Prithvi... [Vol 3]

Chapter 78

Something very soft struck Nandini’s cheek. She raised her face from Prithvi’s shoulder and moved back very slightly in puzzlement. Instantly, a flower toppled down from her neck and fell into the narrow crevice between their bodies. She clapped a hand over it, capturing it against his heart.

Pleased at having ‘saved’ it from falling to the earth, she smiled and then looked up curiously at the beautiful foliage giving them shade.

“You’ve earned an award for bravery.”

At the patently mischievous remark, she glanced at Prithvi. He was regarding her admiringly.

“For this?” she laughed, cradling the beautiful blossom in both her hands.

“What do you think?” he enquired solemnly.

The sparkle in her eyes dimmed with confusion, and then went out altogether in an alarmed flash.

Panic-stricken, Nandini pushed his arms away and spun around. But Kedar had vanished.

“He’s at the temple’s entrance. He left after giving the photograph,” Prithvi grinned

She turned back to him in astonishment and a new fear. She had hugged Prithvi without knowing that Kedar had gone. The bold nonchalance was natural for Prithvi, but not for her. This was the first time she had behaved so recklessly. Her heart couldn’t stop thudding with fright…

Too disturbed to berate him for the scare, Nandini muttered, “He must be waiting for us. We should go and -”

“He can come back here,” he said calmly.

She looked at him in exasperation. But his mulish expression told her arguments were pointless.

“Okay, I’ll call him,” she sighed.

As she turned to sprint with the flower gripped in her hands, Nandini inadvertently trod on another blossom that had dropped earlier, crushing it into the dirt…

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

Nandini looked uncertainly at Kedar as they walked back.

He hadn’t waited for her to say anything when she’d approached him on the temple’s steps. He’d just smiled as if he knew why she had come alone and then had taken the lead to head back to Prithvi.

“He doesn’t mean to be disrespectful, uncle,” she said hesitantly.

Insolence is in his blood, my dear girl, Kedar thought, but he nodded understandingly at her. Then his gaze swivelled to Prithvi, who was sitting serenely on a collapsed tree trunk, gazing at the photograph of his parents.

“Are you willing to listen now?” Kedar enquired as they neared him.