Prithvi... [Vol 1] (Ongoing) (Winner of Wattpad India Awards 2019)

Chapter 7

Nandini picked up her bag from the table in her room and sat down on the bed with it. She quickly opened the bag and took out the envelope, which she had already opened earlier that day in the canteen, from a notebook. She held it in her hands it for a few seconds, then said a silent prayer and took out the letter.

She ran her eyes through it quickly, anxious to know the task that had been assigned to her.

The first page was just like Mrs Garewal's usual letters, full of love and concern for her. Then she turned over and started to read. After she had finished reading it once, she sat still for while....then she started to go through it again, slowly this time.

 "Rajesh must have told you about the tenants he has found for Ayodhya. We became acquainted with Sumer Singh within a few days of moving here. He was living alone in a bungalow in our neighbourhood, as Prithvi had gone abroad for his studies. He rarely spoke about his or Prithvi's past, and we only knew that he was Prithvi's maternal uncle and had brought up his nephew single-handedly as they were the only surviving members of the family. Sumerji's love for Prithvi and pride in his many achievements shone on his face every time he spoke about his nephew. And little by little, even without seeing him, we too started to become fond of him.

Then one day Rajesh told me he had learnt from Sumerji that Prithvi had been orphaned when he was very small. His father had died a few days after he was born and his mother passed away before he had turned six years old.

Prithvi returned from overseas only a few months back and I think initially he only tolerated us because of Sumer Singh. But at our very first meeting, both Rajesh and I immediately felt a strange, strong attachment towards him and we tried to get him to visit us more often.

You know your uncle and I have yearned for a child for more than two decades now. Our hearts had already gone out to Prithvi when we learnt that he had been orphaned at so young an age, and as we started to spend more time with him, our affection only became stronger. I know it was foolish of me, but I felt as though God had somehow meant for him to be my child, and I sensed that Rajesh too felt the same way, though he never said it aloud.

We had understood that they did not like to talk about their past and so we never pried. Maybe it was because of this that Prithvi too didn't mind spending time with us once in a while.

In the past months I've tried to take as much care of him as I could without crossing the invisible wall that Prithvi and Sumer Singh have drawn around themselves. I know he does not return our affection in full, but my heart tells me he does care for us in his own way. 

But then, as you must know by now, Rajesh got a very good opportunity to expand his business internationally. I was very against leaving initially because it meant parting from Prithvi, but then we learnt that he and Sumer Singh too were moving away for Prithvi's studies.

Although I was upset at first, when I learnt that they were coming to Shamli and were going to live in Ayodhya, I felt as though a burden had been lifted off my heart. Since I knew I wouldn't have to worry about him with you and your family being next door.

I have a request to make of you, Nanhi, and I wouldn't have asked this of anyone else but you. Only you can help me go to another country with a peaceful heart.

Please make friends with Prithvi, and bring him into your family's fold slowly. If I know that he has another concerned family near him, then I will be at peace in the US. He is very aloof by nature and detests any kind of intrusion in his life, friendly or otherwise. So I know it will take a lot of time and patience to win his trust and friendship, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it, because I have known you since you were a day old infant and I've seen that, just like your father, you have the rare ability to make friends and bond with people irrespective of their nature, age or any other outward differences.