Chapter 8
This was officially Kripa's worst birthday ever. The whole world had wished her except the biggest jerk – her husband. She had given him blatant hints – the date was marked on the calendar in bright colours, she had thanked everyone loudly on the phone and even counted her gifts in front of him but to no avail. Either Angad was unbelievably dense, which she doubted, or was a brilliant actor. He had made her slave in the kitchen, cook pasta in a zillion ways till he finally approved.
Kripa was exhausted now and had given up any hope of Angad remembering. She soaked herself in a hot water bath and felt the tiredness evaporate. Draping a bathrobe around herself, she walked out and nearly fainted. There were banners saying "Happy Birthday", floating candles lit the room and a pathway of rose petals led from her feet towards Angad. He was standing at the bedroom door, holding his ears. He walked towards her with the most adorable expression . Still in a daze, Kripa managed a barely audible whisper, "What's all this?"
Still smiling, he kissed her cheek. "Your wife doesn't turn twenty-three everyday. Happy Birthday!" "I thought you had forgotten. You made me work so much!" she exclaimed indignantly.
"Well it was worth it. The dumbfounded expression on your face was classic! Everyone's waiting downstairs. You better hurry up. Anjali can't keep her hands off the cake."
Kripa arched an eyebrow. "Angad, my gift?" Hitting his head lightly, Angad handed her a gift wrapped package and went to the dressing room to change. Kiap unwrapped her gift hastily, she couldn't contain her excitement. Once she saw it, she understood why Angad's fashion house was the best in the country. The sari was exquisite. It was blood red, with faint work on the pallu done in gold. Its fall was just perfect, and when she wore it, it looked tailor made for Kripa. She was tying the last string of her blouse when Angad came out dressed in a black tuxedo suit, bringing out his chiseled features. He whistled and said, "Lets keep you inside or else you might cause a riot". He came towards her and clasped the ruby necklace around her neck. Kripa added the finishing touches of her make up and the proceeded downstairs.
After greeting some of their friends, they were, in Kripa's words, attacked by Nisha. She was wearing an icy blue gown, perfectly matching her ice cold eyes. She looked stunning undoubtedly but in Angad's eyes noone matched Kripa. Nisha wished Kripa with forced cheeriness " Happy Birthday Kripa. You look great.". Kripa returned the compliment with equal force and Kripa noticed Nisha about to ask Angad for a dance. To her immense relief, Angad held Kripa's hand and said " I hope you don't mind Nisha but I would like a dance with my wife.". Gritting her teeth, Nisha managed, "Of course not, enjoy yourselves."
He took Kripa to the dance floor and she put her arms around his neck while he held her waist."I don't think you like Nisha very much" Angad said after a pause. Kripa grinned at him. " Did you ever doubt that?" It was his turn to grin now. "Not really, but any particular reason for this mutual lack of love?"
"Well, it's difficult to be impartial towards a girl who still has the hots for your husband." Angad laughed loudly at that. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy here?". She smiled "Maybe." After a little while she exclaimed "Angad stop that!". "Stop what?" Angad asked with feigned innocence. He was caressing her stomach slowly, producing a million hot and cold sensations in her body. "You know what." She said while she did her best to glare at him angrily.Needless to say, it was a futile effort. He had to stop when they were called to cut the cake.
There were only a few guests left now and Kripa went to the powder room. Once outside, she was in for a nasty shock. In front of her stood a drunk Aman and this was not a good sign. "Get the hell out of here Aman". He grabbed her wrist and said., " I know you aren't happy Kripa. This was an arranged marriage. Come back to me please". Kripa managed to break free and looked at him in disgust. " To start with, we were never together so where does the question of coming back arise from? I am very happy in my marriage thank you. Just stay out of it and thank your stars that I didn't report you for harassment. As for Angad, he has given me more happiness than I thought was possible in one lifetime. I love him and will always love him till my dying breath!"
The last sentence came out before she could stop herself but what was the point of hiding now? She had been in love with her husband ever since he had held her for the first time, forced her to ski, kissed her, made her smile through her tears. She didn't know anything except for the fact that she loved Angad Khanna.
"You don't love him" Aman said and this was the giddy limit. Kripa gave him a resounding slap and turned to leave when he had her pinned to the wall. Before he could do anything, Angad's hand came and pulled Aman away from Kripa, who was shaking right now. Anjali hugged her. They had come looking for Kripa since all the guests were gone and she still wasn't back. Angad was beating the c*** out of Aman and would have killed him if Kripa and Anjali hadn't managed to wrench him away. "Don't you dare touch Kripa" Angad spat at Aman and called the security to take him away.
Angad and Kripa made their way towards their bedroom without exchanging a word. Inside, Kripa locked the door. Angad opened his mouth to say something but Kripa gasped, "Angad your arm is bleeding. Before he could protest, she took him to the bathroom and washed the cut. After drying it, she rubbed it with alcohol and he hissed in pain. She quickly caressed his hair and the pain subsided. There was silence between them for a few moments when Angad held her face and said urgently, "What happened between you and Aman? I need to know please".
Kripa froze. Angad was asking her to relive the most frightening moment of her life but it was now or never. He had the right to know and she wanted to tell him. She began softly,"Aman was my classmate in college. He was one of my good friends. He was a good student and Mr. Popular but I was too engrossed in my studies to actually care. One day, he asked me to go out with him. I refused,I did not see him that way and did not want to complicate our friendship. He seemed to understand but there was an awkwardness between us now. Its difficult to understand why your friend reciprocate your feelings I guess.
