Chapter Seven
Prachi came and sat next
to Angad placing her hand on top of his. He looked at with tear brimmed eyes.
"Prachi I don't know what to do, sooner or later kripa will be awake, how will
I face her after ---" he sobbed " I'm ashamed of myself prachi, how will I face
her" his head lowered into his hands, with his elbows leaning on his knees.
Prachi's hand moved to his
shoulder, "Angad, if you keep blaming yourself, you'll never be able to live in
peace—"
She was cut off "I don't
deserve peace" he exclaimed "I don't deserve peace" slowly turning into
whispers.
"Angad, kripa was equally
at fault, she's my friend and I know what you did with her was wrong but what
she did was equally wrong, You can't live with this blame all your life and soon
you and kripa are going to be parents, you have to comprise with the situation,
you have try to work things out, once she's awake"
Prachi stood up and walked
to the door where neev was standing with there almost one year old son, Arun in
his arms. Prachi embraced neev, whilst he held her waist, both watching Angad
stare at a motionless kripa. Whilst Angad drifted off once again with his
memories.
Angad
smirked, when he saw kripa's shocked expression, now she wasn't expected such a
quick response, was she? but she didn't know who she had challenged. Angad may
have seemed to be a sensible doctor but he was like a book at collage, he
had the solution to everything, like how to make someone special say I do, how to make an
evening special, how to save yourself from the professor, everything. He wasn't
as innocent as he seemed.
"Angad,
I'm proud of you son, you've made me more than happy today" his father beamed
"Dad,
your happiness is my happiness, after all, I have my own selfish reasons for
accepting, she's everything I wanted" he said looking at her dreamily while she
glared at him.
And
then he heard her speak impulsively "I don't want to marry him dad"
Everyone
stood there stunned at kripa's rejection. How can she reject me? Angad thought,
for that she would have to tell the truth and he was more than a hundred
percent sure that she wouldn't make such a mistake.
"But, kripa, what happened, why not him?"
"Uh,
um" kripa became nervous all of a sudden, maybe because everyone was gazing at
her intently "Dad, uh, he lives all the way in America and my family, friends,
relatives, everyone lives over here. How will I cope over there. There's a
big difference from India to America, I don't want to take the
risk, I mean god forbid, if something happens then how will I reach you"
"Kripa,there's no need to be nervous, I know how difficult it is to settle in a
foreign country, we've experienced it, you were only four when we left, and
Angad was seven, it took him almost a year to adjust, don't worry, it'll be
fine" Angad's father assured her as he caressed her hair lovingly
"But
there's still a difference, Angad was a child, but I'm grown up, I've seen the
world and I'm mature, it will be much harder for me" kripa replied turning her
face from everyone.
Angad's
mother placed her hand on kripa's shoulder to comfort her, " Kripa, I
understand, my experience may not be exactly like yours but after nine years of marrige I left for America, I left my parents, since then I haven't met them
and now there no more, but your lucky, my parents couldn't afford to go abroad
and we couldn't come back until we had the green card and when we did Angad became
busy with his career, I've missed a lot, but I guarantee you that Angad will
take you to India at least once in two years. If he doesn't then you can come
to me. As for your parents, they can afford coming to America and they will come to see
you, right Swati"
"Yes of course, come on now don't be stubborn, you should be happy your getting such
loving in laws and --"her mother was interrupted
"a loving
husband" Angad said slipping his arms around kripa's shoulder pulling her
closer.
Kripa
glared at Angad, pushing her elbow into his waist, while he suppressed his
groan from pain, pressing his lips together. "Ok papa, I agree too, I was just
concerned" Angad squeezed her in his arms, this time holding her elbow, whilst
kripa silently struggled out of his grip.
The
elders laughed at the couple, with joy, "Kripa it doesn't matter, there's no
need to be shy" rajveer exclaimed.
Whereas,
kripa embarrassed rushed up the stairs, straight into her room "She's too shy,
she doesn't like me holding her in front of everyone" Angad explained flashing
a grin.
Angad
sat in front of neev and prachi, both looked depressed "ok, now that's it"
Angad commanded "neev you read her diary, that was wrong of you and prachi you
reacted stubbornly that's your fault,
now neev why are you being stubborn?"
