All chatter seized. Someone shut off the music because now only silence followed and it lasted only till Angad moved his turned head back at Kripa.
" Don't ever dare to do that again! don't ever try to touch my things! got it?!," screamed Kripa, her voice escalating with every phrase. She said this while looking straight into those intense eyes, which seemed to have become cold as ice and yet were burning. She turned around and scanned the faces of the silent and shocked people around her. She felt her courage draining out of her. She couldn't face them all right now. Her eyes caught the doorway, which had been left open. With eyes nowhere but on the doorway, she walked so fast towards it that within a few blinks she was gone. Nobody stopped her this time because of what had happened, while she wouldn't have stopped because she needed a place to cry.
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Nothing would have stopped Angad for staring after her . Her words, her slap echoed in his mind. He briefly touched his right cheek, where she had slapped him and looked back at the doorway. Rage flooded through his mind. Uncontrollable rage. He realized his fists were shaking. He turned, walked towards the staircase and disappeared up the stairs. He too didn't want to face anyone right now.
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Kripa entered the dark large house. She stood by the open doorway of the Khanna House for a few more seconds to see if the light coming from the outside would be enough to let her get to her room. She made her way further into the house and it kept getting darker. Her tears had already started to flow and she clutched the dupatta tighter, as if wanting to feel her mother's presence with her. She made her way up the stairs, but she missed a step in the darkness and like a blind person she fell from midway of the staircase. Her knee and ankle hurt terribly n the pain was unbearable when she tried to move them. So she stayed there in the darkness n cried.
Kripa brought the red dupatta close to herself and hugged it. Tears ran from her eyes as she remembered Angad rubbing the girl's back with it n then her slapping him. How could he have used this dupatta? How could he have used her shagun dupatta to rub a girl's back with whom he………? This was the dupatta that she was given on her 16th birthday from the Khannas, through her parents. It was a shagun, a sign for their betrothal n he had smudged it. Dirtied it. Disgraced it.Gayatri had spent nights secretly embroidering it for her and even though she wasn't very excited by the dupatta when she was given it, she always took care of it, because it meant a lot to her parents. For Kripa, it had become somewhat special because it was her wedding shagun and now, she had accidentally grabbed the dupatta when she had run out of her room to the outhouse and given Angad the opportunity to dishonour it.
She was still clutching the dupatta n crying when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find herself staring into Devyani Khanna's concerned face. She saw kripa' s tear streaked face.
D ( cupping Kripa's face): ' Kripa, what happened? beta kya hua?
K: no reply
D( concerned ) kisi ne kuch kaha tumse? tum ro kyun rahi ho?'
K; still no reply
D: 'dekho kripa tum apni dadi ko nahin batao gi, haan? surya aur gayatri ne mujh per bharosa kerke tumhe yaha bheja hai, mein unhen kya kahogi ke mein ne unki beti ko ruladiya? beta bolo to….'
The care and concern in her voice touched kripa, she hugged her Dadi and broke down.
K ( sobbing) : ' Dadi, who mein outhouse gayi thi Angad se milne lekin waha per who kisi aur ke saath tha aur jab mein usse mili to usne mere shagun se us larki ke peet per se lipstick saaf kerdi.'
Devyani let kripa remain embraced to her, while sorrow darkened her face. Kripa hadn't explicitly said anything about Angad and the girl with him, but she understood. She knew Angad better than anyone else and right now she felt very bad for kripa that she had to witness what she had. She took Kripa to her room and stayed with her till she fell asleep.
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He couldn't sleep the night they, the St. Christopher College Football team had won the championship. They had rejoiced the entire night and he had got to know Priyanka, one of the cheer leaders who he asked out on a date for the next day- his birthday.
" Happy b'day Brother!!!," shrieked Aliyah joyfully and she wrapped her arms around Angad as he came out of his room. Even though, he hadn't been able to sleep, he wasn't tired, afterall, it was his birthday. How could anyone be tired on their birthday and waste the whole day sleeping?.
A ( patting her head); ' Thank u, Alli and what r u doing up so early?'
Al: ' what? can't I get up early to wish my brother ? gosh, u think so wrong of me n let me see for how long have ppl around u endured this injustice? um…. what 17?'
A ( wid some pride) ; '18 Alli'
Al( teasing him); ' don't u look proud? newayz I was here to tell u that ur parents for the last 18 years have called you down in the study.'
A: ' okay thanx Alli'
Angad turned to leave when Aliyah yelled out, ' Best of luck brother!.' Angad smiled. It was a tradition in their family that when someone turned 18, that person was given something on their birthday to reflect their becoming an adult member of the family. Karthik, his 3 years older brother, on his 18th birthday, had been given a share in the family business which he now expertly handled. Now it was his turn. He wondered what it could be as he went down the stairs.
He was almost down when he felt his cell phone come to life. He took it and looked at the caller id blinking : JOSH. He smiled and brought the phone close to his ear, where he heard his best friend's cheerful voice,
J (singing ): ' Happy b'day to u ! happy b'day to u! happy b'day dearest Angad! happy b'day to u!!!!'
A ( laughing) : ' thank u josh, but now spare me the bad singing.'
J ; ' sure mate, so what's the plan for today, b'day boy?'
A : ' party at the outhouse in the evening.'
J ; ' Give me a time. otherwise, my date is going to spend the entire evening getting ready and we'll only be able to make it when half of the fun is over. u have no idea how long these girls can take to get ready, and speaking of girls, did u finally ask Priyanka out?'
A : ' yeah, dude. She agreed to be my date for tonite's bash.'
J ; ' Good, so I guess Angad Khanna wouldn't want any of our kisses today, since he can have all his b'day kisses from his girlfriend.'
A ( in a part whining and part tired tone ): ' Josh, she is not my girlfriend. This is my first date with her and what makes u think I am going to kiss her?'
