Mission Impossible:(AK) Part 13, PG- 49 - Page 27

Chapter Twelve

When Kripa woke up, her room was still dark from the curtains Angad had drew earlier that morning. Still half asleep, sat up in bed and reached for Angad's watch, which she knew he'd left there, like always. It was three in the afternoon and her stomach growled just thinking that she hadn't had anything. She closed her hand over her grumbling stomach and groaned. She felt guilty going downstairs and hunting the kitchen for lunch, when she hadn't even bothered to come down for the meal.

Obviously, God loved her, because he'd sent Angad's mother to her rescue. But at the same time, she wasn't sure what to do.

"Stay there." She told her when Kripa tried to walk to her.

"I-" Unexpected tears filled her eyes when Naina pressed her lips to Kirpa's forehead. She'd missed this small gustier from her mother so much. "I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes shaking her head.

"For what?" She asked brushing her hair with her fingers. "I was unsure about what to say to Angad when he told me about you. As long as I can remember he's never brought any of his," she waived her hands in the air, "his girlfriends, to see me. When I saw you I knew why he'd brought you home. You're a sweet girl, Kripa."

"I- I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to tell me anything. You haven't eaten." She picked up the plate and handed it to her. "It's important for you to eat properly and take care of yourself."

Tears swelling back in her eyes she ate quietly while Angad's mother continued telling her what she should and shouldn't do. She wondered what her own mother would have told her if she was with her.

She called her house later that night, but when her mother picked up the phone, her hand all but forced her to place the phone back on its cradle. As she did, Angad walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Any success yet?" he asked draping his arm around her shoulder. When she merely shook her head, disappointment in her eyes, he kissed her temple. "Why not?"

"I don't know if I can talk to her. Do have any idea how many stupid things I told her last time we talked. I was so rude and so selfish." She pressed a finger between her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll call her later, you have guests waiting downstairs. I'll be ready in ten minutes."

"No." He closed her hand over her knee to prevent her from standing up. "You're never going to find out unless you give it a try."

"And, I don't want to talk to her if she doesn't want to talk to me."

"And, how are you going to find out, sweetheart?"

"Oh for gods sake!" She threw her hands in the air. "She hasn't called me once, since we last talked."

"You don't live in the house you used to. You don't have your cell phone. How can she contact you?"

She opened her mouth for an excuse, and snapped it shut again, when he lifted his brow at her. "Oh, you're so reasonable sometimes, it makes me sick." She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his shoulder. "And, I love you so much for that." They were silent for a moment before she spoke again. "I never asked you want you wanted for your birthday, Angad." She leaned back, with his arms supporting her weight. "What do you want?"

"You'll know soon enough." He pressed his mouth to hers quickly. "For now, I want you down stairs in ten minutes."

"But you have to get ready as well."

"I do, and I will. In a while. Ten minutes," he said brushing his lips against her forehead. "I left something in your closet. Wear that." He told her before leaving the room.

When Kripa appeared at the top of the stairs, nearly thirty minutes later, the house was filled with guests. There was soft music that played in the background. She saw Aaisha and Adi fussing with Suraj. She glanced around the room and saw Angad's parents talking at someone. She scanned the room again and saw Nisha, a man standing in front of her, taller, lean. Her fianc? She wondered and continued to look around for Angad. She spotted him walking across the room, towards his parents. Lost in the moment, she just continued watching him. The easy way he possessed of slipping one hand in his pocket, the other around his mothers shoulder. They way he laughed throwing his head back. The way he did everything, she realized, made her fall in love with him more and more. Unconditionally. She felt a ripple of passion cross her heart when his eyes scanned the room and stopped on her, met hers. She watched him say something in his mother's ear and began walking her way.

The sari he had left for her complimented her so well. The light and pale pink matched her creamy peachy so well. She'd tied her hair back at the base of her neck, loosely. Her eyes were so blue with pink shadow around them. Her neck was long and slender. Her shoulders were strong and toned and left bare. She had a frame, a built, that was made perfectly for the sari. She had a face, that lit up, as did her eyes, when her lips merely lifted at the corners.

As he walked towards the stairs she started down, her eyes never leaving his.

