Part 28: Turning Point Two
Angad and Kripa walked into their apartment, hand-in-hand. Kripa put her phone on the table while Angad took his shoes off before walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and she caressed his cheek.
"Thank you for today Angad...It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had."
"But I forgot to get you a present..." Angad said a little glumly.
"Oh? But you already gave me one...I don't need another one..."
Angad frowned in confusion. "I did?"
Kripa frowned at him. "Yeah...I mean...I'm pretty sure it was from you...here." She picked up her diary, pulled out an envelope from it, and handed it to him.
He pulled out the paper and unfolded it while Kripa smiled at him warmly. He knew he hadn't written a love letter or anything to her. Maybe Khushi did...as a prank?
Angad read the content of the paper. He looked at Kripa and then looked back at the paper.
"But...how?" he wondered out loud.
Kripa raised an eyebrow. "You don't know how? You should know. You're the one who did it."
"No...Not that...I mean...how's it possible? How could you be pregnant? We always used protection!"
The smile from Kripa's face faded as she caught onto the direction in which Angad's reaction was headed. She looked at his face carefully and there was only one thing she saw there. No, it wasn't joy. It was worry...and somewhat frustration. Well hell.
Kripa put a hand to her forehead and started pacing back and forth in front of him, repeatedly saying the F-word.
Angad stopped her from pacing. "Don't worry...relax. We'll deal with it."
Kripa groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that." she sighed and cupped his face. "Angad...I don't want to deal with IT...I want to keep him or her..."
Now it was Angad's turn to let out a chain of curses. This wasn't good. All this time they had gone without a single fight, without a single major disagreement. And here it was. The wretched disagreement staring at them, laughing in their faces.
"Kripa look...be practical about this...you wanted to go to medical school...if you keep the baby, it means that dream of yours will be left incomplete."
"No it won't it will be delayed yes...but it doesn't matter Angad...Plans change...Priorities change! Take US for example...having a serious relationship was the last thing on my list but then that plan changed when I met you...and now...yes I wanted to go to medical school but I also want to bring this child into the world Angad. Our child. Our first ever."
"Kripa stop being emotional about this...I think you're just overwhelmed with the news...don't worry...just sleep over it...and we'll head to the clinic tomorrow." he approached to hug her but she stopped him.
"No we won't. I'm keeping the baby."
"But I don't want to keep it Kripa! I'm not ready to take the responsibility yet!"
"BUT I AM! And even If I wasn't...I'm strongly against abortion!!" Kripa was getting angry now. She had thought that this news would give their relationship a whole new turn. But this turn, she hadn't expected.
"Did you recently watch salaam Namaste or something? Is that what's taking over your brains?!" Angad yelled back. He couldn't understand why she was being so selfish about this.
"I didn't watch anything...and nothing is taking over my ******* brains! I found out that I'm pregnant with the child of the man that I love and I know that I'm sure as hell not going to kill it!"
"But I don't want that responsibility yet! I don't want to keep this baby, doesn't that matter to you?" Angad screamed.
"And I want to keep the baby...doesn't that matter to you?" Kripa countered.
After arguing for a few more minutes, Kripa couldn't handle it anymore.
"FINE! you do whatever the **** you want and I'll do whatever the hell I want!" and with that Kripa walked into their bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her, ignoring every time Angad called out to her. Angad picked up the piece of paper from the floor and stared at it as if he was trying to change what was written on it. He crumpled the paper and tossed it at a corner of the room before walking out of the apartment.
Oblivious to the fact that Kripa sat behind that door to their bedroom and cried her eyes out. The happiest moment of her life had suddenly turned into the worst. The best birthday had suddenly turned into the worst. She considered Angad's wish to "deal with it". In other words, kill the baby. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't convince herself to abort the child that was taking a microscopic form inside her. She walked to the bed and layed down, closing her eyes, hoping that sleep would come and take the confusion away. What the hell had just happened in a matter of fifteen minutes?
