thanks everyone. Kripa's chracter is veey different from any I have written before. Let's see what happens next
PART 3:
After a quiet dinner, Angad helped the sisters clear the table. He blamed the excess wine intake for his slight light-headedness. He tried to be helpful and loaded the dishwasher. As he wiped his hands, he noticed Kripa empty the dishwasher and reload it again. He threw his hands in the air and looked at Mishty quizzically. Mishti just whispered in his ears, "you did not load it perfectly!"
Angad followed Mishti to her room, "Perfect? It is just a damn dishwasher! How the hell do you guys put up with this craziness? I would go crazy, if I had a girl like that in my life! Let's go out for a walk Mishti! Mera tho dum ghut raha hai yahan!"
Mishti just laughed, "I guess, I have grown up with her…..I don't see the craziness you see…..chalo let's go…."
Kripa sighed in relief as she heard the back door shut, "I am glad they left! Mishti and her boyfriends…..they are all so annoying! This one is particularly nosey! Why does he have to mess around with everything? Dishwasher bhi galat load kar diya! He needs to know that the plates always go on this side, and the bowls…..here," she meticulously arranged all the dishes and after scrubbing the kitchen spotless clean, went back to her room.
She sat down on her chair and opened the window in front of her desk to get some fresh air for a change. She got up again, and changed into her night pajamas with a long sleeved, pink, cotton turtleneck. She put socks and her warm slippers on, and turned on her computer. As she was waiting for the screen to come alive, she noticed Mishti and Angad strolling on the beach. It was a beautiful clear night, with the moon shining just above her window. They were holding hands and laughing at something funny. She wondered, "yeh Mishti itney ladkon ke saath kya baat karti hai? I can't even handle one guy…..let me see how long this one lasts……he is so…he is so….aaghhh….can't think of the word…..irritating!" She looked down at the screen, and started reviewing the last page she had just written.
Angad finally asked Mishti, "Hey Mishti….tumhari behen bachpan se hi itni uptight hai?"
Mishti laughed, "well…..pehle jab hum India mein the, she was like any other kid, but after we moved to the US…..she was about 12 then…..since then she has become more withdrawn and a little compulsive."
"A little compulsive? She is ANAL-RETENTIVE man! Darr lagta hai aise ladkiyon se!" he shuddered
Mishti turned around and faced him, "tho kaisi ladkiyan pasand hain tumhey?" she drawled seductively.
Angad had a slanting smile on his face. He checked her out from top to bottom, his gaze resting on her curves, "well….my interest in women is inversely proportional to the clothes they wear!" he said mischievously. Mishti was wearing a short summer spaghetti-strap dress; she smiled and said, "hmmm….so do you look at the clothes first, or rather lack there of, before dating a woman?"
"Kuch aisa hi samajh lo….you need not fear Mishti…..I love your clothes…..or rather lack there of!" they both started laughing and started heading for the house.
"So Angad…have you ever fallen in love with anyone yet?" Mishti asked
Angad laughed loudly, "Mishti…..everyday…..I see and photopgraph so many girls everyday….of course I fall in love everyday!"
Mishti just shook her head and said, "it means the answer is NO! Well Angad….I would be curious to see who you finally end up with!"
They were close to the house now; Angad noticed that the lights in the backroom were on, and through the open window, saw Kripa bent over typing on her laptop, "Well I don't know whom I will end up with, but sure will not be anyone like that TURTLENECK girl!"
Mishti found that term amusing, "You know Angad, whatever you might say, it seems to me that you are a little obsessed with my TURTLENECK sister at this point!"
"NO WAY! NO WAY!" Angad was horrified at the thought. He followed Mishti through the backdoor. He turned around to shut the door, but as he was latching the glass screen door, he noticed Kripa take her glasses off and rub her eyes; she stretched her arms, removed the clip from her tied-up hair and ran her fingers through her thick locks. Angad stood there with his hands still on the door latch, unable to move his gaze away from the beautiful, moonlit face. She tied her hair back into a bun and put her glasses on again.
"Angad! Come here…..have you heard the latest Guns'n Roses CD?" Mishti called from her room.
Angad came out of a trance and locked the door, "Yes Mishti…..I am coming!"
Angad and Mishti listened to various new CDs in her room for the next hour or so. Angad started having some discomfort in his tummy as they listened to the music.
"What happened Angad? You look a little uncomfortable?" Mishti asked
"Must be your sister's cooking….she may be MS PERFECT, but her cooking sure ain't…AHHHH," he doubled up in pain.
