Prithvi... [Vol 2]

Chapter 53

Rajeshwari tried to control the mushrooming panic as the car smoothly made its way

closer and closer towards Shamli.

When she had set out, she had fully intended to have a long conversation with her cousin, to remind him of the days when he had been more of a caring, protective brother to her than her own sibling, though she had destroyed their relationship with her own weakness and cowardice.

But now all those resolutions had vanished into thin air, and the old plan had been shredded into bits.

The new plan was that she would just see him from afar, take a picture of him on her phone, and then rush back home to the palace. The idea helped alleviate the tension to some extent and she tried to relax and take in the engrossing views of passing towns and villages. In a few of the markets, she saw stalls with plates that were piled high with coloured powder and large water pistons. It bewildered her for a second before she remembered that it was Holi the day after tomorrow. The festival of colours.

Once upon a time, it had been celebrated on a grand scale in the palace….but now it only meant yet another occasion for debauchery and drunken carousing ….

She leaned back in the seat and tried to fight the looming signs of depression…

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Nandini stared angrily at the smitten girl. "Have you gone deaf? He asked you if he could help with the play!"

The furious words broke Daya's stupor, and she temporarily didn't seem to be able to decide whether she should be embarrassed at her answer or shocked by Nandini's hitherto unseen temper.

"Oh!! I'm so sorry! I mean – yes, of course!" she garbled, "Now I have to go and check out the marriage hall – I mean – the stage!" she modified weakly, and scuttled off to save her remaining dignity.

Nandini swivelled to face her nemesis.

 "Are you happy now that you've ruined my mood?" she snapped.

Prithvi looked back without any trace of remorse. "What are you yelling at me for? She was the one who misheard," he retorted smoothly. "And to think….I'm doing all this just for you," he sighed.

It made her pause in the tirade. That was a very unlikely statement from him….admitting that he had actually contrived his way into the drama just so that he could be with her….

She feebly asked, "For me?"

"You wanted me to be nice with someone as a birthday gift, so I was very nice with that freak there," he nodded disdainfully in Daya's direction, who did look a little demented at the moment, shrieking hysterically at the arrangement of the props and the absence of any order.

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Rajeshwari stood uncertainly at the entrance to the auditorium and looked around nervously. And then she tensed with a wonderful thrill of excitement.