Hours later, Kripa wiped the tears from her eyes, and got up from the bed. She knew what she had to do. She went into the storage room and pulled out her travel bag. She laid it open on the bed and then she started rummaging through the room, packing her stuff. It was when she got to the dressing table to get her stuff Angad walked in. He took a look at her side of the closet. Empty. He looked at the bag on the bed. Full. Kripa didn't hear him come in. She saw him when he was walking to the bed. He sat next to the bag, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands folded together tightly. Kripa looked at him closely but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the bag.
"You're leaving." he stated. Kripa took two steps towards him.
"Yeah...I'm leaving."
He looked up at her and his expression almost broke her heart and she almost changed her mind... "Is it necessary?" he barely whispered.
She walked to him and kneeled on the floor in front of him. She cupped his folded hands in hers and squeezed lightly. "You know I love you, Angad. But there is no other way." She lifted his hands and kissed them. "You know I love you. I really do..."
"but...?" he prompted.
"But I can't kill our baby...it's our baby Angad...My baby...I can't do it. I'm sorry."
He let out a shaky breath and looked away. But he didn't turn away quick enough to hide the tears that were starting to fill his eyes. Kripa didn't want to do this to him; she threw the last of her stuff in the bag, and started closing it up when Angad grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, trying to control her own tears. "Can you do me a favour?" he asked. She bit her lower lip and nodded. She could almost hear the words before he even said them. "Just stay for tonight...please." As his voice broke at 'please', a sole tear escaped his eyes. And that did it. She couldn't stop her own tears after that. She felt them escape her eyes but she wasn't sobbing yet. She was still holding on to all she could.
Angad wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her closer, and hid his face in her chest. It was then that Kripa felt irregular breaths and his head and shoulders moving in a weird pattern. He was crying. She hugged his head closer and rested her head on top of his. With her arms circled around his shoulders, and his around her waist, the two cried out the sorrow of loving each other, yet losing each other.
When he felt Kripa's balance swaying, he just pulled her into his lap. They sat in their classic position, Kripa sitting sideways on his lap, arms around each other. The only difference this time was that instead of sharing smiles and kisses, they were sharing tears.
Angad got a hold of himself, and brought his breathing back to normal. She was still crying. Angad patted her back and her head, hushing her, trying to get her to stop crying. She lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked at him, her face red, covered with tears, eyes bloodshot, and breaths out of control. "I'm...I'm S-Sorry." she managed.
Angad shook his head, wiped her cheeks and chin, and kissed her forehead. "I Love you."
She fixed a few hair strands that were falling onto his forehead and then kissed his lips. "I Love you too."
In the morning, when Kripa woke up, she was alone on the bed. Maybe Angad had left because he didn't want to be around when Kripa left...or maybe he's out in the living room. Sighing, Kripa went into the washroom for her morning routine.
When she stepped out into the room again, she took a good look around the room, her eyes filling with tears. Every corner, every inch of the room reminded her of precious moments spent with Angad. Her eyes fell on something precious that she'd forgotten. A picture of her and Angad. She walked up to it, picked up the picture and hugged it to her chest. She grabbed her bag and still clutching the photo frame to her chest, she wheeled the bag behind her as she stepped out.
She froze at the threshold of her room. Angad was sitting on the couch, elbows on knees, hands folded together. And a bag in front of him.
He looked up at her when he felt her presence. He got up and walked to her, a tiny smile on his face.
"Hey." He said. She didn't say anything. She just looked at his bag and then back at him again.
"Yeah...I'm leaving. You're not going anywhere."
"But'"
"No. I'm not listening to anything. You don't have a place to go to Kripa...and I don't want to put you through the trouble of finding one at a time like this. Your licence exam is coming up...and then...the...the pregnancy...you stay here...I'll go back to the bachelor apartment. I'm leaving on Friday for coop anyway...I'll only be at the other apartment for two days...I can manage...so you just stay here. This apartment is yours just as much as mine."