It was odd to watch her come down stairs, so careful of the way she carried in the sari. He knew that she was nervous wearing a sari, as did she, but the grace she possessed. God would even have to think twice to be sure if she was or wasn't comfortable. He held his hand out to her as she reached the last stair, and he reached her. She took it, without having to think about anything. He was hers, and he told her that just in the way his fingers curled on his hands.

He knew she was surprised when he kissed both her cheeks and then her lips. "You look…" he trailed off just enough to have her brow lift, and anticipation cross her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. "Beautiful." He told her. "Absolutely stunning."

"Thank you." Unexpectedly, she blushed, tucking a falling strand of her hair behind her ear.

"And me?" He said, teasing her now. He'd seen her angry, he'd seen her sad, he'd seen her love, but he hadn't seen her nervous around him.

"Oh." She flushed. She hadn't even noticed what he was wearing, she'd been so unsure of her own attire. But she focused on his face for the first time since he'd held her hand. "You look good Angad." To emphasize it, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Now tell me, how did you manage this?"

"I just did. Come on I want you to meet Nisha's fianc."

"Okay." She smiled to herself when he kept his arm possessively around her shoulder. It gave her a sense of pride, for some odd reason. It just felt so wonderful to know that she had someone now who would stay with her forever.

"Karan." Angad slapped his back so get his attention. "Behave yourself." He told her jokingly, upon seeing his arm around his sisters shoulder.

"I don't have to anymore, Angad. Who did you want me to meet?"

"Kripa."

"Kripa?" he mused as he turned around to find her. "Where is she?"

"She.. One sec." He grabbed her hand and said sorry to whoever it was she was talking to.

"Angad, that was very rude."

"Not really. I said I was sorry."

"Very sweet!" She said laughing and holding his chin in her hands. "Who did you want me to meet."

"Karan!" Angad called and pulled Kripa closer. "Nisha's fianc." He felt her body go limp against him.

"Karan?" It confused Angad utterly when she left him and ran into his arms. It confused him more when he watched Karan wrap his arms so tightly around her and kiss her head. "Karan." She said again, crying now. "I can't believe it. You're so tall!" She kissed his cheeks. "And, so handsome."

"Where have you been?" He asked her framing her face, without a care that both Nisha and Angad were looking at them with a suspicious look. "Mom's been worried sick about you, Kripa. Your phone's disconnected. You cell is never reachable. God!" He kissed her forehead. "I couldn't believe you really wouldn't be there for my wedding."

"I'm sorry." She said shaking her head. "I should have called you. Congratulated you once even."

"That's old talk." He said smiling. "Ten years, and you look the same."

She laughed at him now. "Wish I could say the same about you, sweetheart. I missed all of you." She said and threw her arms around him again. Then she realized Angad and Nisha were looking at them. She turned and looked at Angad, held a hand out to him. "I love you." She told him as he took it. "I couldn't have had a better day in my life."

"Yeah?" He asked.

She nodded. "Karan's my younger brother."

"Oh? Oh!" He laughed and shook his head. "I would have broken his leg for sure if he wasn't."

"Very cute." She said. "I'm glad you dragged me with you here."

"They were selfish reasons." He assured her. "Now I know you won't brother my sister." He told Karan.

"Why?" He asked holding Nisha again.

"Because I can bother yours in turn."

"Hmm." He looked at Angad and then at his sister. "I'm stealing her for a few minutes." Without waiting for Angad's answer, he took her hand and took her away with him.

"What's going on between you and Angad?" He asked her straight and simple.

She looked at him raising her brow. "That's my business and his."

"I'm your brother, Kripa."

"Yes, and younger. Remember." He leaned forward and kissed her head. "I realized, after you left, how much I loved you. And, I'm not going to let anything happen that hurts you."

"You're going to make me cry, baby. I can't believe you've grown up so much."

"It's been ten years, Kripa. I've changed."

"Yes." She rested her head against his shoulder. Once, he came to her to complaint about what happened at school, when he was only her younger brother. Now he was a grown man, and she was depending on him. "How's dad?" She asked reluctantly.

"Why don't you find out yourself?"

"I couldn't. We never understood each other, we never will."

"Sure you will. But, for now: Angad?"

