Chapter 22

 

Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam…

Hum rahe na hum, tum rahe na tum…

Part 19(half):

Suddenly all her senses went numb and she felt her nerves getting blocked as the words in the piece of paper registered in her mind. It can't be. No. she wanted to cry but tears didn't came out. What had she done?

'Dear Kripa,

Now that you have fulfilled the condition I have put up before you, its time to fulfill my words. I will send you signed divorce papers by afternoon.

Angad'

She felt a thick clot in her throat and her vision got blurred. Her head felt heavy and she felt that she would collapse this very moment. The images of last night haunted her mind. The way he had touched her, commanded otherwise. This had to be a dream. A nightmare. She felt like her head was being hammered by so many thoughts playing in it at the same time. She caught her head and fell on the bed. Her lips were shivering as her heart cried bitterly in agony. All of a sudden she felt extremely cold. She pulled out the bedsheet and wrapped it around her. She clutched her knees close to her chest and moved back and forth violently. Her first encounter with Angad- their first date- the way he had proposed to her nervously- all the beautiful moments they had spent together replayed in her mind. No, this was not her Angad. Her Angad was lost somewhere. Angad, who used to love her, cherish her. She had to find him. Yes, she will find her Angad back and then they will always live happily ever after. Away from this selfish world and its filthy people. Yes, she repeated to herself and nodded her head furiously as if agreeing to herself.

She got up resolutely from the bed and staggered towards her shelf taking hold of the walls while walking. She took out a coat hastily and wore it. Quickly wearing her boots, she grabbed her car keys and stormed out of the house, not even bothering to lock the door, oblivious of a pair of eyes watching her in wonder. Kripa moved the keys in ignition powerfully, and then wiping off her eyes roughly for a clear vision, she started off the car to reach her destination.

Kripa drove the car in full speed, like a maniac, along the deserted exteriors of newyork. Not bothering about the bumps and digs of countryside roads, nor once did she slowed down her car as the sight of snow covered hills became clearer. Ignoring the dark clouds in sky and the constantly falling temperature, she reached the foot of hills after driving for god knows how long. She continued driving up on the hills taking sharp turn along the curves of hills. The temperature dropped remarkably as she reached higher altitudes, searching for cottages on hills frantically. She finally halted a car in front of a tiny two storey cottage at a vast edge. Clutching her coat closer, she went to its door and knocked on the door heavily, while shivering of cold and lost state of mind. an elderly lady opened the door meekly and gave her questioning looks.

"I am searching for my husband. His name is Angad; he's like really tall and handsome." She said frantically, trying to peep inside.

The woman nodded in no hastily and shut the door on her face. Kripa came back and started driving again, to higher altitudes, may be she will find him this time. The snow flakes started falling on her window as she drove further; the speed of the car became slow due to layers of snow on the road. Then all of a sudden, it came to a halt. Kripa left steering with great difficulty as her hands were literally frozen on it. She opened the door and came out to check the car, profusely shivering now. Her lips had turned blue out of cold and snow flakes have formed in her hair. Taking tiny steps, she kneeled down in front of the back tier and saw it caught up in a puddle of snow. She tried to push it, but she hardly had any strength to do so. She looked around in dismay, when her eyes caught sight of a couple around the turn of road, lost in kissing each other leaning against the hill. The couple turned and smiled at Kripa, before vanishing away. The couple was she, herself, and HER Angad. She looked around the hills and snow as the memories of her honeymoon came rushing back. She heart leapt in content. That is what she was searching for and finally she found it. Her precious memories. Each rock of these hills had witnessed there love. Her lost Angad, her lost love was still breathing life somewhere in these hills. And she will live here from now, till the end of time. She got up and walked to back of her car weakly. Tired and cold, she laid down back seat, clutching herself closely and closed her eyes. Her end was close now, she told herself and went in deep slumber.

On other side of the world, an engine spranged into life as its driver nervously drove off, swearing under his breath.