"I can't stay here forever."
"I know you won't even if I asked...after your exam is done, you can find a place...I don't want you to rush or stress too much...take your time...you can stay here..."
"Fine. I'll pay rent then. Consider me a paying guest."
"No...Kripa...just because we're on different paths now, it doesn't mean that I consider you a stranger...this is your house just as much as mine...we made this a home together...so please...just stay here. And if you really want to pay rent...you can go ahead and pay it." He extended his hand. "It will be a dollar per month please."
She gave a small smile, trying to push back the tears. She didn't realize that she was holding the photo frame even harder. Angad's eye finally caught it. He took it out of her hands gently, and turned it over.
"Can I take this with me?" he asked looking at her.
Kripa's tears filled her eyes as she nodded. She gave a sad smile, a hint of tears in his eyes. He hugged her, pressing her head to his chest. Kripa closed her eyes tightly, fighting the urge to bawl. He parted too soon and kissed her forehead.
"Bye Kripa. Take care of yourself for me."
And he turned around, grabbed his bag and left. Kripa took a step back and leaned on her bedroom's door. Her hand covered her mouth as she started to sob. She slid down to the floor, hugged and knees to her chest and cried.
The entire day, Kripa stayed at home. She called in sick again at the hospital. She just wanted to be left alone. But being alone only made things worse. She missed Angad more than ever. For the nth time she considered if all this was really worth going through for the baby. Then she kicked herself mentally for even thinking that way.
Her wishes of wanting to be alone weren't fulfilled because in the evening, someone banged on the door continuously. Kripa fixed her face and quickly checked her face in the mirror before opening the door. Khushi stepped in, frowning.
"Where's Angad? Why isn't he answering my calls? Oh, he is in so much trouble!" Khushi trudged in. She called out to Angad over and over and walked around in the apartment, trying to locate him.
"He's not here." Kripa said in a small voice. Khushi turned around with another one of her outbursts ready on her tongue but all that went out the window when she saw Kripa.
Kripa's eyes were red and swollen. Her nose was just as red. Her hair was disshelved. She looked like she had no energy. Khushi's heart sank down to the pit of her stomach.
"What's going on?" Khushi asked gently, walking towards Kripa. "Kripa?" Khushi urged when Kripa didn't say anything. Khushi put her hand on Kripa's shoulder and that unleashed the flood of tears. Kripa hugged Khushi and cried one more time, glad that she had someone to lean on in such a gray situation. In between her sobs, she told Khushi the entire story.
Khushi couldn't help herself but show a burst of happiness when she heard about the pregnancy because she was the aunt but just as quickly she realized what this news had done to her brother and her new best friend.
As soon as Kripa had fallen asleep, Khushi picked up her phone and dialled a number. "Hey Arnav...listen...just let maasi know that I'm staying at bhai and Kripa's apartment tonight...I know...I'm sorry but I have to be here...no...Not really...but don't worry...I'll manage it...can you please do me a favour and check on Angad?...No...he's not here...he's at the bachelor apartment..." Khushi gave Arnav a short version of the story and asked him not to tell anyone in the family. She suggested that him and Armaan go and talk to Angad. "Let me know what he says. I'll go talk to him tomorrow anyway...thank you so much...I love you too."
In the morning, Arnav, Armaan, and Riddhima came over to meet Kripa. Kripa didn't cry this morning when Riddhima hugged her. Kripa had decided that she had cried enough over this matter. She knew that more tears won't change things.
While Armaan, Riddhima, and Kripa sat in the living room, Arnav and Khushi talked in the kitchen in hushed tones.
"Shh..." Arnav caressed her back to comfort a crying Khushi. "Khushi stop crying..."
"They were so happy together! Why does everything have to mess up?!!"
"people come across disagreements all the time Khushi...take us for example...remember how much we fought...but we're together today...due to be married soon...Angad and Kripa will figure something out."