She smiled. She had always wished she had a older brother who cared for her, protected her, someone she could come lean on. Now she had him, he wasn't older really, but he was the brother she always wanted. The one she'd missed. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Left hand." He demanded.

"What?"

"I'm not speaking French," he mumbled. He lifted her hand and looked at the ring. "I wouldn't have disapproved."

"Really? You acted like you weren't very fond of him."

"No." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked with her. "He's a good guy. I was just unsure if it was one sided or anything. I'm happy for you."

"And I for you. How's mom?"

"She's good. Busy like always."

"She must be unhappy with me."

"Worried, is what she is. Come back home with me Kripa. We all need you. I knew Aaisha was here, I didn't you so were you."

"I'll come with Angad." She assured him.

"Okay. I'm sure Angad is missing you."

She giggled and walked back with him.

It was a sunny and warm day of a late November morning. Thanksgiving at Angad's parents house was different. She experienced loud dinners and plates clattering that she had never before. She experienced quick naught comments from Angad. Quick, smoldering kisses between walking to the kitchen from the dining room to get something. There was such small intimacy at the dining table when she served Angad or anyone in his family. She liked caring for Suraj while Adi sneaked away with Aaisha for a few moments.

She liked, at the end of the day, sitting in bed with Angad and discussing anything. Something that happened earlier that day. Or how that she'd had so much of something ffor the first time in her life. Or something that Suraj did, which was so unexpected. A conversation she shared with Nisha or his mother. Something she wanted changed in their house after getting married. What colors she wanted to paint her baby's room if it was a boy, or if it was a girl. What toys she wanted for her boy. What princesses would be painted on the walls if it was a girl.

She liked, waking up with Angad holding her in his arms. Making breakfast for him and his family every once in a while.

Life had been smooth, but now as she stood in front of her parent's house in California, hold Angad's hand, and she could do nothing more than tremble and get nervous.

He rang the bell for her and then turned her to face him. "They aren't going to hurt you, darling." He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I wouldn't let them."

She heard the humor in his voice and could smile, feeling the tension drain away from her body she let herself lean on him for just one moment. "After all this is done-"

"I'm going to marry you," he finished for her. "Then, I'm going to sweep you off your feet to a nice, calm place. For an exotic and not-so-calm honeymoon."

"That would be very nice. Very, very nice." Right when she heard the click of the lock, she backed away from Angad turned back to the door. Her nerves worked up again, making her palms dampen slightly.

"Angad! Kripa!" It was Karan's loud voice that reached her ears in a sense of relief that pumped into her. When his arms came around her she relaxed completely.

"You'll handle everything?" she asked him tipping her head back.

"Of course I will. Mom's waiting for you." He looked at Angad to invite them inside when Kripa took his arm again.

"And, Dad?" She asked carefully. "What about him? Is he waiting for me?"

"He doesn't know." He told her softly. "Come on." Hooking his arm in hers, an old habit, he took her inside, with Angad following them.

He lead them both through the hallway, the hall way that was one so familiar. She could hear her own laughter as a young girl, running after her brothers and sister. Them running behind her once in a while. She remembered, as she walked into the living room, how quite the place used to get suddenly, when the door bell used to ring at night when her father used to return. And, as they turned into the dining room, reaching for Angad's hand, because Karan had long left hers, she remembered the argument she'd had with her father here before she'd left home.

Ten years, she thought trembling again. Ten years and the argument was still so vivid in her mind. She could hear herself and her father yelling. She could still sense her youngest sibling, Shiv, hiding behind her mothers legs, watching the scene. She could still feel the last time she had hugged her mother, a slight bitterness in her heart, that had only grew because she'd let it purposely. But the moment she saw her mothers back, Shiv standing in front of her, his arms on her shoulders. She smiled, he was persuading her about one thing or the other.

She opened her mouth to call him, not her mother, but her throat, it dried up. She looked at Angad then, and she saw the confidence she lacked herself, in his eyes. She saw the buoyancy in his eyes that made her smile and trust herself. She turned back to Shiv and her mother. She cleared her throat loudly and watched Shiv's dark blue eyes shift and settle on her face.

