The engine growled in the background disturbing the pin-drop silence on the bus. Most on board were asleep and the two that were not could not and did not want to communicate. Besides, Angad and Kripa had no idea the other was awake anyway. After the packing, they had decided to make a move to get back straight away and this bus had been hired for close charity members.Angad was sitting far back on the bus with mixed emotions. He thought he should be happy but the thought that Kripa did not remember what happened upset him rather than relieve him. The innocent statement that had escaped her lips last night still echoed in his ears "But you have made me drink before!" only to bring back the a weathered batch of old memories. Meanwhile, Kripa sat nearer to the front as she continued to try to recollect what had happened the other night- Angad had seemed so secretive meaning that something must have happened. She closed her eyes and put her fingers at the corner of each eye to delve deeper into the treasure house of memories inside her but every time she tried, Angad's image resurfaced in her eyes, and he looked as if he was about to kiss her! Ughh, it was all his fault! If it was not for him, she wouldn't be so curious to know what had happened and she might remember something instead of his face! Then a ghost of a smile surfaced on her face as she remembered Mishty's face when she had told her the 'bad' news. At least Mishty won't be here or with Angad as he was on this bus and she was not a charity member so she couldn't get on. Ek teer se do nishan- she did not have to go back with just Angad and Mishty will not be wrapped aroung his arm like cling film either. A frown then took it's place. Why am I so jealous of Mishty? What right do I have now to get in their way? Of course she knew the answer but still played dumb in her mind to her own turmoil of emotions. The movement of the bus had now almost become rhythmic to the two and so they soon fell into an inconstant slumber'
It had been a week since the party and everyone had returned to their everyday routines. Angad was running out of ways to get near Kripa but had to get back to work for the meanwhile. A heavy load of work awaited him at his desk and despite being the boss, he knew he couldn't just pass the work on to someone as nobody can do these things better than himself. What could he do? The blackmailers were not just satisfied to making his life hell in general but they demanded money as well. And as a huge businessman, he knew that money does not come from thin air and if he didn't get back to work quickly, the company would suffer a huge loss. He entered the office for the sixth consecutive day this time to find that his employees, who once feared him and his authority pointing at him and whispering as if he was oblivious to their references. With a grunt and a quickened pace, he strode to his cabin and stopped dead in his tracks to see the newspaper that lay on his desk awaiting him. His voice bellowed through the whole office as he said "Who has played such a dirty joke? I demand to know who made this!" A man unwisely answered with a "Sir, that is the newspaper for today." The earful he received was no surprise but the newspaper was. Angad could nto believe someone had got a hint despite his cautions. He went back and scanned the paper with even wider eyes than before. The first sentence was enough to fill him with shock, relief, shock and then frustration!
Kripa had picked up the newspaper on her way to lunch and as her timings were more flexible, she was at home for lunch. She sat with a cup of hot chocolate on her sofa to read it and just as with Angad, one glance was all it took. Although she had warned herself earlier, she knew she couldn't handle the confirmation of her suspicions. And surely enough her eyes instantly welled up with silent tears that spilled out as she curled up on her sofa in her cold, isolated flat.
Angad did have a suspicion that him and Kripa were caught in their personal moment of intimacy but what they had actually captured was beyond his imagination. When he had first saw the paper and it's sensational headline, the thought of Kripa came back at him and his protective nature about Kripa had kicked in before he could control himself. He felt sorry for the guy he had blasted but what else could he do? If that much wasn't enough, the real shock came when he actually read the article: "Angad Khanna was spotted getting close to Mishty Singh in last night's party organized by Kripa Sharma. This seems serious as Angad Khanna has not been spotted with many women despite being the most eligible bachelor" and the rest was info on Mishty and him. The newspaper people had really done their research- it even said that she was Ridzy's best friend a long while ago. All Angad could hope for was that by some chance, Kripa had not seen the newspaper. His chances to get close to her were being ruined even before they started! The phone shrilled through his huge house with two rings before:
"Hello?"
A cold and sharp voice snarled down the phone in response"Be at Mumbai airport at seven-thirty tomorrow evening. The rest of the directions you will get over there."
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