Married By Mistake-Prt 7 Last Part! - Page 11

lol neha ur parts are long enufff lol.......nywayz cant wait till u cont !!!!
how abt summer love wen r u contuin that one???hehe
and how many more parts left?????in this ff

Originally posted by: sahr_8

lol neha ur parts are long enufff lol.......nywayz cant wait till u cont !!!!
how abt summer love wen r u contuin that one???hehe
and how many more parts left?????in this ff

I don't know how long...

Chapter Three

December

The day was too sunny and warm to be a December afternoon after a rainy night. The sky was clear, the birds were chirping excitedly. All the anxious children who'd stayed in all day yesterday were all running around wild, chasing balls and their siblings.

In the end of the lane, Kripa Khanna was busy playing with her three nieces and nephews. She had spent a long morning dubbing the first half of her movie, and now she was ready to stuff herself senseless. Tomorrow, she would have to work it off senseless.

She tossed her two year old nephew in the air and caught him. Huffed. "Boy, you get heavier by the second."

"Again!" Two year old Aman clapped his hands and waited to be tossed and caught again.

Kripa let out a long breath. "Sorry, handsome. I don't have the strength." She shifted him against her hip. Giggled when he wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her a long, sloppy kiss. "Maybe after I eat something." She scanned the place for Angad. Where was he? She hadn't seen him in the morning. Had completely forgot to remind the night before while they were cleaning the dishes.

The memory brought a smile to her lips. She'd been married to him for a month and one week and the time they had spent together at home, in studios, in his music room, had told her a lot about him.

Angad Khanna was a decent guy, married once, honest, loyal. He rarely lost his temper, always spoke the truth, even if it was meant to hurt someone. He was sexy. But most important, or to Kripa anyways, he never fussed when she asked him to cook. In the beginning, she felt guilty to ask him to cook any meal. In the end she had worked it out. She'd promised if he did the cooking she'd do the dishes and the laundry. It worked out perfectly.

Except the part where he helped her with both.

He spoke very rarely in public. If there was a point he needed to get across he did it in simple, quick words. Kripa herself always found a way to keep him talking, to make him laugh. And, she realized it felt good to know that when she had dinner Angad would be there to talk to. She yelled at him when she was upset with someone else and he listened, then just laughed at her foolishness later.

She loved it.

Now, only if she could find out where the Khanna was, she could yell at him for being late later. Too bad she just couldn't do without him anymore.

"Kripa." She looked up and watched her father walk to him, arms open wide.

"Dad." She gave Aman to Raj and ran into Veer Kapoor's arms. "I haven't seen you in forever." She reached up and kissed his cheeks. "How are you and Mom?"

"We are great." He draped an arm around his daughter. "Where's your husband?"

"My husband has a name, Dad." She turned and took his hands. He was a little over two inches taller than his daughter, with black eyes and slowly silvering hair. He couldn't be called handsome, but he had striking looks that attracted at first sight. Broad shoulders that helped him as a fire fighter when he had rescued her mother. That was how they had first met. A thirty-two year old lawyer, widowed and a mother of a six year old Kripa and a thirty-three year old firefighter, with a daughter of his own- Nikki. Her mother had instantly fallen in love with him after being alone for nearly four years. And, Kripa had accepted him as a father before her mother had even fallen in love. Veer Kapoor had fulfilled the role of a father in her life from the moment he had rescued the two of them from the edge of the road in a horrible rode slide.

She could remember herself wailing in the backseat as the took her out. She had stretched her arms out and waited, listened and knew she had always believed. Now, almost twenty-two years later, she had an older sister, and a younger brother. And although she had both a step-sister and step-father, the family was unbreakable.

"I'm happy with, Angad."

He searched her face, her voice to catch the lie, but he couldn't. She looked happy. Defeated, he sighed and kissed her forehead. "Okay. Where is Angad?"

"Good question. I haven't got a clue. There's Mom and Dev." Kripa looked at her brother and mother walk toward them. Her mother was half of Kripa's size, which made Kripa wonder where she got her height from. But she was beautiful and Kripa admired what she had made out of her life, everything she had done for her family. In her mid-fifties now, she was a still working wife and mother, reaching heights as a lawyer, and now as a judge. Kripa knew she had disappointed her when she had decided to take acting as a profession. Nevertheless, she had accepted and supported.

Kripa opened her arms for her mother. "Your Honor is late." She winked and kissed her cheeks. "I'm so happy to see you, Mama."

"So am I, honey." Kajal Kapoor looked at her daughter with her light brown eyes. "You've lost weight again." Those sharp eyes narrowed. "And, I didn't even see any tabloids about you being fat recently. So what's the reason?"

"I was surviving on yogurt and I've been working out everyday." Then she smoothed out her silk shirt against her stomach. "I've really lost weight?" she asked, almost proud.

"Honey, you look ugly. Hideous even"

It was Kripa's turn to narrow her eyes. "Thanks, Mama." She wrapped her arms around her neck and sighed. "I missed you."

"Are you happy, honey? I mean you and Angad? You guys got married, there was no love."

No wonder her mother had found Veer Kapoor. Kripa chuckled privately. "I'm very happy, mother. How is your court life?"

"Good. I just announced another death penalty a few days ago. Where is Angad? He didn't even show-up when Nikki delivered."

"Mom!" She shook her mother. "We're happy and fine."

"Are you? Yes or no, have you shared a physical relationship with him?" She lifted a long, elegant finger. "The witness is required to answer the question yes or no."

