Part 6:
Angad entered his bedroom around 1 and saw Kripa sitting on the bed. Kripa's body froze when she heard the door close. The night she wanted to avoid was finally here. Angad was told to do some things by Naina. He was hesitant at first but he knew he had to. He silently walked to the bed and sat beside her. Neither knew what to say. They just sat there silently thinking what the other was thinking. Angad finally gathered words and courage to break the silence.
Angad: Kripa...look...mom told me that i have to do somethings..they are some kind of rituals....i am not trying to do anything you know...you know what i mean? (angad mumbled to himself) what the hell are you saying angad....?? what is wrong with you.
Angad hesitantly extended his head and removed Kripa's veil which layed over her head. He noticed tears rolling down Kripa's cheeks.
Angad: Kripa im sorry...i didnt mean to.
Kripa: its not your fault...but will you be able to forgive me?....im sure because of this you must have had problems....especially with your girlfriend...
Angad: kripa...you don't have to worry about that...i don't have a girlfriend...
Kripa: are you sure you are not lying to me to make me feel better?
Angad(chuckled): no....im sure i dont have a girlfriend...
Both sat there for a few minutes quietly. angad got up, picked up a pillow and a blanket and walked over to the couch in the sitting corner of their room. Kripa looked at him with a surprise. He slept away from her without any hesitations.
Kripa(in her mind): well...this proves he is a decent guy...im sorry angad....
In the morning around 6 o'clock, Kripa woke up with the sound of banging on the door. She looked at Angad who was sleeping on the couch peacefully. She didn't want to wake him but she had to. She woke him up and told him someone was knocking on the door and he should go back to the bed or the family members will worry over the fact. Angad understood what she meant and walked to the bed and covered himself under the blanket which Kripa had used. For some reason, that blanket felt much more comfortable than the one he was using. Kripa opened the door, it was naina.
Naina: sorry for bothering you...um....Angad uthe to usse keh dena ki uski university leave 3 weeks ke liye accept ho gayi hai...aur tum dono 8 baje tak neeche aa jaana...theek hai?
Kripa nodded and closed the door after Naina left. She turned around to see Angad but he was alreay asleep. Kripa went and took her shower. She realized she didn't bring her clothes with her. She looked around and found a robe hanging from one of the towel hangers. Kripa took it and put it on but realized that it covered her completely.
Kripa(in her mind): this must be Angad's....i hope he won't mind...
Kripa stepped out of the room and felt relieved that Angad was still sleeping. She quickly went to the closet and took out a red sari as ordered by gayatri to wear shades of red for the next few days. The closet door's closing noise made angad wake up. He looked towards the closet and saw Kripa standing there in his robe. She looked scared.
Kripa: I...I'm Sorry i put this on without asking....but you see...i forgot..
Angad: Kripa...relax...I didn't even say anything to you. You get scared easily...chill...
Kripa smiled and ran back into the bathroom. After she left Angad let out a chuckle at her being covered completely in his robe. She was that tiny. After a few minutes Kripa came out dressed in her sari. She directly went to mirror without making any kind of eye contact with angad to avoid the embarrassment. She looked at her frills and frowned.
Kripa: ARGH!!! How do these people wear this thing??? stupid frills...
Angad: Kripa...you know...you don't have to wear a Saari...
Kripa: nahi...its ok...i'll wear it...shadi ki agle hi din mein jeans aur t-shirt mein......accha nahi lagta...aur waise bhi ghar pe mamma, pappa, dadi...sab honge....i'll live with the sari...eventually i will get used to this...oh by the way...mamma subah ayi thi...unhone kaha hai ki aapko university se teen weeks ki leave mil gayi hai...aapko university nahi jaana hai...finally...these frills are in place....acha..mein neeche jaati hoon..aap jaldi aa jayiyega...aapko mujhe ghar chodne jaana hai...aaj pag phere ki rasm hai....
Kripa left the room on that note. Angad sat behind wondering at her words.
Angad: aap? i am only two days older than her..why is she calling me "aap"...oh god....i hope she is not one of the behenji types who call their husband aap....its kinda weird...i'll talk to her about it later.
Angad took his shower and went downstairs and had his breakfast. Naina looked at him and wondered why he was so quiet because usually he kept talking at the dining table. Kripa was silent as well.
Naina: Kripa....tum itni chup chap kyun ho? Gayatri se suna tha ki tum baat to karti ho..
Kripa(giggled): nahi mamma....aisi koi baat nahi hai...
Naina: Mamma??...tumhare muh se mamma sun kar bahut accha lagta hai...Angad to hamesha mom kehta hai mujhe.....to ab tum dono koi solution dundh lo....mujhe mamma bulaoge ya mom?
Kripa: mamma...mein mom bolne ki aadat daal lungi...
Kripa didn't want Angad to start calling him mother "mamma" because she did. Even Gayatri had told Kripa to change herself according to her husband's demands. Kripa tried her best to do that ,eventhough Angad did not demand for anything, as of yet. Kripa got up and left shortly to go see dadi.
Naina: angad...tum abhi bhi naaraz ho?
Angad: nahi mom...kripa kahan gayi? mujhe usse ghar chodne jaana tha..
Naina: woh dadi ke paas jaane waali thi.....wahin pe hogi...
