Words of Silence: PAGE 202 Oct 25 2006 - Page 54

Chapter Twenty Nine

Angad was dressed in his black pants and a white t-shirt still, roaming around, waiting for Kripa to get out of the bathroom. At the moment he felt like life had just taken a three year leap and he was married, going to an important event. His dear wife, Kripa in this case, is taking her sweet time in the bathroom while he was waiting for his outfit that's in the bathroom with her.

Finally he knocked on the door. "Ma'am if you don't mind can I at least have my suit?" He waited for the door to open and Kripa to step-out. She was dressed in a bathrobe still and her hair were tied up. "Finally!"

She looked at him annoyed, "If I knew you were this fussy I would have booked two rooms, and paid for them as well. I was just trying to save money."

"Whatever. Now hurry we have exactly forty-five minutes."

"Ok. Don't come out of the bathroom until I say it's ok."

"Whatever." He closed the door and Kripa heard the tap turn on.

When Angad came out fifteen minutes later, with Kripa's permission, her hair were pinned half up loosely in soft curls. She had done a quick, yet exotic job. It looked like she had spend a good hour or even two in the salon, but she had takes as little as fifteen minutes.

"Thirty minutes." Angad teased her.

She picked up her ivory dress that Angad had picked for her, and went into the bathroom to finally change.

She came out frustrated. "This dress is so complicated."

Angad looked at her from the mirror, was she beautiful or was he seeing an angle drop into his room from heaven? He turned around completely thunderstruck. She hadn't tried it on when they had bought it so they were unsure, but as she stood in front of him, it was perfect.

It was a beautiful silk ivory gown. A beautifully gathered halter neckline draped in slightly darker ivory details. The ivory color on her made her skin glow.

"Do something." She looked down at it. "You were the one who picked it."

"Alright." He took her hand and made her stand in front of the mirror. "Wear your shoes first."

She walked, wore her shoes, and then came back and stood in front of the mirror. He fixed the next of the dress, followed by the uneven look at her stomach down to the end.

Right at her mid-thighs the slim fitting silhouette flowed into a full-length dress. He glanced at her thought the mirror as she did something with her phone. When the dress was perfectly fitting, he stepped away.

"See it wasn't that confusing."

Kripa looked at herself in the mirror, she hated the neck, slightly too deep. But it was too late to complaint. She picked up her hands to tie the back to dress, when she couldn't Angad held her hands and tired it for her.

"Thank you." She took a deep breath and turned. "Now our brooches, and your coat, and tie." She picked up his tie and handed it to him. "Wear it."

They were the organizers and the two people in the spot-light tonight. They had to be perfect.

He smiled nervously at her, "I can't tie a tie Kripa."

"What?" She took it from him and pulled him closer. But first took her shoes off. "You can fix my dress but can't tie a tie?"

"I can." He watched her get on her toes and take one end of the tie from the loop. "But I can never tie my own tie. It will always come out uneven."

She finished and straightened his shirt, picked up his coat. Before he could take it from her she helped him with that as well. He then watched her pin the white rose to his jacket, take a step back, exhale, and then smile. "You look decent!" She picked up her own broche, it was also made of white roses but slightly bigger and it had more than just a rose to it.

After finishing she looked up at the clock. "We have fifteen minutes."

"Kripa you forgot something."

"What?" She turned and looked at her self. "My glasses." He smiled and watched her take them off and replace them with clear contacts. "Ok, well now we have thirteen minutes left."

"Well I know for a fact no one is allowed to enter the hall until these twelve minutes are over now. So why don't we go and practice our walk down the stairs?"

"Good idea, I would hate to mess up and look thick in front of everyone."

He chuckled at the word "Thick." "Well," he walked to her and took her hand. "You're not thick in any form. Brain or body."

"Thank you." She closed the door behind her and they walked down the lobby, they practiced the walk down the stairs three times. They were perfect the third time. No one was slower or faster, they reached the last stair together as well. Angad had told her she doesn't start walking down the stairs unless he tells her "go."