She smiled at him and opened her arms for him. On one side there was Karan who she could treat like her older brother. On the other there was the twenty year old Shiv, whom she could never vision from anything aside her younger brother, who used to slip into bed with her after having horrid dreams.

"Shiv." She said.

"Finally remembered me." He said pressing his lips to her forehead right away. "Finally." The moment he wrapped his arms around her the first tear slipped. Here was her little baby who she'd barely ever thought about in the last ten years. Her baby was a quickly growing man now. Once she'd felt his arms around her in a fearful moment. Now, as his arms came around her, she felt he had grown to be a protective brother. Something she could never have thought of at the young age of eighteen.

When he pulled away and smiled at her she saw how much he looked like her father now. She left his eyes and gazed over his shoulder to look at her mother. Shiv had come to her, she'd asked him to come to her because she wasn't sure if she could have taken the first steps. But to her mother, to whom she had been so wrong to, and her father, who she knew would forgive her, she had to take the first steps. She knew she had to because, she'd taken the first steps away from them.

"Mama." She said walking to her. "Mom." She said, her eyes filling now. Her feet didn't feel as heavy anymore. And standing in front of her mother, she took only a second the close the distance by embracing her. "I'm sorry." She said crying to her. "I'm so very sorry. I was rude to you every time you called and I was selfish the entire time. I was mean when I left home." Her mother's body was rigid against Kripa's. Her arms still hadn't come around her. Kripa still hadn't found the comfort in her mothers arms that she was longing for. "You're angry with me." She mumbled and began to draw away.

Then, her arms came around daughter. "I'm not angry at you. I never was. And, I'm glad to see you home."

"Oh Mom!" She clung to her and kissed her cheek. "I love you!"

"So do I." She lowered his voice then. "Isn't that Angad Khanna?"

"Hmmm? Oh." She turned away and smiled at Angad. "Yes he is." Then, held her hand out. Her mother caught the glimpse of the ring she was wearing in her left her before Angad's hand covered it. There wasn't, however, her mother noticed, a ring on his finger.

"Ah." Angad couldn't figure out what he wanted to say.

"You guys haven't eaten anything, I take it. Come sit down." She looked at Kripa. "You're father will be down in a few minutes."

"Mom." She took her arm. "Two things. I love Angad. I'm going to marry him." She hesitated for a moment. "With or without your permission."

"Kripa." Angad squeezed her shoulder.

She shook her head. And, she didn't realize her father had been in the room. She knew that both Shiv and Karan were watching her again. "I am sorry for doing what I did. But that brought me to Angad. And, I'm not ready to lose the one person who was with me when no one else was."

"It was your fault we weren't with you, Kripa." Her father's voice was just the way she'd last head it. Strong, proud. Angry.

"Dad." She ran to him, but before she could throw her arms around him, he held his hand up.

"Your mother might have forgiven you, as might have your brothers, but I won't."

"Daddy. Please."

"No, Kripa. I told you ten years ago, if you stepped out of this house then you were never welcome back. I meant it."

But even then, she slipped her arms around his waist and held him. He wasn't bulky like most men his age. "I know you meant it, Dad." She knew he didn't hate her because he'd felt his hand on her head, even if it was for a second, and light, before he'd taken it away from her. "I'm sorry for everything I did, but I wouldn't have respected so many things I do now." She left him after kissing his cheek. "I want you to forgive me, Dad. I want you to walk me down the aisle. But if you don't want to do either," she paused for a moment, "I will leave here happily because I know you're happier being stubborn and not accepting me. I always loved you, Daddy. And, I was stubborn because I'm your daughter." She saw it then, anger, sadness, forgiveness, happiness, irritation, and so many other emotions sweep his eyes. "I'm leaving tonight. I want to leave with your blessings. Tell me, Dad," she took his hand and brought it to her cheek, "will you forgive me?"

He took his hand back, and left her standing there. The first tear fell from her eyes when she heard the door slam shut seconds later. It wasn't hard, nor did she feel ashamed, to let the tears pour once Angad took her into his arms.

It felt awkward, Kripa's mother realized, to see her daughter turn into someone else's arms to seek comfort, instead of her arms. But, she could still comfort her. So Kiran moved to her daughter and placed a hand on her head.

