CHAPTER 5
Part 1
Close I.
"TELL ME!!!", Angad almost screamed out of his frustration, he hadn't been able to contact Kripa for almost 4 days now and the anger caused by the separation was turning into worry. That man might harm her for being with me!!
"I told you! I can't tell you!! It's against my ethics to disclose a client's info and don't you dare shout at me. Is she important enough cause a rift b/w us?", the woman sitting across the desk answered him coolly which only irritated Angad further. She would never understand what I feel.. She has made sure she never feels anything, how can I make her understand?
Angad sighed and calmed down before speaking again, "Sister mine, Please. Yes, I like her. No, she cannot cause a rift b/w us. Yes your ethics are imp, but she could be in danger. So please tell me her address. She brought her dog here, she must have left an address."
"If she is to die of this danger, then she shall die. I won't break or even bend ANY rule. Not even for you-"
"DAMMIT!! It's my fault! How can I live by putting Kripa in danger!! And what happened with you won't happen with me. Besides I am not asking you to use your gift."
"You know well I don't have it anymore. And maybe this is for the best. Suppose I give you the info and you are able to save her, then what? What is the future? Are you planning to tell her what you are? With the type of creature she is pledged to, would you reveal our secret? There isn't any future for you two, then why bother with her, brother mine? Listen to me, that girl is nothing but pain, trouble and suffering!"
Angad hung his head, She is right. There is no future for Kripa and me. I can't tell her the truth and she won't tell me about her. GOD!!! Why couldn't we have been normal people? Why do we have to deal with this complication on top of everything else? Even so…
"Look I won't tell her anything. I won't jeopardize your existence for a small whim of mine. But it's been a long time since I have felt this much for any person and I want to savor this feeling as long as I can. And even if I can't do that, then atleast I want to save her the troubles I have caused her. So please give me her address."
"I still can't. It's too dangerous. Who knows what that Grewal really is. If he is a night creature then he must have a fortress in the day. I won't see you getting harmed by going there. Call me selfish but you r my only family and I am not going to lose you."
Angad listened to his sister with increasing fury, he knew what she was saying was right, but he couldn't ignore Kripa. He had to see her, even if one last time. Losing his patience Angad got up with a start and started pacing her office, thinking of ways to convince her stubborn sister.
The office door opened and suddenly Angad's world tilted to a new angle, for there stood Kripa in all her glory, looking resplendent and glowing with health, a mischievous – happy smile curving her lips, her hair, like always cascaded wildly around her shoulders. Her eyes shined with some secret and Angad didn't even realize when he had moved to stand in front of her.
"I brought max for the scheduled checkup.", Kripa smiled and walked into the office, oblivious to Angad's shifting mood and the doctor's coldness.
"You.. you are ok?" Angad managed to croak, as he stared at her in disbelief. He had been fighting with sister for her safety and she looked as if she had come back from some spa.
Kripa turned and smiled at Angad, "Of course I am! Why do you ask? I am sorry for David's behavior that day.. He was just worried about me-"
Before Kripa could say much more, Angad cut her off by saying, "Excuse us doctor, you check her pet, we'll talk outside.". He grabbed Kripa forcefully and dragged her out, not caring if the grip may hurt her. He had been torturing himself for 4 days and today she shows up as if nothing was wrong.
Angad quickly turned some corners and opened a gate at the end of a corridor, before Kripa could protest he shoved her inside and locked them inside the closed dark place.
"Angad!! What are you doing?! What's the matter with you? And why are we hiding in here? It stinks, is this a closet?"
Angad didn't respond, instead he cornered Kripa against the wall and framed her face with his hands.
"Anga..d..?", Kripa whispered, she had been so happy when things had worked out yesterday, but right now.. Angad's behavior was freaking her out. He hadn't said a word to her or even smiled..
"You… Kripa… you.. You'll be the death of me!" Angad spoke harshly, and Kripa gasped.
"Are you hurt?!! Oh god Angad what did you do?!! You didn't go to my house, did you?!!!", Kripa gripped his collar hard but her hands were shaking.
"Would it be so bad if I had?" Angad asked leaning closer, his sister had been right. It was dangerous where she lived, the fear emanating from Kripa confirmed it.
"Angad you..yy.. You don't understand. You can't go there." Kripa trembled as she imagined what might happen if he shows up there..
"Then what am I to do when you disappear like that? Sit around and do nothing?! Dammit Kripa do you know how worried I had been?!! You could have atleast called to tell me that everything was ok.", Angad hissed at her. The shocking relief of see her again had quickly turned into burning anger at her thoughtlessness, "Or don't I mean even that much to you?"