 

 

 

A strong wave of strong cold wind blew in as she heard a crank sound somewhere close like somebody has opened the door of her car. Suddenly two arms slid under her body and she felt herself being risen up. She tried to shudder in fear and cold but couldn't since her joints and muscles were too frozen up to move. She felt herself being pulled out of her coffin. Her body moved up and down as she heard sound of footsteps. Who the heck was carrying her? She tried opening her eyes but realized that snow flakes had collected on her eyelashes and all she could do now was to make wild guesses. She was pulled out of her coffin, which was her back seat as she had decided to die there, so it has to be her angel. Oh yes she must be dead by now and was being carried by angel to heaven. Finally away from this world, she tried to chuckle but again couldn't as her muscles ached.

She was brought out of her thoughts by another cranking sound, dimmer this time. She felt herself being placed on something warm and comfy. She rubbed her cheek against warm blanket beneath her and smiled, heaven it was. A soft blanket landed on top of her, warming her a lot more. She clutched it tightly, close to her. She felt a pair of warm hands rubbing her toes; she blessed her angel in her mind. She was about to drift in sleep when she felt a hot soft rubber kind of thing against her neck. Her blanket was lifted up and hot thing was slipped in, followed by a voice. "Open your mouth". Kripa recognized the voice instantly. She opened her eyes, which to her surprise opened this time. Seeing a similar figure in front of her, her mouth left a gasp. She looked around to take in the surroundings. She was on the back of a large van, rather ambulance sized, lying on a tiny bed like seat. And the evil man was sitting beside her bed with a bowl in his hand.

"Open your mouth." Angad repeated, placing the spoon at her mouth.

Kripa sealed her lips more tightly in response.

"Kripa, I said open your mouth." Angad said again, trying to keep his cool.

'Don't believe him, Kripa' her mind commanded her and hence, she grunted in reply to him stubbornly and asked, "Who are you?"

"What? I am Angad." He said confusingly.

"No, you are not Angad." She said adamantly.

"Quit being kid Kripa. Shut up and open your mouth or I'll have to force u to." He said irritated now.

Taken aback, Kripa obeyed him reluctantly. Angad fed her hot soup and the effect was instant. She drank rest of the soup readily as Angad fed her patiently. After finishing it off, Kripa pulled out the hot rubber bag and dumped it on Angad's hand. She covered herself with blanket upto face and closed her eyes to sleep.

Only a few minutes later, the voice boomed again disturbing her, "Kripa." Angad called. Kripa peeped out of the blanket and saw Angad sitting at the foot of her tiny bed, pulling himself closer to prevent cold. Angad saw Kripa's questioning eyes and asked, "Kripa there is chilling cold out here. There is only when blanket. Can I share your blanket?" he was cold and Kripa could tell that by his voice.

There was a short pause before Kripa replied clutching her blanket closely," No" and closed her eyes with that short answer. After sometime the voice boomed again, more pleading this time, "Kripa I'll die of cold. Please let me share the blanket."

Kripa liked the 'please' sound in his voice, she would love to hear it again, she concluded before replying, "Nope,"

 "Please Kripa." He said again.

Kripa yawned fakily and pulled blanket over her head.

Suddenly she felt blanket being snatched away. Shocked, she opened her eyes to stare at Angad in anger. Before she could shout at him, he pulled her with force, causing her to fall in arms. The bed was really small and there was no way both of them could lay there. Angad stretched his legs on the small seat cum bed and forced Kripa to lie on him, with her head on his chest. Kripa struggled to get up as Angad stopped her. "What the hell is this? I am not going to allow u to sleep like this mister. I am going out and to hell with this stupid blanket." She retorted angrily trying to get up.

"Shut up Kripa. One more word and I will throw you from the top of the hill and jump right after you." He said threatening her.

Kripa didn't quite like the idea, she thought. She made a pout before closing her eyes again and going to sleep.

Kripa opened her eyes in the middle of dark silent night. Not a single sound was audible in the grave silence apart from very feeble sound of cold waves blowing outside. Feeling much better and normal now, she stretched herself and instantly realized that he had his arms secured around her. Why, oh why did this happen to her? She thought cursing her ill fate. She came all the way to escape this evil man and his cruel games and once again ended in his arms, so that he could insult her again. A tear escaped her eyes unknowingly, and then his voice fell on her ears again, "don't cry Kripa." He said softly.