"You're room's still where it used to be, Kripa." When she looked up at Angad, she saw he loved her daughter. The kind of love that would give her daughter everything she once wanted and had pressed beneath her to fulfill dreams that weren't hers until circumstances had forced her to vision her life in a different manner. She placed a hand on Angad's arm before leaving the room.

Angad, helplessly, first kissed to top of her head and then looked at her two brothers for a little help. While Karan was slightly stunned with his father's behavior, Shiv was able to compose himself and walk to them.

"Come on, Sis." He took her away from Angad. "Let's go see what your room has in store for you."

"I don't want to stay here, Shiv. I want to leave."

"You'll leave in a bit. Come now." While he dragged her away, knowing she was going to love what was ahead of her, Kripa dragged Angad with them.

She was still recovering from the flood of tears when Shiv and Karan opened the double doors of her room for her. She let out a surprised cry upon seeing her very decorated room.

Her wall behind her bed wasn't made of stone or cement, but it was a mirror. Once it had been just that, a mirror. Now it been transformed. In the center it said, "Welcome Home Kripa!" All around it, there were pictures she had collected and left in her closet. Clipping of articles she'd saved, pictures of her and her family. It was everything she'd left behind.

"Who?" She asked walking inside, letting Karan hold one hand and Shiv the other.

"We missed you." Shiv stand standing behind her, his arms around her shoulder. "I missed squabbling with you. I missed my older sister who used to let me sleep in her bed even, sit with me, even a night before a major test. Finals even. Every time, for years, when I used to hear lighting outside I would think of you. Wonder why you left me here like this."

"Shiv." Guilt swamped her body and made her stomach turn upside down. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry to. I'm glad you're back, I'm not letting you leave."

She turned around and hugged him. "I can't stay forever."

"No," he thought thinking back to what just happened downstairs. "You can't."

She pulled away and smiled at him. "Don't you have to go to college?"

He grinned. "Not today, I don't. I want to take out for lunch to make up for every time you used to feed me. And, then I can give you all the gifts I've been saving for your birthday."

"And, all the Christmas gifts," Karan told her.

She frowned looking at them one by one, "You guys actually bought me stuff?"

"Of course we did. How could we forget? You're the sister who we hated. You're the sister who fed us when Mom wasn't there. You're the sister who we loved as much as we loved mom. You helped us with our homework. Studied with us for our tests. Read to us when we were much younger. Do you need more reasons?"

"No." She wrapped arm around both their waists and hugged them. "I've got all the reasons I needed and more." Then she looked at Angad who was patiently looking at them, leaning on the door frame. "And, now I've left my fianc alone." Oh it felt so good! She realized as he walked into the room, to be here. He father would forgive her soon enough, she thought.

"You need to eat if you're done with this soap opera." His voice was soothing and understanding, as was his touch when he skimmed a finger to her cheek. Yet there was the slightest hint of humor in his voice, in his eyes, in his touch, that made her want to laugh.

When Karan's phone rang, he excused himself. Shiv, stayed where he was, his arm still possessively around her sister. "How did he happen?"

"Shiv?!" Kripa voice was all surprise and she pulled away, giving his arm a tight smack. "Mind your mouth, please."

"No. I really want to know. I was expecting, well, someone worst for you."

"Oh!" She laughed then, instead of getting offended. "Shiv, you're a goofball."

"Sure. Whatever." He frowned looking at her. "I really don't want you to get married."

She laughed and hooked her arm thought his again. "Why?"

"Because then you'll be away from here again. From me more particularly. I was hoping that you'd do some of my chemistry and physics labs for me."

"Oh my poor, poor baby." She kissed his cheek.

"You failed physics, Kripa." Angad reminded her just to get a laugh out of the moment.

"Yeah. Yeah. You can help him then, Mr. Cornell."

"I can. After you eat. You haven't had anything all day. I'm going to steal her for a few minutes."

Shiv nodded and watched them leaving the room, with Angad's arm around her shoulder. She was happy, and that's all she wanted. He loved her, and that was all that mattered to her. And, her in happily in love was what made him happy.

