Chapter 12

12

After Kripa closed the door, she walked away, still thinking about whatever had just happened. She knew she had done the right thing. After all, Simon was very important to her. Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt guilty. For what? She didnt know. Yet the feeling stayed. After a few times of pacing around the room, she bit her lip and ran back to the door. She had to stop Angad.

She quickly opened the door. "Angad!" She screamed but then her breaths stopped when she saw Simon standing in front of her. Between her and Angad. The shock was so evident on her face that it ran all the across Simon's as well. "Simon.." She straightened her back and walked to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Why? You were expecting someone else?" She looked down and then gave a side glance to Angad. Simon took Kripa's hand in his, to her surprise, and looked at Angad. "Kripa and I have to talk about something really important Angad. We'll see you tomorrow? At the venue?" The smile on his face was so sarcastic, anyone would have been offended. But Angad kept his eyes on Kripa as he nodded his head and walked away.

Kripa sat on her couch, her head in her hand, as Simon paced back and forth in front of her. This reminded her of her parents when she had told them about Angad. She remembered sitting in the same position on her couch as her dad paced around the living room carpet. Her mom was nowhere to be found. Perhaps, she was too disappointed to talk to Kripa.

"I am very disappointed in you, Kripa." Her father had said. But she had never understood why. She had told them that she wanted to be a model two years ago and this whole drama was created. But they had finally agreed to let her go ahead with it. When she had told them about her modelling assignment, they had done the same but still agreed to let her go because it was only for a month. But when she had told them about Angad, they had suddenly become "disappointed". " Why daddy?" She questioned her father.

"So.." Simon brought her back to reality. "Why was he here, Kripa?" She looked at him as she moved her head out of her hands. "He wanted to talk..."

"About?"

"I dont know..." He rolled his eyes and sat down next to her. "kripa..am I missing something here? Have I done something wrong?" She looked at him with surprise. "No..why do you think so?" She took his face in her hands and scrunched her forehead. "Because whenever you seem upset, you dont tell me why. Even today, I know something happened between Angad and you before I came here. Why dont you just tell me?"

"Theres nothing to say, Simon, really!"

"Kripa..I heard everything you told Angad at the door."

"Yea..what did you hear?"

"Everything you said..about him..about me..about us. I know you care, Kripa. I want you to know I care a lot too." She smiled at his words. He was so sweet. He wrinkled her nose and pulled his face closer and quickly kissed his lips. When she let go, Simon looked into her eyes with this look that said so many things. She saw care and trust. But more than anything, she saw a hint of love that she had never seen. Had he fallen in love with her? She didnt know. Maybe she didnt want to know yet. Because she didnt know if she was in love with him yet.

Simon slowly took her face in his hands and brushed the hair off her face. "Kripa Sharma...I think I'm falling in love with you." Her smile didnt disappear even though that was the last thing she wanted to hear. She brought him closer and kissed his cheek. He smiled again and pulled her into a hug. She closed her eyes and hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder and neck. "Simon..can we just get out of here for a while?" He pulled away and looked at her with a smile and a nod.

Angad sat on top of the front of his car, parked by the edge of the cliff. He grabbed his sixth bottle of bear and chugged it down his throat. He had two other bottles before he had gone to meet Kripa. Yes, he was drunk but somehow his words had come straight from his heart. He suddenly took the last bottle of beer and smashed it on the ground. Then exhaling this sigh, he rested back on his car. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember his first night with Kripa. The way he had carried her in his arms and placed her so closed to him. The way he had kissed her neck, causing her to surrender herself in his arms and then kiss him back the same way. He could feel her like she was right there in his arms right now. He opened his eyes and reality hit him again. Everything was lost now. That feeling, Kripa, his love for her...everything was lost...

Kripa, as usual, walked in to the rehearsels right on time. Not a minute before, not after. When she did, the designer gathered all the models and gave directions to walking down the ramp. Thats when Kripa realized that Angad was missing. After the directions were given out, Kripa waited for her directions. "Ok, Kripa. This is how it goes. You walk out there alone and you'll be followed by Sahil for the finale."

"Sahil? But I thought it was going to be Angad..I mean Sahil is just a replacement right?"

"Replacement? No, Kripa, Sahil is the lead!"