"No." She folded her arms at her waist. "So what? It's my choice if I decide not to have sex with my husband."

"Yes it is. Are you in love with him?"

Kripa waited a second. "No. But, I lust him." Kripa picked an olive with cheese and nibbled and watched her mother's shocked expression. Then watched her mother scowl at her. "Mom, please. I don't ask you how often you and dad-"

"Kripa!" Kajal's voice was sharp with shock. "My God, you don't even try to be blunt. I wish you'd become a lawyer so we're not beating around the bush for hours in the court room." She helped herself with a martini and stripped out of her lovely pink coat. She was wearing a silk shirt under it like Kripa's, with buttons made of soft pearls, and a pink skirt that skimmed her knees. Kripa didn't know anyone who could carry themselves with such elegance. "Anyways. Because you asked, you're father can't keep his hands off of me." She winked. "Nikki, darling," she was calling her daughter and walking away. "I would like to see my little granddaughter."

"Mom, get back here!" Putting her glass down she ran behind her mother. Kajal was cooing at little Priti when Kripa caught-up with her. "Mom, you were telling me something."

"Was I honey? Why don't you get me a nice, cool drink first and find out where your husband is. I'd love to meet him. I barley know the boy. Here's Veer." She held out one hand for her husband and lifted her face to let him kiss her.

Kripa felt every naughty comment drain from her head, when she saw the way her father looked at her mother, they way she looked back. There was love here, and unsaid love, an unsaid understanding. She envied it and accepted it for the first time. And, she wished she was able to share that with someone. Wasn't she supposed to share that with Prithvi?

She looked at her parents again, as they sat together and fussing over their granddaughter, the looked happy.

"Kripa." She whirled and saw Angad grinning at her from across the yard. She felt something twist in her heart and made her run across the grass and throw her arms around him. And, she believed for the first time she was meant to share her life with him. Her mother, who seemed like the most modern person on the outside, had once told her that whatever happens, it happens for the best. Now, as she turned her face into his neck and breathed him in, she believed that Prithvi had left here at the alter for Angad. Deep down, she actually believed that he was meant for her after all.

"Are you alright?" He drew her away. Her eyes were wet. "Okay, alright." Already panicking, he pulled her to the nearest chair and shoved a drink in her hand. "Drink and don't you dare drop a single tear. Damn woman cries about everything." He tucked her hair behind her ear while she sipped her water.

From her seat, Veer and Kajal watched everything with a curious eyes.

"Now tell me what's wrong?" He narrowed his eyes and looked into hers. "I'm dead serious Kripa. If you cry I'm going to toss you into the swimming pool." Because she needed it he pressed his lips against her forehead. "Why are you crying, sweetheart? Did someone say something to you?"

"No." Sulking, she leaned back into the chair, before standing up. "Angad."

"Hmm?" He began walking with her, looking around she saw Nikki with her two children. Raj and Kirpa's brother Dev at the grill. He smiled when he saw Kripa's mother kneeling on the floor with Aman playing with her. Just the sight brough a pang to his heart as he tried to remember the mother he had lost as a ten year old boy. The baby he'd lost almost five years ago.

Kripa looked at him and saw the way he looked at her mother. Absently, she slipped her arm through his, leaned her head against his shoulder. "Am I ugly?"

His sesnse snapped back and he whipped his eyes to Kripa's face. "Are you kidding me? You're one of the sexiest women I know. I could gobble you up in one large bite." To prove it, he leaned down closed his teeth lightly over her jaw and made her laugh. "Somebody tell you you're ugly?"

She thought of her mother and grinned. "Nah. Am I mean?"

Playing along, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer. "No, babe. You're not. But, you can get nasty when you really want to."

"Is it a bad thing that I can't cook?"

He cocked an eyebrow, tipped her face up to look at her. "You said you knew how to cook. You made breakfast that morning."

"Flipping a few eggs doesn't mean one can cook. A baby can do that. I'm trying to figure out what made Prithvi ditch me at the alter."

That stopped him dead. "Then why don't you go ask him instead of asking me. I don't even understand why you care. Isn't it enough that he did?"

"Jeez, I'm sorry. You basically you're saying that you'd never ditch me if you were in love with me?"

The idea made his stomach and heart churn. Defeated, Angad shook his head and sighed. "I guess not. I mean you're entertaining to be around. Now stop sulking."

"Why are you late?" Her voice changed to demanding and had him just staring at her. "You were supoused to be here almost three hours ago."

"Yes, I know. I was caught-up in a recording." He saw her lips quirk. "I'm sorry, honey, I guess I better make it up to you for being late."
"You better," She lifted her mouth for his and kissed him. She nipped very lightly at his lower lip and soothed the light pain with a flicer of her tounge. "Just to let you know, Angad, I'm over Prithvi."

"That's good." Confused, he drew her away. "That's very good, Kripa. Why don't you introduce me to your family since I haven't met them formally."

Just as confused as him, she nodded. "Give me a minute." He walked ahead of her and she touched her fingures to her lips. They were still vibrating. Oh, yes, she though, she might have gotten over Prithvi. But, she knew she was falling in love with Angad fast.

She fixed a smile on her lips and matched his steps. He looked at her when she slipped her arms around his waist. "Why don't we start with my parents?"

Angad Khanna had met her entire family and even though everyone had instantly loved him, Angad had hesitated and stayed back. Kripa knew that he was purposely trying not to get attached. She also knew that he was doing the same with her. He stayed away, tried not to connect with her emotionally. Yet he understood her. He knew when she needed attention or when she needed to fight with someone to vent out her frustration. He knew when she needed his compassion and when she needed the passion.