"Angad….Angad….let me get you some water," Mishti sat down beside him.
"No..No Mishti..I think I am fine….hey why don't we dance on this Paul McCartney number," he felt a little better and pulled Mishti in his arms. This was the first time he had dated a girl for more than a day and still not slept with her yet! That was an insult to his impeccable record- no woman had ever resisted his charm; he had always been successful in going all the way with his women.
They started swaying to the music; Angad started seductively kissing her as the music mesmerized them. Mishti, herself was quite an experienced lover-she reciprocated with equal enthusiasm. As he started to unbutton his shirt, he had the nagging cramp in his tummy again. He turned red and started writhing in pain. "AHHHH…AHHHH," he fell on the ground. Mishti was frightened. She looked around the drawers for some pain pills, but could not find anything.
"Angad…why don't you lie down on the bed……let me ask Kripa for some medicine….she has all types of medicines in her bag," Mishti rushed to Kripa's room. Kripa had shut her room door and had earplugs on here ears, to keep the sound of loud music away. Mishti knocked on her door for a few minutes, and finally let herself in.
"KRIPA!" she yelled into her ear.
Kripa jumped up and was startled, she removed her earplugs, "kya hua? I told you not to disturb me!"
"Sorry, sorry Kripa….please give me something for pain," Mishti huffed.
"I knew he is a PAIN! Abhi se pareshaan ho gayi us se!" Kripa said sarcastically
"No…he is not a pain…HE IS IN PAIN!" Mishti clenched her teeth and spoke.
Kripa went to her closet and took her big bag of medicines out. The bag had numerous compartments, each neatly labeled with the medicines, their indications and their expiration dates displayed prominently.
"Kripa….what do you do with all these medicines?" Mishti was amazed at her collection
"What do you think I do with these? If I did not have these, who would help desperate people like you and your new boyfriend?" Kripa commented.
"Kripa….he is not my boyfriend…atleast not yet!….But, you are the best…give me a medicine for tummy ache," Mishti looked at the different compartments.
They heard some shuffle at the door. Angad staggered inside, still writhing in pain, "Mishti…please kisi doctor ko phone kar do."
"Angad…itni raat ko kaun sa doctor milega? Yeh lo dawa khaa lo," Mishti took the tablets to Angad.
Before Angad could take the pills, he retched loudly and threw up on Kripa's crisp white bed sheets.
Kripa was aghast, "Oh no…not here!" The next thing she saw Angad was lying on the floor unconscious.
Kripa stared at the stained bed sheet and then Angad on the floor. Mishti was too shocked to say or do anything.
"Mishti!" Kripa shook her sister, "call the ambulance…call the ambulance!"
Mishti nodded and reached for the phone.
Kripa brought some wet towels from the bathroom and wiped Angad's face and dragged him with his feet to a clean and dry spot on the floor. She made sure he was breathing and checked his pulses. She closed her eyes and recited, "ABC…Airway..Breathing..Circulation…..yes that is what they taught us in the CPR class…."
They heard the EMS (Emergency Medical Service) arrive at the front door.
Angad was soon transported in the ambulance. One of the emergency personnel said, "you ladies can follow us in your car if you want."
Mishti nodded, 'I will follow you."
Kripa looked at Mishti, "I will come with you….I know this area better than you do…the roads are not that well-lit at night time." Kripa changed into jeans and a yellow turtleneck. She wore her shoes and picked her bag, 'let's go Mishti."
They arrived at the emergency room and were relieved to see Angad was conscious again.
"Thanks for bringing me here Mishti!" Angad looked at Mishti, ignoring her younger sister-he could not imagine Kripa being that nice, especially after he had messed up her sheets with the red contents from his stomach. He was still blaming her cooking, till the ER doctor returned with the reports, 'Mr Khanna…looks like you have appendicitis…..we need to take you in for surgery!"
Mishti and Kripa both gasped, "SURGERY?"
Angad was shocked, 'are you sure doctor? I think this is just food poisoning from some CONTAMINATED sphagetti sauce!" he looked sneeringly at Kripa.
Kripa glared at him, "Who asked you to lick the sauce from the sink?"
The Er doctor was amused at his patient and the lady in glasses, "Yes…I am very sure it is appendicitis…in fact you are lucky, our on call surgeon is here in the ER tonight….let me call him…his name is Dr Prithvi Bose….he is Indian too….you would like him," Dr Jones, the ER doctor, smiled and left.
………to be contd……..
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Cricket
140