"You need to get married within the next month."
Silence.
For minutes the only thing that could be heard in the room was the ticking of the giant grandfather clock across the room. Manan and Mr. Brock both looked at Angad. Angad, on the other hand, was looking at Mr. Brock with murder in his eyes. It was sufficient to say that Mr. Brock noticed the murderous gleam, if his trembling was any indication. After all, very few people had managed to make Angad angry and lived to tell about it.
"What did you say?" Angad asked deceptively softly. No one in the room was fooled.
"Iā¦I said that you need to get married," Mr. Brock mumbled clearly wishing to be anywhere but in the room at the present time.
"Why?" Angad asked just as softly again. Mr. Brock almost wished that Angad would be yelling. Shouting he had a defense against, but he was completely vulnerable to the quiet fury that was directed in his direction.
"The courts," he began feebly, "have decided that you are not a fit parent."
Angad waited in silence for James Brock (I got tired of calling him Mr. Brock) to continue. Once again the man's fear was plainly heard in his voice.
"They say that there is a big chance that you will lose custody of Sonia Khanna."
"Isn't it your job as Mr. Khanna's lawyer to convince them otherwise?" Manan asked unable to remain silent a moment longer.
"I tried, but they refused to listen. They have a hard time picturing Mr. Khanna as a loving and caring parent due to hisā¦wellā¦reputation," James concluded lamely.
"Convince them!" snapped Angad.
"I have tried sir, but they refuse to listen," James stated adamantly.
"Try harder!" Angad yelled.
Manan noticed that Angad was losing his temper and decided to speak to Mr. Brock himself in an attempt to diffuse the clearly volatile situation.
"That still doesn't explain why Angad has to get married," Manan said in an attempt to distract Angad from going for James Brock's throat.
"Well if there was a female influence in Sonia's life, it would be easier to convince the judges that she is safe if she remains with Mr. Khanna."
"How would a female help?"
"Well first of all it would be good for Sonia to have a woman in her life especially at this stage in her life. And secondly it would add a sense of security for her."
"A sense of security?"
"Yes. If there was someone in the house 24/7, it would be assurance that Sonia would be physically safe."
"Are you implying that I would hurt my daughter?" Angad asked his voice even softer than before.
"Oh no, I don't believe that, but the judges are a little skeptical," James answered, his voice quavering.
"I still don't know why he has to get married though? Couldn't he just hire a nanny or have a girlfriend or something?" Manan asked.
"I'm afraid that would not be acceptable. You see a nanny may not necessarily interfere with anything going on, not that I'm saying anything would," James added quickly when he glimpsed Angad's face. "As for a girlfriend, she would not provide sufficient assurance of Sonia's safety. Mr. Khanna could choose to break up with her at any time. A wife, on the other hand, is the perfect solution. She would be around constantly, not being afraid to stand up for her own daughter, even if she's not the biological mother, and Mr. Khanna would not be able to⦠um⦠wellā¦get rid of her."
"And if I don't agree?" Angad asked.
"Sonia Khanna will be given over to her biological mother," James concluded.
"There's another solution to this problem," Angad said.
The two men waited to hear it.
"We could just get rid of the biological mother."
James Brock looked at Angad in horror. Manan just observed him in a thoughtful silence.
"Youā¦you can't do that," stammered Mr. Brock.
"Why not?"
"It would be immediately suspected that you were involved and Sonia would be handed over to a distant relative."
All three men lapsed into silence after this statement. Manan broke the stillness a few minutes later.
"You're sure there's no other option?"
"I'm afraid none that I can think of at the moment."
"How much time does he have?"
"One week. That's when I'm meeting the court next."
Once again, characteristic of the day, silence permeated the room, except this time James Brock was the one to break it.
"I need to go. I have another appointment in fifteen minutes," he stated.
Angad simply nodded curtly. James assumed that this was his way of giving assent and silently backed out of the room.
The tension in the room seemed to wound tighter with every tick-tock of the grandfather clock. Manan looked at Angad to see what he would do. He didn't have to wait long.
