PART 41:
The next morning, Kripa felt unusually calm and peaceful, like one would after an almost spiritual experience. She touched her tummy and remembered that since her mamaji's demise, she had forgotten to take her birth control pills. At this point, she did not care if Angad was ready to become a dad or not, she knew that becoming a mother was a gift of God, and she was ready to accept the gift with open arms. Perhaps a child would help Angad realize that running after fame, glory and money was not the most important thing in life. A child would not only help them get closer to each other, but may be shift Angad's focus to the more precious things in life. For the first time since their move to the new house, Kripa went out to the backyard, and enjoyed the early morning fresh air and picked some fresh flowers. She remembered her days in Ramgarh, where this was a part of her daily routine. Somehow, the fast paced life in Mumbai had buried those pleasant memories somewhere, but today she felt more connected to her past than she had in a long time.
Angad was upstairs in the bathroom, applying shaving cream on his face; he peeked outside from the balcony and saw his wife in an unusually jubilant mood. He could not resist himself and ran downstairs in his boxers with the shaving cream still smeared on his face. He grabbed Kripa from behind and rubbed the shaving cream all over her neck and face, "this is what you deserve this morning!" he nibbled at her ear.
"Ahh Angad!" Kripa screamed, "mere phool…"
"Phool ke saath mere jaise kaante ko bhi gale lagaana hoga!" he kissed her cheek with his shaving cream laden lips.
"Angad! Mujhe phir se nahaana hoga….sab jagah shaving cream lagaa di…." She whined as she wiped her face.
"chalo…phir saath saath nahaa lete hain…is naye ghar ka shower ka bhi inauguration kar lete hain…"
"Chhodo Angad! Mujhey recording ke liye jaana hai…" Kripa freed herself and ran away, challenging him to follow her.
Angad chased her down and finally caught hold of her. He carried his flailing wife to the shower stall with him.
After they had both showered and gotten ready, Kripa looked at her watch, "Angad….aaj saare musicians jaldi aane waale hain….mujhey der ho gayi!"
"Keh dena apne boss se ki emergency aa gayi thi!" Angad laughed.
Kripa shook her head and walked out, "jab tumhari marzi hoti hai, tho sab kuch emergency ho jaati hai!"
Angad just smiled and admired his wife as he knotted his tie, "Kripa….shayad ab tumhe thoda thoda samajhne lagaa hoon….tum choti choti cheezon se hi khush ho jaati ho….you are a very LOW MAINTAINENCE WIFE!" He remembered Mishti's comment (your wife is very high maintainence!)
He thought about Mishti, "Mishti ne meri bahut help ki hai ab tak, par aisa kyon lagta hai ki Kripa aur Mishti ek doosre ko pasand nahin karte….well…women…you never know what ticks them off?"
Kripa reached work in her typical chirpy mood. She wanted to thank Josh. She looked for him everywhere.
"Prithvi, Josh kahan hai? Kahin dikhai nahin de raha?"
Prithvi was working on a new composition; he looked up and said coldly, "Josh ab yahan kaam nahin karega!"
Kripa was stunned, "lekin kyon?"
"Wo wapas London chalaa gaya hai….wo bahut paise maangne lagaa tha…..he was getting very greedy and cheated me in business, so we decided to split ways….he is gone now…." Prithvi said sourly.
"Kya main us se baat kar sakti hoon? London ka phone # tho hoga?" she asked
"Nahin….i did not ask him…..waise bhi wo abhi flight mein hi hoga….chalo let's rehearse, we have to go for our first out of town concert in a few days." Prithvi ordered.
Kripa could tell Prithvi was upset about something, "kya baat hai Prithvi…itne upset kyon ho?"
Prithvi just said, "Josh!"
Kripa could not believe that Josh would have tried to cheat Prithvi; she was grateful to Josh for reuniting her with Angad last night, "Prithvi tumhey koi galat fehmi huyi hai…Josh tho bahut achha insaan hai…wo nahin cheat kar sakta tumhey…"
"Kripa…tum bahut bholi ho…..logon ko nahin pehchaan thi….chalo let's not waste time on Josh….let's rehearse!" Prithvi commanded and ordered the other musicians to start playing.
Kripa was worried about Josh all day; she tried to call Aaliyah, but Aaliyah and Shabbir had just left for their 2 week-long honeymoon that morning.
In the evening, Kripa informed Angad about Josh's deception; even Angad was surprised, "Josh?….He seems such a nice guy…wo aisa kaise kar sakta hai? Well, he was God sent for us last night," Angad came close to Kripa as she changed into her night clothes, "I missed you Kripa….tum mujhse kabhie door mat hua karo….chaahe naraaz ho jao, par doori nahin seh paata main…," he kissed her and mumbled into her ears.
"Angad! Aurat aur aadmi mein yahi farak hai….hum jab pyaar karti hain tho poore tann aur mann se karti hain…..aur tum aadmi log ko tho bas….…," she just slapped his hand playfully and giggled.