Kripa looked up only to find him staring down at her with that deceiving expression again. She looked away embarrassed.

"Kripa." He said huskily but Kripa didn't bother to look up.

"I want to say something…" he said again.

"no." Kripa cuts off in between.

She raised her head to look directly into Angad's eyes. "You have said and done enough. Not anymore. Now I want to ask you something. What do you think of me? Am I a toy or what? Once you make me feel as if u still care for me and the very next moment u do something that could even put a devil to shame? You want a divorce right. I was giving u a better gift instead. My death would have solved everything. No, but you butted in here as well. Why the heck are u after my life? What do you want? Just finish it off for once and for all, tell me what do you want?" Kripa said angrily, at him and at her fate.

"I want you." Angad said softly, "I want you. Because I love you."

Kripa stared at him in disbelief. The feel in his eyes was so similar to her Angad's but then again, she cannot afford to be deceived once again.

"I don't believe you." Kripa said looking down.

"Why?" Angad asked hurt.

"Because I know you will hurt me again. Its your habit now." She said meekly.

Angad cupped her face and forced her to look up, "no Kripa. I won't hurt you. I can never hurt you. I am really sorry for what I did. I know I was an idiot. But after making love to you, I realized u were drunk. I thought u did it on intention so that it will become easy for you to bear my touch. I thought u did it for divorce." He said trying to make her understand.

Kripa tried to look away because she knew she will be melted again by his looks.

"There is no use of it now. We are over." Kripa said trying to remove his hand from her face.

Angad tightened his grip on her face and brought her face close, pain and rage evident on his face. "We are not over Kripa. You are mine and I will not let u leave me now. I came here just to have you back and I am not going to lose this time Kripa. You are and u will always be mine."

Kripa stared at him dazed as his words sunk in. He came back for her. Angad pulled her face closer and kiss her lips softly. Kripa allowed him to deepen it as there mouth toyed and tortured each other longingly. Angad hushed another sorry between the kiss.

Kripa, with her head rested against Angad chest, played with his fingers, tangling and untangling them with her fingers. There was so much she wanted to ask, to know and to tell but she couldn't frame out the words, till Angad came to her rescue, "what are you thinking about Kripa?" he asked playing with strands of her hair. Kripa let out a small sigh before speaking, "Nah nothing. You remember once jerry mentioned about no. of girls you dated. I was just wondering if it was true or not."

Angad laughed at her possessiveness, he liked it he realized. "I won't lie. I dated many women, tried to fall in love with them so that I could forget you. But I failed. None of them were even close to you. The warmth and love you gave me always made me find fault with there coldness. I failed to forget you and I had to return. I am sorry."

It was fifth time that Angad apologized to her, Kripa thought with amusement. She liked the way he did it. "Rajeev had said a similar thing once." She said.

"He is a man, so he understands what the needs of a man are." Angad replied smiling.

"How did you get here?" Kripa asked suddenly remembering that he didn't know her whereabouts, so how come………

"Oh after I left your house, I realized that I had done a big mistake by interpreting your intentions without talking you. So I called you up, but no body picked it up. And knowing the kind of emotional fool you are, I was scared out of my wits for you. So I had to return. You were not in your home and room was a mess. Your land lady, god bless that woman, informed me that she had seen you drive away to opposite side in shaken state. God, I quickly hired this thing and asked lady to put something hot in the van to eat and wrap. Not to mention the couple of cottages where I enquired about a maniac driving in this direction."

Kripa laughed again. His presence of mind had always impressed her. she buried her head inside his jacket again and whispered shyly, "I want to go to our home Angad."

Angad smiled and kissed her forehead, "we will Kripa…we will"

Phew…yay last prt!!!!! I hav a finale/epilogue left now. But in case I cudnt post it let it be the end lol. Hope u enjoyed it. And yess plz comment coz I will love to hear from each and everyone of you, silent readers included, what u thought of this ff………………

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