"What is going on?" Shilpa asks as she takes off her coat, she looks at Angad expecting an answer but he stays silent, she looks at Kripa who is also silent but sees tears in her eyes.
"I asked you a question Angad" Shilpa faces him
"Nani, just leave it ok, it doesn't matter anymore" Angad glances over at Kripa and frowns, it really didn't matter anymore, Kripa hated him why should anything matter now?
"Then please explain why you were telling Kripa to get out? Why you were about to throw her out?"
Angad breathes deeply and closes his eyes, he hates the way Shilpa is looking at him but knows if he doesn't say anything then she will continue to ask him awkward questions, he opens his eyes and frowns
"Kripa's leaving, let's just say this night didn't go the way I meant it to go"
Angad glances at Kripa once again then looks back at Shilpa sternly
"That's the end of it Nani, I've made my decision"
Angad is about to go upstairs when Shilpa stands in his way, she looks at him strictly and holds his arm firmly with her hand.
"You've made your decision? In case you're forgetting this is my house and all the decisions are made by me, and my decision is that Kripa will not be leaving in the night"
"But Nani…" Angad's voice trails off as Nani raises her hand to shut him up
"You've been raised better than that Angad, you should know not to send a young girl alone in the middle of the night, now I won't question as to why you want Kripa to leave but I will request for you to take her back to Birmingham tomorrow morning, do not send her off in some train, is that clear?"
Angad nods his head, there is no use in him arguing with his nani, he sighs and heads off upstairs. Shilpa and Kareena look at Kripa, Shilpa puts her hand out to touch her but Kripa slowly walks upstairs with tears still streaming down her face.
Kripa closes the door to her room, the moments which happened downstairs come before her eyes, she recalls what Angad said and is unable to control her emotions and breaks out into tears, how could Angad have been so cold with her. Kripa leans against the door and her body slides down to the floor, she brings up her knees against her chest and clutches them with her arms, she rests her head on them and continues to cry.
Angad can hear her cries from his room, the downside of having his room next to hers, he lies in his bed and closes his eyes to go to sleep but Kripa's cries continue to echo on his ears, he sits up in frustration and covers his ears with his hands, why was she crying for, Angad thinks, it was her who hurt him, it was always her who continued to make things bitter between them both, but it was all useless, no matter how much he screamed that nothing went on between Mishty and him, Kripa wouldn't listen, she was too stubborn, but if she is going to be stubborn then why should he hold back. Kripa has always seen the good, loving romantic side to Angad, the side she fell in love with, the side that always loved Kripa and always wants her with him but now she would see a different side to him, a side which would have nothing but hate for Kripa, if she wanted to hate him then he would also do the same. He had always been on the receiving end of Kripa's hatred but now the tables will turn, it will be Kripa's turn to feel what Angad had been feeling all these years. And it will all start tomorrow.
While Angad is busy in his thoughts, Shilpa and Kareena are sitting in Shilpa's room mulling over everything which just happened.
"I don't get it Maa Ji, they were getting along so well earlier so what could have happened?"
Shilpa shook her head, how could she answer Kareena when she had no clue herself
"I guess Angad must have told Kripa the reason he bought her here, Kripa got angry and things got bad"
Kareena nods her head in agreement, she stands up
"We're not going to find out anything sitting here Maa Ji, why don't you go talk to Angad and I'll talk to Kripa?"
Shilpa agrees and follows Kareena out of the room, she stands in front of Angad's room while Kareena goes into Kripa's. Shilpa sees Angad lying in bed, she goes towards him and places a hand on his head, he opens his eyes and sits up and makes some space for her to sit down, both are silent for some time before Angad speaks.
"Nani I know what you want to ask, but what happened between me and Kripa doesn't matter anymore, I was wrong to think Kripa still loves me, but the truth is she hates me, she thinks I betrayed her"
Angad looks at Shilpa miserably and hugs her, after a few moments he lets go and breathes deeply.
"It's over Nani, I'm going back home tomorrow and as per your decision I will drop Kripa to her house then take Kareena to London, now can I get some sleep?"
Shilpa nods her head and gives Angad an affectionate kiss on his forehead then goes back to her room. She sits silently until Kareena comes back into the room, Kareena sits next to her looking dejected.
"Kripa wouldn't say anything, just that what happened isn't important"
"Angad said the same, I guess there's not much we can do, besides you should sleep, you're leaving tomorrow"
Kareena agrees and bids Shilpa a good night and retires to her room, Shilpa also lies in bed and contemplates everything which took place, she decides to forget it and goes to sleep.