"I'm
not, but whatever I said is true, she doesn't tell me anything, she doesn't
share her feelings with me openly, she doesn't trust me, then how can she love
me, she screams at me for small things and--"
He
was cut off by prachi "neev I do love you and I trust you, I said I'm sorry,
please forgive me" she pleaded with tears swimming within her eyes.
"Prachi,
you always do that, you always be angry, always hide things, what do you expect
me to think"
"neev
please, If I didn't love you then I wouldn't come all the way from America for
you, I'm sorry, I hurt your feelings and I always do, I don't even deserve you
neev but you always---"
"Prachi,
you do deserve me, we're both as stubborn as each other, don't ever say you
don't deserve me, I'm sorry, I was being stubborn, I love you prachi" he said
taking her in his arms
"I
love you too, I'm sorry" she sobbed into his chest
"Ok,
now if you two are done, let me talk now, I'm sorry, it was all my fault" Angad
said looking at his friends.
"It's
ok" they said together, wiping there tears, with there arms wrapped around each
other.
A
few minutes later prachi spoke "Oh Angad, in our fight we forgot about you,
what were going to tell us in the morning and what was all that downstairs, I
mean--"
"Well,
I read kripa's diary and from that the only valid reason I find is her
particular hatred towards men" he answered, taking a seat on the bed.
"Really,
but then, why does she tolerate her dad?" neev asked foolishly
Prachi
hit his head lightly "stupid, he's her father, why would she hate him"
"Yeah
but then why is her father excluded, he's a man too and she doesn't---"
"Neev,
fathers are different, you never see them like the rest of the world, they
always have a special space in our hearts, after all they bring us up" Angad
said "and for kripa, well, maybe her father has influenced her hatred but her
father still plays an important role in her life that's why she's been lying to
her parents, giving other men before me a hard time and kind of forcing them to
reject her. That's what she's been trying to do with me" he slumped back and
leaned against the headboard of the bed.
"How
many men do you reckon she's given a hard time to?" neev popped out joking
"Don't
be shocked but I'm her eighty forth one" Angad replied straight
Prachi
and neev's mouth were half open "eighty four" they screamed
"Yeah"
"Freaking
hell how did she mange eighty four guys" prachi exclaimed
"Correction,
she managed eighty three guys, I'm the eighty forth and I'm going to manage her
and that too for life"
Angad broke out of his
thoughts with the feel of movement. He looked towards kripa but she was still.
There wasn't a sign of movement. That's when he noticed his hands on top of her
abdomen, her abdomen, where his baby was living, where their baby was living,
that meant the baby kicked.
Angad got a little excited
and spoke"kripa, our baby kicked, my baby, your baby, our baby, it kicked
and-"and then reality sinked into him, the baby was the result of kripa's
state, it was because of this baby, no, he said to himself, no, he couldn't
blame there baby, it was him who was at fault, it was he who was responsible
for kripa.
His head slowly lowered
down towards kripa's stomach and his quiet, soft sobs, turned in to loud
painful sobs.
Kripa felt giddy in her
sleep, feeling the wetness of Angad's tears on her skin, whilst her baby sent sensations
down her spine kicking her. Tears, that reminded her of her own tears, when she
cried.
Kripa
silently sobbed, in the corner of her room, how was she to refuse to her marriage,
it had been almost two weeks since Angad agreed, just a week ago she went to
her father gathering courage to tell him her real intentions, but he suddenly
suffered a severe heart attack.
Thank
god Angad was a doctor, he took control for a while, and her father survived.
But then again, her father requested her marriage as soon as possible; she
couldn't refuse her father and promised him to marry Angad. Now she would be
imprisoned for life, for the sake of her father, she thought. She didn't want
to get married but she didn't want to risk her father's life, she would never
be able to face herself.
Today,
the Indian priest was coming to fix the wedding date. Oh how she wanted to run
away, but her fathers' illness had become her barrier and her defeat in front
of Angad.
Kripa
quickly washed her face, making sure the tear stains weren't visible. She
enhanced her beauty, wearing light pink make up, with a hot pink and black
salwar kameez.