Downstairs, breakfast was never made. Kiran was missing at the moment, and Angad couldn't keep Kripa hungry anymore. Her diet was very important for her for their child. So, he scrambled eggs for her, with toast, and gave her a poured milk in one glass and juice in the other. He carried the tray to the counter in the kitchen. "Eat," he demanded.

"Two glasses?"

"You have a choice. No coffee."

"But-"

"No!" When she frowned he leaned over and kissed her head. "Be nice to be."

"You'll eat with me?" She asked swirling the high chair and pulling him closer for a hug.

"No. I'll eat after you. You okay?"

"Dad will forgive me?" She asked, burying her face in his stomach.

"We'll work something out. Until then you eat." He sat on the chair behind her and scooped the eggs with the fork. "You're worst than a child," he told her as she ate. "Juice or milk?"

"Juice." She said, her hands still folded in her lap.

He laughed and shook his head. "Okay." He held the glass to her lips and tilted it. "Why don't you finish your eggs yourself. I'll fix your toast till then. Butter or cream cheese?"

"Butter. Very little. You're going to make me fat."

"I want you healthy as a cow, babe. Come on now, no fussing. After this I have to look at that nomination I got for, face of the year."

Her eyes widened and she dropped her fork. With a scream she pressed her mouth to his and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you!"

Shiv and her mother, who had been watching the entire time, left from the door, completely content.

"When did you find out?"

"Just this morning."

"I'm so happy for you." She settled her head on his shoulder with a smile.

"You should be. But this doesn't mean you don't have to finish this."

She pulled away and picked up her glass of juice. "Well, since I can pop a bottle of champainge right now, cheers to Angad Khanna."

Laughing he drank out of her glass, just a small sip, and then made sure she finished the rest of her food.

After a quite dinner with her brothers and Angad, Kripa sat in the sitting room with her mother. Angad was out and about with Shiv and Karan getting something done. Her father wasn't back home yet.

They had been discussing Aaisha and her operation. Now her mother was quite again. Kripa laid her head in her lap. "Isn't it wired that Karan and Nisha are getting married and so are Adi and Aaisha."

"And so are you and Angad." She leaned down and kissed her head. "You're pregnant Kripa, aren't you?"

"Yes." She answered quietly and she didn't feel ashamed. She turned her head and wrapped her arms around her mothers waist. "How did you know?"

"I don't know. I watched Angad feed you. He loved you a lot."

"He does." She agreed. "I wish I could sleep with you, Ma. I want to be little again."

"You're still my little girl. I still remember when I held you for the first time Kripa. You were the tallest baby I'd ever seen. You eyes were so blue when you opened them first. You were my pride, always."

"And I'm not anymore." She told her.

"Yes you are." At her answer, Kripa shifted so she could looked up at her mother. "When you left home with whatever money you'd saved from your allowance and job, your father thought that you'd be back as soon as the money was over. But I knew you wouldn't. Especially if you failed. I'm proud who you are, Kripa. Your father is a stubborn man. He's not going to let you know how much he loves you or misses you. He spent hours in your room at night after you left Kripa. I never want you to think he doesn't love you, because he loves you more than any of his children. You're his oldest child, his first, and he adores you."

"When will he tell me that?"

"Soon enough. When is your flight?"

"Around twelve at night. Angad booked wired timings. I don't want to leave now. Not until tomorrow."

"You're tired?"

"I am." She admitted and turned into her stomach, closing her eyes again. "Angad's Mom, she made sure I slept for at least an hour in the afternoon everyday. I couldn't do that today knowing Shiv and Karan and you were around."

"Do that now." She told her as she combed her hair.

"You'll sit here?"

"Yes. I'll sit here."

When Dev came back home about thirty minutes later, he knew that his daughter was still inside. Hoping that just once he would treat her like her daughter. Just once he would embrace her and tell her he loved her. God knew he wanted to do just that. But he felt guilty for not calling her back. He felt guilty for even letting her go in the first place. He knew he should have given her permission to study further.

When he walked into the sitting room, after changing and wandering the entire house for his daughter, he saw her sleeping. Her head was still cushioned in her mothers lap. His heart swelled and he walked to them, sitting down his knees to look at her. She still slept like a baby, he thought looking at her face. So calm. He touch her cheek, to make sure she was still really there. Just the way he had when he'd held her for the first time. Her skin was still that soft. His little girl, he thought and kissed her head. His little girl had come back to him and he was making the same mistake he'd made ten years ago.