In a month and a half of their marriage she had learned a lot about him. He never took a shower with hot water, even if it was freezing outside. He liked his breakfast to be the heaviest meal of the day, and he never missed it. His lunches were not usual and rarely eaten. He never missed a small snack between four and five incase he had missed his lunch. If he ate lunch it had to be before eight so he wasn't eating and dropping in bed right after each other. He worked out at least four times a week, for two hours a day.

No wonder the man was so damn fit, he was so punctual about his habits. And, they were excellent. Except the fact he smoked like a manic. A half a pack a day. Kripa was just a little scared that he was going to die before time.

He had other small habits too. He liked to sleep with the windows open, like she did. He didn't move once he was sleep. If he slept on the right side of the bed, he stayed on the right side the entire night. And, he didn't need an alarm clock to wake him up. Always, Kripa couldn't remember one day, when he was still sleeping and she woke-up before him. He liked to cook breakfast himself, unless Laura was there. To Kripa's delight and awe, he always made sure she ate before leaving for work.

So often, he made her feel guilty. She had lived with her parents until she had turned eighteen years and seven months. In all the years she had watched her mother make her father's breakfast before leaving for work, and waking up before him. She always cared for him and her family. Somewhere Kripa wanted to do the same. She wanted to be the dutiful wife, for as long as she was with Angad, like her mother had always been and still was. There would never be a time, Kripa knew, when she could become a mother as perfect and devoted as hers. In the end, Kripa had forced herself to believe she didn't want to be a mother. She was just happy as a wife. If neither nor, she was happy as just a woman, an actress. Independent.

She was a liar.

What she was doing was building a wall around her heart so no one could reach her heart and have the power to break it again. It had taken her too long to put it back together. The wall she had already built around it was halfway done and no one was going to reach it. But every once in a while she felt Angad reach in and take down a brick. The next day she would rebuilt, Angad would find another way to take down another.

She was trying to do the impossible.

To live your entire life without love was simply impossible. Kripa knew that because Nikki said so, because her mother said so, and because Angad had said so as well. But, she believed it was easy. How couldn't you live without love when you have already spent half, or more, of your life without it. She believe that, in her conditions anyways, life was so fun, full of exciting adventures, that if you busied yourself enough you didn't need love. New people, new adventures. It was enough. And, if you were really desperate, you could find yourself a suitable male companion anywhere you went. There were too many around.

She was simply in denial.

The heartbroken Kripa Kapoor didn't want to come to terms with the fact that the wall she was building around her heart was cracked at various places and Angad's kindness poured through. And, while she was fight nature, she falling naturally in love. The fact that made her believe that it wasn't was that Angad never pressured. He never behaved possessively. He was protective, but that was just male ego. He would be protective of any woman that came to him. Enemy or friend.

He treated her more like a very close friend, a very special guest then a wife. When she walked into the bedroom in a towel, he turned away. Because she was used to it, she carelessly was able to change a shirt in front of him, but he would excuse himself. And, while she was trying her best to realize she lived with someone who was uncomfortable, she tried not to be hurt that he never touched.

She needed it. She needed him. She needed his love. She wasn't sure if she wanted his love emotionally or physically. But, she did know that his love physically would be easier to walk away with. If he ever loved her emotionally, said the three precious words she had yet to tell any man, she would walk away with a heart broken never to come together again.

No she had never said the words to any man but her father or her brother before. Not even Prithvi. When he had said I love you, she had always replied with a, "me too." Or a casual, "so do I." But never had she looked at him and said, "I love you, too Prithvi."

She was fighting to make sure she didn't say them to Angad without even knowing it.

Other than that, Prithvi never seemed to be in her and Angad's way like she had always wanted him to be. When they were together on the set working on the music, re-shooting things to adjust with the music, he never seemed to bothered. He would smile at her or him and then move on. While she thought he didn't care, Angad saw something in his eyes Kripa either ignored or just didn't see. Angad knew it was love. And, he wondered again and again why Prithvi had taken off to France on the day of his marriage if he really loved Kripa Angad also wondered why he never bothered to interfere in their life if he loved her.

Angad wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.

Angad had finally finished the last track of the C.D. and they were going to change the last scene to a ballroom scene and use the song. The idea had been Kripa's, and for just a second Angad had felt like she had taken a peak into his brain.

They seemed to get along well once they put their mind to it, Angad mused as Kripa sat beside him with Tyler rambling on about re-shooting the last scene. And, he seemed to enjoy his company. She was a smart lady, he knew that, but she acted silly around him made him smile at the most unexpected moments. One moment she would be dubbing with such sorrow in her voice, her eyes, it even left his heart twisted. In the next she would be running around like a kid throwing tantrums. And, she forgot things all the time. Her designers and producers were calling her all the time reminding her she was late. It amused Angad that she so simply just grinned and said sorry and moved on. But when her temper struck… well everyone knew her temper was the worst thing to face.

When Kripa looked at him, he was smiling foolishly. She lifted an eyebrow and caught his chin in her hands and turned his face. His eyes snapped back to reality and the foolish look was wiped of his face.

"What's so funny?" She asked and leaned over to kiss his currently straight lips. The gesture never failed to rock Angad's heart. It wasn't that he was the only person she kissed like that. Everyone she saw was greeted in the same way. A light brush of lips and a smile. He'd seen her kiss her father like that, her brother, her mother, Aaron, Tyler, so many co-stars, so many people. But, when she let those lips brush over his, his heart kicked like a stallion in his chest.

