Words of Silence: PAGE 202 Oct 25 2006 - Page 13

Chapter Seven

Kripa stopped at every picture she saw in the corridor of the second floor. Seeing Angad, Sahil and Neha together reminded her of Karan. She was so glad he was coming back tomorrow. She sighed and slowly knocked on Angad's door.

"Come in," she heard him call. She opened the door and walked in. "Hey Kripa, come in." He turned around still dressed in his suit.

"I need my keys Angad."

"Oh yes." He reached into his pocket and gave her the keys. "Come on I'll drop you to your car."

"Angad I can walk."

"Oh come on Kripa." He threw his jacket on the bed and walked Kripa to her car. The house was quite and everyone was in bed. Kripa opened the door of her car and then turned to Angad.

"Angad I'm sorry about my behavior." She placed her hand on the top of the door and smiled at him.

"It's ok Kripa. It has always been fun annoying you." He placed his hand on top of Kripa's and squeezed it. "Drive safe."

Kripa just smiled and sat down in the car and Angad closed the door for her. Kripa started the car but unfortunately it wouldn't start. She tried again but it didn't work. She looked up at the gas tank and then slammed her hand against the steering wheel and screamed, "Damn!"

Angad looked at her and laughed. "Life likes to trouble you Kripa." He watched her throw her head back on the seat and close her eyes.

"Come on, I'll drop you home."

"Angad I live about an hour thirty minutes away from here."

"So? Come on I can drive and back."

"Are you sure, Angad?"

"Yes, just let me go and change. I'll drop you off."

She looked at him for a second. "Alright, I'll drive to my house and you can drive back."

"It's fine with me."

Kripa got out of her car and too tired to be angry at the matter anymore. "Thanks Angad."

Kripa waited for Angad in the car for about fifteen minutes. "Ok, let's go." She watched him throw something in the back of the car and then look at her.

Kripa, tried of wearing heels for so long took them off and drove back home barefoot. They barely talked on their way back, while Kripa struggled to stay awake, Angad was sleeping almost the entire way.

Kripa parked the car in front of her apartment and turned the car off. She looked at Angad who was still sleeping. Kripa smiled, as she looked at him sleeping, it reminded her of their trip to San Francisco their junior year, they way he had slept on the bus to their way to the airport. And, then on the airplane. Kripa laughed out under her breath and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Angad wake-up." She shook him mildly but it was enough to wake him up.

Angad looked at Kripa with his eyes half open and half closed. "Are you sure you will be able to drive back?"

"Yeah."

"You want to come in for a cup of coffee before leaving?"

He nodded closing his eyes slightly again. "That would really help."

"Alright come on." She picked up her shoes and walked into her house barefooted. Angad sat down on the sofa while Kripa excused herself for a few moments.

Angad didn't go back to sleep but instead stood up and walked to the collection of C.D's that were on a stand beside the T.V. Angad wasn't at all shocked to see Bryan Adams, Blink 182, Kelly Clarkson, and a few other familiar names.

"She still has the same taste in music," he thought. Angad looked around the small living area. It was clean with very little furniture. It looked more spacious because of the T.V. hanging on the wall. Angad turned and walked to the left wall of the room covered in pictures. There were picture of mostly Faith and her. Some with Rishab, and then a few from high school. He noticed one picture with the three of them and then a part of it ripped next to Kripa. He tired to remember, and then realized the picture was taken on Halloween at Knots Scary Farm. The person who was ripped off was Aman. He ran his hand over the picture and then turned around to see Kripa walking into the room.

"You have a really nice collection of picture Kripa."

She smiled as she turned on the light of the kitchen. "What type of coffee do you want?"

"Make it strong and just black, no milk."

"Alright."

"And, if I'm not wrong you're still in love with Bryan Adams." Angad stood against the wall in the kitchen his C.D. in his hand. He looked up at Kripa. She looked shorter because she was not wearing heels anymore. Her hair was still pinned up, just slightly looser now. She looked like a different person, perhaps younger in a pair of pajama's and a shirt. And, then of course the glasses gave her face a different look.

Kripa poured a cup for Angad and handed it to him. "I'm not in love with Bryan Adams anymore Angad. I have the C.D's because Faith listens to them whenever she comes over. Or even Karan listens to them. I haven't touched those C.D's once." She poured herself a cup of milk and then warmed it in the microwave.

Why was she so dry again, Angad thought. He turned around disturbed and walked back to the sofas. He sat down on a sofa chair and sipped on his piping hot coffee.

Although the day had been warm it had cooled down after sunset and the coffee didn't sound very bad.

