Part 4 –

 

 Prithvi bose was one of the most eligible bachelors in the city , his father's property ventures were huge . Even suryaban was "absolutely delighted" by kripa getting engaged to prithvi. According to suryaban the best thing a daughter can do is getting married to a handsome young man from a wealthy family. Because of all these things kripa sometime use to feel like a pawn.(poor krips)…

 

Angad was very happy because he was going to take the trophy which for a long time prithvi use to take every year, by defeating prithvi, angad was on the top of the world. Angad got double happy as prithvi's fiance was going to present him the cup, kripa sharma, whom angad has always remembered as the prettiest little girl he had ever laid eyes on….

 

Angad was shocked as how had that exquisite little creature grown up to become engaged to some one like prithvi (a jerk)????. But it was a tradition getting married in rich families only which his father didn't do as dilip (angad's dad) struck down by love at first sight, love for a penniless little British girl, naina now no more in the world along with him.

 

There was a stir in the crowd. Angad turned around to see a woman coming towards him,he himself straighter, absolutely thrown by how much beautiful kripa had become. For angad kripa seemed to float rather than walk. For a moment an overwhelming emotion swept over him but to combat it, he stood very, very still. He wondered if it were nostalgia, remembrance of some lovely moments of his childhood .

 

Well they were face to face, less than a metre apart, and he like a fool stood transfixed looking at kripa. He was conscious, his nerves had tensed and his stomach muscles had tightened into a hard knot. Kripa was tiny as compared to angad. Even in her high heels she was looking tiny. Angad rememebers that still kriap has those look of shining innocence, only now it was allied to an adult allure.He couldn't seem to take his eyes off her while she consolidated her hold over him .

 

Angad (in his mind) – what the heck is the matter with him? How could he describe what he felt? Perhaps they had meant something to each other in another life?

Kripa – welcome back to Mumbai. I am kripa sharma.

Belatedly angad came back to control.

Angad – I remember you kripa. (his voice steady, unhurried, yet he was so broadsided by her beauty, he forgot to smile)…

Kripa – you can't!!!!! (a soft flush rose to her cheeks).

Angad – I do !!! (he shrugged his shoulder, thinking beautiful women had unbounded power at their pink fingertips). I remember you as the happy little girl who used to wave me when you saw me in town .

Kripa – really !!! (she was enchanted by the idea)

Angad – yes really .

 

Her essential sweetness enfolded him. Her voice was clear and gentle, beautifully enunciated. Kripa sharma, the little princess. Untouchable, except now by prithvi, that made hot and angry, including feelings that hit him with the force of a breaker.

 

Kripa – well it's my great pleasure angad.

Now angad remembered to smile though his expressions remained serious even a little somber. Kripa was aware of the somberness in him. It added to the impression he gave of quite power and it had to be admitted, mystery.

 

Kripa – now its going to be my great pleasure to be able to present you, angad with the trophy. We will move back over there (turnig to lead the way to a small dais where the committee was grouped, waiting for kripa and winner of the cup angad to join them). They will want to take photos .

 

She was herself shaken by their meeting and feeling was not passing off, perhaps she thought may be she has heard so much stories about khanna's while she was growing up or maybe angad khanna has grown into a strikingly attractive man. She felt that attraction brush over her then without her being able to do a thing about it. She felt it sink into her skin. She only hoped she wasn't showing her strong reactions as everyone was looking at them .

 

Kripa in her mind – mishti might well continue to denounce her cousin, but family resemblance was strong, khannas were a handsome lot, with brown seductive eyes. Mishti have been beautiful, but her fine features were marred by inner discontent and her eyes were strangely cold. Angad khanna had the khanna height and good physic – he looked like a real man. A man women would fall for hook, line and sinker. So why wasn't he married already or looking for a wife actively? If rumors were true. He beginning to doubt, he must be 4-5 years older than him. He was a different kind of man than prithvi (the jerk). A depth, a sensitivity – whatever it was – in him prithvi lacked (prithvi was a jerk). (kripa was falling for angad)(yipeeeeeeeee) .

 

Kripa never dreamed a near stranger could have this effect on her. She was going to marry prithvi the man she loves but still angad was having a great impact on her.

 

Their hands touched as kripa handed over the gold trophy to angad to the accompanying waves of applause. She couldn't move, even think for a few seconds. She felt a little jolt of electricity through every pore of her skin. He continued to hold her eyes, his own unfaltering Had her trembling transferred itself to him like a vibration? She  hoped not. She wan't permitted to think like this .

 

All people were laughing and clapping except prithvi he was angry jealous looking at kripa and angad together . Prithvi felt kripa was happily engaged women getting married in 2 months. Too late for kripa to realize that prithvi was watching her. She felt a chilled behind his smile. Since kripa knew him very well she understood he was furious and doing a wonderfull job of hiding it. A triumphant looking mishti was by his side both striking a identical pose of overbearing self – confidence or arrogance which was in blood of both prithvi and mishti.