Posted:
Prologue
New York, USA
10:00 pm, Sunday
"Ghar aaja... badi yaad aati ha" (come home, I miss you)
Kripa read the simple email for the millionth time. That was all there was, that one sentence. Yet her face crumpled and tears rolled down her face.
Home. How could she go back home? After all this time. After...
7 years. It had been 7 years since she'd been home. 7 years since her life had changed... 7 years since life had happened.
How could she go home now?
"Go! Go Kripa, and never ever come back. Don't ever show me your face again. And don't ever, ever, try to come home. Never!"
Kripa put her face in her hands and screamed into it. No! I don't want to go home.
It had been 7 years though...
Pulling herself together, she searched for her phone. She needed to talk to someone. She needed to talk!
"Hello, Shobha di? Is Garu there?"
"Sorry Kripa, Garu is with Sanjay. "They're putting the kids to sleep right now." Shobha replied. Sensing something was wrong, she softly added, "Can I help you with something?"
"No...I...yes...maybe. Can...can I sleep over at your place tonight?" Kripa asked on a sob, "I don't think I'm fit to be left alone for tonight."
"Oh sweetheart, of course you can. You're as much my sister, as Garu is. Do you want me to come get you?" Shobha asked.
"I'll take the train. I'll see you in half an hour."
***********************
Delhi, India
8:00 am, Monday
"Amrita? Amy? Where in the world--- there you are!" Prateek grinned as he saw his wife feeding their daughter, Sanya, while Trisha their other daughter was frowning to her phone. " Hi there, babies." He kissed both his daughters on the head. "And hi there, babies' mamma." He gave a sound kiss on her lips making Sanya giggle, and etTrisha smile.
"Hey dad!" Trisha gave Prateek a big smile. "Since you're here let's discuss your birthday party theme. I still think you should go with somthing chic and classy, like mamma's party last year. Women in gowns or sarees, and men in tux or sherwani. It'll be fabulous!"
"Beta, I've given you the responsibility, so you plan it. And anyways, you're a Swaika. Your taste can never be wrong." Prateek replied.
"Alright sweet. Okay dear parents I gotta go now. Meeting Bobby and Megan before school." Trisha got up and gathered her stuff. "Love ya guys." She leaned to Sanya and kissed her cheeks, "and I love you the most."
"I love you too Trisha di!"
*********************
Angad groaned as he stubbed his toe on the table in his room. "Stupid table." he mumbled. "What time is it?" Scratching his head, he yawned big and continued to walk in search of the bathroom.
He saw that the light was on in one of the rooms. Curious, he forgot his need to use the bathroom and went straight to that room.
He knocked.
"Vikram? Mere bhai. You okay?"
An irritated Vikram pulled open the door and glared at him. "I have told you time and time again, don't disturb me when I'm writing!" Before bike am could say a word, he added, "yes that includes saying are you okay. And before you give me some lame excuse about how you should know I'm writing... Have you ever seen me wake up before noon?"
Angad shook his head, slightly scared.
"Right. So what the hell do you think I am doing up at 8 am?"
"Going to the bathroom? That's the reason I woke up." Angad mumbled. "Sorry I disturbed you. Imma go pee now." Just as he said that he heard a door bang shut and his eyes widened. "Bunty, kaminey, get out of the bathroom right now!" He ran to the bathroom and started banging on the door, while screaming profanities at him.
Vikram closed his eyes and counted till 10:there would be no sleep today.
*******************************
New York, USA
12:00 am, Monday
"So... What do you want to do?"
Kripa, Shobha and Garima sat on the floor of Shobha's living room digging into the cookies n cream ice cream like there was no tomorrow.
Kripa had arrived an hour and a half ago and in between sobbing and weeping, told them about the email and what it meant.
"Before you decide what you want to do... Are you sure it's from her?" Garima asked softly.
"It has to be from her, Garu. The email address is definitely hers." Kripa licked a spoonful of ice cream. "I honestly don't know what to do."
"I think it's pretty simple." Shobha smiled, "You have been stuck in the past for 7 years too long. It's about time you go confront it, your family, and everyone."
"But di..." Kripa sighed, "I can still remember those words. As vividly as if it happened yesterday. How do I face everyone and their accusations... Their disappointment?"
"Sweetheart, you're not the same Kripa I met 7 years ago, so you're definitely not the same Kripa who, instead of fighting, ran away when things got tough." Garima put her arm around Kripa, and added, "You know you're not wrong, we know you're not wrong... you need to show everyone who and what you are. And the one way that can happen is if you go."
"And for moral support, Garima and I, and the kids are coming with you. It's high time I faced some of my demons as well." Shobha confessed.
"Oh di, we're so proud of you!"
The three of them hugged each other.
"Hmm last time I was in India, I was 10. This should be interesting."
Let me know what you thought. Some things: the timings just meant they were sorta all happening at the same tune: in New York and Delhi. As you can see its a mix of KYPH, LAT, and ADHY. Please please please comment.
