RAGNA SS: FOR LOVE OR LEGACY?chappy 12 updated on page 57(27/10/16) - Page 2

plez update soon..😃

All this and you're askin if to continue?! Get cracking with next update ;)

Always ready to read Ragna stories and that too by you! You write so well and have such b'ful command over the language.

thanku guys for your encouragement

Omg marvelous update too good Stella u did it lively how rag trying t stop her n kalpi answering back awesome can't wait for next

GUYS It's Starting to Get a Bit Confusing EVEN I AM CONFUSED AT MY WORK LOL

NO NEED TO READ CHAPPY 1

CHAPTER-1

Raghav Singhania slammed the door of his black Bugatti Veyron and stepped onto the sun baked Boston sidewalk without giving the million-dollar vehicle a backward glance. The joy of owning it was dead along with his desire to answer the incessant ring of the cell phone he'd ignored since yesterday. Rather than turning it off, he'd muffled the noise by burying the device deep within a coat pocket, maintaining the connection to his life like a distant beacon.

Despite the oppressive heat, he paused at the bottom stair of his old brownstone. There was nothing spectacular about it, outside of its location near the upbeat Newbury Street. If he remembered correctly, its rooms were small and the main staircase had a creak that he never did get around to fixing. It was nothing like the sprawling mansions he now owned in various countries around the world.

But it was the closest thing he had to a home.

His phone rang with a tone he couldn't ignore. sammy. His second in command would simply call again, killing whatever chance Raghav had of finding a moment of peace inside those brick walls. "Singhania " he barked into the phone.

"Raghav, glad I caught you," sammar Raizada said smoothly, as if he hadn't unsuccessfully rung twenty times in the last two days. That was sammy, calm and professional, even in the storm of hostile takeovers. Nothing fazed the man.

Normally,Raghav appreciated his even temper, but today it grated on him. Maybe the forty or so hours without sleep were beginning to catch up with him. He fought an impulse to toss his phone over the metal railing. The world wasn't the orderly, rational place sammy liked to organize it into. It was messy. It was ugly. And, most recently, it lacked justice.

"How is Boston?"

The inane question almost sent Raghav over the edge. "How do you think?"

It was probably too much to hope that Sammy's uncharacteristic silence signaled an end to a conversation Raghav wished he had avoided.

"We need to discuss the China contract. The Minister of Commerce is expecting to meet with you tomorrow to cement the details. This is your dream, Raghav. By next week, Singhania Enterprises will be a major global player. What do you want me to tell the minister?"

"I don't know," Raghav said wearily.

Sammy made a sound somewhere between a choke and a cough, then was speechless"a revealing response for a man who handled irate international diplomats without missing a step. He was the fixer and navigated the unexpected with ease. Until now.

Poor Sammy. Nothing in their shared history had prepared either of them for Raghav's sudden desire to withdraw from the world. The creators of financial empires didn't take sudden vacations and they most certainly didn't hide, especially not after having laid the groundwork for the single greatest business venture of the century.

"Sammy, I need to drop off the radar for about a week. Why don't you take over the China contract?"

"Okay . . ." Sammy said awkwardly. In another situation, Sammy's loss of composure would have been amusing.

"Can you handle it or not?" Raghav challenged. He could barely think past the throbbing of his headache.

Maybe coming to Boston was a mistake. It had been here, at seventeen, that he'd walked away from his inheritance and waited tables to fund the search for his mother. Here, in this very brownstone, that he'd cultivated a hatred for a father who had denied both involvement and interest in the disappearance of his wife.

Sammy's voice slammed Raghav back into the present. "No problem. I've followed the progress you've made with the Chinese investment Promotion Agency. They're eager. I'll clear my schedule and cover yours. Celia will forward all of your calls to me until further notice."

"Good."

"Rag..." Sammy hesitated. "It's normal to need time to grieve. You just lost your father."

A harsh laugh escaped Raghav. "Trust me, I'm not grieving his loss." He leaned a hip on the metal railing and looked up at the building he had instinctively returned to, searching for the man he'd once been and hoping to find something there that would shake off the immobilizing apathy he felt for all he had done since"high expectations for brick and antique wallpaper.

