Prithvi...(Vol. 6)

Chapter 139

Nandini offered water reverently to the tulsi. She prayed to the holy plant, gathered it close lovingly and touched its leaves to her forehead. Then she walked to Ayodhya, and did the same for the tulsi growing in its yard.

She returned to Vrindavan and walked into the kitchen, where her mother was sitting at the table, holding a cup of tea.

"Did it have enough sugar?" Nandini asked her mother while walking to the sink to wash the brass vessel.

"It's fine," Sarojini nodded. "There's some tea left, if you wish to have one more cup."

Nandini shook her head as she walked to her mother. "No more tea. Until breakfast," she smiled impishly.

Sarojini smiled wryly, then said, "I think I heard your grandfather's room open, but he hasn't come out yet. Go check on him and ask him if he's ready to have tea."

Nandini nodded, and left the kitchen.

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Sarojini smiled on hearing the chiming of anklets. Her father-in-law would be also be pleasantly surprised.

She'd felt very happy to see Nandini wearing the anklets again. It had been so long since she had heard the lovely sounds, and it was reminding her of a chubby little girl tottering about the living room with chunky silver anklets on her tiny feet. 

But the timing of Nandini's decision to wear them was troubling.

Sarojini tried to dispel the doubts that had sprung up in her head after the initial delight. She'd entertained those suspicions previously when Prithvi had been living next door, and she'd been proven wrong.

But what if she'd been fooled back then? If she looked at the pieces as a whole, wasn't there enough reason for her to be suspicious?

Nandini's absolute refusal to dress up like other girls of her age for so many years...the strange behaviour she had exhibited in Prithvi's presence...and then this sudden decision to wear anklets after years...

What if her daughter had actually harboured one-sided feelings for Prithvi when they were in college, and was refusing to get married for that reason? Or was she creating links where there were none? Couldn't it also be that Nandini had developed an interest in him after seeing this new side of him, since he had become much gentler and sweeter and outgoing?

A deep fear grew in Sarojini's heart. She prayed that she be wrong on both counts.

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Crossing the living room diagonally, Nandini peered through the open door into her grandfather's room and saw him sitting on the bedside, yawning and looking groggy.

"Grandpa, didn't you sleep well last night?" she asked him with concern while walking to him.

Bhoothnath shook his head tiredly.

"Why? Were you thinking of something?" Nandini asked hesitantly. Her mother had often tried to emotionally arm-twist her into agreeing for marriage by sharing that the issue was causing so much anxiety for her grandfather that he was finding it difficult to sleep well...

Bhoothnath looked at his grandchild, and sensed the remorse-filled thoughts flitting through her mind.

"Not at all. This happens as you grow older," he said airily. "Sleep becomes a precious commodity."

Nandini felt unconvinced, but she gently said, "You should sleep for some more time. You can go to the temple later in the day."

Bhoothnath agreed without argument. As she was leaving the room, something struck him. "Nandini, wait. You're wearing anklets again?" he asked in delight.