"Jaanta hoon kya kehna chaahti ho….par kya karoon majboor hoon….," he lifted her and carried her to the bed.
Later, as they talked to each other, Kripa told him about the up coming concert, "Angad main ek mahine ke liye national tour par jaa rahi hoon…."
"Kya kaha? 1 month ? No way! Tum ab yeh Prithvi ke saath kaam chhod do…I am making enough money now….tum ab ghar baith kar aaraam kiya karo….is ghar ke kai kamrey tho tumney abhi dekhey bhi nahin hain…"
"Angad…..I have a one year contract with Prithvi…aise kaise chhod sakti hoon?"
"Theek hai….lekin no tour with him! Tum jaanti nahin Prithvi ko….main uska dost hoon…usey acchi tarah jaanta hoon!," Angad said angrily
"Angad….wo mere saath Ramgarh bhi gaya tha….he is just fine….and I know how to handle him well….stop being jealous OK?" Kripa patted his cheek and dozed off on his chest.
Angad stayed up late, staring at the ceiling fan for hours. He really did not want Kripa to go with Prithvi. Yes, he was jealous! Yes, he was possessive about Kripa! So what, if Prithvi was his friend; he knew Prithvi was a big flirt and would not hesitate seducing any woman, if given a chance, "shayad meri hi galti hai ki maine Kripa ko Prithvi ke saath gaane ke liye push kiya….Oh God…main bhi kitna pagal hoon…"
A few days later, Mishti was back in town and was informed of all the happenings of the past week by her spy, Prithvi.
"Prithvi! Ab hamara sab se badhaa vaar hoga…..kab nikal rahe ho tum apne national tour par?"
"Kal hi jaa rahe hain…pehla stop Delhi hai….," Prithvi informed Mishti as he poured a drink for himself.
"Press coverage ki responsibility mujh par chhod do!" Mishti smiled slyly. She picked the phone and called her C-grade journalist friend, "Hello! Mumbai Reflections?"
Despite Angad's protests, Kripa being the professional that she was, left for her national tour. Angad was not very happy, but could not say anything to Kripa or Prithvi.
Mishti started frequenting Angad's bungalow when Kripa was away. She would drop by at odd hours and talk Angad in having a drink or coffee with her. She told him that a lot of producers had started dropping her from their movies for much younger actresses. One day, she told him a sob story about how she might lose her house if she was not able to keep up with the payments. Angad felt sorry for her and promised to help her monetarily, as she had always been a 'good' friend to him. If it were not for her, he would not have climbed the ranks so quickly at the surgical center.
Angad talked to Kripa everyday, but their conversations were always brief-either Angad was in the OT, or Kripa was at a rehearsal, a stage show or traveling. The "Sukoon" concerts were big hits in all the cities. Kripa was fast emerging as a popular singer amongst the youth. They liked her stage presence, liveliness and versatility in performance. Their shows were getting a good deal of press and media coverage too.
Mishti took it upon herself, to keep Angad informed about the media coverage on his wife's concerts. She made sure Angad was presented with filtered information. There were articles, especially from the "Mumbai Reflections," which emphasized on the 'chemistry' between the lead singer and the composer/guitarist of "Sukoon." The articles talked about how the youth of the country were going crazy about Prithvi-Kripa pair and how they were going to be the next hit 'jodi' in the world of music after the likes of Jagjit-Chitra singh, Bhupinder-Mitali etc.
Angad initially ignored the implications of the words 'chemistry' and 'hit jodi' as part of media publicity, but one day, Mishti showed Angad some pictures of Kripa and Prithvi performing at one of the concerts. Angad stared at the pictures intently and then saw some pictures with Prithvi standing too close to Kripa; an arm around her; adjusting her necklace once; clipping the microphone to her blouse etc. Mishti of course caressed his doubts, "Angad…waise dekho tho zara…yeh prithvi tumhari wife ke kuch zyaada hi kareeb nahin khada hua hai….aur Kripa bhi mind nahin kar rahi hai…," Mishti was thanking her photographer for taking the most insinuating photographs.
One photograph was taken when Prithvi and Kripa were drenched in rain. From the angle it was taken, it seemed that Prithvi was kissing Kripa on the face. In reality, they did get drenched in the rain, but Prithvi was actually bending over something else, and trick photography made it look like a lip-to-lip kiss!
Angad was furious; he called Kripa to confirm that she had actually been caught in a rainstorm along with Prithvi. "Haan Angad…bahut baarish huyi thi Chennai mein…hum dono ki taxi kharaab ho gayi thi, iss liye kayi miles paidal chalna padhaa…yadi Prithvi nahin hota tho hum hotel na jaane kaise pahunch te…"
"Dekho Angad….tumhare jaise trusting husband maine aaj tak nahin dekha hai…..aur wo bhi Prithvi jaise insaan ke saath….Prithvi can use his charm with anyone….in fact he did not spare me either…..main kitni mushkil se uske jaal se nikali hoon…..I bet he will take this opportunity to get close to Kripa…aur waise bhi show biz mein kaun kiska sagaa hota hai…..you know it is very easy to get close to other people on these outdoors," Mishti added fuel to the fire.
