Counting Sheep
Its was around 4 in the morning now. The fresh garden smell arose as Kripa felt the dew from the grass. The sky went from a dark night blue shade to the calming colors of orange and pink. She's seen night to day just before her very eyes as she waited for Angad to come back from the garage. Kripa had made transactions from the hotel room to the balcony to the garage back to the balcony several times in these past few hours, all in await of Angad. Although hard to admit, Kripa was mighty worried about Angad. She was sure he wouldn't let this go easily, and she felt responsible for it. After a while, Kripa felt her back give out and a sudden ache started at her neck. She's been in the car for so long, and now on the balcony, her body needed to lay down for a while.
Kripa was quietly making her way through the lobby when she noticed a family checking out. Kripa leisurely walked closer just to see what they were doing up at this time of night. It was a family like any other, with a mom, a dad, and a little girl no older than 10. Kripa felt her throat tighten, and eye's get blurry as she remembered her own family whom she so shamelessly abandoned. A sudden guilt pang came about as she thought of how her mother and father were right now, how upset they were, and even more importantly was hurt they must be. Kripa didn't realize she was crying until she felt the salty tears saturating her dry lips, and when she did, she quickly wiped them away, leaving no room for a breakdown. Kripa tip toed her way to the hotel room and gently slid into her bed, without making a sound. In bed, Kripa kept didn't have to move around to find a comfortable spot like she always did, any bed, in any possible position was more than what heaven could offer right now. Kripa simply brushed her hair away from her face with her fingers and soon her heavy eye lids closed and she was asleep.
The door creaked opened as the light from the lobby shun inside the dark room. Kripa shifted so that her back would face the light, still in deep sleep. Angad stepped inside and was about to flick the lights, when his eye's saw Kripa sleeping. He went to his suitcase and tried to take out his jeans and t-shirt without making much sound, but that was an failed attempt when he dropped the lamped next to him by mistake.
"Shit," he whispered to himself trying to pick it up.
Kripa jumped out of bed frightened. "Who's there?" she asked moving back into her back and gripping on the covers tightly. Angad quickly turned on the lights filling the room with light that hurt Kripa's eye's.
"It's me, Angad", he said walking up to Kripa.
Kripa took a minute to calm down and got out of bed, stretching her neck and legs.
"Hey," Kripa said still yawning.
Angad went back to his suitcase, which was actually just a huge Nike Sports bag and picked up his stuff. "So…how's your car?" Kripa asked hesitantly as she moved around the room for no absolute reason. Angad didn't answer at first, he just shrugged his shoulders and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. Kripa sat back down on her bed and looked at her bare feet until Angad came out. As Angad was drying his hair with a towel he noticed Kripa's depressed face and rolled his eye's.
"They'll get it fixed in two days, or at least that's what the guys in the garage said."
Kripa's face brightened up, and then went back to being dull as she saw Angad leaving through the door. "Angad," she said like a little child, with an undefined innocence in her voice that would have melted any stoned heart, even if it were the devil. Angad turned around and looked at Kripa without saying anything. Kripa looked down at the floor unable to look at Angad in the eye's. "I'm sorry". Angad brought his head down as well, and made his way closer to Kripa. "Don't worry about it," he said assuring Kripa by putting his hand on her shoulder.
"So, where are you going now?" asked Kripa as she popped on her bed again, this time with a lot more delight. Angad sat down on the edge of the bed and decided to stay a while. "Just have some business to take care of,".
Kripa crawled up next to Angad and looked into his eye's.
"Angad don't tell me your going to try to be some hero and go hunt those guys down. Their big, and come in fives and your going to end up in the hospital," said Kripa all in one breath.
A smile came upon Angad's face, something that was very rarely seen. "You seem very concerned for me".
Kripa rolled her eye's and fold her legs, "It's not as much about you as it is about me. See, if you end up in the hospital, I'll have no one to drive me to California and that really wouldn't be good".
Angad swiftly turned his face to Kripa and answered back, "You could always take the bus, you know public transportation is why we pay taxes in the first place". "Or I could simply take your car, considering you'll end up with broken legs. I'm sure you wont have any problems with that,", said Kripa making it very apparent that she wanted to win this game they had going on.
Angad unknowingly took Kripa's hand as he spoke, "Well maybe I'll just have to stay here and watch over you". Kripa had a smirk on her face as she replied, "Or maybe I'll have to kick you out if you don't let go of my hand right now". Angad quickly let go of Kripa's hand and jumped out of bed. "I didn't notice," he said putting his hand in his pocket. "It's okay, Kripa said laughing. "So really, where are you going?" asked Kripa getting up and tying her hair in a bun with a few bangs coming out from both sides, aligning with her face.
"I'm thinking to get us some food, so we can eat and then go to sleep for a while. We're going to be here for two days after all", explained Angad. "Oh okay, want me to come with you?" Kripa asked. "No, my mother taught me how to cross the street when I was 5, it's okay I wont get lost", replied Angad back to his usual sarcasm. Kripa went into the shower as Angad left, and while brushing her teeth she realized what just happened. They flirted.
