Chapter One: Infuriating
Kripa Malik, at the age of 26 was a successful psychologist, with her own clinic in the heart of city of Toronto. She had only one rule for her practice: she only took on clients with money. She had no time for pity cases or those that lived paycheck to paycheck. Her parents had lived like that their entire lives, a lifestyle that she had to suffer through, a lifestyle that showed nothing but a lack of motivation or the lack of an ounce of intelligence. To her, no situation was too hard to get past.
A muffled knock sounded on her office door bringing her out of her bitter reverie. "Come in. she called with her head in her hands. An aching migraine was starting to settle in.
"Miss Malik, your 3-o clock is here. Lola, her ever faithful secretary of nearly 3 years informed her. Kripa nodded absentmindedly and motioned to let the next patient in with her hand. She picked up her laptop and pulled up the file under the name of "Angad Khanna as the patient walked in slowly with measured steps. She slowly looked up and found herself face to face with a man, roughly 6'2 with dark brown hair, honey golden eyes with specks of green, and a strong regal jaw that could put Greek Gods to shame. Getting herself together, she stood up and offered the man her hand with a slight smile.
"Hello Mr. Khanna, I'm Dr. Kripa Malik. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Angad did nothing but stare at her hand as if it was offending him. He, instead crossed his arms across his chest and merely nodded in the acknowledgement of her presence. Kripa let out a resigned sigh in response. So he was going to be difficult.
"Take a seat please, she said motioning towards the comfortable lounge chair placed in front of the large glass table. She moved to close the door behind him as Angad plopped down into the chair, his jaw clenched and body language stiff as it could be. "Tell me about yourself. Kripa said as she sat down across from him, her hands folded in front of her on the table.
Angad raised one full, shaped eyebrow and smirked. "Isn't that your job? Aren't you supposed to look at me and tell me what sort of crazy I am? He questioned mockingly, throwing a casual arm behind the chair and tilting his head at her. She sighed again.
"What do you do for a living Mr. Khanna? A smirk from the infuriating man again told her she was about to be hit with another sarcastic remark.
"I make lives hard for a living. He responded chuckling under his breath. "Sometimes the victims are my family, sometimes it's doctors like you that think I'm crazy, and sometimes it's the people that have to deal with me on the opposing end in a courtroom.
"So you're a lawyer. She concluded with a nod, not at all fazed by his "I'm an asshole and I know it demeanour. He shrugged with a blank look on his face. "Do you know why you're here today, Mr. Khanna? She questioned.
"It's Angad, first of all. And of course of I know. He rolled his tongue in his cheek with a mischievous grin. "Because my step-father doesn't know how to handle the fact that I'm a dick and thinks there's something wrong with my head.
"And why do you think he feels that way?
"Who gives a shit? He responded carelessly. "I certainly don't. I'm here because my brother insisted.
"Do you have friends? Kripa asked. She watched his face scrunch up in confusion before he answered with a short "Of course I have friends.
"How about a girlfriend? Kripa noticed him lean forward and a large blinding smile took over his face. A smile that took her breath away and left her feeling disoriented.
"Not for you, I don't. He said, his gold eyes boring into her light brown ones. She felt her face heat up, and cleared her throat nervously before speaking again.
"That's not - I mean - " He laughed before cutting off her incoherent stammering. "I get it, it's okay. To answer your question, no. I don't have a girlfriend. I don't do relationships.
Then what do you do? Kripa thought as she watched him pick up a silver pen off the table and play with it. But she wasn't going to ask him about that because she knew she was only going to give him exactly what he wanted. She already had an idea of what his answer might be anyway.
"Tell me more about your family. How's your relationship with your brother? Your mother? She asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the issue on hand; trying to regain control.
"My brother and I get along. Angad reluctantly offered. He hesitated before speaking about his mother. "My mother passed away a couple months ago, he muttered. It was clear he wasn't going to offer more on that and she knew what the problem truly was now. Glancing at the clock on the laptop, she noticed it had been half an hour.
