It's not controlled AK/AR Note! PG 25 - Page 17

Kripa sat at Riddhima's bed, as she waited for Riddhima to come with the coffee. Aaliyah was asleep in Riddhima's spare room, while Kali and Sam were watching television in the living room and eating some snacks. After their reunion at the park Riddhima insisted on Kripa coming to her apartment, which was located on the richer and classier side of Manhattan. Kripa missed living life like this, she knew she could actually afford right now. But she was afraid to take any big steps, what if something went wrong how would she manage it off with three kids. Kripa had grown up in luxury and high society life, with her parents being one of the countries top notch business individuals.

"Here" Riddhima said as she handed the coffee to Kripa, even though Riddhima and Kripa hadn't been in contact for the past ten years. Things seemed the same with the two, they still could blab about anything and didn't feel offended when one said something that should be taken into offense, but it didn't for them because it came genuinely and truthfully.

"Your coffee still taste the same" Kripa said while taking a sip. Their life had moved on and things changed but things like this will probably never change.

"What are you going to do with the kids once school ends?" Riddhima asked, she was worried and concerned how could Kripa handle all this. It was a lot, for a single mother to do. Kripa had told Riddhima about Shiva's death, and Riddhima felt bad but not that she lost her husband but that she was left to suffer and hold on and take care of three kids. Riddhima had always believed that the love Kripa felt for Shiva wasn't real nor was Shiva's love, and she still did till today. She wouldn't mention to Kripa this now since she knew it wouldn't be right, but she knew Kripa was aware of her thoughts.

"I don't know" Kripa admitted as she placed her coffee on the side table. "I'm tired Riddhima, I don't know how much longer I can handle this. I feel like..like I'm freaking 50, I don't feel like me and anymore. I wake up and do things because I have too Riddhima I don't want to do this anymore I just I don't know" Kripa said all choked up as she cried, Riddhima went over and held Kripa. She knew it must have been hard for Kripa and she sensed Kripa's difference she wasn't the same Kripa anymore. She was now soft spoken, quiet, calm and etc. but the Kripa ten years ago was loud, hyper, fun loving and etc.

"Kripa it's going to be okay! You just have to be more free be the Kripa I left again!" Riddhima said as she wiped Kripa's tears "Look, Kripa you trying to hard to be this, I know this isn't you. Shiva isn't here anymore and it doesn't obligate you anymore to live a dull and straightforward life and you know that Kripa. You know yourself you changed and comprised to live your life with Shiva" Riddhima's words hurt a bit, but it was true. An now that she looked at it Shiva and her were mostly build up on comprise most coming from her.

Kripa was speechless, maybe she should go back to old Kripa but the kids. Kripa didn't take her kids as a burden ever but at times it felt like they were holding Kripa like handcuffs. They slowly began moving away from the subject, but it was in the back of both of their heads.
"You didn't find any guy in these ten years?" Kripa asked as she helped Riddhima wash the plates. Kripa and the kids had literally spend all day at Riddhima's house. It had felt like old times to Kripa when Riddhima and Kripa were alone both would cook together and then clean up in a routine one washed the plates other dried them.

Kripa's question struck pain across Riddhima's face, Kripa wondered if it was from what had happened in their sophomore year of high school When Riddhima had lost her virginity to Nickolas Reed, Riddhima had started dating Nickolas in the end of freshman year and continued into their sophomore year. An that jerk had dated Riddhima for fun, where as Riddhima took their relationship seriously, he had convinced Riddhima into sleeping with him and after he had slept with Riddhima, he had left her. It had left Riddhima devastated for rest of their sophomore and junior year. Kripa though didn't leave the matter alone, Kripa had always been friends with a lot of football players and at a school fair Kripa had gotten Nickolas beaten up pretty bad and left him in the ally until someone realized he was missing.

"Yeah, I did. But he stood me up on our engagement" Riddhima said as she dried the last dish.

"What!" Kripa looked at Riddhima she wasn't hurt but angered.

"Remember Arjun Patel?" Kripa sat trying to reminisce Arjun, she knew who Riddhima was talking about but she didn't remember the face. Suddenly it hit her Arjun, Arjun Patel Manisha and Ajay Patel's son. They had basically grew up with the kid, though Kripa never really interacted with him she knew who he was.