Angad was still distracted with Kripa's attitude when she came and sat on the love seat adjacent to where Angad was sitting. They both sat in silence for a while.

"You know, Kripa, Bryan Adams was our guest on grad night." Kripa looked up from her cup towards Angad. He wasn't looking at her but in his cup. "I missed you that night. I missed you even more when Aman told me why you guys broke-up." Upon hearing Aman's name Kripa felt herself fighting tears again. Her eyes were burning and she knew they were red. She looked away, but she could still see Angad place his cup down on the table and then move to sit down beside her. "I have something to give you Kripa." He picked up his jacket and held out a wrapped something.

Kripa placed the cup on the table and turned towards Angad. "Why?"

He smiled at the wrapped object. "I bought this almost eight years ago. I found it in my closet this morning."

"What is it?"

"Take a look Kripa. I bought one for Faith as well, it's not the same, but similar."

Kripa reluctantly took the package and slowly unwrapped the beautiful bright pink wrapping paper. It looked like a book from the back, it was heavy and huge. She looked up at Angad confused. "I don't know if you'll like it now, but I know you would have liked it then. Turn it over." When Kripa didn't Angad did for her. Kripa looked down and saw the front of the leather bound… diary. It looked like something a royal princess would own. She looked at it closely and then back at Angad. Between all the arts there was a C.D. of Bryan's Adam's embedded in it and on the C.D. was his signature. He had singed the C.D for Kripa. It said in his handwriting: To Kripa K, with love Bryan Adams. She ran her hand over the front of the diary. It was beautiful something she hadn't seen in real life.

Angad waited for her to say something but she said nothing. She just looked at the pink stones that spelled Kripa's name and her last name's initial. The diary must have contained at least five hundred pages she could fill.

"What will I do with this Angad?" she finally spoke.

"I don't know, write in it." He tried a laugh but it didn't help Kripa. Angad sighed and pulled her into a tight embrace. For the past five minutes he had seen her fight her tears. "It's ok to cry sometimes Kripa. It helps." He felt the diary drop from her hands onto his thigh as she hugged him back tightly. She was crying and he didn't try to stop her once. He held her until she wanted to be held.

Kripa was shocked that for the first time in years she was sitting and crying with a man she hadn't seen in almost nine years. She had sat and cried with Faith, with Karan, and now for the first time with Angad.

He knew her past very well. Angad had known Kripa since first grade; they were in every class together, but never actually talked to each other. But he still knew her, everything about her.

Finally, Angad broke the embrace and wiped Kripa's tears. "Now that you're done crying I have to tell you something else."

"Are you going to make me cry again?" She asked putting her glasses back on.

Angad laughed as he took her hand in his. "No, and this can wait."

Kripa looked at the diary in Angad's lap again and picked it up. "Thank you Angad."

"For?"

"This and for caring about me. But I still don't know what I will do with this diary."

"I told you, write in it."

Kripa managed a laugh now. "I'll try. My life isn't that interesting."

"Oh it will be very soon."

"What do you mean?"

Angad was talking about his family and their plans about getting them married. "You can wait for the surprise."

"I guess." She looked down at the diary again. "Where did you remember to get this for me?"

"Well, when Bryan Adams played for us I thought of you, and had him sing this C.D. We had decided that we were going to do a little gift exchange the day we graduated. When I was looking thought the year book for the names I came across you and Faith and I bought something for both of you guys."

"Oh! So she got the same thing?"

"Not exactly, I got her a diary it's similar,

But not this personalized."

"Angad you never singed a single yearbook of mine. I asked you every year but you were always so mean about that."

"I know," he placed his hand on hers. "I promise to sing the first page of this diary. And, I didn't sing it then because I thought we would be in touch. There was no reason to sing when we were going to be in touch."

Kripa glanced at the clock; it was four in the morning. "I have a slight problem Angad. I need my car tomorrow because I have to pick Karan up."

"Karan lives with you?"

"Yeah, when he is in town."

"Wow, you all just disappeared and then suddenly came back."

Kripa smiled at the diary in her hand once again. "How does this open?" She asked looking at the rounded lock.

"Damn! It has a key which is at home."

Kripa smiled, "Good you can come back tomorrow and give me the key with my car."

"Yeah, I think it would be a great surprise if I went to pick up Karan with you."

Kripa looked up at Angad, "No Angad you can't."

"Why?"

"Because I think we've already spent too much time together today. I felt like I was ignoring Faith and Rishab."

"Oh Kripa, please!" He pulled her closer again. "Where did you learn about a term called guilt? You were never like that."

