Prithvi... [Vol 3]

Chapter 81

The sky was just beginning to change hues sluggishly when Prithvi woke up after hours of restful sleep. Drowsily savouring a deep sense of contentment, he glanced at the slender figure sleeping by his side. Nandini was sleeping like a log, her hands wrapped snugly around his arm.

He too had slept soundly, which was surprising in view of his state of mind last night.

It had shaken him to find out that his father had lived in Ayodhya for a few days.

Since childhood, he had obstinately refused to set foot in any place associated with Adityaraj. And then to find out that he’d been living in the same structure that had housed his dad once …

Prithvi closed his eyes for a moment.

Long after Sumer Singh and Mochi had retired to their respective rooms, he had wandered through the whole house restlessly. He had even opened rooms that had been locked until today and spent some troubled moments in their musty confines, unsure of what he seeking but unable to stop searching for it…

And to amplify his confusion, Sumer Singh had also handed him the velvet box that contained an ancient gold ring engraved with his father’s family crest.

The large and hideous object, which had been passed through generations for hundreds for years, supposedly gave him the “right to rule”, according to a soppy tradition in the family.

Sumer Singh had confessed to snitching it from the palace before “greedy relatives stole it”. And the old guard had then taken an unbiased decision to give it to the boy he had raised for a decade, Prithvi mulled ironically.

In the end, feeling uncomfortable and perturbed, he had instinctively come to the terrace. Then he’d seen her sleeping on a mat, snuggled sweetly in a sheet. And instantaneously, the numerous ‘would haves’ and ‘could haves’ had lost their hold on his thoughts. Life was fine just the way it was…

He glanced at Nandini again.

Prithvi carefully eased his arm out of her death grip. She fidgeted and bundled up cosily in the bed sheet. Her hair had come loose during the night, and it was covering half of her face.

Raised himself on an elbow, he gently shifted the locks aside and kissed her cheek. She didn’t stir.

Such peaceful sleep….it would be a real shame to wake her up…

He grasped her shoulder and shook insistently. “Get up!”

“Five minutes,” Nandini mumbled automatically in sleep, pulling the sheet up to cover her face.

 “Sure. Good for me,” he muttered amusedly.

His hand settled on her waist and set out on a leisurely upward journey…

There was a small shriek and angry hands instantly shoved at his shoulders, pushing him away.