Kiran placed a hand in Dev's hair, while he laid his lips over Kripa's head. "She needs you." Kiran told her husband when he sat up.

"I know." He kissed her forehead once more. "I know."

"I'll lay your dinner."

"It's okay. I'll do it myself." He looked at Kripa again and then began to get up. Before he could her hand was on his shoulder.

"Can I?" She asked, it was nearly a whisper. Her hand still on his shoulder, she sat up. He didn't look at her. "Daddy."

"Kripa." It was Angad's happy voice, with Shiv and Karan's bickering over it.

But she continued looking at her father. Then the room was quite again. Because he never turned to replied to Kripa, she just stood up and walked to Angad.

"I'm sorry. Bad timing." He noticed she'd been sleeping before this. And, was glad there were no tears in her eyes. But they were unbearable dry.

"No. Were leaving."

"Our flight-"

"I don't care. We'll be there early. We're leaving. I'm going to go get something from my room."

She got her jacket and purse as she looked around the room. When she turned Shiv was standing there, his hands in his pockets.

"You're really leaving?"

"Yes. I have to."

He nodded. "You'll come back to visit?"

"Not until Dad calls me. But I'll call you whenever I can. You'll take care of Mom and Dad? Karan will be busy for a few months."

He shook his head. "I love you." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close and tight. "I'm going to miss you."

"You'll live." She said attempting humor. "You did then, you will now."

"I hate you."

"Make up your mind, darling. You can't do both." Her little boy was crying, she realized.

"I hate that I love you. Don't go."

"I have to."

"Stay another day. I've to bother you still. I miss you pancakes and your half burnt brownies."

"You're a sweetheart. Stop crying." She drew away and wiped his eyes. "You goose." Standing on her toes she kissed his forehead. "You should come to stay with us when Aaisha has her operation. It'll be like old times."

"You're not going to have time for me." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they walked out of her room. "You'll be newly wed and you'll have a little baby to care for."

"You're my first little baby." She kissed his cheek on the last step. "And, I care for you more than anyone else."

"Good to know. I wanted you to open your gifts. There are twenty or so. Some years Karan and I brought one together." He wrinkled his nose.

"That's okay. Another time."

"Okay. But I still can't believe you're actually getting married."

"You'll get used to it soon. I can't believe you've managed to keep yourself fit." She pocked his belly and laughed with him as they reached the sitting room again. There Dev was standing, waiting for her alone.

"I'll wait for you outside."

Kripa walked to him and dropped her purse and jacket on its way. "I'm leaving." She told him.

"You're leaving." He said and brought his hands to her face. "Just like that? No demands? No complaints?"

"I would do all of those things if you considered me your daughter still. But you don't."

"I'm sorry." The words just came out without having to think about them.

"Dad." She pressed her face into his chest and held him tight. "No. Don't be sorry." She had never realized. All along she'd thought it wouldn't matter unless her mother forgave her. Now, she realized, she would have died if he hadn't forgiven her. "I'm sorry."

"I guess we both her." He said pressing a kiss on her head. "Fair deal?"

"Fair deal."

"Now lets try a bargain. You won't leave Kripa. Not until you're married."

"I wouldn't if it were just about me, Dad. I can't let Angad go back alone. He'd be a mess without me right now. The awards are coming up. He had last minute shoots. I promised I'd help him with Aaisha's surgery. I can't. I'm sorry."

"Can you stay for a few days?" He asked. He knew what her answer would have been. He had looked into Angad's eyes before leaving and he'd seen, and he saw understand beyond all there.

"Yes. I'm sure we can pull that off. Oh Dad!" She gave him a tight squeeze, "I'm so happy. I finally have everything I've wanted."

"I've one more thing I need to get back."

She looked at him. "What?"

"My other daughter." He kissed Kripa's forehead. "I'll do with one for now. You'll serve me?"

"You and Mom. I'll go call them." Taking his hand she dragged him away.

Hey guys,

I hope you enjoyed this part! There's one part left of this FF and I'll post the next time sometime next week.

Love ya loads,

Neha