"Nothing." He leaned back in his chair and lit a slim brown cigar. "I was just… thinking."

"Yes you were, honey. And, I asked what were you thinking about." She wished she could just snatch that stupid cigar out of his mouth. But, he looked so damn arrogant, and sexy, with that slim thing clamped in his mouth. Plus, how did she know he wasn't going to mind if she did snatch it out of her mouth?

"Wrong." He tapped his finger in his nose and made her smile. "You asked what was so funny." He strode away to find an ashtray and Kripa went behind him. Tyler sat in his chair with a grin on his face. They were so damn adorable together. While he exchanged all knowing looks with Aaron sitting beside him, Prithvi thrust his hands in his pockets and frowned.

"Angad." She slammed into his back and blew her hair out her eyes. "Can I say something?"

He grinned at her. It was the most cocky grin he'd ever given her. "Honey," he said mimicking her, "you won't keep that pretty mouth of yours shut even if I said no." He tapped his cigarette into the ashtray. Kripa grimaced. It was such a beautiful piece, hand carved in such beautiful designs in pure crystal, and it was used to tap out ashes.

"Can't you stop smoking?" She watched his eyes narrow and continued quickly. "It's just unhealthy Angad. You can't even imagine how many people die because of it every year."

He bit the inside of his cheek. She was so lovely. "Right. Thanks for worrying." To her amusement, he crushed the cigarette out.

When he turned back to her she was standing there with a piece of gum and a lovely simple on he face. He chuckled, shook his head and slipped the gum from her fingers. After popping it into his mouth, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Thank you," he said, almost absently, and walked away to review the music again with Aaron and Tyler into the other room.

Kripa linked her hands together and smiled. It took her all her will power to keep her hands to herself and not reach out to touch her forehead. All his simple, absent, almost mindless gestures made her love him more. Unwillingly. Unknowingly.

"Kripa."

She stiffened and her fingers pressed together tighter. It was perhaps the first time she was going to talk to him alone. Taking a deep calming breathe she turned around to face Prithvi. He stood there, his hands still in the pockets of dark jeans. He wore a shirt she had brought for him; it clogged tears in her throat. She wanted to say something but she knew if she spoke now her voice would squeak.

She thought she had forgotten him. But now, as he took another step towards her and she struggled not to take one back, she realized that the wound he had given her was so much deeper than she had allowed herself to think it was.

When she was sure she could speak, she did. "Prithvi." Too keep herself busy, she brushed past him and went to pick up the file on the desk behind them. "Did you need something?"

"No. Yes. I just…" he trailed off, waited until she turned to look at him again. "I wanted to explain for my rash behavior the day we were going to get married."

"I don't need or want one, Prithvi. If that's all you can leave." She began to turn around again but stopped, stiffened, when he clamped his fingers around her arm and spun her around. "Prithvi, I dismissed you." Her voice was ice cold, her eyes excellently disguised from anything she was feeling at the moment. He stared into them, so beautiful he thought almost absently, until the blank look turned into fury and impatience. He was waiting for the hurt look, the desperate one even.

"I need to explain."

She grabbed his hand, pushed it away from her arm. "I said it doesn't matter." She began to move and this time he caught her by the waist and pushed her against the wall.

Before Kripa could try to even react and defend herself, he had her pinned to the wall, his hands caging her, his body pressed into hers. "It matters, Kripa. I love you."

It did nothing to her. There was no knotting of the stomach. Her heart suddenly didn't beat outrageously in her breast. She stood their calmly, staring back into his eyes as he did the same.

But somewhere really deep the words still brought pain and the feeling of betrayal. She wasn't sure if those would ever go away.

"So?" She lifted her hands to his chest to push him away and realized her hands were actually trembling. "Prithvi." With the first lick of fear fresh in her stomach, her heart did begin to thud. Her voice was breathless. She couldn't understand what the man was going to do to her. And, she wished desperately that Angad was come in.

Her throat was desert dry, yet she spoke. "Prithvi, please just let me go. I haven't done anything to hurt you."

"Haven't you?" He pushed her shoulders back when she tried to slip away. "You couldn't wait for me, Kripa?"

The fear evaporated and the anger snapped like a twig. "Prithvi." The one word came out of her clenched teeth. "If you don't leave me, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Oh, yeah?" His fingers tightened on her shoulder. "Come on, Kripa." His voice was mocking, teasing. "You know you love me."

Her hands were steady now, she curled them into his shirt and pushed him away. Caught him closer. "Prithvi. I don't love you. I don't think I ever loved you. If I did I would have never stopped you from making love with me the day you asked me to marry you. I never wanted a physical relationship between us. And, if we would have it would have never been love between us. It would have been sex. You know that. I know you can look at me right now and know that I'm not saying that to make you angry. I never loved you and I never realized that until I married Angad." His eyes were so hurt it tore at her heart so unexpectedly. "Let me go now."

Prithvi's eyes heated so quickly it left her shocked. "Oh, yeah? Well since it doesn't seem like it matters to you. So why don't we just take that roll in the sheet? We'll both be-"

Angad's violent shove cut him off. Kripa watched Angad raise a fist and smash it against Prithvi's jaw. Her mouth fell open as she watched Prithvi raise his hand. She couldn't stop the smile when Prithvi's punch was blocked with Angad's hand. Her heart sighed and swelled.