"Well, that's all the time we have for today." She stated standing up and offering him her hand once more. This time, he took it. His firm hand was a lot softer and smoother than she expected it to be. "Make your next appointment at the front desk on the way out."
"So, you're telling me that I do need help." Angad said in a clipped tone. Kripa shrugged in response, not necessarily prepared to answer that question just yet. Frustration was evident in his unreadable eyes as he turned and walked out wordlessly.
She watched him walk right past the desk and head straight to his car, outside of the clinic. No appointment was made. But she had a feeling that was not the last she had seen of Angad Khanna.
Weeks went by and things were starting to go back to normal for Kripa. She was handling her regular clients, her family was still dysfunctional as ever and she had nearly forgotten about Angad Khanna. It was one rainy afternoon when she was sitting at home, on a day off with her young brother, Armaan when her phone rang.
It was her best friend, Mishti Bose. "Kripa! Remember the guy that I met a while back? I told you about him? Mishti screeched over the phone before Kripa could even say hello.
"Yes, I remember. Karthik Khanna. Kripa said, laughing at her friends excited tone. All Mishti has ever been able to do is talk about him for the past 3 months. About a month ago, he finally asked her out but Kripa was yet to meet this man. Everytime they tried, something or the other came up.
"Yes! He's a throwing a party at his house for his birthday. I told him I would bring you. He wants to meet you. She said. Kripa contemplated the consequences of going to a party with the amount of work she had piled on already, but she didn't have the heart to refuse her best friend.
"When is it? Kripa found herself asking.
"Tomorrow night. I know, I'm throwing this on you last minute but I swear, I wasn't planning on going until this afternoon. I'm so sorry! She exclaimed sheepishly. Mulling over the next couple of days in her head, Kripa decided she could put off tomorrow night without worrying about work.
"Sounds good, pick me up tomorrow night then. Kripa said. With an excited squeal, Mishti hung up the phone, promising to text Kripa more details later that day. With a sigh, Kripa locked her phone and threw it casually onto the sofa. She wondered if she knew what the heck she was getting herself into. The last time she went to a party was nearly 3 years ago, if not longer.
"Looks like the hermit is about to have a social life again eh? Armaan remarked from his spot across the room, looking up from his phone with a smirk. Armaan Malik, a 23 year old medical student was her only sibling, and the most infuriating as well. There were times she was glad to have him around, and then there were times when she wished she didn't have to deal with him. Like right now.
"I'm not in the mood for your bullshit right now, Armaan. She snapped picking up her phone and beginning to head upstairs to her room.
"Just don't let anyone else notice what an awkward loser you are there! He yelled to her back. Kripa grit her teeth together and skipped up the stairs, slamming the door behind her. It was enough that she never really had much of a social life all throughout high school or university, that she didn't need her brother constantly rubbing it in her face. She was always an outcast in school, the loner whereas her brother was always well-liked. He made friends wherever he went. It was all thanks to the fact that puberty didn't hit her until much later in her life; she wasn't exactly a sight to behold for boys until she was in university. She'd like to believe that she wasn't that hard on the eyes anymore: she had warm light brown eyes, a fair complexion, and a soft smile that got her compliments from anyone that got to see it. Years of going to the gym also helped with the slim figure and nice curves. Unfortunately, the bitterness and hate that she allowed to grow within her over the years, against her family and just the world in general, prevented her from interacting with or meeting new people.
She let herself plop down on her comfy bed and closed her eyes. This was her sanctuary: her room. She didn't have to deal with her parents, her brother or anyone here. She was able to spend her time, alone without constantly being berated by someone or the other. For a person who's job it was to help sort out other people's problems, to listen to them, it was funny how closed off and bitter she was. That was perhaps one of the many reasons why she decided to become a psychologist. She wanted to be the light in someone else's dark life even if she lived in darkness herself.
Edited by Angel-Jot. - 7 years ago
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