Words of Silence: PAGE 202 Oct 25 2006 - Page 59

Chapter Thirty One

Angad looked at her and then shoved his coat in her hands, and scooped her into his arms. "You don't have to."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're very sweet."

"I know I am." They walked up the stairs and into their room and Angad placed her down on the bed. "I'll go check out you can change until then."

"Ok."

Kripa was changing into the night suit she had bought with her when the lights flickers and then suddenly it was dark. She buttoned the last two buttons, leaving the last one open and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Angad." She said nervously with the lightning rumbling outside. She jumped a little and went to sit on the bed. It was cold and dark, and she was scared.

A few minutes later the door opened and Angad walked in with a candle. "The roads have been closed down due to a mudslide."

"No!" She groaned. "Now what?"

"Nothing. We have to spend the night here."

"I'll call Karan and tell him."

"I'll go get the keys to my room."

She looked up now, "Why? Don't you trust me?" She had a grin on her face.

He closed the door behind her and sat down in front of her. "I was thinking you didn't trust me."

She hit the call button when she found Karan's number. "Go change Angad. I'll talk to Karan. Hopefully he's ok."

"Fine. I want to talk to you after that."

She nodded. "Karan are you ok?"

"Yes Kripa. Thankfully."

"Good I was worried. We are stuck here for the night." She sighed and there was regret in her voice.

"Kripa my signal is breaking here. I'll talk to you later. Take care of yourself."

"You too…" Her voice cracked and her phone shut off. She tried turning it back on when it displayed a battery sing.

"Damn!" She tossed the phone into the bad and fell on the mattress.

"I'm so glad I wore sweats all day." Angad walked out with a wide smirk. "I would be stuck in these pants all night otherwise." He tossed his outfit into his bag and sat down beside Kripa. "Are you awake?"

"Yes." She turned and opened her eyes. "How can I sleep with a ghost like you in the room. Go to sleep Angad."

"Here?"

"You can sleep on the floor or the sofa if you think you can survive without a blanket because I'm not giving you mine."

He frowned and laid down beside her. "Can I talk to you? You promised."

"I'm listening."

"Did you buy me my Christmas present yet?"

"Maybe." She opened her eyes and looked at him. His eyes were glowing in the dark room. "Why?"

"Well because I want to ask you for something."

"Then ask." She sat up and realized she hadn't taken her contacts off. She took out her contacts case and put them back pulling her glasses out. She fell back on the bed, closer to Angad.

"I want a day with you alone."

"Angad it's not possible. What will we tell Amna? Most likely she wants to spend Christmas with you."

"I have it figured out. Dad donates to a Orphanage Center in New York and Boston every year. Normally Sahil and Sana go this year we can go."

"Why us? Amna will ask that."

"Because our families want us spending time together."

"Angad you can't lie to her."

"Ok." He moved closer so their faced were an inch away. "Then we can say that we want to create awareness about our hospital around U.S. and since I know New York and Boston you can go with me."

"That's still a lie. Moreover, then we have to spend the day with press not each other." She fought an urge to brush the hair falling on his forehead back. She closed her eyes in defense.

"No." He had seen the desire dance in her eyes, and smiled at her eyes closed. "We will say that we couldn't arrange the conferences and we found that out while we were on the plane. Open your eyes Kripa."

She did. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her eye make-up, although it was very faint, was sparkling in the dark. His heart jumped as he continued to look at her.

"I swear if we were married I would have seduced you tonight." There was a mixture of a grin and naughtiness in his eyes, his smile.

She simply looked at him without too many emotions.

"Please. It will be a matter of three, four days."

"You said a day not half a week." She watched him close his eyes angry now.

How badly she wanted to tell him that she would love to spend more than just three or four days with him. But she had to keep that to herself. She knew, if she tried, she could stop herself from falling completely in love with him. She was slowly traveling there, but she hadn't reached her destination.

Now it was her turn to tell him. "Open your eyes Angad."

He did.

She rested a hand on the side of his waist and got even closer. She couldn't stop herself from being close to him. He was the first man in years who made her blush, who could send her on fire with a simple kiss.

"Will you talk to Papa?" She made sure she sounded like she wasn't sure about it.

He smiled and placed his arms around her. Again he felt that she was stiff for the first few seconds before accepting the hug. "You're awesome."

"I know." She got comfortable where she was and pulled the blanket over them. "Good night." After thinking twice she placed her arms around him as well. "You're like a comfortable teddy bear Angad."

"I'm glad I can make you comfortable Kripa." He took her glasses off which she had forgotten about and placed them on the floor carefully.

Kripa turned in bed and then slowly opened her eyes. She felt one of Angad's arm under her and the other one over her. She turned again and looked at him sleeping. She looked at his forehead and raised her hand and pushed the hair off his forehead. Her hand stayed buried in his hair until he slowly opened his eyes, she started to take it back when he pressed it near his ear and looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"Um." She blinked. "Good morning."

