Words of Silence: PAGE 202 Oct 25 2006 - Page 22

Chapter Thirteen

Kripa pushed the glass doors of her cabin open and marched in fuming, Rishab and Faith behind her.

"God damn it, I don't care what the hell her problem is."

"Kripa it's summer." Faith said following her.

She slammed her hands down on the glass table. She had enough anger, and power in her body to lift the glass slightly off the table and have the files jumping.

"I don't care." she said slowly, under her breath, looking at them both. "Its summer, I'm working, you are working, Rishab is working, and the entire world is working. Summers end at a point in everyone's life." Faith rolled her eyes; she didn't know what to tell her. "Will someone give me the damn answer to my question? I had made it clear last week that I wanted the final reports on my desk, Monday morning. First thing. The staff had an entire weekend, then why do I not have the final quotes when it's…" she glanced at the clock. "Already lunch time."

"Kripa relax just…"

"No!" she pointed at Rishab. "I cannot relax. I'm in charge here now. I don't know how you used to handle this place before, but it will run it the way I want to. The rules will be mine, not yours, or any others." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Pulled the leather chair out and sat down behind her desk. Her chair turned and she calmed herself down. "I want a meeting held in the board room with every staff member tomorrow morning. If anyone is late, they are fired."

Rishab and Faith's eyes popped. Faith hit her head against Rishab's shoulder. "She's insane." She mumbled in his arm.

"Faith," Kripa's chair turned with a swing and Faith stood up straight. "Rishab your excused." She smiled at the man.

Wow, Faith thought. The man who used to own this place is being excused now.

Rishab slightly bowed and back out of the room.

"Ms. Cruz," she sat back in her own chair, pointing at the chair before her.

Hands in her front of her, Faith moved to the chair and sat down.

"This is you're last week at this hospital as an intern. From exactly three months you will be working here."

Faith nodded.

"Good, then if you also wish to stay here and finish this week, you will not arrive at ten tomorrow. But at nine."

Faith nodded again. Kripa didn't hold a difference between Faith or a peon working under her when it came to work. They were all equal.

Kripa smiled, the smile echoed in her eyes. "Would you like to have lunch now, Faith?"

Faith stood up fuming. It was lunch time, which meant she could treat Kripa like Kripa Kapoor, not Dr. Kripa Kapoor. "No, Kripa, because you are insane. I promised Jason for lunch."

Right then Amna walked in. "I'm sorry." She started to walk out when Kripa stopped her.

"No Amna, come in. Faith is leaving, and we are done talking anyways."

"Sure?"

"Yes," Kripa stood up and brought her in.

Faith left.

Kripa and Amna sat on the other side of her cabin, having lunch. They discussed Amna's experience at NYU, and then about Kripa's experience at Yale.

Amna was someone who has loved Kripa as a person from the first time. Kripa, Amna, and Faith had shared an apartment during their undergraduate school. Faith wasn't too fond of Amna at first, but eventually, she started liking her. Faith not liking Amna was one reason Kripa didn't want to tell her she was the lady in Angad Khanna's life. She would have erupted like a volcano for sure.

After lunch, Faith made sure she was back five minutes before to check in. She went right back to her jobs and didn't see Kripa for the rest of the day.

Kripa took appointments for the day, and when time had went over a few details for the Children's Floor. Aside from that she had sent everyone a notice about the meeting tomorrow morning exactly at quarter past nine. It gave them an extra fifteen minutes. If they couldn't make it she was to be informed before leaving tonight. And, in the end she had, in bold letters, typed No excuses.

Now at nine, after finishing all her work she gathered her stuff and stood to leave when Amna walked into her cabin.

"I'm sorry doctor; I need just a few minutes. It's very important." She walked in and stood behind the chair.

"Please sit, Miss. Saran." She sat on her own chair and waited for her to state the issue.

"We need to fix an appointment with Mr. Khanna for the Children's Floor.

"Alright," she looked down at her appointment diary for tomorrow. "I'm busy tomorrow. I don't have a second to spare." She looked down to Wednesday. "Wednesday, we can have a lunch meeting, or Mr. Khanna will have to wait till Thursday."

"I can call him and see if he is willing to come in tomorrow. It's very important we see him as soon as possible."

"I know, I know." Kripa said looking at her busy schedule. "We can have a meeting on Wednesday at six. My last appointment is at five and that gives me perfect time." She looked at Amna. "Would you like to confirm it?"

"Yes I called him once already, you know the man. Angad Khanna."