Angad pushed him against the table and without looking back rushed to Kripa. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" His hands were moving frantically over her as if checking for broken bones. She tried not to laugh to see him so frantic.

"Why aren't you speaking, damn it? Are you okay? Kripa." He shook her and watched her eye fill with tears. "Don't cry." He snapped the words and heard her giggle through the tears. His hands had gentled and they were holding her lightly at her waist.

Before she could speak, he was pushed away from her. It happened so quickly, Kripa was left shocked. She watched Prithvi punch his stomach and then his face.

"Prithvi!" Even as she shoved him away to get to Angad, he was grabbing Prithvi again. Kripa gasped when she heard the bone in Prithvi's nose crack, followed by the one in his jaw.

"Angad!" She shirked and watched Prithvi fall on the floor, bleeding. "Oh, God." She kneeled down in front of Angad even as Prithvi groaned in pain. "You are bleeding, Angad. Oh, God."

He touched his lip, and looked at the blood on his hand. "Damn it."

Kripa shoved his hand away as he reached to touch his face again. "Don't touch your face." Huffing a breathe, she looked at Prithvi. And felt sorry for him. "Okay. God! Aaron! Tyler!"

Ten minutes later while a nurse and a doctor worked to clean-up Prithvi before taking him to the hospital, Kripa had Angad sitting on the table while she fixed his face. Her hands wanted to shiver, but she kept them steady.

"It's going to sting." She didn't want to look at his face, so he kept her eyes fixed at the bruise near his lip. "You're a fool. You didn't have to hit him." She forced herself to look up at him. Just as quickly, she looked back at his lip. He hissed when she pressed the cotton dabbed in iodine at the cut. "Sorry." She cleaned it carefully as her stomach continued to churn. She bandaged the cut and then leaned over and pressed her lips to the black-and-blue bruise on his forehead. Let out a long, long sigh.

As the paramedics helped Prithvi out he watched them, his stomach churning.

"I'm okay." Angad said when she finally looked at him for more than five seconds. "The kiss made it better." He tapped his forehead. When she smiled, he tapped his lips. "It still hurts here."

She managed a laugh. "Don't push your luck." And, leaned over to kiss him. "Oh, Angad." She rained kisses over his face. "You're so stupid. You shouldn't have hit him. They're going to be all over you. The press." She groaned.

"Well, Your Highness, right now you're all over me." He caught her into his arms when she began to back away. "I'm perfect." It was his turn now. He kissed her hair, her forehead. When she shuddered against him, swallowed a sob, he sighed. "Okay, fine." He lifted her face to his and kissed her. He forced her lips apart, danced his tongue over hers lightly, coaxing until the shuddering stopped. He tasted her tears on her lips and pressed her closer to him. And, took her deeper without knowing.

It was like a whirlpool of emotions, Kripa thought as she stepped between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew he kissed her to take her mind off of the fight. But, as she responded and moaned against his mouth, she knew the kiss meant different things to her than it did to him. She let her thoughts skin away and gave her everything in the kiss.

Her mouth went wild against his. Her groans and moans breathy. Her skin hot. Everything in her shifted and changed. She could feel the kiss moving from gentle to passionate. From passionate to completely wild. She felt him, and herself, fight for control.

His hands were kneading gently at her shoulders, moving down to her back, over her hips, bringing her closer there again until they molded as one.

She shuddered again, and this time it was out of pleasure and anticipation than in fear. She loosened his arms around his neck as one thought rang into her mind. No one had touched her like this, kissed her life this. Made her feel like this. Such passion had never erupted inside her as it did now when Angad's hands finally, finally, tugged her silk shirt out of her light pink slacks and slipped under to touch.

She was softer, smoother, silkier than the silk she wore. His shifted his mouth and changed the angle of the kiss. Very slowly his hands slid over her back then down again, skimming her stomach lightly.

Then his hands were in her hair, pulling the band out that was keeping her hair back in a tick tail behind her head.

She groaned as he closed his hands in her hair. Suddenly ruthless, he tore his mouth away from hers and tugged her head back from her hair to brand her throat with his lips.

She gasped, her skin heated until she felt like she was being pushed into a furnace. Her hands in his hair she shoved him away and ran from the room, and ran fast until she was locked in her dressing room. She locked the door and slid down against the door to the floor, her arms around her knees. Her lips were vibrating from his still, her heart was thudding with such strong pangs of love she couldn't understand when it all happened. She had all but heard that wall around her heart fall and crumbled when his hands had touched.

She pressed her lips to her knee to stop the vibrating. She rubbed them to force the taste to wash away. But it wouldn't and she still felt as if his lips were over hers. Coaxing one second, demanding ruthlessly the next.

She carried her limp, yet heavy body to the small sofa and shoved everything aside. The costumes and the papers, and slid down. She curled and forced herself to sleep. But even as she slept she felt him against him, hands and lips. And more. Everything. Everything, until she woke-up hours later needy and aching for the man she truly loved.

Angad's eyes were dark in anger as he lifted weight. He had locked the door of the gym, and had blasted the music loud enough so aliens in outer space could hear it. He didn't give one damn now if the neighbors came to stop it, the police, or the aliens from outer space themselves. He had had it! Fine he'd kissed her, but she had been the one to run off like he'd forced himself on her. Damn it, he'd felt her respond as widely as he had kissed her.