"Manisha and Ajay Patel's son right? You were going to get married to him?" It was kind of unbelievable, they had barely talked to the kid while growing up. An now here Riddhima had almost gotten married to him.

"We started dating when I came for the summer after my third year at Northwestern University" Kripa listened with a bit of guilt how much did she miss cause of marrying Shiva, Kripa didn't know why but accused Shiva. "We dated for two years and then on my twenty-third birthday, he proposed to me. Everything was fine and we had planned to do an official ring ceremony a month later, but couple days before our engagement his ex girlfriend showed he told me it was nothing and they were only friends. But on our engagement he didn't show up, I stood the whole day in the engagement outfit we picked out. I even waited on the porch that whole night, he never showed up" Riddhima finished her sentence and looked at Kripa, Kripa looked pissed. Riddhima smiled.

"That son of *****!" Riddhima knew that if Kripa could know where Arjun was right now she would go and get him killed some how.

"It's okay. I should have learned my lesson the first time, men can not be trusted. Their just mother******* who try to screw you over. An I don't care about men I'm better off without one" Riddhima said as this was nothing. She hated men, to her they were a waste of oxygen.

"You can't stay single forever that's irrational, and I'm pretty sure Auntie and Uncle wouldn't let you stay unmarried forever" Kripa said after listening to Riddhima saying she hated men.

"Ugh don't even mention that. As I turned twenty-eight, mom's been going crazy with marriage proposals one after another and I keep rejected every single one. She just doesn't get it, besides whats so good in being married, all you do is comprise and suffer!" Riddhima looked at her bedroom door it was closed, the kids wouldn't be able to hear what they were talking about.

"You can't stay alone forever" Kripa didn't say anything on the last part of what Riddhima said, yes you had to comprise but their were good ones and suffering well she could say she did and yet not.

"Jeez Kripa, your here am I alone? No! I have no intentions on getting married anytime soon. I hate guys plain-out simple, I'll be friends with them and etc but I won't go beyond and there are some guys just the sight makes me dislike them" Kripa sighed, Riddhima was tough to explain too. Once she came to conclusion with something there is no way you will be able to change it.
"We should get going" Kripa said as she saw the clock it was nine already and the kids had school as well as she had work.

"Let me drop you off" Riddhima offered. Riddhima was a bit mad on Kripa also thinking that she needed to get a guy/husband, but she didn't want that. Her mother was already on her at times forcing her to see some guys in New York. Usually Riddhima would push it off some how.
Riddhima stopped the car in front of Kripa's place, Riddhima just stared at the building and the surrounding. It wasn't located in the most shining and safe parts of Manhattan, plus the building looked like crap as well. Why on earth did Kripa come to place like this, Shiva had a grocery story business back in Florida she could have taken money from there to get a better place.

"Bye Riddy Auntie" The kids said as they got out of the car and started heading inside. Kripa sat in the car she knew what was going through Riddhima's head.

"Kripa, what" Kripa got Riddhima off her sentence "I know, I know. The place is horrible and the apartment as well, but my sister-in-law found this place for me and I didn't know anything here in New York. So I just stuck to it" Kripa said trying to clear Riddhima's thoughts.

"You stuck to it?!" Riddhima said sarcastically, she turned her head and looked at the apartment building once more. "Kripa why are you like this now?" Riddhima's question puzzled Kripa, before Kripa could ask why Riddima began talking again. "I don't think you have ever lived in such a place as low like this Kripa, even when you got married to Shiva I'm pretty sure he didn't make you live in such a slummed place. An what is with you? You stuck to it. You would have never done that years ago no matter how much you didn't know the place you would have found a place better, you would never deal with living here" It amazed Riddhima how their lives were like looking at this she could imagine Riddhima in Kripa state and vice versa, but the years had changed them giving them a experience to both ways of attitude towards life.

"I have three kids, I couldn't do it. What things went wrong where I found a house? What if I couldn't have been able to find the job how would I have lived?" Kripa said

"Please, don't give me that crap. You would have taken the chance no matter what and have found a way around it if problems came, you were just afraid too" It was true. Kripa had been afraid, she was scared what if she couldn't have been able to support her kids what would have happened then. Kripa before never settled for the low or uncomfortable ways in life, she had grown up in luxury which Shiva wasn't even able to provide for Kripa. An the place she resided at this moment was a extreme low.

