Prithvi... [Vol 2]

Chapter 50

Nandini looked back nonchalantly as the store attendant gaped at her and then at Prithvi with complete confusion.

Komal had not entertained any doubts about the relationship between the two young customers from the instant they had stepped in. So who was this other woman Nandini was talking about…

“Don’t mind his temper,” Nandini said graciously. “He’s just very sensitive to any mention of her because he absolutely adores -”

“That’s enough!” came another growl from behind her.

Komal looked at Prithvi with something akin to disappointment, like he had let her down with his womanizing ways. And with a new determination, she smiled empathetically at Nandini and said, “I’ll show you the most costly pieces we have.”

A few minutes later, Nandini was staring with increasing wariness at the rock-sized diamonds on the most elaborate necklace she had ever seen. It probably cost a million….

And not just that one, almost all of the ornaments looked frighteningly expensive. Why oh why had she asked them to show the most expensive ones in that stupid fit of anger, Nandini mulled miserably. To make matters worse, there wasn’t a single one that really appealed to her. There were diamonds, rubies and emeralds the size of bricks on most of the jewellery, but they seemed to be aimed at impressing rather than charming. She stood up to have a better look at the spread array, but the change in view didn’t help.

“So which one did you like?” Prithvi asked innocently.

Tensing up slightly, she glared around at him. Sure enough, there was amusement glinting in his gaze at her predicament.

But she was far more conscious of the fact that he was standing barely inches away, looking down at her flustered face with a mocking light in his eyes.

“I didn’t like any of these,” she mumbled, instantly looking away to squash the funny flutter in her stomach. 

“How about this one? This design is in fashion now,” another store assistant asked.

She was holding out a velvet case which held a necklace of large, strangely shaped emeralds. The design was bizarre and looked positively outlandish.

Trying hard to stop her lips from twitching, Nandini looked back at Prithvi, and whispered, “Do you hate her enough to gift this thing?”

He grinned back at the small but infectious smile on her soft lips. But as their eyes collided, she saw his smile fade away.

Her own smile faltered as it hit her with vicious force….the realisation that she had looked at him with a genuine smile for the first time in days…

An unreadable emotion clouded Prithvi’s eyes, something so stirring and unsettling that it caused a raw pang in her heart, and made her want to reach out to him and….

Then he quietly said, “I’ll buy her all of that if it will make you smile at me again.”

It caught her off guard, and for a moment, she felt unable to respond…

Then, out of nowhere, the anger returned….Anger at herself for being so susceptible to a few words…anger at him for not letting her hate in peace…

She swiveled towards the counter, and drew the diamond bangles to the centre. “I liked the bangles. You can gift her with these,” she muttered.

And without another word or glance, not returning the very puzzled looks of everyone in the shop, she turned and walked blindly towards the door, and stumbled out into the sunlight. Desperate to get away, she hurriedly made her way along the street to get to the auto stand.