He let the dumbbell drop on the floor and grabbed the ice-cold water bottle. Without thinking he dumped the water over his head and swore. It was below fifty out there and he was pouring ice water on his head. He took three deep breaths because somewhere deep down he knew that if he saw Kripa today or thought about her, he was going to have to kill her. She wasn't the only one with a temper. His rarely erupted, and when it did, well it was bad.

Still cursing and mumbling he grabbed a towel and rubbed it against his soppy hair. It was growing, he mused and rubbed more. He just liked it better when it was longer. Irritated with the loud banging of the guitars in Bon Jovi's latest, Angad switched the music off and listened to the quite.

The lady hadn't spoken to him since two days now. She was too busy to talk to him, she had said when he had asked her. Too busy, my damn left foot!

He hurled the water bottle across the room and watched the mirrors crash and fall down. It felt better. God damn it! A minute later he found himself looking for something to shove against the wall. Making banging his head against the broken mirror would be better. Or getting drunk until his body was numb even.

How did he care? He didn't care, he assured himself, and whistling got out of the gym. He would just have to call and get the damn mirror wall repaired when he felt like it. It was Christmas Eve and Kripa had said, in a text message not to mention, that she was spending the two days at her parents and he was more than welcome to join. Well, he knew she was coming home to pick up her stuff first.

Home. He sat down on the stairs and rubbed a hand through his hair. Her home? She was only going to be here for four more months. And God knew he was glad she'd be gone. He wouldn't have to worry about her. What she did, who she did it with.

Great! It was Christmas Eve and he was about to spend it alone like always. But there were changes in the house this year, he realized as he look at the huge Christmas Tree in front of him. Kripa had forced him to buy it for them, she has used just that word, two weeks ago. Then, she had forced him to help her decorate it. It was nearly eighteen inches in height with so many colored ornaments on it sparking. He never bothered with Christmas Trees. The only time he had seen one where he lived was when he had lived with Prithvi and his mother had been alive. After her unexpected death in a car crash he had never been back there for Christmas. He was never going back now.

Damn it, Prithvi had been his best friend. He'd told him everything about his life. He had in fact trusted Prithvi with his life nearly ten years ago, maybe more. Her mother surely had. And, they had ended-up beating each other senseless. Gingerly, he touched his lip. It was still a little swollen and he found Kripa looking at it often, he wondered if it was the wound or the lips. It made him grin as he got up and walked towards the Christmas Tree.

There were gifts under it, load of them. He bent down and looked through them. He normally placed the ones he was going to give out in his room, this year he had put them under the tree as well next to Kripa's. He'd even bought her one. Well more than just one. But one of them were in his room. He was glad he'd kept it there because for some reason he didn't find the need to give it to her anymore.

He scanned the names. Her parents, her siblings. Friends. Nieces and nephews. He didn't see anything for him. He felt the lightest twinge of disappointment and left it pass. The only person who gave him a gift that meant anything to him was Laura. She normally came by mid-afternoon, brought him lunch because she wanted to and they exchanged a small gift.

Of course there were others. There had been Prithvi. His gifts had meant something always. There were other producers, actors, colleges. But they didn't matter. This year Laura was even gone away. She had said she wouldn't come back and that he should enjoy his first Christmas and New Year with his wife after marriage.

Well, his wife wasn't staying him. He examined the small box in his hand. She had wrapped each and everyone herself in the kitchen while he had stood there cooking. Just the thought bought memories back. Good ones.

Suddenly he realized how much he missed her. She hadn't been in the kitchen with him for dinners for the last two days. She would slip in and out, but she wouldn't help or eat. And, last night she had already been sleeping when he had came into his room. She'd been reading a silly, girly love story. He'd never though of her to be one to love romance. Well that wasn't the only thing that had surprised him recently, she was even trying to cook. Okay, so she burned everything she cooked, or it was too salty or too watery, but still. She tried and he knew how much he enjoyed watching her struggle by the stove. At least she wasn't the type who cut her hand constantly. Nor did she give-up easy.

He replaced the box under the tree and got up smiling. He turned and found Kripa staring at him. Wondering how long she had been standing there, he stuffed his hands in his sweats, shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

Kripa was thankful she wasn't drooling. He looked so… hot. It wasn't the right word, she realized and tried a smile. "Hello. You've been working out, I see."

"I don't normally sweat just sitting by the tree in December. Did the dubbing go well?" Just because the shirt felt too sticky suddenly, Angad tugged it over his head and rubbed it against his sweat chest. "Are you leaving?" He asked as he started for the stairs.

"Yes. I'm just going to load the gifts in the car." She couldn't help but stare at him. And, again, she was thanking God that she wasn't drooling and that her mouth was closed, her tongue secure inside her mouth. "Will you come?"

Oh, how he wanted to. "No, I think I'll stay. Have fun."

"Angad." Impatient now, she jogged behind him in her heals and nearly fell of the stairs twice. Damn it, she was trying. The man needed to give her some credit. She hadn't been the only one to ignore him. He'd been worst. He hadn't even slept in his bed the day they'd kissed. Huffing, she walked into the room behind him and snapped the door close.

He turned, bare chest still, it was important not to notice that gleaming body of his, if Kripa wanted to think clearly. Kripa kept her hearty sigh to herself and continued to glare, her arms folded across her breasts. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" Because he knew it would annoy her to death, he stripped out of his sweats as well and walked away in boxers.

Kripa counted till ten in an effort to calm down. She only got to five before she rushed behind him again. Mid-way she took her shoes off and tossed him behind her head. They both heard something fall and crash. Angad grinned.