****************
Kripa gives Shilpa a warm hug and agrees to keep in touch before picking up her bags, she takes them outside to the car in which Angad is sitting in the driver's seat looking p***** off, she shakes her head and opens the trunk to the car and puts her bags in, she closes the trunk and glances at the front seat and sees its empty, she wonders whether to sit in the front seat but decides against it and opens the back door and gets into the car.
Angad glances in the rear view mirror and sees Kripa sitting in the back, what did she think he was? Her driver? Well its good in a way, at least they won't get into any more fights on the way back. Angad stops looking at her when he hears Kareena opening the trunk, he quickly gets out of the car and helps her with her bags then sits back in the car, he glances back at Kripa and finds her looking shocked at him, well what did she expect? He was going to help her with her luggage? After what happened the night before, she is seriously mistaken if she thinks he will run after her like he used to. Angad waves bye to Shilpa then starts the car and heads out of the driveway, Kripa sits silently in the back and avoids looking at Angad, she stares out of the window and closes her eyes hoping for a moments peace. Kareena glances from Angad to Kripa and back again, she feels helpless that she is unable to do anything for them both and wishes for a miracle to happen where both Angad and Kripa leave all their misunderstandings behind and start afresh, but deep down Kareena knows its impossible, if she had learnt one thing about both Angad and Kripa it is that both of them are stubborn and neither one would be willing to accept loss in front of the other, God knows what would happen to the two of them. Kareena pushes the bad thoughts aside and also decides to get some sleep.
Kripa feels the car come to a halt, she opens her eyes slowly and yawns, she glances at the front and sees Kareena is sleeping, she forces herself to look at Angad and finds him staring outside the front window, she watches as he glances in the rear view mirror and sees that she's awake.
"Your house is here" Angad tells her grimly, Kripa turns her head to the side and Angad was right, they had arrived to her house, she nods her head slowly and gets out of the car and opens the trunk and begins to get her bags out, which is when Kareena wakes up and gets out of the car.
"Kripa, let me help you" Kareena smiles at Kripa and Kripa allows her to help her with her bags, the two women carry the bags to Kripa's front door where Kripa rummages through her purse for the keys, she unlocks the door and they put the luggage down, Kareena turns to leave but turns back again.
"You have my number right? Make sure you call me if you need anything"
Kripa nods her head and gives Kareena a hug then stands against the door and watches as Kareena walks back to the car, shuts the trunk and gets in, she looks over at Angad but he doesn't look at her, he doesn't even acknowledge that she's gone, he merely waits for Kareena to sit in the car then drives off. Kripa closes the front door and takes her luggage upstairs to her room.
She opens her bags and begins to unpack when the phone rings, she puts the top in her hand down and rushes to answer the phone.
"Hello?" Kripa asks while taking the hand held receiver to her room and sits on the bed.
"Hello…Kripa? It's me Prithvi"
Kripa greets him pleasantly and inquires his reason for calling.
"Its nothing really, Angad told me you guys had gone to Scotland and that you were coming back today, so I thought I'd see how you were, how was the trip?"
Kripa grimaces at the mention of the trip, she recalls everything that happened causing her to go quiet, Prithvi calls out to her and she shakes her thoughts away.
"It was good Prithvi, Angad's nani was great, so is Kareena, poor girl"
Kripa begins to tell Prithvi about the trip and what happened with Dilip but leaves out the fight her and Angad had, after their conversation Prithvi tells her to rest and hangs up. Kripa puts the phone down and continues to unpack when the phone rings again, she mutters something under her breath but goes to answer the phone none the less.
"Hello?" Kripa says once again
"Hello, Kripa? Sis? It's Rahul!"
Kripa is stunned; it's her brother Rahul on the phone, she hadn't heard from him in months and wonders why he called up suddenly.
"Rahul? Is everything ok?" Kripa asks hastily
"Yeah everything is good, I just called to let you know I'm coming to Birmingham! I got offered a work placement for the year there! Isn't that great?"
"That's fabulous, when are you coming?"
"Tomorrow, I'll come to your house straight away"
"Great, I'll get the living room sorted out; will you be living here then?" Kripa asks, she didn't have a problem with him living with her; but it would be difficult both of them living in a flat with only one bedroom, and she isn't quite sure she would want her brother sleeping on the couch permanently.
"No, the firm are giving me a flat to live in; it's near your place though"
The two continue to talk until Rahul hangs up, Kripa grins to herself, her brother is coming, after everything that happened in Scotland, she needs some cheering up and Rahul is the right person for that. She quickly finishes unpacking then rushes to the living room and begins to tidy up, it didn't take long as the room was fairly tidy as it was, there were just some things scattered here and there.
