Words of Silence: PAGE 202 Oct 25 2006 - Page 10

Chapter Five

Faith watched Kripa embrace Angad back. "I can't believe it's you!" Angad repeated holding her close and tight. "I just can't!"

"Angad," Kripa said slowly. "Let me go."

"Oh come on, Kripa. It's a reunion."

"Without me?!" Faith completed. Angad finally left Kripa as Rishab walked into the cabin. Surprised to see Kripa hugging Angad, rather a man.

Angad walked to Faith and hugged her as well. "I love you too, Faith."

"Me too, Angad, me too!" Faith laughed hugging him back. "By the way, meet Mr. Rishab Richand, Angad Khanna"

"Who doesn't know him?" Angad held his hand out while one arm still around Faith. "It's a pleasure Mr. Richand."

"The pleasure is all mine; call me Rishab."

"Very well." He looked back at Faith. "Where did you guys disappear after our junior year? I tried to find out and then…"

"Forgot us," Kripa completed for him. Angad watched her pick up her jacket and hang it in her arm; then slide her purse over her shoulder. She smiled at them, "you guys carry on. I'm done for the day."

"You're still so dry Kripa. What happened to you your junior? It was like summer came and ended school started and I met a completely different Kripa." He placed an arm around her and pulled her closer. "Lighten-up!" Angad brushed his hand on her cheek as he spoke.

"I'll try and come tomorrow."

"I'll see you then." He left her and watched her tall body walk out the cabin after giving a hug to Faith and a smile to Rishab.

"Lunch Angad?" Faith asked him.

"No, Faith. I'll catch you later. Try and come with Kripa tomorrow, you too Rishab. Bye!" He rushed out of Kripa's cabin and rushed behind her.

"Kripa!" he yelled behind her. Kripa turned around after putting her stuff in her car. From that far Kripa looked quite different than inside that cabin a few minutes ago. She had maintained herself quite well, he concluded. "Yes, Mr. Khanna."

"It's Angad."

"It was about eight years ago not anymore." She turned but he caught her hand. "Can I help you with something Mr. Khanna?"

"You call me Mr. Khanna one more time I promise I'll kill you." He looked at her, but wasn't sure if she was looking back at him through her dark shades. Kripa felt his fingers loosen on her arms, but they were tight enough to keep her there until he wanted. "Kripa," he took a step closer. "I'm sorry about what Aman did to you." He noticed Kripa's jaw stiffen and then relax again.

"That was over eight years ago." She fought her tears back. At the moment glad her eyes were covered with her glasses. "Everything changes, I have forgotten and forgiven."

"You haven't forgotten or forgiven." He bought his hands to her face and took her glasses off. "Your eyes hold a storm Kripa."

Kripa quickly turned. "I have to go." She took her glasses without looking at him and drove away.

Angad turned to see Faith standing a few feet away from him. Angad walked to her for an embraced. "Why is she doing this?"

Faith watched Kripa's car turn out of the parking lot, "I don't know, Angad. I don't know."

Kripa drove her car slowly while Aman's picture flashed in her mind. Suddenly she turned her car into an empty parking lot and threw her head on the steering wheel crying. She wished that Faith was here to hold her and comfort her. She wanted to, oh so desperately, talk to someone.

Kripa cried as Angad's 'sorry' rang in her mind. Why was someone back in her life to remind her of her past? She was leading a life she wanted, then why did Angad, after eight years remind her of something that Kripa wanted to leave behind her?

After allowing herself cry for a few minutes Kripa gathered herself back together and wiped her tears. After drawing a deep breath, she started the car once more and continued driving back home.

The Khanna house was a chose the day of the party held for Dev and Kiran. Sana and Sahil helped Angad with the preparations but to a point Angad did almost everything. He had decided as long as it prevented him from going to the office he would do it. Aside from the party preparations on Angad's mind, Kripa clouded him. He couldn't believe that she was so different compared to what she was in high school. He couldn't believe that Aman's silly, yet disgusting game had hurt her so much. The more he thought about him, the angrier he got.

Angad never found out why Kripa and Aman broke up so suddenly, until the day of his grad night. The truth was devastating, hard for him to digest. The way he dealt with it was by ending his friendship with Aman.