New York, USA
10:00 pm, Sunday
"Ghar aaja... badi yaad aati ha" (come home, I miss you)
Kripa read the simple email for the millionth time. That was all there was, that one sentence. Yet her face crumpled and tears rolled down her face.
Home. How could she go back home? After all this time. After...
7 years. It had been 7 years since she'd been home. 7 years since her life had changed... 7 years since life had happened.
How could she go home now?
"Go! Go Kripa, and never ever come back. Don't ever show me your face again. And don't ever, ever, try to come home. Never!"
Kripa put her face in her hands and screamed into it. No! I don't want to go home.
It had been 7 years though...
Pulling herself together, she searched for her phone. She needed to talk to someone. She needed to talk!
"Hello, Shobha di? Is Garu there?"
"Sorry Kripa, Garu is with Sanjay. "They're putting the kids to sleep right now." Shobha replied. Sensing something was wrong, she softly added, "Can I help you with something?"
"No...I...yes...maybe. Can...can I sleep over at your place tonight?" Kripa asked on a sob, "I don't think I'm fit to be left alone for tonight."
"Oh sweetheart, of course you can. You're as much my sister, as Garu is. Do you want me to come get you?" Shobha asked.
"I'll take the train. I'll see you in half an hour."
***********************
Delhi, India
8:00 am, Monday
"Amrita? Amy? Where in the world--- there you are!" Prateek grinned as he saw his wife feeding their daughter, Sanya, while Trisha their other daughter was frowning to her phone. " Hi there, babies." He kissed both his daughters on the head. "And hi there, babies' mamma." He gave a sound kiss on her lips making Sanya giggle, and etTrisha smile.
"Hey dad!" Trisha gave Prateek a big smile. "Since you're here let's discuss your birthday party theme. I still think you should go with somthing chic and classy, like mamma's party last year. Women in gowns or sarees, and men in tux or sherwani. It'll be fabulous!"
"Beta, I've given you the responsibility, so you plan it. And anyways, you're a Swaika. Your taste can never be wrong." Prateek replied.
"Alright sweet. Okay dear parents I gotta go now. Meeting Bobby and Megan before school." Trisha got up and gathered her stuff. "Love ya guys." She leaned to Sanya and kissed her cheeks, "and I love you the most."
"I love you too Trisha di!"
*********************
Angad groaned as he stubbed his toe on the table in his room. "Stupid table." he mumbled. "What time is it?" Scratching his head, he yawned big and continued to walk in search of the bathroom.
He saw that the light was on in one of the rooms. Curious, he forgot his need to use the bathroom and went straight to that room.
He knocked.
"Vikram? Mere bhai. You okay?"
An irritated Vikram pulled open the door and glared at him. "I have told you time and time again, don't disturb me when I'm writing!" Before bike am could say a word, he added, "yes that includes saying are you okay. And before you give me some lame excuse about how you should know I'm writing... Have you ever seen me wake up before noon?"
Angad shook his head, slightly scared.
"Right. So what the hell do you think I am doing up at 8 am?"
"Going to the bathroom? That's the reason I woke up." Angad mumbled. "Sorry I disturbed you. Imma go pee now." Just as he said that he heard a door bang shut and his eyes widened. "Bunty, kaminey, get out of the bathroom right now!" He ran to the bathroom and started banging on the door, while screaming profanities at him.
Vikram closed his eyes and counted till 10:there would be no sleep today.
*******************************
New York, USA
12:00 am, Monday
"So... What do you want to do?"
Kripa, Shobha and Garima sat on the floor of Shobha's living room digging into the cookies n cream ice cream like there was no tomorrow.
Kripa had arrived an hour and a half ago and in between sobbing and weeping, told them about the email and what it meant.
"Before you decide what you want to do... Are you sure it's from her?" Garima asked softly.
"It has to be from her, Garu. The email address is definitely hers." Kripa licked a spoonful of ice cream. "I honestly don't know what to do."
"I think it's pretty simple." Shobha smiled, "You have been stuck in the past for 7 years too long. It's about time you go confront it, your family, and everyone."
"But di..." Kripa sighed, "I can still remember those words. As vividly as if it happened yesterday. How do I face everyone and their accusations... Their disappointment?"
"Sweetheart, you're not the same Kripa I met 7 years ago, so you're definitely not the same Kripa who, instead of fighting, ran away when things got tough." Garima put her arm around Kripa, and added, "You know you're not wrong, we know you're not wrong... you need to show everyone who and what you are. And the one way that can happen is if you go."
"And for moral support, Garima and I, and the kids are coming with you. It's high time I faced some of my demons as well." Shobha confessed.
"Oh di, we're so proud of you!"
The three of them hugged each other.
"Hmm last time I was in India, I was 10. This should be interesting."
Let me know what you thought. Some things: the timings just meant they were sorta all happening at the same tune: in New York and Delhi. As you can see its a mix of KYPH, LAT, and ADHY. Please please please comment.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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