Sammy said, "That's what worries me. No matter what your plans were or what he once did to you, he's gone now. You've got to let it go."

sammy was asking the impossible. Of course the past mattered. Sometimes it was the only thing that did. "Just do your job, sammy. If you can't handle it, tell me and I'll promote Prem to help you."

For the second time since they had met at Harvard, sammy lost his temper. "That's bullshit, Raghav. You want to send Prem to China? Send him. You're absolutely right"you've made me a very rich man. I don't need this. But heed my warning: you won't be a billionaire for long if we both step away from the helm. A lot is riding on this contract. The lawsuits alone will freeze your assets if you screw this up. You invested too much of your own and you're playing with the big boys now. Governments are not very forgiving when it comes to last minute walk outs."

The speech should have shaken Raghav, but it barely breached the numbness that had

settled in since he'd received the phone call from his father's lawyer. What did all the money matter anyway? He'd wasted fifteen years amassing an empire that would allow him to throw down a forced buy out contract on his father's enormous mahogany desk. Raghav should have taken action years ago, but no level of prior success had felt like enough. He'd choreographed the day from both sides, building his company while undermining his father's, always working toward that one absolute win. Raghav had counted on his father's desperation finally forcing him to confess what had actually happened to his mother.

It was that loss he mourned today. In its place was a carefully orchestrated set of instructions from his father's lawyer. No, it wasn't enough to simply disinherit his only son"Mohit Singhania had also included provisions in his will to ensure that Raghav had to attend the reading. He'd used Raghav's one weakness, his

one regret, to reaffirm his control, even from the grave.

Sammy coughed, reminding Raghav that a response was required. What could he say? As usual, Sammy was correct in his assessment of the situation. Raghav had used his own wealth as well as that of his investors to back this venture. The risk had seemed worth it. The government contract would crack China's software market wide open for them while their global influence would double exponentially. It was a daring move that, if carefully implemented, could put RS Enterprises on a stratosphere of power few companies ever acquired"a goal that a week ago had seemed imperative.

Sammy could handle the negotiations. Raghav had always been the one to charge forward, shaking the situation up and clearing the way. This time would be no different. Sammy would merely take over a few documents earlier this time. Priestly was good at the local level, but he was no Sammy .

"One week, Sammy ." It was the closest to an apology Raghav was able to get out. He hoped it was enough.

Sounding more like an older brother than a business associate, Sammy said, "Take two weeks if you need it. Just get your head together. I can wrap up the China contract, but it'll need your final signature and your presence. I'll do a press release today and ask the media to respect your need to mourn in private; that should give you at least a few days before they descend."

"Call Mr.Kapoor ." The man owes me a few favors.

"Do you mean the Sahil Kapoor? I thought he'd retired."

Ah, there is the real difference between us. By not fighting in the trenches of financial warfare, sammy's business associations had remained above reproach, but he lacked the backdoor connections to those seemingly innocuous individuals who wielded real international influence.

Raghav casually gave Sammy a number that many would have paid a small fortune to dial just once. "Men like Sahil don't retire, they delegate from warmer climates. Tell him I don't even want a good spin on this. It's non-news. He'll understand."

Sammy whistled softly in appreciation. "Is there anyone you don't know?"

"Yes, you if you call me again today."

Sammy laughed, but they both knew it hadn't been a joke. "Do yourself a favor,Raghav . . ." Sammy continued in an unusually authoritative tone.

What now? Raghav sighed.

"Put down the Jack for a night and atleast now try to pick up one of those models you like to date. You'll sleep better."

"Shut up Sammy...no place for any relationship in my life "

Raghav gave a noncommittal grunt and hung up..

CHAPTER-2

Arms full of bed linens, Kalpana Jadhav froze at the click of the front door opening. Darn it. She couldn't get caught here, especially in an oversized shirt and jeans instead of her sister's maid uniform. Priya needs this job. Cleaning the brownstone of a man who never actually occupied it had sounded like a relatively simple, Kalpi annoying, way to help her sister remain employed.

"Do not let anyone see you," Priya had pleaded between the fits of sneezes that had accompanied her low, but persistent fever. "They'll fire me in a second if they find out you went in my place."

"Can't you just call in?" Kalpi remembered suggesting hopefully.

"I already used my two allowed sick days for Pari." And then the tears had come.