He laughed under his breath and shocked her by kissing her. His lips were pressed against hers for a handful of seconds before she slightly parted her lips and accepted his kiss completely. It was just a kiss. But it had her trembling.

When she found herself guilty again and pulled back.

"You kiss by the book Angad." She said trying to breathe normally.

He pressed his nose against her neck, "Have you memorized Romeo and Juliet?"

She chuckled about the fact he realized that she was quoting the play. Her hands were still settled in his hair, and she loved raking it. He had a marvelous head of hair, something she could sit and play with all day.

"Well since you know that I've quoted it from the play I can ask you the same question. Besides this is the first time I've quoted that play."

He looked up at her and pulled her head down towards him. "I think you have forgotten, let me remind you. When we read Romeo and Juliet our freshman year we were assigned to read Romeo and Juliet."

There was an sudden embarrassment on her face, mixed with a blush. He kissed her forehead and got out of bed. "Order breakfast."

"Do you what time it is?" she asked looking at the clock. "It's one thirty."

He turned in shock and then groaned. "And its Sunday. We're back to work tomorrow."

She laughed watching him whined. "Just tomorrow Angad. You guys don't have to come from Tuesday."

"Well I'm coming." He stated stubbornly, watching her tie her curly hair up. They were still pinned from placed but looked extremely messy now. "Your glasses are on the floor."

"Ok and why?"

"Because otherwise I don't get to see you."

She nodded in disappointment but then smiled. "I'm not coming on Tuesday either actually."

He looked disappointed now. "Why?"

"Because," she stood on the bed and looked out the window that was behind the bed. "You guys forced me to take off as well. So I won't be working this Christmas."

"Ah!"

She watched a grin play on his face. There was something in his head.

"Kripa."

"Yes?" She slowly sat back down.

"You are invited to my house for dinner with Karan on Christmas day. And you invited me over for Christmas Eve."

"When?"

"I know you had a dream about it."

"Did not. And I want to spend Christmas with Karan and Faith."

"Don't you think you should spent it with me since we've missed the last, oh eight or nine?"

"No. And we're not going to have lunch here. We'll check out in an hour and go somewhere else."

"Fine with me."

Kripa stood on the floor and stretched again. He took her arm and pulled her forward. "I have a favor to ask."

"Angad," she said in a strict voice. "You're taking advantage of me now."

"I need to finish my Christmas shopping."

"Oh no!" She hit head against his chest and growled. "Not again."

"I know you want to. Come on say yes."

"Ok. We'll go to Victoria Gardens eat something and then finish your shopping, and then go home."

"And, we'll manage to go to the movies between it?"

"No because we need to go home and get a few things done."

"Alright. We'll do that as long as I'm with you."

"Angad." She winced. "You're making this harder for both of us. Maybe if hadn't spent so much time together to begin with we wouldn't be going thought what we are right now." When he was silent she rolled her eyes. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Can I come?"

She turned around and threw a bouquet of flower at him. "No!" She hollered watching the bouquet hit his face and then drop, the flowers fall across the room.

"You have a very nice arm Kripa. Should have tried out for football."

She screamed as loud as she could and then walked into the bathroom door slamming it shut.

Almost forty-five minutes later the door to the bathroom slightly opened, and Kripa peaked out. "Angad."

With a grin he looked at the door, but didn't reply.

"Angad." She said a little louder, a little angrier.

"Yes Kripa."

"Can you give me my bathrobe?"

"Can I?" He asked.

"Angad please." She begged.

He stood up and handed her the bathrobe and then went back to the bed. She came out which seemed a second later. Ignoring him completely. But then she didn't have another choice but to talk to him.

"Where are my cloths?"

"I send them for a wash. You can get them back if you want to wear them dirty again."

She noticed the annoyed tone of his voice but ignored it. Because the power was on she sat on the bed and turned the T.V. on.

Outside it was still dark, the clouds were dark and it would rain again. She had tried to reach Karan a few times but he wouldn't pick up, nor would Faith or Jason. Clearly the couple was together.

Kripa absently smiled thinking about Faith and Jason. They were a cute couple. Kripa had caught Faith doing crazy things along. Like dancing, or just singing while typing up a report. She was absolutely in love, without a doubt.

Angad looked at the side of Kripa's face, and her curved lips. She was still draped in her pink bathrobe, with her hair tired up in a bun.

Angad sat down beside her and draped an arm around her shoulder. "What's my sweetheart thinking about?"