Khushi pulled apart and sniffed. "I hope so. I don't like seeing them sad and apart from each other. How's Angad doing?"
"He's just as upset as she is..." Armaan said walking into the kitchen. "It's so odd that they've decided to separate when they love each other so much..."
"We tried talking to him...tried to convince him to not be so stubborn and just accept what the facts are. He doesn't doubt that it's his baby. He knows that the baby is his but he's just not ready to take on that responsibility." Arnav explained further.
"We tried to tell him that he'll be ready by the time the baby is born and that he'll have six months to prepare for it but he's still just not ready." Armaan shook his head.
Khushi sighed. "I'll go talk to him and then he wi'"
"No you won't!" Kripa said firmly. "None of you will say anything to him! If he's not ready to take the responsibility then he's not ready for it. Don't pressure him to take on something he doesn't want to!"
"But Kripa..." Riddhima started to argue.
"No Riddhima! It's really simple. I want to keep the baby, he doesn't. It's a black and white situation. There's no middle ground. There's no proper compromise! If you support me, he's forced to accept the baby and if you support him, I'm forced to abort it. There is NO proper solution. There is no win-win. This break up is just as hard on him as it is on me and any additional pressure on him is just unfair! How come none of you are forcing me to listen to him but all of you want him to listen to my wishes?!"
Everyone just looked at each other. Kripa went on when no one else said anything.
"Please guys...don't let our break up affect your relationship with him. Khushi...I want to see you look at your brother the same way you did two days ago. Armaan, I want you to be there for him now just like he was always there for you! You and Arnav are the only two people he'll have in Vancouver for the next eight weeks and if you two treat him differently because of this then I'll feel guilty." Kripa pleaded.
Armaan and Arnav just nodded gently. She was right. The situation was very odd in the sense that neither one of them wrong but they were both right in their own places. After a few minutes, Arnav and Khushi volunteered to stay back but Kripa protested.
"Arnav you're leaving tomorrow for eight weeks...go and spend some time together...I'll be fine. I'm tired so I'll just go to sleep anyway. I'll see you guys tomorrow at the airport."
Arnav and Khushi left reluctantly because Kripa had forced them to. Armaan and Riddhima had been forced to leave before. Khushi was harder to convince than Riddhima.
On their drive home, Armaan and Riddhima barely exchanged words. Armaan let Riddhima stay in her thoughts. Riddhima was shaken to the core seeing Angad and Kripa apart. That too overnight. Two days ago, they were celebrating Kripa's birthday and Angad and Kripa were so in love. Then, in a span of a few hours, they were living in different apartments.
Riddhima felt a tear escape her eyes. She blinked them away and realized that they were in their driveway and Armaan was holding the door open for her.
She stepped out and let him wrap his arm around her waist as he led her towards the entrance of the house. Once they entered, he sat her down on the couch and walked into the kitchen to get her some water. When he returned, he found her covering her face and crying.
Next Part: Page 118
Hey guys! surprised that I updated again so fast??😉 But I shall go hide somewhere, I'm sure you are all ready to chase me with broomsticks, and dandas, and belans, and what-have-you.😆 I'm sorry guys, But you knew something was coming up for AK...its unfair that AR have to go through all the troubles while AK just fly through this thing. Yes I agree that the reason of separation is quite cliche but it is so common! I've heard of a lot of people who go through breakups because of pregnancies and differing views on it. I wanted to make this fan-fiction as close to reality as possible. Awkwardness and trust issues in arranged marriages are quite common. So are break-ups because of pregnancies (sadly)...But I've promised you all with a happy ending, so again, I reassure you that there will be a happy ending. And for AR lovers, all I'll say is, watch out for the next part.😊
Next update wont be as quick as this one, however, I'll try to have it done for Sunday, May 6th. I have two fan-fictions going on at the same time now so I have to alternate the updates. Since I updated this, I'll be updating my ArHi ff, Beauty & the Beast next.
I shall shut up now and run and hide! Love you all!
Katie <3
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