A year ago, Kalpi would have let her sister add this lost job to the long string of employment she'd already tried and failed at and would have covered her expenses until she found a new job. They'd been through this cycle countless times, resulting only in Priya resenting Kalpi more with each passing year. The closeness they'd shared before the death of their parents was a distant, surreal memory.

Kalpi had considered asking Priya to move out, hoping that some separation would give the independence she said she wanted, but that was before she'd held her new niece in her arms.

It wasn't just about Priya anymore. Pari deserved a mother with a stable career and Priya was so close to having one. She was one semester from finishing her administrative assistant courses.

Even when Pari's father died , Priya hadn't crumbled.For the first time since they'd received the news of the accident that had claimed the lives of both their parents, Priya wasn't hiding from her responsibilities.

Pari had changed that, too. It wasn't Priya 's fault she'd caught the flu. Half the city seemed to be either recovering from it or succumbing to it. More importantly, it had been a long time since Priya had actually requested help, rather than merely grudgingly accepting it. Kalpi didn't want to put too much significance on such a miniscule connection, but she couldn't shake the hope that things could get better between them.

Her first impression of him as he stood in the entrance, unaware of her existence, was that he looked more tired than a man his age should.His expensive suit did nothing to conceal the slump of his wide shoulders.

According to Priya , he'd paid to have the brownstone cleaned on a weekly basis, but hadn't actually been there in over a decade. Something had brought him back and whatever it was, it had steamrolled right over him.

He looked up and through her as he crossed the foyer. "You can go now."

She considered following his weary command, but something held her immobile.

"Are you deaf? I said you can leave. Finish whatever you're doing tomorrow."

Mr. Armani sounded like an overtired child, although she was fairly certain he wouldn't appreciate the comparison. The wisest choice of action would have been to do as he said and leave before he had a chance to question her attire, but she couldn't.

He didn't look like someone who should be alone. Was she simply projecting? Her friends often accused her of seeing good where there was none, but that was a hazard of her job. To be an effective school teacher, one had to see beyond the bravado. Kalpi taught English to non-native speakers, so she was often employed in the toughest schools in the city. She was used to defusing misdirected anger. Profanity was a cry for help. Harsh words often hid fear. Her patience paid off. Students returned, year after year, to thank her for believing in them. For some, she knew she'd been the only one who had. But this wasn't her classroom and, in reality, she had no idea who this man was. She could almost hear Priya's voice telling her some things were simply not her business and she'd be right. This man wouldn't welcome her nurturing any more than her sister did, but that didn't stop Kalpi's heart from going out to him. She put the sheets on a table on one side of the hallway and said, "There are fresh towels upstairs. Why don't you go take a shower and I'll get some basic groceries from the corner store for you."

His back straightened and she caught her breath, reeling from the full impact of his attention. . His CHOCLATE BROWNeyes raked over her, flashing with irritation and then something else. He cut the distance between them in a few short strides. A hint of alcohol reached her as he stopped mere inches from her. She tipped her head back to look up at him.

"Did Sammy send you that idiot?" he asked as he assessed her. "You don't look like a model and just get out ."

She blinked a few times in surprise as some of her sympathy for him faded. "And you don't smell like a man who should be wearing an Armani, but I wasn't going to mention it," she answered in a huff.

Her words must have stirred something in him; his shoulders squared and his eyes narrowed. This was a man who was not accustomed to people speaking back to him, but if he was trying to intimidate her, his nearness was creating the entirely wrong reaction in her body.

"I didn't say you were unattractive," he growled. "You're just not reed thin like model.That's it."

She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows in a silent challenge. Time suspended as their standoff continued. His look of annoyance was steeped with an expectation that she should try to appease him some way. She simply met his glare with her own, giving him time to replay his choice of words in his mind. He looked away first, a slight flush reddening his neck

"Okay, that came out wrong." He ran a frustrated hand through his thick black hair, leaving it slightly awry and sexier . . . if that were even possible. He was already a twelve or thirteen on her one to ten scale, even after she deducted a few points for lack of social skills

"I wasn't quite that harsh." The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement. "Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked, somehow making the question sound more curious than pompous. Perhaps his tragedy had brought him a bit of notoriety, but kalpana wasn't one to watch much TV and, as usual, Priya had given her just the information she absolutely needed in a brief, stilted conversation that typified how strained their relationship had become.