"There's no way in hell I'm getting married," he stated flatly in a voice devoid of emotion.
Manan said nothing.
"The first time was bad enough. I refuse to go through hell again."
Not for the first time Manan Kapoor cursed Angad Khanna's first wife. Angad had always been cynical, but deep down, he had had a heart. Of course only a select few had ever seen it and Manan considered himself privileged to have been one of those few people. Hospitals, schools and museums had suddenly found themselves thousands of dollars richer because of grants from an anonymous source. No one knew who that source was. BUT Manan knew.
But SHE had changed all that. She had destroyed the Angad Khanna who had had an innate sense of kindness in him (not that he would ever call it that) and left behind a cold, hard, bitter man who no longer trusted anyone but himself.
"What do you think I should do?"
Manan snapped out of his reverie at the question.
"What do you want to do?" he asked cautiously.
"Well I want to murder my lawyer and my ex-wife. Unfortunately that's not an option," Angad remarked dryly.
Manan smiled a little. Trust Angad to make a joke in a situation that would have a normal man sweating.
"Well?" Angad asked impatiently when Manan didn't answer.
"I'm thinking," he replied.
Manan looked at the grandfather clock as he began to explore the idea that he had randomly started thinking of unconsciously. Why not marry off Angad? Sonia would get a mother and Angad might just get his heart back. All that was required was a smart, beautiful, kind, and courageous girl. Angad would never love someone who was afraid to stand up to him. Any woman like that would bore him within a week. Now the only question left was who was the lucky woman?
"I think that you should get married!" announced Manan.
Angad looked at him as if he had just lost his brain. "WHAT!"
"I think you should get married," Manan repeated calmly.
"Are you insane?! Just what I need; a mental friend and Kripa Sharma under my roof all in the same day. Could today get any better?" he asked sarcastically.
Manan's eyes widened. Of course! Kripa Sharma! Why didn't he think of that before? She was perfect. She met all the required characteristics and she was available. The fact that she was inherently stubborn only made things better. After all, if Kripa Sharma loved someone she sure as hell wasn't going to give up on them, no matter how much of an ass they were. If anyone could teach Angad to love, it was Kripa.
Angad caught sight of his best friend's eyes widening and raised an eyebrow in question.
"I even know the perfect woman," Manan said with a sly smile.
He waited for Angad to say something, but after a few moments gave up.
"Kripa Sharma!" he announced with a flourish that would have made a theatre director proud.
It was Angad Khanna's eyes that widened this time. He looked at Manan as if he were a patient who needed to be sent in to an insane asylum.
"Kripa! Kripa! You want me to marry Kripa?" he asked, still in shock.
"Yes I do!" snapped Manan.
Angad looked even more confused at the sudden change in topic.
"She's exactly the same as you except for the whole gender thing."
Angad had no idea what to say to that.
Suddenly Manan sighed. "Look, it's not like it's not like I'm asking you to marry Mishty."
They both shuddered a little at this.
"Still it's Kripa!" said Angad unable to move past that.
"I know it's Kripa. I was the one who suggested it remember? Besides it's not like you
need to sleep with her or anything. Just marry her for a little while, get custody of Sonia, and then you could divorce her if you like."
"I could do that with any woman."
"Yes, but would you trust that woman with Sonia?" Manan asked softly.
Angad was silent at that. Manan was right. He wouldn't trust his daughter with some random woman. Even so, he was not ready to get married again, especially not to know-it-all Kripa.
"I don't want a wife," Angad reiterated again.
"You may not want one, but you certainly need one. And who better that Kripa. She's nice, available, and you know she'd never do anything to hurt Sonia."
Angad said nothing. Manan, sensing that he was close to victory, made one final point.
"The question isn't whether you want a wife or not Angad; it's whether you want Sonia. So what will it be? Your personal happiness or your daughter?"
so how do you like this part??š
<3 natasha
P.S. My plans for tonight got cancelled so i MIGHT (keyword) post another part!!
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