AK FF ~Overshadowed~ Part 4/ Pg. 6 - Page 5

Part 4

Her heart stopped. The cake slipped out of her hand, and the pan crashed to the ground. Prithvi had his back to her, and it seemed as if he was extremely busy making out with someone; just looking at it made Kripa sick to the stomach. She had never engaged in any physical activity with Prithvi except for a slight peck on the cheek. The crashing noise of the pan interrupted the couple, and they looked up. Meanwhile Kripa was still shocked; then her heart dropped further.

The girl had turned her head upon hearing the crashing noise. It was Mishty; her hair and clothes were disheveled and her lips bruised. Leaving the pan and cake on the floor, Kripa turned and ran. She was sobbing as she opened her back door. Angad was in the kitchen, presumably looking for a midnight snack. He stopped and grinned sheepishly when he saw Kripa come in.

He stopped when he saw Kripa's tear-stricken face. "Uhh, aap theek hain? Kya huwa aapko?" She ignored him and ran straight to her room, shutting it and locking it.

Angad was about to go behind her when he heard the door open again and saw a guy probably about his age walk in. "Hey, hey, buddy, who are you?"

Again, Prithvi ignored him and pushed past. But Angad wasn't going to let a random guy walk in through the back door, especially when Kripa had just ran by, crying hysterically. He followed Prithvi to outside Kripa's room.

"Look, man, can you just tell me--" Angad began. "Shut up!" Prithvi yelled at him. He banged on Kripa's door, begging her to come out. Angad persisted. "Man, listen, can you just let her--"

Suddenly, Kripa heard a commotion outside. She swung open the door, and found Angad on the floor with a bloody nose. Prithvi had punched Angad in the face. Kripa screamed, and hauled Prithvi off, giving him a menacing look.

She handed him a piece of paper and said, "Dekho Prithvi, abhi mera baat karne ka bilkul mood nahin hai. Uss par kuch likha hai; parh lena aur agar chaho, kal aaja na. Filhaal, main tumse kuch baat nahin karna chahti." She looked fierce and gave him a sharp look.

He turned and left; he quickly walked back to his home. No one had ever done that to Prithvi before. Prithvi was handsome and smart, and he still had no idea why he hung around with Kripa for so long anyways. Oh, wait, it was for the physical relation with Mishty. Mishty had no regrets about cheating with her cousin's boyfriend. In fact, she had smirked when she saw Kripa's teary face. Prithvi unfolded the paper that Kripa had handed him. It said

"Meet me at The Pearl,

Tomorrow, 7:00 P.M."

He smiled. How had he known? Of course she would return to him. Who would leave Prithvi, The Prithvi Bose. He shook his head, and watched Mishty walk by. They exchanged smirks, while they both retreated to their respective homes. Kripa had no idea of the property and inheritance she had when her parents had passed away; her uncle and aunt had hidden the legal documents in some corner, and Kripa, to this date, had never known. Prithvi had been with Kripa for her wealth! He left her house, feeling no sense of sympathy for the broken heart he left behind.

Meanwhile, Kripa knelt beside Angad and began to sob again. She directed him to come into her room, because she had just heard the back door open and close. She knew Mishty had come, and she also knew that Mishty had no regrets whatsoever. She got a washcloth and helped him wipe his nose. He looked at her innocent face; she was so sad. What had happened to her? Why would anyone want to hurt her so badly?

She cleaned it, and turned around. "Sorry," she said. "Mujhe nahin pata tha ke--"

Angad cut her off. "It's okay. I didn't know who he was, I was just asking him, and the guy blew off." Kripa looked down and nodded. "Aap sahee hain," she said. She turned around again, and he followed her.

"Kripa, uh, Kripa, kya hua? Woh kaun tha?" he asked. She turned again, and their eyes met for a split second. Kripa looked down; she felt completely humiliated. Angad nodded. "It's okay, Kripa, I understand. Tum araam karo, aur main…" he trailed off.

With that, she went into her room, and Angad retreated to the living room, where his bedding had been set up. His parents were going to sleep in the room next to Kripa's, and Rahul was asleep next to him.

Kripa was a mystery to him. She seemed shy and reserved, not someone who would have such a boyfriend like Prithvi; Prithvi looked more like the playboy type, and not someone who would be into Kripa. Kripa was beautiful and pure, and although he barely knew her, he could tell she would be very careful about who touches her and is around her. This is why he was more than surprised when he saw Prithvi. She just didn't seem like that type. He fell asleep with thoughts of Kripa floating through his mind.