"I'm hoping you're the man who owns this brownstone, otherwise I'm going to get in trouble for letting you in," she said with some forced humor.

He didn't laugh. "You really don't know, do you?" His question sounded oddly hopeful. Kalpi shrugged, but the hairs on the back of her neck tingled. What kind of man was relieved not to be recognized?

A criminal.

Crap.

Nice clothes meant nothing. His suit might have become disheveled during a tussle with the actual owner of it. She shook her head at the thought. "You do own the place, don't you?"

At his lack of a response, she scanned the area for something to toss at him if she needed to dash for the door. The closest object was a large, brass lamp. If he made any fast moves . . . All coherent thought fled when he smiled down at her while lightly running his hands up both of her arms. "Yes, I'm the owner."

Her heart really shouldn't be pounding in her chest just because the man was preparing to her if she attacked him with deadly, brass force.

"Before you clock me, would you like to see my license?" he asked while his thumb traced the edge of her collarbone rhythmically. Hypnotically. "Would you?" he prompted in response to her silence.

"Yes," she said breathlessly, unable to concentrate on anything beyond the way her body was responding to his touch. Her skin burned beneath his light caress. Her stomach quivered with an anticipation she had previously only read about. Her state of arousal was not lost on the man towering above her and the answering pleasure in his eyes shook her out of her daze. She stepped back, away from his touch and gave herself a mental shake. This kind of passion had no place in the life she'd built for herself. "I mean no. No, I believe you. You were right. I should go. I can finish everythin tomorrow."

His lids lowered slightly, making his expression unreadable. "Do you know what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"No," she croaked.

"I'm starving and I hate to eat alone. I'd be grateful if you joined me for a meal."

That wouldn't be wise. There were at least a hundred, maybe a thousand, reasons why she should leave now before she made a fool of herself. She couldn't even blame the sadness in his eyes, because the exhausted man of earlier had been replaced by a virile male who knew exactly how to get what he wanted"and right now he wanted her to talk or to share something!.

Every sensible cell in her body urged her to turn tail and run, but wasn't that what she always did when life offered her something she considered too good to be true? She chose safety and certainty over less reliable dreams and desires.

Just this once she wanted to sample what she'd been missing. Just this once she wouldn't run. Well, not immediately, anyway.

She'd share a meal with the near god before her, enjoy the way he made her skin tingle with just a look, and leave before anything happened. He wouldn't have to eat alone and she could have an hour or so of pretending any of this was real.

"Any problems with Chinese?" she asked as she mentally reviewed the local places she knew would deliver.

The question seemed to jolt him. "Chinese what?"

"Food?" she added helpfully.

"Oh," he visibly relaxed. "Takeout."

"Yes, there is a good place right around the corner that I know delivers"unless you'd like me to try to find something else."

"No." He shook his head at some private joke. "Sorry, for a minute there I forgot." Hands in his pockets, he rocked back on his heels, still looking highly amused by his thoughts.

"Forgot what?" she couldn't help but ask.

He handed her far too much money, no matter what she ordered. "Order some food while I take a shower." His knock-'em-dead sex appeal returned as he chuckled and sauntered away, tossing over his shoulder, "I've heard I need one."

Kalpi fanned her red face with the bills as she watched him climb the stairs two at a time.Not quite shaking herself free of the mental image of Mr. Armani , kalpi went in search of her purse and cell phone.

.

Luckily it was unlikely that she would ever see him again after today. They would share one quick meal and then she'd head back to Priya and reality.Back to the quiet, predictable life she'd built for herself.That thought held less appeal than usual.

The hot shower he'd taken in a bathroom that could easily have fit into one of the closets at any number of his other homes, had been invigorating and brief. As he toweled dry, he fought off teenage-like excitement. His blood surged each time he wondered what that grl was doing"about every ten seconds or so.

She was lushly rounded in the places women were meant to be round. Her dusky complexion, devoid of makeup and her long silky hair which had escaped her attempt to bind them back, added to the guilelessness of her image. Nothing about her should have floored him, but when she'd pinned him down with those dark dovey eyes, he'd almost stopped breathing.

She looked innocent and wholesome,too innocent, though, if the fire that leapt into her eyes at his approach was any indication. Would she stay the night or leave while he was freshening up? The uncertainty was a novel and somewhat unpleasant experience for him. He ran an impatient comb through his hair, threw on khaki slacks, a white cotton button-down shirt, and forced himself to walk calmly rather than bolt back downstairs to check if she was still there.