"I know I just don't want Faith to get any ideas." As she sat in his arms once again she didn't mind him so close to her. She heard his heart beating rhythmically, why was he so understanding? She asked herself.

"I know, I wasn't. But things have changed. Anyways, that's enough about me. What have you been doing?"

"What do you mean, Kripa?"

"I mean did you end up going to RCC, or did RCC not accept you either?" She laughed as she looked up at him.

"Actually, I went to USC and then NYU." He replied annoyed at Kripa's previous comment.

She laughed as she left him and sat up. "I know, Angad. I know you played for USC. I was just teasing."

"So you are still into football?"

"I am." She stood up and took both her cup and Angad's cup into the kitchen. "It's still a fun game. I've always liked it because it's so aggressive."

"I agree," he stood and followed her into the kitchen and talked as she washed the cups. "Where did you go, Harvard?"
"Um… you over estimated me Angad. I went to Berkley and then Yale."

"Oh! Big deal Harvard or Yale, they are the top Ivy-Leagues universities. And, I knew that too. Amna told me."

Kripa wiped her hands. "You know Amna?"

"Yes I do."

"Are you dating her Angad?" Kripa asked with a grin.

"Well, it's more than that now. I love her."

Kripa looked at him surprised. "Angad you're in love?"

"Yes, Kripa I am in love."

"Wow!" They both sat down on the dinning table across each other. "Now that's a surprise."

"Yes! I finally found my dream girl. How about you? I'm sure you've found the man. Mr. Perfect."

Kripa smiled as she looked down. "I haven't dated since Aman, Angad."

"What? That's really pathetic. How could you let that stupid man get up to you so much Kripa?"

"I don't know. I've tired to get over it but haven't."

"Well I'll make sure you do now." Angad glanced down at his watch. "I should leave Kripa."

"Yes you should. Can you get my car or shall I get Rishab or Faith to drive me tomorrow?"

"Well what time does Karan's plane land?"

"Nine at night."

"Ok, I'm sure that will give me enough time to sleep in." He winked and then stood stretching. "I still have something to tell you but I don't know if I should wait or just tell you right now."

Kripa stood up confused. "What? Just tell me."

"Did you wonder why did my father suddenly invite you to the party today?"

"I did, but I concluded because I've been in news lately so…"

Angad laughed now. "You handled the press quite well that day, I watched the interview twice."

"Thanks now continue."

"Ok don't freak out because I did when I heard this. Dad wants us, me and you, you and me, both of us…" he stopped talking and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes in fear and quickly spoke. "He wants us to get married."

"What?" Kripa screamed.

Angad opened his eyes and smiled nervously. "Yeah I reacted the same way."

"He doesn't know that you love someone else?"

"Yes, Dad said that he would meet her. But I'm sure he will reject her. And then I have to marry you!"

Kripa gave him a disgusted look. "I will never marry you Angad." She scoffed.

"Yeah, and I would never marry you."

Kripa shook at the thought again. "Whatever, we'll think about it when time comes. But no one gets to know about this little secret."

"Yes I agree. I wouldn't want the press to have to deal with you again. Poor them!"

Kripa didn't react the way Angad had expected her to. She just stood, a few years back she would have been hitting him. Angad frowned. "Ok I'm going to go now."

"I walk you to your car."

Angad turned and looked at Kripa. "I'm sorry about making you cry."

"That doesn't leave your mouth Mr. Khanna."

He grinned, "Ah! So I have a way to blackmail."

She rolled her eyes. "Go home Angad, you're taking nonsense."

"I know." He opened the door of his and then turned to Kripa again. "I'll get you the key tomorrow as well."

"Ok," she laughed as he gave her another long hug in the cold night.

"You need to take care of yourself Kripa."

"You sound like Karan."

He frowned, "I don't want to be your brother."

"Ok, you sound like Rishab or Faith."

He still frowned, "Too many people care about you, Kripa."

"I am cool like that."

"Cool?" he laughed.

Kripa smacked his arm this time but then said "sorry."

"Don't be. That's the Kripa I like, my friend Kripa."

"You should go now, Angad."

"I'm going, gosh!" He made her laugh now. He kissed her forehead and sat down in his car. "I'll call you if I reach home by tomorrow."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm so sleepy."

"Are you sure you can drive? I don't want your Mother blaming me for anything."

Angad laughed at her worried tone now. "Kripa I was kidding. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You don't have to Angad, really. I don't want to disturb your daily routines."

"I don't have any Kripa. And even if I did I could cancel a few things for you, for Karan."

Kripa smiled and ruffled his hair as if he was a little kid. "Drive safe."

"Bye." He started the car and soon disappeared. Kripa smiled and walked back into the house.