"Why don't you find another place now?" Riddhima questioned, she had a suitable and good job now so she could take on to living in more civilized place.

"I don't know, I guess I just thought of staying here till I needed to move" Kripa had changed to more calm realistic and very paranoid person, maybe it was the affects of being married to Shiva where she had to change to make their marriage last.

It wouldn't be bad to move to a better place, where Kripa wouldn't have to worry about Kali or any of them going out and end up getting kidnapped or something. Plus Misty had found this place for saying it was perfect for Kripa, stating the fact that she had no job or husband. Misty's words had made Kripa mad but she didn't speak against Misty that time, being that Misty was the only person Kripa knew in a city of strangers. It was ironic Misty had now become the stranger and strangers became closer. Misty had called couple weeks ago asking why Aaliyah didn't come to her house no more and Kripa merely just said she found a place near by for Aaliyah to stay at.

"You know what, tomorrow at your lunch break we'll go out and I'll tell you about some livable nice apartments/condos" Riddhima couldn't bear having Kripa live in a place like this. It was just not understandable how she came to live here out of all the places in Manhattan.

"Okay honey tweedy bestie" Kripa said with a laugh, Riddhima would always be Riddhima. Kripa knew Riddhima would drive her to a new place no matter what, even she said no.
Time had passed by fast, it was almost lunch time and Kripa was expecting Riddhima to arrive any second. Kripa began picking up her belongings that she would need for lunch today, she knew Riddhima would have a couple places in mind to where Kripa could shift to. Kripa herself checked up on Shiva's business and saw there was money which she could take out if necessary, Kripa felt guilty taking the money she felt as if it wasn't hers, that she had no right to touch it.

Kripa pushed one of the files over as she reached for her bag, the files name caught her eyes R&P Enterprises Kripa picked up the file and looked through it was a record of a deal that they were going to sign soon the deal had been finalized it was a deal which had started way before Kripa started working here. The name was the exact name of her parents company, but it could have been an accident in name or something. Ignoring the file Kripa went back to picking up her bag.
Riddhima walked into the Express Panoptic company's building with her Starbucks VIA in her hand. Riddhima looked around to see people moving different directions with files and etc, Kripa had told Riddhima to wait in the front and she would meet her there. Riddhima took a sip of her VIA as she looked around, she could never imagine herself in the business world it was just something Riddhima couldn't do staring at file and sitting in meetings all day. Riddhima was about to put her cup to her lips to take another sip when someone knocked into her causing her to spill her drink over her neck and shirt.

"WHAT THE HELL! Can't you watch were your going!" Riddhima shrieked as she looked down at her shirt, god this was just great her brand new shirt was already ruined, don't people have eyes these days.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going" Riddhima looked up to see who had knocked into her. Riddhima found herself staring at a pair of deep hazel eyes with a well build masculine physic. "Actually I'm not sorry to bump into a green eyed beauty like you" Riddhima flared up and stared at the person with angered eyes, how dare he! Just start flirting like, did this man have any shame.

"Excuse me what do you think your doing!" Riddhima couldn't think of a better response she just wanted to punch the guy straight in his face that second, how disgusting flirty with someone they didn't even know.

"I wouldn't want to excuse a lovely lady like you and I'm well being amazed by your beauty. By the way Armaan Malik" Armaan said as he gave his brilliant grin.

"Turn your nasty eyes and look somewhere else mother****** and by the way not interested in you" Riddhima just stared baffled, the audacity of this man picking up on a girl for looks.

"Whoa! No need to use the foul language" Armaan replied taken back by the reply he received.

"Yes there is need to use foul language with a dog like you" Armaan just stared at the girl, did she just call him a dog? What the hell.

"Who you calling a dog you *****" Riddhima hated men like this, he could have just apologized and left but no he had to start flirting and checking her out.

"Don't you call me ***** you low life mutt" Oh boy did Armaan wish she was man right now he would have beaten the crap out of her, too bad he didn't hit girls.

"Well your the one who started using the foul language so we already know who the low life here is and I have no time to stand here and argue with you so goodbye sweetheart" Armaan walked away leaving a enraged Riddhima behind, this is why she thought men were disgusting they were out for one thing only...sex for pleasure.