He knew he was attractive, but it had been a long time since a woman had looked through his reputation and wealth and had seen him. Not only had she been unimpressed by his expensive clothing, she'd actually taken him to task for his behavior. Outside of Sammy's recent outburst, he couldn't remember the last person who had.

And he liked it. The woman downstairs either had no idea who he was or she was using this pretense to heighten his interest in her. Either way, it was working.

He forced himself to take the stairs one at a time. Tonight was not about rushing. No, he intended to savor every moment and every inch of his ponytailed brunette.

***********************

She was kneeling on a cushion next to his old marble coffee table, opening takeout containers. At his approach, she looked up and for a moment appeared to reconsider her decision to stay. She stood quickly, but held her ground as he came to a deliberately close stop.

Damn, she smelled good.

Her eyes widened and darkened, exactly as he had predicted they would. He hoped her acquiescence wouldn't come too easily. It was probably nothing more than the thrill of a good chase that had him feeling alive for the first time in days. However, with little or no effort, this woman had done what an entire bottle of Jack Daniels had failed to do the night before: she'd silenced the questions that had been thrashing around his head relentlessly.

She pointed toward the informal meal before them. "Is this okay?"

The table was set with two glasses of water and the paper plates the restaurant had sent. He spoke before he weighed his words. "I don't think I've ever eaten on the floor."

She turned away and started to gather the boxes. "I thought so. A man like you would want to eat at the dining room table. I can move""

He grabbed her arm to stop her from retrieving another container from the coffee table. "I didn't say I wouldn't like it. I just said I hadn't done it." Touching her felt good, too good. He slowly released her arm and took the boxes from her, replacing them on the table. "Sit," he ordered.

Her eyebrows flew up in surprise. "Do people always do what you tell them to?" she asked without sitting.

"Usually," he answered with an unrepentant, wide grin.

Fire flashed in those dovey eyes. "I'm not sure I like you."

A jab of excitement shot through him. "I'm not sure you have to."

Their eyes met and there was no hiding the attraction sizzling between them. She looked away first, busying herself by settling back onto her cushion and carefully opening a pair of chopsticks. He knelt on his own cushion without taking his eyes off her. When she reached for one of the boxes, an odd anticipation filled him. He knew next to nothing about her, but her preferences mattered to him.

Next to nothing? he chided himself. Hell, he didn't even know her name. He'd avoided asking for the same reason he hadn't offered his own. Just for tonight, he didn't want the outside world to intrude "Thank you," he said simply.

Her hand jerked and she almost dropped the sweet and sour chicken she was spooning onto her plate. At the last second, she righted the box and placed it back on the table with a shaky hand. "For what?"

He waited till she looked back up at him before he answered. "For staying."

She cocked her head to one side and said quietly, "You looked like you needed someone to talk to."

"Talk?" he scoffed.

He gave her his best suggestive smile. "Is that really what you think I need?"

Completely unexpectedly, she mocked instead of melted. "Wait. Don't tell me. You don't do that, either." He couldn't help it. He laughed. She had a dry wit that tickled his sense of humor"Thank you," he said simply.

Her hand jerked and she almost dropped the sweet and sour chicken she was spooning onto her plate. At the last second, she righted the box and placed it back on the table with a shaky hand. "For what?"

He waited till she looked back up at him before he answered. "For staying."

She cocked her head to one side and said quietly, "You looked like you needed someone to talk to."

Completely unexpectedly, she mocked instead of melted. "Wait. Don't tell me. You don't do that, either."

He couldn't help it. He laughed. She had a dry wit that tickled his sense of humor. clingy?

"You're nothing like the other women who used to go gaga over me ," he said spontaneously. As she started to sputter a response, he spoke over her. "In a good way."

She groaned and looked away. "Let's not go there again."

He leaned over the table to cup her chin lightly with a finger, raising it until she looked at him again. "Obviously my charm is rusty." He ran his thumb lightly over her lips, watched them part instinctively "I'm trying to tell you that I find you very attractive."