The more Angad read and saw the articles and pictures about the shows, the more suspicious he got! His heart wanted to believe that Kripa would never stoop so low, but being a scientist at core, he somehow believed his eyes and ears more.
Mishti did not leave Angad alone in the evenings. Angad usually found her waiting for him when he returned from work. She hovered around him like a helicopter and practically brain washed him in the month Kripa was gone!
Towards the end of the tour, Kripa had started feeling really exhausted. All the traveling and late nights were wearing her down. She could not wait to get back; she was missing Angad terribly and longed to be held in his arms when she got back.
Kripa and Prithvi arrived Mumbai on a week day afternoon, a day before their expected arrival date. Kripa headed straight for home. She was disappointed not to see Angad at home, but knew he was probably busy at work. After a shower and changing into comfortable clothes, she settled on the couch with a book waiting for Angad. She did not know when she dozed off on the couch. When she woke up, it was dark. She got up and turned to lights on, "arre raat ke 9 baj gaye….Angad abhi tak aaya nahin?"
Kripa tried to call Angad, but he was not available. He was not at work either. There was only one place he could be! Kripa was a bit upset, "maine kal hi tho message chodaa tha ki main aaj aa rahi hoon….phir bhi aane mein der kar di?" Kripa remembered leaving a message on the home answering machine, as Angad's voice mail was full yesterday. She checked the message line on their home line, but just heard, "THERE ARE NO NEW MESSAGES!" Kripa thought, "tho iska matlab Angad ko message tho mil gaya hoga…phir bhi?"
Kripa called for one of their maids, "Radha! Radha!"
"Jee memsab?" Radha came down
"Yahan kal doctor sahib se milne koi aaya tha kya?"
"Jee memsab…wo Mishti madam aayi thi….wo aksar shaam ko aati hain…par aaj hi nahin aayi…," Radha answered innocently
"Accha jao….mere liye kuch khaana garam kar do…pata nahin doctor sahib kab aayenge…," Kripa sent the maid away as she did not want Radha to get too suspicious.
Kripa felt a stinging pain in her heart, but decided to give Angad the benefit of doubt once again. She went to bed after a light dinner.
Angad had gone for a party with Mishti after work. He had no clue that Kripa was back home a day early. Mishti had of course erased Kripa's message the day before.
Angad arrived home past midnight, a little tipsy after a few drinks. He did not notice Kripa sleeping on the bed. He changed up and plunked on the bed. He was fast asleep within minutes. Kripa felt his hand in the dark. She turned on her nightlight and saw Angad in deep slumber. She smiled at him and bent down on his face to kiss him, but was repulsed by his alcoholic breath. She ran to the bathroom and started retching. She felt a little dizzy and came back to bed. She went off to sleep with her back to Angad.
The next morning, Angad woke up with a pounding headache. Kripa was up and watering the plants outdoors. Angad was late for work, and did not even notice that Kripa's bag was still unpacked and sitting on the bedroom floor. He took some Aspirin, picked his bag and ran out the door. Kripa was happy to find that Angad was no longer sleeping in bed, but was a little hurt when she found out that he left without meeting her or even noticing that she was back!
Kripa decided to go and meet Aaliyah to cheer herself up. She would even talk to her about her recent fatigue and nausea she had been experiencing.
"Aao Kripa! How was your trip? Tumhare concerts ki tho bahut tareef suni humney….Shabbir tho tumhara fan ban gaya hai….we can't wait for your first album to release…kab aa rahi hai?" Aaliyah was thrilled to see Kripa.
"Bas…ab kuch hi dino mein release ho rahi hai…concerts ke baad kaafi acchhi publicity mil gayi hai…bhagwan ne chaha tho album theek thaak chal jaayegi…," Kripa said politely
"You are so modest Kripa! It wil be a big HIT and you will be a STAR!" Aaliyah commended her, "acchaa batao aaj office mein kaise aayi?" Aaliyah asked
Kripa told Aaliyah about her health issues and in a few minutes, Aaliyah was back with a report in her hand, "mithai kab khila rahi ho?"
"mithai?" Kripa asked
"Hmm…mithai….aakhir main bua jo ban ne waali hoon..,"Aaliyah exclaimed
Kripa had tears in her eyes. She squeezed Aaliyah's hands and gave her a big hug, "Aaliyah….you don't know how happy I am? Meri pehli album ki success ab koi maane nahin rakhti….this is the best gift you have given me!"
Aaliyah corrected her, "*cough*cough* gift maine nahin Angad ne diya hai….usee ko jaakar khush khabri do…,"Aaliyah stroked Kripa's hair.
Kripa just blushed and nodded here head. She decided to surprise Angad with the news and drove to his office.
…to be continued…..
Kumkum Bhagya
41