J: ' y wouldn't u? unless ofcourse, she has a case of bad breath. yeah, I remember the time I kissed a girl with bad breath on our first date. A very disturbing episode. It ends with me throwing up in the wash room.'
A ( laughing) : 'Well u deserved it. Either u took her to one of your fav. ethnic restaurants where everything has garlic and onions in it, or u shouldn't have kissed her on the first date dude.'
J; ' y ?'
A; ' Cuz, u don't know the person that well. To kiss a person, u must rly seriously like them, so y would u kiss a person u don't even know well? newayz, gotta go ( now standing outside the study ), my parents want to talk to me rite now.'
J ; ' okay, take care mate and see u tonite.'
With that, Angad placed his cell phone back in his pocket and opened the door to the study .Angad found both of his parents in the study, which was rare, as they were usually so busy that the most of the time he only saw them at meals or at functions. The study was dark, as the windows revealed a dark, dull day outside. The only source for light was the lit fireplace, besides which on a sofa were his parents sitting.
A: ' Good morning Mum, good morning Dad.'
Naina: ' Good morning. Happy birthday Angad. Come here n let me bless u' Saying so, she went forward and kissed Angad's forehead.
Dilip: ' Good morning Angad, n many happy returns of the day. Come sit down .'
Angad took a seat on a sofa chair placed directly infront of the sofa on which Naina had rejoined her husband. Dilip Khanna stood up and walked over to the fireplace and staring into the fire asked Angad,
D: 'Angad, how old are you?'
A ( surprised at the question): ' 18.'
Dilip Khanna now looked away from the fire and towards his son, who was on the edge of officially stepping into adulthood.
D ( in a serious tone) : ' Do you know what being 18 means?'
A : ' I believe so.'
D : ' what does it mean to u?'
A : ' A sign of becoming an adult.'
D : ' and what does being an adult mean to you?'
A ( honestly ) : ' well getting to have more fun with less restrictions.'
D ; ' with fun comes responsibility, and today we will give u your biggest one, Naina..'
Naina continued what her husband wanted to say: ' Angad, we have arranged your marriage with a friend's daughter.'
Angad stared at his parents. He couldn't believe what he heard.
A : ' pardon?'
N : ' We have finalized ur marriage with a daughter of a friend's. You both will be married in the next 5 years.'
Angad's body turned to stone. He felt as if his parents had dropped bombs on his head This couldn't be happening! they couldn't do this to him!! they must be joking but he saw no signs of jesting on either of his parents' faces.
A ( spluttering ) : 'B B But why??'
N: ' Angad, it had been decided long back.'
A : ' So, Mom how can I marry a person I don't even know!!'
D ; ' U will get to know her. She'll come to London before ur marriage so u can get to know her.'
A ; ' But Dad, this is ridiculous. How can u do this to me? How can u finalize my marriage without asking me? How can u decide whom I should marry? How can u pick my life partner, without even my permission? '
N : 'We have known the family for the longest time, Angad. Believe me, when I say that we know what we are doing, and as far as ur permission goes for this marriage, this was finalized long back, even before u could think for urself. We are just telling u today.'
Angad now lost it.
A ( screaming ) ; ' Then, y bother telling me rite now? U could have just told me the night before the wedding.'
D ( sternly ): ' Do not raise ur voice at ur mother, Angad Khanna. The reason y we r telling u this now is to let u know that for the next 5 years u are engaged and it would be best for all, if u avoid getting in a serious relationship with any other girl in this interval of time.'
Angad forced his voice to be low and spoke slowly, ' What if I don't agree?'
Dilip now looked back at Angad and said in the most declarative tone, ' U have to, as long as u r under this roof, u have to.'
Anger now gave way to indignation and Angad rose to face his father and said firmly and quietly, ' Well, then I will no longer live under this roof. I'll leave.'
D ( calmly ); 'U can if u want to.'
Angad looked at Naina before he left the study and she tried to call him back, but Dilip stopped her. Naina became quiet and prayed for a quick arrival of her mother in law.
And Devyani Khanna did arrive. She arrived at Angad's room's door, when he was packing his stuff to move out.
D ( slowly called out to him) : ' Angad.'
Angad turned around and on finding his beloved Dadi, went to her as a child goes to his mother to complain about a bully.
A: ' Dadi, thank god, u came. U have no idea what is going on here. They have finalized my marriage!'
Devyani didn't reply but took Angad to his bed and sat on it, while Angad kneeled down beside her with his head in her lap.
D( softly ) : ' Angad, today is ur b'day, but can I ask u for something?'
A ( turning his head to look back at her) : ' Ofcourse Dadi.'
D : ' Agree to this marriage.'
Angad jerked his head up from the lap and stared unbelievingly at his Dadi.
D ( continued) : ' Angad, this marriage had been finalized not only by ur parents but by ur grandfather and me as well. It was one of the last things he did, before he passed away. That family is very important to us and we always wanted u to get married in that family, but no one is going to force u. It's ur decision in the end.'
Angad looked at Dadi and saw the old n wrinkled face of Devyani Khanna. He realized that the woman who had been the most gentle and loving mother to him when his parents weren't there, who had always been Dadi for him wasn't only that. She was also a wife, who was trying to fulfill her husband's last wishes. This realization made the decision for him. He agreed. Devyani kissed his forehead and blessed him. After she left, he called up Josh and cancelled the party. Then he called up Priyanka and told her that the date was off.
I don't know what to say about this part, but I have a question for all those who write. does it happen wid u that u plan to write sumthing and end up writing sumthing totally different??? I rly hope u enjoyed this part and I made up for not continuing for a week. ppl plz leave honest comments, even a single word of truth would do………
Edited by nabz8888 - 19 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Anupamaa
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