Sana heard Angad scream as he accidentally hit the hammer on his thumb instead of the nail.

"Are you ok?" she asked as he came down from the ladder sucking his thumb.

"I think so." he replied looking down at his thumb. "I think so…" he replied now thinking of Kripa again.

"Angad, I didn't mean your thumb. Are you ok?"

Angad sighed as he looked at Sana. "I was fine until I went to meet Kripa Kapoor. And I met Amna."

"Oh!" Sana looked at him carefully. "So how did that go?"

"She's good, arrogant slightly still but…"

"But?" Sana asked.

"I don't know Sana. She's so…" he looked around the place. "So unlike she used to be. She's so sad and so dry, lifeless."

"Did something happen over the weeks for Amna?"
Angad looked at Sana confused. "Amna?"

"Yes, Amna. The girl you supposedly love."

"Sana!" he threw his hands in the air. "I'm not talking about Amna." Sana's brow lifted now. "I'm talking about Kripa. Kripa Kapoor, I'm talking about her."

"How do you know her?"

Angad walked to the sofa with Sana behind him. She sat down patiently and waited for him to continue. "We were close to best friends in High School."

"Close?"

He threw his head on the back of the sofa as he thought back. "Well, she had her best friend Faith, and then I guess it was me. I had my best friend, and then it was her and Faith."

"Well, this solves half the problem."
Angad looked at his sister-in-law now. "Meaning?"

"Since you know her it will be easier for you to accept her when you guys get married."

"Who said I wanted to get married to Kripa. I would never. She would never. Never."

Sana chuckled upon seeing Angad's worried face. "Angad, Sahil talked to Dad. Dad said he won't force you into anything if you don't want to."

Angad's lips curved slowly. "That's good. But will he say yes for Amna?"

"Did Amna say yes to you?" she asked him.

"She didn't say anything yet."

"I'm telling you again. You're not in love with Amna."

Angad stood up rolling his eyes, "Shouldn't I be the one to know who I'm in love with."

Sana stood up and took his hand in hers, "That's exactly what I told you when you told me I was in love with Sahil." Angad looked at Sana and then turned around annoyed. "I know you're not in love with Amna Angad, it's very obvious. I don't know why you think you are."

"Because I am!" he said between his teeth.

"Alright then." She walked in front of him. "You will not invite her to the party tonight night. But, in a few days the three of us will have lunch together."

"Who?"
"You, I, and the love of your life, Amna."

"Thank you, Sana. I'll see you later."

"Yes, but make sure you see Papa he wanted to talk to you."

"I will bye." He walked out of the large room and walked towards his father's room.

Dev wasn't there when Angad arrived to his room. So he left from there into his room. Angad picked out his junior year's yearbook and looked for Kripa's picture. He couldn't help but compare the Kripa he knew then and the Kripa he had met today. They were entirely different; two souls in one body. He looked thought the year book but couldn't find too many pictures of Faith or Kripa with him. He put that yearbook back and took out the ones form his freshman and sophomore years. He found loads of picture of Kripa, Faith, Aman, and himself.

Suddenly, for the first time in years, he missed those days. Suddenly he wished he could go back in time and stay in those two years forever. And, if not stay make everything that went wrong and come back.

He closed the yearbook and placed both of them back, he knew it wasn't going to happen. Aman was his best friend in high school, and he was the one to hurt Kripa. She was still hurt today, and Angad was going to make sure that she came out of her little closet very soon.

He stood up and looked thorough his closet and found himself something to wear for the party. Nothing to casual but nothing very formal either.

Angad looked thought to find something when his eye caught a bag. He took it out and found something he had totally forgot about.

Faith sat beside Kripa during lunch that day, in silence. Faith wanted to talk to Kripa, but she wanted Kripa to start. When she didn't Faith placed his glass on the table and spoke. "Kripa, are you ok?"

She looked up at Faith and smiled. "I'm perfectly fine, Faith."

"Angad's words didn't affect you very much, did they?"

Kripa sighed, "I won't say they didn't affect me at all. But that was yesterday and now is today. I've forgotten I even met Angad yesterday."