"Jason and Faith. They are such a perfect couple." There was a girlish smile on her face that he hadn't seen since they had met this summer.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Kripa looked at him because no one had told her that in the past years. Coming from Angad's mouth it sounded more precious that it should have. She turned herself towards him and framed his face with her hand. "No." It was a low, soft whisper. Her hand dropped to his neck and soon both her arms wrapped around his neck. "You looked very nice last night. I'm sure too many girls envied me."

"Do you want to know why I envy right now?"

She lips slightly curved. "Who?"

"I know you might get angry for bringing this up…" He paused and looked at her. And then smiled. "I wish when Faith had tried to get us together in high school it would have worked. Maybe we would have been married by now."

"So you envy Aman?"

His eyes widened when she took his name so peacefully, without a trace of hatred or sadness. "A little."

She managed a low laugh before pressing her lips to his, and then pulling back. "I don't think I felt for him half as strongly as I feel for you. I never loved him Angad." He pulled her into an embrace. "I was disappointed when we broke up. Any girl would be after dating a guy for almost two years."

"You were only dating for one." He wanted to reach for the clip in her hair and allow them to loose to her shoulders. Her hair was always tied up in some manner. Never fully left down. Although it looked beautiful, like it did last night, he wanted it down, playing with it.

He pushed the thought aside though. She had kissed him a moment ago, but as she talked to him right now, it was as a friend. He didn't care if she loved him back- hell he wasn't sure if this was really love or just infatuation- but he wasn't going to mess up their friendship for anything.

"Well our freshmen year." She spoke breaking Angad's thoughts. "We weren't exactly dating. Well we were but he hadn't officially asked me out. We went to Varsity games since he was on the freshmen team and then Junior Varsity. It was our sophomore year we really got closer. We broke-up three months before the year ended. And then…" She suddenly stopped. "I'm sorry I can't believe I'm sitting here talking about this."

"No. It's ok, I'm listening. Continue."

"I'm done." She closed her eyes. "You tell me did we win our homecoming game our senior year?"

"We did." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "There were thirty-five seconds in the game and we were loosing. Suddenly the ball fumbled from the other team's player and I managed it catch it, run, and score a touchdown. It was that touchdown that got me a full scholarship to USC."

"Wow. Too bad I missed it. It would have been fun to watch."

"I would have been happy." He drew her away and looked at her. "It took me time to forget both you and Faith, Kripa. I saw you sometimes during our Junior year, and then as soon as football season was over you starting disappearing more and more."

"I took all my classes at RCC my junior year. That was the only way I could complete all the requirements and move into the freshman year of college a year earlier."

There was a huge frown and disappointment in his eyes that he didn't want to hide. "You have no idea how disappointed I was when I found out you left. I remember the last time I talked to Faith."

"There's no point in remembering all that Angad. It's today that's important, and our futures. Not yesterday."

"I agree." He brushed the falling bang back. "But there was more than one occasion when I missed you guys."

Kripa smiled, "How did you forget me then? You recognized Faith right away."

He shrugged, "I don't know. Do you have any idea how different you looked than in high school? More studious, absolutely kempt. It wasn't like the Kripa Kapoor I knew in high school, at least the looks. I loved the way your hair used to look in an untidy bun, with those light brown bangs hanging in your eyes."

She was surprised that he had noticed then and he still remembered.

"And, I loved the way you looked with those glasses, that you still wear, sometimes. You had a look of a careless girl, Kripa. It was perfect. Whether you tried it or not, you were beautiful."

There was a hint of tears in her eyes. But he didn't do anything to console her.

"While Amna and you were seeing each other I envied him, a lot. But I never let it come between us. Now I wish it did. You were beautiful then and now. Just in different ways. How I wish you were still there our senior year, I'm sure even then things would have been different. Maybe the first time we meet at the homecoming game I should have followed my heart and asked you out but-"

"You wanted to ask me out?" There was shock and sadness in her voice.

"Well you were gorgeous, who wouldn't want to?" His lips that were curved, straightened. He cupped her face with his hands. "I want you back Kripa."

"I'm right here Angad. It won't get any better."

"I know that, but I want you here forever."

"Well it's to late now." She stood up and turned. "Maybe when you had proposed it wasn't a game we would be the ones getting married in a few months."

Then she turned, forcing a smile.

"But then again, we still aren't sure if we are in love or not."

Kripa listen to yourself, something inside her spoke. Why are you in denial that this man is not the man you've been waiting for all your life? How can you still say you're unsure if it's love or not?

"Right." They heard the knock on the door and Angad went to get it.

Hey guys,

I hope you guys enjoyed the part! 😛

Ok so we're going to stop trashing Amna because it's bugging me for some wired reason.😕 So no more blaming her because I don't think it's her fault...

Hmmmmmmm that's all for now.

Coming up: Angad and Kripa continue talking about Angad's high school years. 😊

Hugs and Kisses

Neha 😊