So it wasn't that hard. By the time they were done guests started arriving which meant they both had to slip away until the Ball started within a quick twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes passes quickly. Angad kept Kripa laughing so she wouldn't get nervous. She was hosting the party, for the most part, and finally the auctions with Angad's help.

When they were finally called down stairs, Angad stopped her before appearing on the top of the stairs.

"What happened? Did you forget something?" She looked at him and fixed his collar until he spoke.

"No." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You'll be great tonight."

She smiled with a sigh and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

"I'll be right there if you need me at all."

"Thank you again." She leaned back and looked at him. "You know something." He nodded with a grin. She played a smile on her lips. "I always thought you were the most handsome boy at school." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Today I think you're the most handsome man, and you're one of my best friends."

"Well I'm glad there is still one lady in the world still knows even guys like to be complimented sometimes."

"They do." She wrapped her hand around his arm, "let's go."

"Yes, let's do this and get it over with."

The press was waiting for the two most important people of the night to arrive. All eyes were darting the stairway. Finally when they both stood at the top, Kripa's hand wrapped around Angad's arm. The audience was in awe. They were the perfect match made in heaven.

Angad's dark suit complimented Kripa's gorgeous Ivory dress. In fact they complimented each other.

They stood at the top and posed for the camera, when the lights started going down. Angad turned to Kripa and placed the lightest kiss ob her lips under the spotlight. She was surprised; this wasn't a part of anything they had planned. But his kiss was tender and touching; she took it as a friend and savored it. Although it seemed long it was very quick. His eyes danced looking at her and the night started. "Go."

They both started down the stairs, on the fifth stair the staircase parted into three different ways, one ended straight down in the center. The second on the right side, and the last curved into the left side.

They walked down the stairs from each side along, and stepped on the floor together. When they stood across each other they smiled, waited just two seconds and met in the middle.

As she walked to him he could see her heart beating frantically through her eyes. Her smile was absolutely elegant, but only he could sense the nervousness.

With poise, Angad slipped his arm around Kripa, and they walked to the stage. "You were entirely flawless, Kripa." He said smiling at the guests.

"And so was that kiss." The words came without her consent, and she quickly spoke again. "Don't you think you're complimenting me a little too much tonight?"

"Well, I'm only flirting." They walked up to the stage, and towards the large podium.

She smiled, "Thank you anyways."

"Anytime."

They were both behind the podium, smiling. Kripa and Angad both adjusted their mikes and Angad started.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It's very nice to know I'm in such high demand to M.C. when I'm not half as popular as the beautiful Kripa Kapoor." He glanced at her.

She smiled coyly, "Thank you Angad." She looked back at the audience. It was packed, as she spoke her eyes searched for Karan and Faith. "During this very busy weekend before Christmas I'm honored and delighted that all of you could take out a few hours and come here." She spotted them on the left side of the room, sitting with Jason and Amna.

Suddenly she realized that she was again getting to comfortable with Angad. She couldn't let herself. Was Amna angry about the kiss earlier? She shouldn't be; Angad kissed her for an impression.

"It could have worked without it," something inside her voiced. She heard Angad announce the sequence of the night. After every two dances there would be an auction.

"And for the first dance let's start off with exactly what this Ball was first held for." He realized Kripa's father wasn't in the room. "So all you daughters out there. Get your Father on the stage for this next dance. Something perfect to tell each other what you feel." The audience clapped and taking Kripa's arm they walked off.

Kripa was lost as they went back stage, "Angad you shouldn't have kisses me."

He looked at her confused. "Why suddenly?"

"Angad I'm sure Amna disapproves. And it wasn't necessary, was it?"

He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Kripa you know exactly what I'm going thought." He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "Don't talk about this tonight. You're my fiance and I can swear if Amna and I didn't…" he stopped.