Kripa, on the other hand, stayed awake in her room all night. At first, she cried. Then, suddenly, she stopped. Why should I cry? She thought. He just humiliated me, not only in front of myself, but with my own blood; what's the difference between a cousin and a sister? Kripa had always considered Mishty as a sister. How could she? Even Angad was there. Now, she didn't find herself sad, upset, or miserable. Instead, she felt angry. Angry at Prithvi for playing with her. What did her think she was, some kind of loser who was unable to stand up even for herself? No way, she thought. She was no object; she was a dignified female, and she wouldn't take any of his c*ap. She couldn't live with someone who had cheated. If they cheat now, she thought, of course they would cheat later on in life. She sat up.

She remembered the times when she was small, and her "boy friends" would bother her and hit her. She remembered her mom saying, "Kripa, you are better than him; if a man doesn't value you, then leave him. A man who makes you cry isn't worth you, and the one who is worth you, won't make you cry."

She wiped her tears. She had always reflected on her parents' advice, and tonight was no exception. She changed and switched off her light. Tomorrow would be a big day for her.

Kripa awoke to the sound of her Chachi banging on her door. She sighed, and sat up. She got dressed and went to the kitchen. She knew her Chachi would be waiting for her to make breakfast for the guests, who were still sleeping. She freshened up, and as she was brushing her teeth, she looked at herself in the mirror; suddenly, she smiled at herself. You promised yourself, she told herself. You promised that you wouldn't let that bas***d bring you down. She had made up her mind. Ab main apne liye jeeoongee, she thought. She smiled once more, and stepped out of the bathroom.

She walked past a sleeping Angad, who looked hilarious as he slept soundly next to Rahul. Yeh Rahul iska beta hai kya? Kripa thought. Hmm, mujhey Naina aunty ko poochna chahiye. She resisted the temptation to laugh at him, while her stifled giggles made him shift around in his sleep.

She whipped up breakfast in an instant. She put a cup of coffee in the coffee maker for herself; it was a hard habit to break for her, and she needed coffee every morning to function. She turned to get the cereal out of the cupboard, and when she turned around, she saw a sleepy Angad walk in, yawning.

He sniffed the air and looked at her. "Mmm…coffee? Mujhey wahan se smell aa rahi thi!" he grinned. To his surprise, she smiled back at him. "Woh meri coffee hai. Aap apni khud banaa sakte hain," she joked.

He looked confused for a second, like a child who was granted a wish that he thought would be impossible. At that moment, however, Chachi walked in. She had overheard Kripa talking to Angad, and gave her a dirty look. She snatched the mug off the counter, and handed it to Angad. "Yeh lo, beta," she told him. "Isko mind mat karna; kissine usko tameez nahin sikhaai thi," she sneered. She turned and left.

Kripa looked down, embarrassed. Angad was mad. What was going on, he thought. He handed Kripa back her mug, and said, "Sorry, Kripa, I didn't mean to--"

However, Kripa smiled at him. "Don't worry about it; I'm used to it, because she does that all the time." She chuckled, and began to make another cup of coffee for herself. He cleared his throat, and said cautiously, "So, um, aap theek hain? Kal jo hua…" For some reason, she felt like laughing. He was so innocent, and for some reason, she felt like confiding the most personal things in her life to him. "Um, how about you come with me to the Pearl Restaurant today? You can see some of the town, and meet some of my friends."

He looked at her weirdly. Had she just ignored his question completely? "Uh, sure. Can I bring one of my friends along?" he asked her.

"Sure, and stay ready by, hmmm, 6:30?" He nodded, as Rahul rushed in to the kitchen. "Maaaaamuuuuu!!" he screeched. Kripa looked at him. "Rahul is your nephew?" she asked.

"Haan, wo meri behen ka beta hai. Kyun, do I look that old?" He chuckled, and scooped Rahul in his arms. "So I'll be ready by 6:30?" Kripa nodded, and headed out.

Hey, everyone, I'm sorry for the delay of the update! Thanks to everyone for commenting! I was really busy this past week, but I hope to update more regularly! Again, I really appreciate your comments, they really motivate me to update! Thanks! 😊

nice part