Prithvi... [Vol 5]

Chapter 122

Sankatmochan raised a hand in greeting to a familiar face. The man seemed to want to chat, but Sankatmochan hurried on towards Vrindavan.

Panting, he opened the gate and hurried into the yard.

"Nandini! Are you there?" he called out.

It was Sarojini who walked to the half-open doors to answer him.

She pulled them open fully and smiled at Sankatmochan. "Nandini is in the backyard."

"Bhoothnathji told me she met with an accident," Sankatmochan asked anxiously.

"She fell down the stairs in Mrs Bhargava's house," Sarojini confirmed. "But she's okay now."

"Okay, I will meet her quickly and go back to the temple," Sankatmochan said distractedly.

"Don't run," Sarojini cautioned loudly after the hobbling young man but the advice went unheard.

Sankatmochan could probably cheer up her daughter, Sarojini hoped.

Not that Nandini was showing any signs of sadness. She had been peppy and talkative as usual since morning. However, something was definitely troubling her daughter, Sarojini thought worriedly.

She had tried to question Nandini in the morning about the stay with Mrs Bhargava, and she had also telephoned the author for an outwardly casual conversation. Based on all that she'd heard, it had been a peaceful, uneventful stay until the minor accident that happened yesterday.

In that case, the only answer was that Nandini had wanted to stay back with Mrs Bhargava for some more time but had returned home with her grandfather simply to make him happy...

She'd gauge her daughter's mood for a few more days, and hopefully, everything would be back to normal soon.

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Nandini walked lifelessly between the plants. The town had been receiving mild showers of rain for the past three days, so the yard looked bright and beautiful. However, she wasn't feeling an iota of the usual peace and pleasure that she found amidst her green friends. But she had known they wouldn't be able to help her. She was wandering in their midst only so that she could be herself for a while.

It was lucky that this silent loitering in the backyard was an activity she had engaged in since childhood. So, her mother wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary.

Nandini was recalled to her surroundings by a gasping male voice and spun to see Sankatmochan limping towards her.

She abruptly felt sick with apprehension and pain. But how long could she avoid facing people and things that were connected to Prithvi.... Sooner or later, she would have to force herself to look at Ayodhya too.

Nandini smiled determinedly at the breathless visitor.

"Nandini, what happened to you?" Sankatmochan asked worriedly while coming to a stop. "You're hurt badly."

"I'm okay, Mochi bhaiya," she said lightly. "I tripped down some steps, that's all. And I'm fine, as you can see."

When he started to speak, she raised a hand and soothingly said, "Get your breath back first."

Nodding, Sankatmochan paused for some seconds. Then he stoutly said, "You don't look fine at all. There is no colour on your face, and you look ill and – oh dear God," he said as a horrifying possibility occurred to him. He suddenly questioned, "How did you trip? Did you fall because you were dizzy? And are you nauseated in the mornings?"