Fuming, she shoved open the small wooden doors of the laundry room and watched his toss his gym cloths and a few white shirts into the washer and add a generous amount of detergent to it. "The laundry is my job."

Angad snapped the lid shut and turned the water on. "You're leaving for two days. I can't wait until you come back to do the laundry, sweetheart."

"Don't you sweetheart me!" She pushed a button he forgot on the washer. Then walked behind him as he walked out. "And, why aren't you coming with me?"

"I like to be alone for Christmas." He walked into the bathroom and stripped out of his boxers as well. Amused when she waited in the room until the water was running. He didn't know why he left the door open.

Kripa walked in and paced the large bathroom. "You know Mom wants you to come." She said over the running water.

"Tell her I'm sorry. I'll buy her a nice gift later. Flowers even." He grabbed the shampoo and took his time with washing his hair.

She was tempted shove the damn window-stained glass door aside and walk into the stall fully clothed. Instead she put down the toilet cover and sat down over it. She could just say sorry and let it be over with. But, fighting with him was so much fun.

She grinned. "Are you sure you don't want to go?" She asked, wishing he'd change his mind.

"Hmmm." He rinsed himself. "Can you give me my towel?"

"Yeah." She tossed it over the stall and turned around as he walked out with the towel around his hips.

Angad frowned as pulled out a fresh pair of briefs and pulled them on under his towel before tugging it away. She was supposed to continue fight with him. He grabbed a pair of jeans at random and pulled them on, left them unhooked at the waist and walked into the room. She was closing the top of her suitcase. Disappointed she wasn't going to force him to go with her, he walked back into the bathroom to decide if he wanted to shave. He rubbed a testing hand over his cheek and decided not to. She was still quite and still playing with her suitcase when he came back to the room to comb his hair back.

Kripa turned and just looked at him. He was so much at ease, she realized he probably just wanted to stay home. "Okay. Well. Um." She was hoping at least he would turn around and give her a hug, a light kiss. Anything. She carried the small bag downstairs and shoved it into her jeep, then began loading the gifts in the back. When she was done she went to her Ford and took out his gift. She could give it to him now, even if he wasn't going to mention the gifts with her name on it under the tree.

He was looking through a file and talking on the phone. Work on Christmas Eve? God! Determined to be patient she sat down on the edge and watched him. He mumbled and smiled and frowned and laughed.

She loved him.

His jeans were still riding low on his hips, still unsnapped, and he stood so comfortably shirtless, with a few droplets water on his chest from his shower. His hair were still dripping wet. When he turned to find another file, she watched water trickle down his shoulders and back.

She lusted him.

When he turned and their eyes met for a brief second before he looked at the file again, she felt her skin go hot and her heart beat just a little faster. She wished she had the right to talk up to him and ask him to love her until she was content, until she knew that there was nothing more but them.

She wanted this Christmas with him and the next sixty. She wanted this house to be full a few years from now with children. Then year from then coming back with their families.

Oh, God. Without thinking she pressed a unsteady hand to her thundering heart. Children and grandchildren? What was she thinking? When he said his byes and wished the other person Happy Holidays, she let her hand fall and stood.

"Angad." Because she needed something she took his towel and dried his back. Her lips trembled to touch the skin there. Her arms to just hold him once.

"I'm sorry." He said it so unexpectedly she found herself turning him around with shock in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kripa. I didn't realize that my kissing you would offend you so much. Trust me I would have never done it if I knew. You were going to cry and I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Of course. And, I just stood there helpless screaming and pleading while you took advantage of me." All the love that had been swelling in her heart vanished. "You're pathetic." She grabbed his gift and shoved it into his chest. "Here's your gift. Merry Christmas."

"Oh, yeah? Well here is yours!" He opened the drawer and took out her box, shoved it into her hand. "And all the ones down stairs, take them with you." He tossed the box she had given him on the bed and watched the hurt cross her eyes. Felt instantly guilty.

Hurt, angry, miserably in love, she shoved the box into her pocket and took a step forward. Before she could stop herself of he could stop her, she had fisted her hand in his damp hair and pulled his mouth down to hers. There was nothing gentle in the kiss. She scraped her teeth over his lips, her fingers pulled at his hair and her fingers slid down to his shoulders and pressed. Not in passion but in anger.

Angad's arms stayed at his sides while she played and abused his mouth.

Then she was pushing him away and panting. "There! Now we're even. And, I'm sorry I kissed you too, Angad. Have a good Christmas and New Year. I'm not coming back until after that. And, while I know you wouldn't, don't try and find me." She turned and looked at him and then ran out barefoot.

Angad took a deep breath. And, then went to get the box he had thrown on the bed. He carefully unwrapped it and found himself looking at a box of chocolates. He opened the box and looked at the chocolates. In the center on it was a ring. He nearly choked. He lifted it out and looked at the wedding band. He tore the card from the wrapping paper.

For as long as we are married you deserve to have your own ring. Toss the one on your finger out. You deserve better. Merry Christmas… love, Kripa

Kripa stopped the car on the beach and tugged out the box from her pocket and tore it open. She was staring at a wedding band that matched the bracelet she was wearing on her wrist. She look at ring in her finger and lifted it to her lips. She slid Angad's ring out of her finger and slid on the wedding band on first, then over it she slid on the small diamond he had put on her when they had gotten married.

She lowered her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. Her arms around the wheel she wept until her eyes were too weak to let another tear slid.