"But Angad cant.."

"No, he cant. Because Angad Khanna wont be working with us anymore!" Kripa's mouth dropped open. Why? Was it because of whatever had happened between them last night? Well, okay it was pretty big. But she didnt want him to leave his job, his career. It was the main reason they were apart today. And she knew that without her AND his career, he'd fall apart. She had to get him back to the fashion week. Because she clearly knew that once word was out that Angad had broken the rules of contract, he would never get any assignments ever again. She had to do something.

Before she drove back home that night, she decided to drop by Angad's apartment. She walked up the stairs when she saw a doctor coming out of Angad's apartment. Suddenly Kripa stopped him and decided to ask what was wrong. "Doctor, excuse me. Um..what happened?"

"You are?"

"Um..I'm Angad's friend." She smiled uncomfortably at the thought of being his "friend". "Oh..okay. Well, he was pretty drunk last night so he met with an accident when he was driving under the influence. He's really injured and well...take care of him." The doctor placed an arm on Kripa's shoulder to console her and then left.

Before the door could close, Kripa quickly slipped into the apartment. Holding her breath in, she walked towards the room. When she got there, he was sleeping with his eyes closed. His head was bandaged with a million strips of white. His left hand was fratured and you could still see a few blood spots on his bandaged head.

When Angad opened his eyes on hearing her footsteps, he attempted to get up, moaning in pain instead. Seeing him suffer, she ran up to him and instantly hugged him. Angad froze at her touch, not understanding what this hug meant. After she felt his body shudder, she suddenly let go, realizing the awkwardness of the moment. "Kripa I..."

"Angad, why did you just leave like that? I mean, you know this could mean the end of your career right?"

"What else could I do, Kripa? Face you after everything I did last night? I dont think so..."

Silence. No one said anything. "Well. I just think you should consider going back to the fashion week, Angad. We need you there." She placed her hand on his, completely putting him in an awkward position. But he didnt move. "Bye Angad. I hope you think about it." She smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek quickly and walked away as Angad sat there, without any expression on his face.

Kripa walked up the flight of stairs to her house and pushed the key in without even looking. It was dark outside and she really didnt need any light to get in. When she walked in, the lights of her went on. She suddenly caught her breath when she saw Simon standing in front of her with a look of either anger or disappointment. "Oh god! Its just you." Kripa sighed and walked towards the staircase when Simon grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. "Where were you?"

"What?" Kripa looked at him with the deepest shock possible. It wasnt like Simon to be this possessive. "Why? Why wont you just tell me whats up in your life?" Kripa tried to pull away, trying not to look in his eyes. "Youre being silly Simon. Let go of me." Suddenly he let go and grabbed her face. "Kripa..last night, I told you that I love you and you didnt say it back. I didnt say anything because I know you care..about me, about us. Then why is it that I'm a stranger to your personal life?"

"Simon? You are my personal life!"

"Ok. Then tell me where you were." She didnt know what to say. "Ok, so you were with Angad?" How did he know? Kripa moved back a little but Simon didnt let go. "I told you yesterday that I dont want you to meet him. Then why Kripa?" She didnt say anything. Yes, he had asked her to stay away from Angad. But she hadnt and she didnt know why.

"Tell me why!!" When he yelled, her heart beat raced and she blurted out. "Because I love him!!!" Suddenly she looked away when she realized what she had said. Not only had she blurted it out, she had just come to the realization that yes, she was still in love with Angad. And that no matter how hard she tried, she couldnt stay away from him.

She looked at Simon now. There was this smile on his face, as if he sensed a betrayal. Kripa suddenly turned around and ran upstairs.

Kripa locked herself in her bathroom and stood in front of her mirror. She looked at herself for a few seconds. Noticed a change in her eyes. She wasnt The Kripa Sharma at this instant. She was Kripa. That young girl who had fallen in love with the perfect guy. Just at the wrong time and she still suffered the consequences today. She remembered all those moments she had spent with Angad 10 years ago. Those innocent moments of laughter and those intimate moments of pleasure. She wanted those days back. The days when she could sleep in his arms and dream about her future. Their future. Together. She saw those tears flow again. It had been a long time and she let herself go now....