about my conversation with her?" Indrajit asked suddenly and experienced a fleeting gratification at the shock on Prithvi's visage. "Or aren't you aware that I'd spoken to her on the phone? Sumer, you didn't tell him?"

Prithvi looked at Sumer Singh with a questioning frown, and the older man bowed his head guiltily.

"I'd called Sumer Singh actually, but he had the temerity to give the phone to your girlfriend at some point. She warned me against hurting you....said she would kill me just because I shared my thoughts on the possible avenues through which your mother must have earned a livelihood in the last 13 years."

"Shut up, Indrajit," Prithvi said grimly as he started walking down the steps.

Sumer Singh's insides started turning icy. Indrajit had been unbelievably fortunate thus far. But he was pushing his luck too far.

Relishing the effect of his taunts, Indrajit smirked, "I doubt she found it hard to make ends meet. Your mother was apparently very popular among men in her youth. In fact, I'm confident that she abandoned you just so that she could live her life as the prostitute that she always was."

A hard fist slammed into his face and blood spurted out of his mouth

Then a brutal punch to the chest propelled him backwards. He landed on his back with a loud thud and lay there gasping with agony.

"This is your last chance....get out of here," Prithvi said quietly, then he looked at Jiva, who recoiled in fear. "Put him in that car and clear out."

"Yes, your highness," Jiva mumbled and rushed to his master.

Indrajit was already trying to rise, and he managed to stand up with Jiva's help.

Prithvi turned and started to stride back to the doors, straining hard to subdue a thunderous fury.

Wincing, Indrajit held his chest. The pain had fanned the flames of his enraged determination to make Prithvi undergo at least one percent of the excruciating turmoil in his mind.

Shoving Jiva aside, he maliciously taunted, "Does your mother even have an estimate of the number of men who soiled her body? But I doubt she took any money from them. Considering her depraved appetites, she must have paid them for -"

He saw a blurred movement, and then Prithvi's fist hit his face with uncontrolled ferocity,

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

A motley group of two women and two men rushed into the empty entrance hall and headed towards the large door that was being guarded by three men.

Nandini halted in shock she was a few metres away from the guards. A man was shouting in pain outside. It chilled her blood. For a moment, she desperately hoped that she had imagined the sound. Then she heard it again.

Priyamvada came to a halt near Nandini, and she too heard dim agonised yelling from the outside. "Open the door right now," she ordered gaspingly.

Meanwhile, the three men guarding the door were exchanging quick, tense glances with each other and the two befuddled guards who were standing behind the women.

They had been startled by the appearance of the strange, distraught woman but the commanding demeanour had ended their confusion. This was their queen...the prince's mother who had been found after many years. They'd been instructed to keep the doors closed and hold their tongues. They couldn't they disobey their queen...but they also couldn't, and didn't, want to flout the orders of the prince whom they had grown to love and respect within an astonishingly short period.

The toughest of them deferentially said, "Your highness, the prince has asked us to keep the doors closed until the visitor has left."

"Who is it? Who's the visitor?" Priyamvada asked aggressively, appearing almost deranged in her urgency.

"It is His Highness Indrajit," another guard revealed hesitantly.

The answer stupefied Priyamvada. He was one of the people she'd wanted to know about...and now he was here. Indrajit - Aditya's abnormal son from that insane, selfish bitch. His existence had been a huge, ugly thorn in her heart...

"Open the door," Nandini said quietly. "I'll let Prithvi know it was not your fault."

Priyamvada glanced abruptly at her. The guards were afraid of a gentle person like her son? It couldn't be. However, the girl's assurance did the trick. The guards pulled open the huge doors.

Nandini ran out first, but she stopped in shock almost instantly.

A gruesome scene was playing out near the row of plants that marked the beginning of the lush grounds.

In the reddish gold light of the sun, Prithvi was thrashing a bloodied man brutally. Each time the man fell down because of the force of the beating, he was kicked, dragged back up and pummelled again mercilessly.

Sumer Singh and another man - whom she vaguely recognised as Indrajit's servant - were hovering near Prithvi, clearly requesting him to stop.

Priyamvada walked ahead sluggishly to the topmost step, her flabbergasted mind trying to derive some sense out of what she was seeing.

Nandini raced down the steps. The sight of scarlet blotches and a bloodied knife on the floor churned her stomach again but she didn't stop. She reached Prithvi as he was about to bring his fist down on the side of Indrajit's head yet again.

She shakily whispered his name.

Prithvi didn't look at her. However, his hand stilled and then lowered very slowly. The stark fear in the soft voice had acted as a large splash of icy water on his boiling temper...

He released Indrajit's collar and threw him away in disgust.

His step-brother landed on the ground like a ragdoll and wriggled pathetically.

Indrajit's face was a bleeding, pulpy mass. A hand and a leg were bent at unnatural angles. And still, the eyes spewed vitriolic hate...which mingled with incredulity when he saw a grey-haired scrawny woman racing towards him. She was unfamiliar, and yet, he knew precisely who she was...

Priyamvada halted near Indrajit and stared at him with limitless dismay.

Instinctively seeking to keep her away from Indrajit, Prithvi walked ahead swiftly, concernedly saying, "Maa, you shouldn't' -"

Priyamvada looked at him furiously. "Stay away."

Stunned, Prithvi paused in his tracks.

Priyamvada sat down near Indrajit and awkwardly tried to take the bloodied head into her lap.

Battling unbearable pain in every part of his body, Indrajit struggled to move away from the revolting embrace. He wanted to howl in fury and abhorrence at being touched by the woman he hated the most in the world. But the injuries to his mouth reduced his anguished scream into loud garbled noises...

Giving up on the attempt to cradle him, Priyamvada looked at Prithvi wretchedly.

"How could you do this to him? And why?" she cried out fiercely. "Why did you hurt him so badly? He's your older brother. You should be ashamed of yourself. Do you know how badly you've hurt your father?" she condemned wretchedly, and then looked around helplessly. "Adi...Adi... I didn't know. Forgive me...and forgive him. He will never hurt Indrajit again. I won't let him. Adi...please..."

White as a sheet, Prithvi stared at his mother uncomprehendingly. Her words seemed as alien as an unknown language...

Meanwhile, Indrajit had stopped writhing.

Something had gone wrong with his ears. He'd been able to hear only a few words that the bitch had uttered, but he'd heard a name.

His shocked eyes darted manically around the area.

Was his father alive...

There was a growing darkness in his head. He realised he had just some seconds of awareness left but continued to scan the surroundings with a desperate hopefulness, seeking the solace of a familiar and beloved form. Then he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Appalled, Priyamvada looked at Prithvi and shrieked, "Help him! Call a doctor. God forbid, if anything happens to him, you will be dead to me forever. Do you understand?" she raged.

Pin-drop silence followed her diatribe. It was a silence that swallowed up the sounds of the birds, wind and fountains...

Nandini snapped out of a horrified daze. Infuriated at Priyamvada's words, she stepped ahead instinctively.

Ice-cold fingers seized her wrist...and then released it.

"Why aren't you helping me?" Priyamvada asked her son angrily.

Instead of responding to her, Prithvi glanced at Sumer Singh. "Baba, do as she says," he muttered and then started to head back to the palace.

Nandini caught his arm quickly, intending to accompany him.

Prithvi removed her hand and quietly said, "Stay with her."

He strode to the ancient structure built by his ancestors. It opened its arms warmly and enveloped him in a coverlet of greyish gloom.

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