She'd only read love to be painful and had cried with the characters in her books. Now, as she felt it for herself, she realized no one could understand what it felt like to be in love and feel the pain unless they experienced it themselves. The pain, how much ever bitter still left the faintest sweet taste behind.

She fixed her make-up and then drove into the freeway and towards her parents house. She couldn't wait to get out of the country after Christmas.

When her mother opened the door Kripa grinned and embraced her.

"Where's Angad?" She asked.

Kripa smiled at her mother. "He got hung-up with some last minute work. He won't make it."

Hey guys,

I hope you enjoyed the part! I'll continue with Summer Love tomorrow!

Hugs and Kisses,

Neha

Reserved 😛

***Edit***

hi hi and NOOOOOOOOOO it didn't take me 2 hours to finish reading it lol my mom switched off the computer when i was in the bathroom i was reading the part when i realized i needa pee real bad anyways great part it was awesome and long even though i wish u coulda make it longer lol im desperate to no what happens next. wow i wonder was that a long kiss or short cus u described it great it sounded like for hours. Merry Christmas EVERYONE lol he sure got a very abusive Christmas gift lol i saw the comment u were replying to i kept refreshing the page to see if u posted it i did that for 5 minutes. Is there gonna be an even bigger and greater Christmas gift please if u no what i mean anyways once again enough of me continue soon.

hey Neha!!! ok, the prt was LOOONG & LOOOVELY!!!! lol, i LOVED it!!!
Kripa's parents r sooo cool!! lol, their love story is ADORABLE!!! nd the
way Nikki & Kripa r comfortable with each other, i am shocked they r
stepsisters!!! its cute!!! nd Kajal nd Kripa's relationship is wow, they r soo
open, lol... i like tht, adorable!!! nd the whole 'your father cant keep his
hands off of me' prt was f-ing hilarious!!! nd the whole Kripa building a
wall around her heart nd Angad taking down a brick everyday was sooo
deep & cool!!! lol, tht just made me realize why i love ur FF's sooo much!!!
lol... ok, now i know Prithvi still loves her, but dont know why he left her
at the alter!!! nd i am happy tht Kripa doesnt love Prithvi, never did, yay,
but she is falling in love with Angad, nd i hope Angad loves her too... nd
the whole fight between Prithvi & Angad was awesum, Prithvi totally
deserved tht broken nose!!! lol... nd the kiss was just so random, but hot!!
lol... but again, i dunt get why Kripa ran away, nd the distance between
them after it, is it coz Kripa's falling in love with Angad, nd doesnt want
to be heart broken again??? yay, its Christmas, i LOVE Christmas, i think
Angad will surprise Kripa by going to her parents house or sumthing,
tht'd be cute!!! nd their presents for each other were adorable!!! anywazz,
i am gonna stop babbling, i totally LOVED the prt, nd CANNOT wait to
read the next prt, continue soon!!! 😛

wow wow wow gurl neha!!!!! i waz blown away! it was so intense, and deff long enuff. i waz waiting 4 ur update! it waz worth the w8 😃

ur amazing, cont soon... 😊

<3 kiran
E> GA <3

wow wonderful part 😃i luv when they argue 😳

hey neha it was really long and lovely part. why does they always fight when they kissed passionately 😆 😆 😆

well its going so great. i hope they back together soon. poor kripa she loves him but he is trying to send him away.

continue soon can't wait for the next part.

mittal 😛 😛 😛

I really need to send u back to gradeschool.. who let u in 10th grade? U say a day and take 3!

O holly shit! I just scrolled down.. and this part is LOONNGGG!! Nice job

Hmm u kno.. u making angad sound like a nice husband

"Except the part where he helped her with both." I had a nice laugh reading that!

Oh o.. mrs.khanna getting used to the MR. lol

Hmm I c improvement in kripa moving toward having a nice family.. this one is getting there..

oo.. I like kajal.. the name I mean..

*cough cough*… did kripa just tell her mom that she lusts angad?? I mean no matter how cool u r with ur madre.. u wud seriously tell her u lust someone?

Phew… I liked kajal's reaction..

*eyes wide open and popped out in shock* ummmm… y did she run like that to angad? A little too excited huh..

Man….. they were acting so cute walkin to kripas parents and like husband-wife types.. I was smiling throughout!

Aiii man… u and them damn words… u give a whole description of how she was satisfied at wat she was being a woman and all.. and then crash!! U break the dream by simply saying.. she was a liar! Soo cooll..

Haii.. me in love with that wall-brick-angad-rebuilding- entering… part.. sooo dreamy.. dude seriously.. u can make movies… if the lawyer thing doesn't work!

Ooo shoot.. I m completely speechless till the part where angad hit prithvi.. it was just awesome! I was too into it to back away from reading..

Ahh.. and the kiss.. o mind blowing job on hitting prithvi.. yay made him bleed! Ok back to the kiss… my stomach took those dips man… romantic is not even the rite word…

Hah.. one line says she loved him.. a paragraph later.. she lusted him.. lmao..

Awesome part.. loved it! I m slowly getting very into this one too.. actually I m into it.. now I cant wait for the next part.. I hope angad turns up for Christmas… and something happens!

And please.. tomorrow.. is actually tomorrow.. lol.. so SL it is.. cant wait!

Luv ya
Mansi

Awesome Part 👏
I actually thought that Kripa would say I love you to Angad when he said sorry
The gifts were so sweet 😳 …it was like they read each others minds
I hope Angad goes to Kripa's parents house later and make Kripa happy 😳 😃
Cont soon