"Angad no. No!" Kripa whispered, and her second no was slightly louder. "No you did not." She hugged him tightly closing her eyes. "When did it happen?"

"Last week when we were looking at hotels in Orange. I got slightly drunk and…"

"Well you have a responsibility towards her now." She patted his cheek.

He nodded and they heard the music start. "Let's go find your Dad."

"I doubt he's here." She sighed and they walked back outside. He wasn't outside, but she spotted her mother there. "I'm going to go see my Mother, Angad."

"Ok. Kripa." She looked at him. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright." She smiled and then walked away.

"Mom," she placed a hand on her shoulder and her mother excused herself from another guest.

Maya turned around and smiled at Kripa. "My daughter looks absolutely stunning, tonight." She kissed her forehead. Kripa closed her eyes and felt like she was traveling back when she used to sometimes sit with her parents and they would kiss her. Or when she was younger they would come to tuck her in bed and kiss her forehead. For the first time she felt the same love and affection in the kiss in years.

"I agree." Kripa looked at Karan. "I think the two most beautiful ladies in this world are standing right before me." He kissed his mother and then Kripa.

"You look great, Kripa. Did Faith pick the dress?"

"No." Kripa recollected Angad's face when he had seen the dress and instantly told her they were going to stop looking for her outfit then and there. "Angad did."

Karan couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes, "And you picked his, I suppose." She nodded.

"I'm going to go see Faith." She kissed his cheek and her mother and then left.

As she walked down the hall her eyes glanced the people dancing. She envied each and every girl dancing with their father at the moment.

Tears stung her eyes, but she couldn't allow them to fall in front of so may people.

Faith and Angad watched her walk with her mind drifting away. "I should go see her." Angad said walking towards her.
"Don't." Faith grabbed his hand and stopped him. "She needs to be alone right now."

"Faith you have to tell me what happened during that summer. I need to know."

"I can't." She hugged him as they both watched her stop and talk to a few people, and then walk away again. "I can't, but Kripa can."

She looked at Dev dancing with Neha, and Sahil dancing with Sia in his arm. They looked adorable.

Neha's eyes shifted to the sad Kripa and she looked back at her father. "Dad."

"Yes." Dev looked at her daughters eyes dancing in joy.

"You should finish this dance with Kripa." She looked at him and Dev's eyes followed her gaze. "She doesn't deserve to be sad tonight. I know how hard Angad and she worked for tonight." She left Dev and they both walked to Kripa who was talking to a reporter.

"Kripa." Neha chirped.

Kripa turned and hugged her. "Hi Neha. How are you?"

"Good. I was wondering if you could finish the dance with Dad."

"Neha I-" She smiled. "Yes Neha, I can." She leaned forward and hugged her. "Thank you."

Dev and Kripa walked away Angad came and wrapped his arm around Neha. "I love you so much."

She kissed his check and held him back, "I love you too Angad."

"Your father is in London Kripa. It was urgent."

"Wrong." Her voice was soft and so was the smile that echoed in her eyes. She gave her hand to him and stepped closed. "My father is standing right before me. You have given in more love in the past few months than I got from him in my entire life."

Dev smiled sadly. "You don't know him at all Kripa. He really does love you a lot."

"Papa," she took a deep breath. "Just by knowing he loves me doesn't change anything. He has to be there and let me know when I need him."

Dev smiled, "You look beautiful Kripa, don't spoil it with tears."

"I won't, thank you."

Dev kissed her forehead, "Angad is lucky to have you."

She felt something inside her stop as she continued dancing with him. She hugged him and looked at Angad sitting with Faith and Amna. "I think I'm just as lucky to have him, maybe more." Before the dance finished Kripa and Angad had to get back stage so Dev danced with Neha again for the last minute or so.

Hey guys,

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this part, because i enjoyed writing it a lot! 😳 Hmmm... still in flashback! 😆 If you guys have questions ask me... other than that I don't have too much to tell you guys. 😃

Hugs and Kisses

Neha 😊