Faith smiled at Kripa's attitude. "I'm glad. Are you going tonight?"
"Yes, I will because it's his father who invited me. And, I don't want it to seem like I cared about what he said."

"Alright."

"Will you come?" Kripa asked playing with her noodles.

"I will, Rishab said he would drive me."

Kripa smiled at Faith. "I'll see you guys there then."

"You won't come with us?"

"No, Faith. I rather drive myself than asking someone to drive me."

"As you wish." Faith smiled now. "Don't you think Angad has gotten more handsome than he already was?"

Kripa laughed, "I didn't notice Faith."

"Then you should, because he has."

Kripa looked at Faith with an annoyed smile, "Only you can notice useless things like this. Who cares if he has or hasn't. I don't even remember what he looked like in high school anymore."

"Oh come on Kripa. You can't deny Angad is quite a charmer. He knows how to treat a lady."

Kripa twisted her lips as she thought about it. Then she rose and cleared the table. "Well, I can say he was in high school. I can't say if he is still is charmer. He knows how to treat a lady, well I think that's just manners every man should carry with him. Rishab knows how to treat a lady as well." She hesitated before she spoke her next words. "Aman knew how, but he also broke my trust."

"Well, I can guarantee that Rishab or Angad will never."

"I know Rishab won't, and hope never will because I think we'll be friends until we live. Angad Khanna on the other hand, I don't know, because I doubt we are going to be friends forever."

"Don't be so sure Kripa. Those event always take place that we least expect to happen. Did you expect Angad to suddenly show up after eight years and treat you like he'd been in touch everyday for the past years?"

Kripa looked at Faith again. Kripa also knew what Faith was trying to tell her. Kripa sat down on her chair and opened a file to sing the remaining papers. "He treats you the same way he treats me."

"I don't think so Kripa."

"Faith, I know what you're thinking and it's not going to happen." Kripa snapped extremely annoyed now.

"Fine, relax! I'll see you tonight."

"Alright." Faith turned to leave the room and looked at Kripa again before walking out.

"Dad," Angad knocked on the door.

"Angad, come in please."

"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked looking at his mother now.

"Yes, Angad. I need to ask you something." Dev sat down behind his desk, and Angad watched his mother leave the small office that they had set up in the house. "Angad, please sit down. I'm your father we don't have to be formal." Angad did as he said; he sat down and then picked up a crystal paper weight and examined it. Dev picked up his drink and sipped on it once again before speaking. "What are your future plans?"

Angad looked up at Dev and smiled. "Dad, we can talk about this later. Can't we?"

"We can, but I want to know a few things now. Did you invite Dr. Kapoor?"

"Yes, I did, Dad. She should be here tonight."

"Good." Angad watched Dev stand up and sit on the chair beside Angad. "I know you think that I don't care about you. Or anything else."

"You don't," he whispered.

Dev leaned forward and placed his hand on his son's hand. "I'm sure you know why I've invited Kripa Kapoor here tonight."

"I'm still in denial Dad, can you tell me again?"

"I would like you to get married to her, Angad. She's a suitable girl."

"I agree, she is." Angad smiled at his father warmly, but it was because of Kripa the smile had appeared. "But I don't love her Dad."

"Is there someone else?"

Angad hesitated and looked at the paper weight again. "Yes, there is."

"Do you think she is suitable to be the daughter-in-law of this family?"

"I don't know Dad." Angad stood up and walked to the window. "I don't know, because I didn't really think about that."

"Alright," said patiently. "I would like to meet her."

Angad turned around excited, "Really?"

"Yes," Dev looked at him. "But if I don't approve you will marry where I want you to."

"Dad, now that we're at this I need to tell you something else." Dev waited for him to continue. Nervously Angad continued. "I'm an art major Dad. I will be working with K.B. Homes for the next eleven months starting from this coming October. And, even after that, I will never help Sahil and yourself in the family business."

"So you've been lying to me?"

"No, Dad, I haven't been lying to you. You were never interested to talk to me. I couldn't wait to ask you for four years before choosing a career."

"Angad you've disappointed me."

Angad lowered his eyes, "I could say the same about you Dad." His voice was soft, yet sad. Dev watched his son press his lips together. "Excuse me." Angad left the room with his words echoing in Dev's ears still.