At the night of our farewell, he cornered me in one of the rooms. He was drunk, he tried to convince me but I didn't listen. He got violent…and tried to force me. Anjali came looking for me with some friends so I was saved."
She looked at him now. Angad was still holding her hand but his knuckles had gone white in suppressed rage. "That as*****!Does he still bother you?"
"No, it's after four years that he talked to me. I was petrified after that incident, even blamed myself for his behaviour. Maybe I had given him the wrong hint and he wasn't in his senses that night.After all, he had been my friend. How could he change like that? Anjali made me realize that it wasn't my fault. He should have respected my decision if he actually cared for me. I had almost forgotten him when he joined the same M.B.A program as I did shortly before our wedding so that might explain my edginess then." She added ruefully, hoping to lighten the mood. Her gaze fell upon the card he had given her and she started reading.
It read "Dearest Kripa. I've never been good with words so don't expect a mushy poem. So lets come straight to the point and let me say what I've been dying to since God knows when – I love you Kripa Khanna."
She stopped and looked at him with tear brimmed eyes but he urged her to read ahead. "Don't ask since when – I don't know myself. What I do know is that I love you, each moment I spend with you is beautiful, I want to dream, but through your eyes. I want you to be the mother of my cricket team and wake up each day in my arms. I can live without you, but I won't. So I ask you a simple question. Will you be mine till eternity?"
Kripa simply flung her arms around his neck and bawled. "It took you six months to tell me that? I hate you!"
Stroking her hair, Angad replied naughtily "Well at least I did unlike you. You can scream at Aman that you love me but not have the decency to tell me! That isn't very nice."
She was stunned. "You were there! At least you heard it from my own mouth. You just wrote it! What if I hadn't noticed the card huh? As it is your comprehension skills are very poor. You would have taken another six months to gather the guts to tell me and would have chosen an even worse method. Why…"
Angad silenced her with his lips on hers. There was no confusion, no hesitation this time, Only love. Never had anything felt so perfect, so complete before. He kissed her softly, intensely till she could feel her knees pooling and would have collapsed if Angad hadn't held her. He slowly pulled away and looked at a breathless Kripa. She was looking gorgeous under the silver of the moonlight. His lips wandered to her earlobe and he gently bit it. Kripa moaned, " Angad….I love you".
Before getting lost in her eyes, Angad said, "I love you too Kripa. I love you a lot." He moved her hair from her neck and began undoing the strings of her blouse. When he was on the last one, he halted. Kripa felt his thumb on the bruise on her back, from defending herself four years ago. He kissed it. She turned around and forced him to look at her. Angad's eyes were burning with angry tears and he asked, " Does it hurt?" Kripa bent forward and kissed his forehead. Wiping the tears, she whispered, "It will never hurt now".
Angad scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the bed. He laid her down and she sank pliantly among the pillows. Kripa unbuttoned his shirt, the buttons scattering on the bed and the floor below. When they kissed again, it was anything but tender. The passion was getting too much to bear, and Angad could feel Kripa's nails digging his back . He slowed down and nibbled her, so slow and sweet that she could feel warmth oozing through her body. Her hand raked through his hair and she asked "Where did you learn to kiss like that?" Angad grinned and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It's a natural talent sweetheart". And he gave Kripa another demonstration.
Angad's lips traveled along the column of Kripa's neck. When he looked up again, her eyes were closed. He could sense her fear, her anxiety as well as the longing love. He took her name in a soft whisper which forced her to open her eyes. "I love you Kripa. I won't hurt you. If you want me to stop, I will".
"I am just scared Angad. I don't want you to stop."
"Don't be. I will never hurt you. This is our moment Kripa, open your eyes".
She did. The warmth, the compassion in Angad's eyes was enough to make her do so. Kripa knew those eyes could lead her out of a tunnel of darkness into brightness. Then, at that very moment, Angad made her his forever. She felt pain momentarily and clutched his shoulder, but it left her almost as soon as it came. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you Angad". He kissed that tear away."I love you too Kripa".
They weren't sleeping; just holding each other. Kripa snuggled closer to him and found his eyes closed. She sighed and her lips drifted to his chest.
"Kripa, I would prefer my lips" came Angad's deep voice. Kripa looked up in shock and Angad rolled over so she lay beneath him."You were supposed to be asleep" she said in mock anger.
"And miss this? No way. And by the way why are you blushing? You did much more than just kiss me last night."he finished with a mischievous glint in his eye. Kripa giggled and he lowered his mouth to hers. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Angad groaned. "Go see it" Kripa said and forced him to pull on a shirt.
He opened the door to see Anjali with the brightest smile ever. "Hey Angad slept well?"
Angad and Kripa looked at her confused. Angad asked her "Why the sudden concern sis? Did you hit your head somewhere?" Anjali laughed and counted on her fingers, "Well it's one in the afternoon and you two aren't down, Kripa is there blushing in your shirt, you've got lipstick marks all over your face and you look like I really disturbed you. Need I be any more specific Bhai?"
Anjali ran after saying that and Angad shut the door to see Kripa taking her clothes out of the cupboard. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"I need to take a shower Angad."
Scooping her in his arms, he said, "Oh good, so did I. Since we are running late already, we might as well save time."
Hitting him on the chest, Kripa laughed, "I didn't invite you to accompany me inside."
"I know. I invited myself along." Angad said and before Kripa could protest any further, locked the bathroom door and the shower was on, drowning any voices.
Edited by johnangad - 18 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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