Swallowing nervously, she pulled her chin out of his grasp. In a dismissive manner, she picked up her chopsticks again. "If you want anything more than companionship over a meal, you've asked the wrong woman," she said and quickly filled her mouth with rice as he digested her comment.

He sat back on his heels. "So prim and proper. Do you start all of your dates with such declarations?"

Between deliberately casual bites of food, she said, "This isn't a date."

"It could be."

She choked on her food and reached for her glass of water. After a few gulps, she stood and said, "This was a mistake."

He quickly stood and blocked her exit. He felt her breath quicken. "Tell me I'm not crazy.

Tell me you're just as tempted." He pulled her slowly toward him, until her body was flush against his. . For a moment, she remained unresponsive, frozen in his arms.

"Stay tonight," he whispered into her neck. "If I had known that my maid was this sexy, I would have come back to Boston a long time ago."

He was about to kiss

She pulled back so abruptly that he dropped his arms.

"Crap," she said and continued to back away from him.

He reached for her again, but she evaded him this time. Whatever connection they'd shared had clearly been broken by his mention of her career. He scolded himself for stupidly mentioning it.

"I have to go," she sidestepped a wide circle around him, trying to get to the door before him.

"Stay. I know this is crazy.."

"Dating the help?" she suggested, her tone full of the judgment it had held earlier.

"Yes, but only because I never wanted to put anyone in an awkward position . . ." He acknowledged the irony of his words as he tried to get between her and the door. Somehow this was different. She was different.

"How nice of you," she spoke over him.

"I don't care that you're a maid. It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

He blocked her exit. She couldn't leave. Not like this.

"Stay."

"I can't. I really have to go."

"That's not what you want."

"What I want is for you to stop blocking the door," she declared.

His hands fell to his side and he stepped out of her way. She brushed past him and into the main foyer without so much as a glance back. Her voice sounded more flustered than angry. "I told you that I had stayed to share a meal with you, nothing more."

Her attraction to him hadn't been in his imagination

"Would you stay for ten thousand dollars?" he asked.

He felt a stab of disappointment when she stopped before opening the door and turned back to face him. "Do you think I'm for sale?"

He hoped not.

"How about a hundred thousand?" He forced the words out.

"Is it because I'm a maid that you think you can talk to me this way?" Her hands were back on her hips, eyes flashing with fury, which only made her more beautiful.

The final test. "You're a shrewd bargainer. A million.See I don't know how to handle women and T never offered anyone that amount of money, but I suspect I won't regret tonight."

She opened the door with one hand and said, "You're a pig, an egotistical pig. If you even have a million dollars, I suggest you roll it up and stick it up your"" the last word was lost beneath the sound of the door slamming behind her.

He had a pretty good idea where she'd suggested he put it.

His chuckle blossomed into a full, hearty laugh until he was wiping wetness from around his eyes. The release of tension felt good. Damn, that is one incredible woman. Looking back over the evening, he gave into more laughter as he settled back onto one of the cushions by the coffee table and filled his plate with fried rice.

She'd be back.

He'd make sure of that.

The sound of that big oaf laughing made Kalpi want to reopen the door and throw a shoe at his smug face. She didn't though. Instead, she made herself breathe deeply as she descended the stone stairs. A large part of her job consisted of extolling the virtues of nonviolent responses to conflict. Mr. Armani evoked a strong rebuttal to that philosophy. He'd actually offered her money like a common prostitute. What kind of man does that? The kind of man, she reminded herself, who looked like he slept in his car when he left bars.

The man was an arrogant ass. A big, gorgeous, arrogant ass.

PS:BE FRANK GUYS PLEASE LET ME KNOW If YOU FIND IT BORING /CRAP

Whoa ! Wat an update !!! Loved the clash of wills between Raghav n Kalpi . Both are attracted to each other and that surprises them . Marvellous description dear and I am waiting very very impatiently for the next chappie n how Raghav gets her back in his home !!! Fabulous !!!!!!

I like it

Heyaa... ok... I was just having trouble reading part 1.. thanks to my poor Vocab.. or my grand ignorant attitude towards buisiness talks... and Second part being ragna.. and hot as well.. I Loved it! I was sooo enjoying it... that attraction which had to be tested for Million Bucks...!!! and Yet... Be success.. that is be rejected By Kalpi.. was just amazzing... lets see what does this one have more in store.. Congrats on new story ka updates!!! ...