Half an hour later, Angad came back with breakfast from the much loved McDonalds which was only a few blocks away. Inside Kripa was still in the shower. "You know, it's a myth that longer showers get you cleaner, fish spend their entire lives in water and they stink," said Angad while taking out the food and putting it on the table.
"You should know a lot about stinking, have you smelt your t-shirts lately," yelled out Kripa from the shower.
"No, but I would really love you know what you were doing smelling my clothes in my absence," said Angad as he slowly picked up one of his shirts and smelt it, making sure what Kripa was saying wasn't true. "I didn't need to, the odor went around in a 100 mile radius," said Kripa as Angad heard the water turn off, and the shower curtain swing aside.
Kripa stepped out in black slacks and a light red shirt with a cartoon drawing on a McDonalds burger, fried and drink. "Well isn't this a coin-ci-dink ," said Angad moving aside revealing the McDonalds breakfast. "There's more," Kripa said turning around. The back of her shirt said McDonalds: I'm Lovin' it .
The clock was running backward for Angad and Kripa today. After eating what was maybe the best 6 dollar breakfast they had ever had, Angad and Kripa both hit the sack in pure daylight. Kripa twisted and turned on her bed for a good 5 minutes until it became an annoyance for Angad. "Could you stop! It's getting irritating now," said Angad turning towards Kripa. "Sorry, but I'm not sleepy anymore, I'm not tired either," complained Kripa playing with strands of her hair.
"Well count sheep, because I need a good two hours of sleep, possibly three depending on the amount of light that shines on us".
Angad turned around and slept on his stomach leaving Kripa wide awake. Kripa never understood the counting sheep process, it never worked for her, well she really didn't know if it worked or not considering this was the first time she'd ever tried counting sheep. Kripa sighed a closed her eye's.
"Did it work?"
Kripa opened her eye's and turned to Angad who was staring at her wide awake. "No, what happened to you?" she asked. Angad shrugged and got up, put the pillow against the wall and sat, leaning on the pillow. "I cant sleep anymore," he said sounding upset. Kripa grinned and shifted conformation position. Angad picked up his book that was lying on the counter and flipped to the page he had left off at. "So, lets talk," said Kripa.
About what?" asked Angad sounding the least bit interested, and yet his eye's kept glancing at Kripa.
"I don't know. Tell me, why did you come on this road trip?"
"Just got bored of New York, I guess," Angad said, still looking into his book, but not really reading it.
"Oh. I guess that's a good reason," Kripa replied. Angad looked back at Kripa with a curious grin. "What about you?"
"What about me?" asked Kripa. Angad seemed to have found a sudden interest in this discussion, since he shift his entire body so that he facing Kripa and leaning against his shoulders. "I mean, you ran away right? Why did you do it? I mean, it just doesn't seem like something you would do".
"You don't know me that well," said Kripa looking up at the ceiling. "I know you well enough to know you wouldn't run away for no absolute reason," replied Angad.
Kripa rolled her eye's and looked back at Angad, "No, you don't".
"Well, then prove me wrong. Tell me you just ran away for the excitement, for the adventure, and the soothing smells of gasoline. Tell me that, and I'll believe you".
"I had my reasons," said Kripa implying that she didn't want to talk about this topic anymore. Angad understood it, but decided to dig deeper anyway. "Don't tell me your running away to meet your childhood lover and get married in typical Hindi movie manner," Angad joked, still with a inch of seriousness in his voice.
"No, trust me there's nothing like that," assured Kripa as she laughed at the thought. "How can I trust you? I don't even know you," said Angad. Kripa faced Angad, and looked at him with her lips slightly pouted and eye's big and wide, "Well don't I look trust worthy to you?"
"Well you look a lot of things to me," said Angad raising an eyebrow. "Really like what?" asked Kripa getting closer to Angad. The both didn't notice that they shifted to the edges of their beds, only inches away from each other. They were both staring into each other's eyes trying to figure what it was. What was it about them? Between them? Kripa's sense kicked, as she withdrew quickly and Angad followed.
"I think I'll go back to counting sheep," she said. Angad laid back on his bed, and began reading again. Kripa moved, turning her back to Angad, and blushed at the thought that they had flirted twice in the same day. After a minute, Angad put down his book and got up.
"Lets go," he said.
Kripa got up as well. "Go where?"
"I don't know, anywhere. I mean, we're going to be here for two days, might as well get some sight seeing done".
Kripa was putting on her shoes, when she realized they had no car. "But how are we going to go? And how are we going to get back?
Angad put on his black leather jacket and fix his collar. "It's called a bus, and it's called asking for directions, and then its called stop asking so many questions".
Angad held Kripa by the arm and lead her and himself out the door. "So what are we going to see?" asked Kripa. Angad pushed Kripa out the door and secured the door key in his pocket. "I don't know, lets go count sheep".
To Be Continued…
Sorry for the delay, I'm feeling much better today. Hope you guys liked this part, and please do comment. I'll try to update Kuch pal Ka Saath this soon too, but I'm not sure I can. I have on more Regents exam on the 20th and it's for Chemistry so I kinda have to study for it. And I have guest coming for the weekend (even though I really don't know them or want them here).
I special Thank You to everyone who nominated, and voted for me for the Fan-Fic awards. It means so much more than you can imagine. Really, thank you so much!
Karishma****
Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
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