As
she stepped down the stairs, her eyes lowered, she heard her father call her.
"Yes Dad"
"Kripa,
go and call Angad from his room, the priest has arrived, he's here, and he's
waiting for you and Angad"
"Ok Dad" she turned herself towards the stairs again, going up the stairs, she
turned right, and knocked on the door, there was no response. Again she knocked
but there was no response.
What
the hell, she thought, I'm not his servant, I'm not waiting for him, and she
barged into his room, whilst he walked out the bathroom stripped to the waist,
with a towel around his waist.
Kripa
became nervous, and turned around to leave when he called "kripa"
"What
is it?" she asked coldly, her back still facing him.
"You
know, you can talk politely for once" he said rubbing the towel on his bare
chest.
"Well,
I don't want to, now get to the point"
He
wore a black shirt with white and silver lines leaving the first three buttons
open "all I wanted to ask is why were you knocking"
Kripa
turned around "you mean to say you were" and shrieked, he was wearing his black
jeans, thank god he still had the towel around his waist. She turned around
once again, embarrassed.
Angad
quickly shoved his jeans on, walking to her, he bent down towards her ear "get
use to it, you'll see more of me after our marriage" he commented
She
turned red with embarrassment "whatever, dads calling you down" and she escaped
the uncomfortable atmosphere.
Downstairs,
the priest had arrived; he sat in front of kripa, whilst kripa was simply stuck
with all the eyes on her. She was just thanking god that Angad hadn't come yet,
when he showed his face with that annoying smirk of his. I swear if he doesn't stop
smirking I'm going to end up killing him kripa thought.
To
her misfortune Angad came and sat right next to her, on the small, beige, two
seated sofa. He lightly nudged kripa, who glared in return.
"What's
your problem" she angrily whispered
"Hmm"
he caught her hands in her lap "nothing, it's just that, you look beautiful,
and I can't help myself"
"Oh
shut up and keep your hands to yourself" she replied pushing his hands away.
"I
don't—"
There
small conversation was interrupted by the priest "The engagement will be five
days from now and then the wedding a week after" he announced.
Angad
grinned with excitement, while kripa felt flabbergasted, she wasn't expecting
it this soon, but now that her father's health had pressurized her, she
couldn't back out.
Kripa
stood at the balcony of the terrace, watching the night sky with prachi
blabbering on about how she just hated it in her dad's company since he was
over protective.
"Kripa,
are you even listening?" she finally asked, seeing a dazed kripa.
"Uh,
well yes"
"Ok
then tell me what did I just say"
"You
were saying that your dad drops you off everywhere and he never leaves you
alone"
"You
weren't listening; I was talking about neev and my dad, where are you lost
madam?"
"Nowhere,
I'm just watching the moon, isn't it beautiful, with the stars accompanying it,
it's just like a mother with her children scattered around her"
"Whoa,
kripa, cool it, aren't you planning children too soon, your not even married
yet"
"Prachi,
I didn't say that, I still don't feel I'm ready, I'm not ready for marriage,
I'm only doing this for my father's sake"
Prachi
probably felt bad for kripa; well that's what kripa could see written on her
face,
A
while later prachi left, her lover boy neev had called for her. Kripa hugged
herself trying hard to suppress the falling tears, when she felt someone wipe
them.
To
her surprise Angad stood besides her with the drops of tears on his forefinger.
"Don't waste these, there precious" he said looking towards the tear.
"You're
the reason for these tears Angad; I told you at the very start I didn't want
marriage"
"trust
me kripa, you wont regret this marriage, I know I've been a fool, and
practically forced you into this marriage but there's something good behind
everything" he turned around and wiped her tears with his thumbs.
Kripa
broke down into his arms, sobbing violently "why Angad, why are men so selfish?
Even you are, your forcing me into something I don't want and now I cant refuse
due to my dad's bad health, why, why does this always happen to me?" she
questioned, while Angad patted her back, comforting her.
A
few minutes later kripa, realized her position, pulling out of his hold, she walked
down the stairs, to her room, giving herself time to suppress her dreams and
desires.
Faiza
Edited by *F^a^i^z^a* - 16 years ago
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