Angad finished his breakfast and walked into dadi's room where he saw Kripa sitting with dadi on the bed and looking at some pictures interestingly. When he walked up closer, he saw two albums on the bed. The one which dadi and Kripa were looking at was familiar to him but the one with red hearts on black background was something new. The two ladies were so into their conversation, they did not realize when angad walked up to them. He smiled to see his baby pictures. He finally figured that dadi and Kripa were looking at his baby pictures. Dadi finally noticed Angad in the room.
Dadi: are angad....tum kab aye?..aao betho..mein kripa ko tumhari bachpan ki photos dikha rahi thi...
Angad: Kyun?
Dadi: tumhari biwi ko pata hona chahiye na ki uska pati kitna shehtaan hai?
Angad: i am not shehtaan dadi....i am a nice guy. (angad picked up the other album)..and what is this?
Dadi: open it yourself.
Angad opened it and flipped through more baby pictures but this time it was a girl's pictures.
Angad: dadi ye allu ki photos to nahi ho sakti kyunki allu bachpan mein aisi to nahi dikhti thi..
Dadi: haan...nahi dikhti thi kyun ki ye allu ki photos nahi hai...yeh Kripa ki tasveer hai..
Kripa: aalu kaun hai dadi?
Angad: My sister...she studies abroad..
Kripa: oh...how come she wasn't at the wedding?
Angad: she had exams...she studies in Canada...she couldn't make it..
Kripa: Canada? thats where i study...and i completely forgot about my leave...i have to let them know that i'm dropping out of university...thanks for reminding...
Angad: drop out kyun?
Kripa: kyun ki ab mein yahi rahungi na....to Canada mein jaa ke kaise padh sakti hoon..
Angad: tum yahan continue kyun nahi karti...meri university mein...you study medicine right?
Kripa: yea...
Angad: so do I...If you want..i can get you the application form..
Kripa: thanks...but first i'll make sure im dropped out of the university in Canada..so there are no complications
Naina: are...tum dono yahi pe ho? abhi meri allu se baat hui...usse apne bhai aur bhabhi se baat karni thi...mujhe laga ki tum dono chale gaye honge...
Angad: kya kaha usne?
Naina: woh ek hafte mein aa rahi hai...her exams will be over by then, so she will stay here for 2 months...anyways...tum dono abhi tak yahan kya kar rahe ho? Jaldi jao..kripa ke parents intezaar kar rahe honge...
Naina left to attend another call.
Angad: Kripa...tum taiyaar ho?
Kripa: haan..agar aap ko koi aitraaz na ho to mein abhi ek minute mein ayi..
Angad shook his head as giving her permission to go do whatever she has to. Kripa smiled and left.
Angad: phir se aap...
Dadi: kya hua?
Angad: dadi...woh mujhe "aap" kehti hai...it sounds so weird...i am only two days older than her......why does she call me that?
Dadi(laughed): Angad....usse gayatri ne kaha hoga...purane zamaane ki auratein apne pati ko "aap" kehti thi...agar tumhe accha nahi lagta to tum Kripa se baat karke dekho...
Angad: theek hai dadi....acha..mein chalta hoon...aap aaraam kijiye..
Dadi: Angad...jaane se pehle meri ek baat sun kar jao...dekho..mein jaanti hoon ki tum Kripa se shaadi karna nahi chahte the...lekin ek baar soch ke dekho..kya tumhare sapno ki pari kripa jaisi hai? mujhe nahi lagta tumhe Kripa se behtar koi milegi...kripa bahut acchi ladki hai beta...usse har woh khushi dena jo tum de sakte ho..
Angad smiled and nodded. Angad walked out into the living room while dadi's words echoed in his mind. He came out if his thoughts when he saw Kripa sitting and waiting for him.
Angad: Kripa...chale?
Kripa nodded and followed him out the door. Angad walked to the car and opened the door for Kripa. Kripa dmired his manners and thanked him before getting in. He quickly walked to the driver's seat. Both were silent for the first 10 minutes of the drive but Angad atlast broke the silence.
Angad: Kripa....can I ask you something?
Kripa: go ahead..
Angad: Why do you call me "aap"?...i mean...im only two days older than you you know?
Kripa: well...I didn't know how you would feel if i called you normally besides mamma told me to call all elders including my husband "aap".
Angad: well...we both know we're not exactly into the husband-wife relationship by means....legally we are but emotionally and with our will...we are not..
Kripa: you are right...i was thinking about this all last night and well, i figured that our relationship doesnt really have a name.
Angad: what if i say i want to give it a name?
Kripa: what do you mean?
Angad: Don't you feel awkwardness when I'm around? I sure feel awkward when you're around...and it is because of the so called relationship we have...so to make life easier for both of us...i was wondering...why don't we start off as friends? After a few months or maybe even years...we will know where exactly we stand...
Kripa: I guess you are right...if we are friends we won't feel that awkward around each other either...i think its a good deal.
Angad(held out one of his hands): so what say? friends?
Kripa(put her hand in his): friends!
Angad(in his mind): well....atleast we're getting somewhere...
Kripa(in her mind): I like the way he takes initiatives and thinks about others....
PREVIEW: Dhruv's entry
214