Kripa sits on the armchair and closes her eyes, she would need to go shopping for food so she could make Rahul's favourites. Rahul is the apple of Kripa's eyes, she would do anything to see him happy and is proud that he's landed himself a job, Rahul isn't her biological brother, he was another foster child, they had shared the same foster home when Kripa was 8, they spent 6 years in the same home until Kripa was 14 when the woman had chosen to stop fostering and both her and Rahul were sent to another couple together because they were inseparable. When Kripa had first come to the foster home at the age of 8, she had felt lonely and unwanted and thought she would never find the love of a family in her life, she thought she was the most unfortunate kid in the world, but on her second day at the foster home she heard a baby crying, intrigued Kripa went and followed the cries and found her foster mom cradling a young child, she assumed the child was hers and thought the kid was lucky to have such wonderful parents, she would watch the kid play for days until her foster mother noticed.
Kripa asked if the toddler belonged to the foster mother and she told Kripa that he too was a foster child like Kripa, she told him his name was Rahul, he was 2 and half years old and his parents abandoned him also when he was born, that made Kripa realise she wasn't the only unlucky and unfortunate child in the world, there were others like her, it bought tears to her eyes and she had picked up little Rahul and hugged him and cried. She felt sorry for him and decided he wouldn't grow up feeling what she felt, he wouldn't think the world was a bad place because he would have Kripa. Whereas Kripa had no one she could call her own, no one who had comforted her when she was younger, no one who had shielded her from everything, Rahul would have Kripa.
It was from that day she made Rahul her younger brother, she would play with him, take care of him, sleep with him, she did everything which no one did with her. Slowly Rahul began to grow up and had accepted that Kripa was indeed his sister and Kripa didn't let him think otherwise. It wasn't until they were both shifted to another foster home that Rahul learnt the truth, he questioned Kripa why they were moving away from their "mom" and Kripa couldn't avoid his questions and felt that Rahul was old enough to accept the truth, so she told him they were foster children, that neither of their parents wanted them so they were abandoned and that there were some kind people out there that offered to take care of them, when she told him she wasn't his sister he had hugged her and cried, but Kripa assured him that no matter what would happen, even if the world said otherwise, she would always be his sister and Rahul accepted it.
When Kripa turned 16 she decided she was done with the foster homes and wanted her own place, she got herself 2 jobs as well as her studies and rented out a room in someone's flat, she assured Rahul that she would be back for him, Kripa continued to work and when she was 18 she got herself a proper job and began to earn enough money for her to rent out a flat, although she continued to study along side the job. Three years later Rahul turned 16 and followed in his sister's footsteps and left the foster homes, moved in with her but Kripa wouldn't allow him to work and made him study, when he turned 18, he went and had his name legally changed to Rahul Sharma, and Kripa became his legal guardian. She sent him off to London to get a much better degree than she did, even though the fees were expensive Kripa proved herself to be a great sister and continued to pay his fees, the trainee job she has now is the reason Kripa is able to afford Rahul's fees and pay off the rent to her flat.
But now Rahul is going to work for the year which will help further to his fees, Kripa comes out of her past and picks up her bag and leaves the house to go shopping.
************
2 hours later Angad stops the car in front of his dad's house, he looks at Kareena who looks upset, he reaches out and squeezes her hand, she looks at him.
"I'm here ok? There's no need to worry"
Kareena smiles and gets out of the car, she follows Angad to the front door where Angad rings the doorbell and waits for his dad to open the door.
Dilip opens the door to his house and is shocked to see Angad and Kareena standing there, before he can speak Angad pushes his way into the house and makes Kareena follow him into the living room, he sits on the sofa and looks at his dad.
"So, explain"
"Angad, this has nothing to do with you" Dilip replies while sitting opposite him in his armchair.
"The hell it doesn't, you're my dad and you keep telling me that Kareena is a part of our family, so it has everything to do with me, but if you don't want to explain to me then you can at least explain to her"
Angad looks at Kareena causing Dilip to look at her too, he lowers his gaze while Angad stands up.
"I'll leave you guys alone" Angad gets up and goes to the door, he gives Kareena a brief smile before heading upstairs to the bathroom, he stays there for about 10 minutes then goes downstairs and finds Dilip and Kareena hugging each other, he smiles and walks out, his work is done.
Sorry for taking so long guys! but needed the part to be perfect, anyways leave comments and ill try 2 update quicker next time😊
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
