Life was back on the usual track after she sent Yana back to home after a week. Yougal Lucas was back in the city and as the operation on grandma was successful he would now be able to look after Yana with the help of the people at home. She gave Dr Eden a phone call, telling him about sending Yana back to her home. In that week Yana stayed, Haru always came and took her to school.
Dr Eden Bairagi told Nia that grandma had instructed him to make the arrangement. After the operation Nia took Yana to the hospital only once to see grandma. She did not want to bump into Yougal Lucas. So she told Dr Eden that she would not be coming to the hospital due to her tight schedule. By night the tired little girl slept early. He seemed to understand and did not pursue the matter. Instead joked about grandma.
"That woman did not stop having things her own way till she was wheeled into the operation theater. She's a brave and domineering woman who doesn't give in to submission easily."
Both Nia and Dr Eden Bairagi broke into laughter at the doctor's assessment of that strong woman's character.
As for what they had told Yougal Lucas about Yana's whereabouts she did not ask Dr Bairagi. He too refrained from making any mention regarding the matter. But he mentioned that grandma had told him about her, that she was the woman Yougal was supposed to get engaged to some five years ago.
"So you know now that I'm a woman whose would be fiance ran away on the day of the engagement." Nia tried to joke, her lips curved into a slight smile.
"No, he did not run away from you." He saw the trace of a sarcastic smile on her face. He continued, "I'm not defending him because he's my friend. He liked you, though he never met you. You will not believe me. I know."
Nia said nothing. She just looked at him and her face was expressionless. Her brown eyes showed apathy. Eden Bairagi waited for some time. Perhaps he hoped she would say something or at least her eyes would show some emotions. If he did then he was definitely disappointed.
"It's not my place to explain why he did what he did. Grandma still wants him to go to you and explain everything. He thinks it's too late now. He thought it was too late even back then, after what had happened in your family."
In those five days Yana attended school while she was with Nia, Haru was instructed to take the girl to the Bamboo Grove art cafe after school. There Mahua and others looked after her till Nia went there after the classes were over at the college. They would keep her busy in the art studio where she painted the pictures she drew.
Sometimes she would watch Mahua making cookies and desserts. She pestered Mahua to teach her to make cookies. So Nia allowed her and she made her own cookie dough as directed by Mahua, rolled it out and cut it into star shape. Nia sipped tea and watched Yana's happy face as she made cookies.
The little girl's hands were covered with flour. Nia took her to the wash basin to help her wash hands. She knew she should not get close to the child but Yana was too adorable to resist her charm. Nia felt helpless.
The little one always asked Nia about her gramma. Nia used to tell her that she would see her gramma soon after the latter got well. She often asked about her papa. Nia just replied in three words,
"He is busy."
Whenever Yana asked about her papa Nia felt uncomfortable. She loved the girl, not the man. Who would not love the little angel? But who cared about that devil? Though she loved Yana, Nia grew desperate to send her back to her home. It was for the good of everyone concerned that she should sever the tie with the little girl.
On the day she was send back home Yana stared steadily at Nia while the latter was packing up her things. Nia felt the child's intense gaze upon her and looked up from folding the clothes. Yana's eyes were watery, the lips were trembling slightly as if she wanted to say something to Nia, while she gazed at her Nia auntie without blinking the cute black eyes.
Nia put the folded clothes inside the backpack and zipped it up. She went over to the girl and kissed the top of her head. Then she held Yana's hand and taking the backpack from the bed said softly,
"Hey love, let's go. Uncle Nick is waiting in the living room."
Nicholas came to take her back to home. He now knew too. After grandma regained her consciousness after the operation and her condition stabilized, she told Nicholas who Nia was to the Sinhas. Like Dr Bairagi, Nicholas was asked to keep Nia's identity in the dark from Yougal Lucas for the time being. He was not to know yet that Nia was Nirvana. The grandma wanted to punish the grandson for his certain irresponsible act.