Chitralekha looked down at her hands. She was suddenly shy and her heart beat very fast. Vijitasena looked at her and despite his self discipline was overwhelmed with a desire to hold her close to him to comfort her to bring her peace. He suppressed this urge and said gently 'My lady I give thanks that you are safely back in your father's house. It must have been a profoundly shocking experience for you'. 'Yes it was very frightening'. She swallowed hard on the lump that had suddenly filled her throat at his gentleness. 'But it is only now that I'm back that the full impact of the experience has struck me'. She fell silent and surreptitiously wiped away the tears that began to roll down her cheeks.