Kripa looked up at Amna. "Angad majored, Art?"

Amna smiled, "He calls it art, he majored in designing, almost every type. This is his first assignment. He was picked out of the many students who had just graduated, for the task. And, Rishab picked his design."

"Alright. Call him up, and confirm six for Wednesday." Amna stood with a pleasant smile. "Tell him to make sure he's not late." Amna knew why Kripa said such a thing. Kripa relaxed in her chair again. "And, I really hope you're finding everything alright. It was your first day, but I'm impressed you're handling it very well."

"Thank you Kripa. You have a good night."

"You too Amna. And don't be late tomorrow. I would hate to have to fire you." She smiled again and stood.

"I won't disappoint you. Promise." She picked up her file and left her cabin.

"Hello Dr. Kapoor, you're late for dinner." Karan greeted his tired, exhausted sister. "How was you're day?" He kissed both her cheeks and gave her a glass of water.

"I'm sorry Karan." She said holding her already empty glass for another drink. "I feel so guilty. You take so much care of me and I never do."

"I'm older for a reason, sweetheart. Now stop feeling guilty, go freshen-up."

"Give me five minutes." She told him putting her glass away.

In exactly five minutes Kripa was on the dinner table enjoying a light pasta dinner. Kripa had made it clear to Karan that they weren't allowed to eat heavy if dinner was to be held this late. It was unhealthy. Karan had got used to this idea and had been following it for a long time now. He also got used to the idea of Kripa's book of laws. They were correct and for good, most of the time. Then she also did have her silly rules that didn't make sense. Karan knew her very well. He knew she would never say no to any thing to him. But he had made it a habit to not take advantage of her weakness. It wasn't the right thing for an older brother to do.

Kripa held out the cup of sizzling hot coffee in front of Karan and sat down beside him. "What did you do all day?"

"Well, I went to my office. We made quite a profit from the last show. It sure was a hit all over."

"That's good." Kripa leaned over and placed her cup on the table. "After that?"

"Then I came home, and reviewed a few other concepts, a few offers. I just wanted to be home in pajama's instead of the office in those yucky jeans." He shrugged with the coffee in his hands. "I'm so glad to be back home! What did you do all day?"

"Ah! I had a bad day." She recollected the fit she had thrown earlier this morning. Karan laughed as she told him about it. And, then while she sat with a frowning face he hugged her tightly.

"You worry to much, sis. Stop it; you're only twenty-four. Now tell me what happened between Angad and you yesterday."

Kripa sighed wondering who the hell told him. It couldn't be Angad. He wouldn't do such a thing, Faith didn't know, then who did? "Who told you?"

"I have my sources. That's not important, what did you tell the poor guy?"

"I'm sure if you know I said something you also know what."

Karan did know, but he wanted to hear it from Kripa. "I don't. Will you tell me?"

"I told him to stay away and mind his own business."

"Okay, but why suddenly?"

"Oh you know exactly why Karan." She kissed his cheek and stood up with her mug. "Good night. I have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Kripa why are you avoiding the subject?"

"I can tell you exactly what I told him Karan. It will hurt much, much more. But I can do it. I prefer not to. You're special, he's not that special."

Karan let out a breath. "Okay, tell me when you want to. Sleep tight."

Karan walked into Kripa's room around eleven thirty, because he had found the lights on. When he walked in, he saw Kripa sleeping. He sighed at her state. Files around her, glasses still on her eyes. She wasn't even lying down properly. But he smiled. Although it really irritated him to see her working so hard, he was proud of her. She had always made him proud. He knew for a fact, there would never come a day she would do anything to hurt him.

He picked up her files and stacked them on her table. Then placed the pillow under her head. He sat down beside her for a while and looked at her tired face. She still slept like a little girl, tired after a long tennis game. But now it was more than just the tiredness from a tennis match. She had a life with problems. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and kept his lips there for a few moments. He felt tears well in his eyes. She didn't deserve a second of what she was living. She deserved to be happy.

Kripa's eyes opened with a shake when his tears fell from his eyes to her forehead. Karan backed away and before he could walk out she caught his hand. He sat by her and she hugged him tightly. "Don't cry Karan, that's my job. I can't see you cry."

"Go to sleep Kripa. You'll be tired tomorrow." He tucked her in bed, switched the lights off, left.

****IMPORTANT****

I figure alot of you guys are confused about Angad singing the diary he gave Kripa. Well he hasn't singed it...