"You!! You think you don't mean…. You have no idea what I faced cause of you!! I almost lost my home and family coz I accepted that gift! I lost my best friend because it is YOU that I like. It is you who-"
Kripa was unable to continue further anymore as Angad kissed her hard then. He didn't know what he was feeling or doing anymore. He had been worried sick, planning on breaking into a dangerous house, almost exposing his secret, happy at her appearance, mad- angry at her show of nonchalance and fiercely possessive.. All in space of few minutes.
Right now all he knew was that she liked him and that he needed to be near her, to touch her. He wanted to reassure his every sense that she was here, with him.
Putting a hand around her waist, he pulled her closer and tiled his face so he could kiss her deeper. Without hesitation Kripa hooked her hands around his neck and molded to him, she needed him too. To forget the nerve racking experience yesterday. She gasped when he slipped his hand inside her shirt but didn't pull back, everywhere he touched her, a trail of fire ignited on her skin but she wanted to burn in it, she wanted to be incinerated in the fire he caused inside her.
"Kripa.. Kripaa.." Angad moaned as he began kissing her chin, the hollow of her throat, moving lower until he stopped and slowly straightened. He rested his forehead against hers, gasping for breath.
"You'll most certainly be the death of me!!", Angad muttered and then moved away to lean on the opposite closet wall, not that it put much distance b/w them. He needed to stand atleast 10 feet away from her to think coherently.
"Please stop saying that. It is not funny at all.", Kripa whispered.
"It's the truth. I can't think when I am around you and all I can think is about you when you aren't around. Where have you been for last 4 days?"
"You're patronizing me. I was at home. I shouldn't have accepted the necklace you gave me.. It caused some trouble, but everything is sorted out now."
Angad muttered a curse and shifted around, on step towards her and he would be in brain dead zone, "Why should it be a problem Kripa? That Grewal is married, don't you know that? How can he lay any claim on you when he is married to another-"
"No! It's.. Not the same thing.. It's like.. I was his employ but I collected the paycheck from you… So I was almost fired.. But… you.. have offended him by refusing to conduct business with him so, he doesn't approve of my liking…."
"So he didn't let you out for 4 days?! Why would I conduct business with such a brute, who-"
"No! Don't. Please… It's not like that.. He just came back yesterday.. I was too nervous to do anything but wait for him.. Please can we not talk about him? I don't want anything against him and you don't like him.. So let's just not argue."
"Fine! But next time he come b/w us I won't be the one backing off." Angad said crossly, it just didn't make sense of why she defended Sujal so loyally.. Would she ever be this fiercely loyal to me?
"You don't understand. Angad, I… he is just trying to protect me.. I.. I… am not.. a.. regular woman… I .. Let's just say I am different from other girls and he is protecting me from getting hurt coz of these differences. It isn't him who would come b/w us.. It would be me…"
Angad stared at Kripa for a minute, he hadn't expected her to admit that she was more than human so easily or quickly… but then she hadn't said so aloud and a normal human wouldn't have understood the hint, "So you are saying that you are not human and whatever your secret is, he is protecting it. You think I won't protect you too? You can't trust me with it?"
Kripa sighed and shook her head, "Would you trust me with your secret? You are not exactly normal either."
Angad opened his mouth but no sound came out. He was glad for the darkness inside the closet as it hid his shocked face. H..HOW?
"What are you talking about? You are the one with the supersensitive nose and ability to detect earthquakes.." Angad spoke with regret. He didn't want to lie to Kripa but now his sister was involved..
Kripa sighed again, "See, you don't even trust me to admit this much, then how can you accuse me of hiding secrets? What about your fast moves and strength? I know I move fast and I am strong. Yet you take me by surprise, catch up to me and drag me in here too. You smell different and…. I was told that.. You never go out in night… "
"It's just dangerous in night Kripa. I am not gargoyle.", Angad spoke stiffly, she was too close… too close to him, too close to his secrets.
"Never said you were, yet you deny being one creature with a limitation like yours. Angad… I understand. You don't have to accept or deny what I think, coz our natures deny us the right to be completely honest.. So let's avoid the topic and the guesses. I don't care of your nature, but I do about mine and… and… we stop all this if that nature has to be compromised. I… I'll.. not.. We can't… If there comes a time when I have to choose b/w you and my nature.. I'll make sure that such a time never comes.. We'll break off before that happens, before things turn too serious. You understand..?"
Angad stared at Kripa in amazement. He had liked her outgoing nature and simplicity. He had thought she was a bit simple of mind too.. Yet he was the idiot here right now. "Yes."
"So you agree?" Kripa asked holding her breath.
"Yes… Come here." Angad pulled her too him and hugged her fiercely. So now they both knew that this would all be over one day, b4 they got too close. But how close was too close?
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CID
Web Series
