Part 23 –

 

Angad's red beauty hummed along the highway, its shadow racing after them. A heat haze rose off the never ending black ribbon of road, shimmering in the air in front of the bonnet. It was another brilliantly fine day.

Angad – okay?

Kripa – oh, I'm sorry! I must have dozed off.

Angad – (smiling) you did, that's okay. I liked it.

Kripa – I didn't get much sleep last night (apart from an intial hour or two she hadn't slept at all she was so overwrought)

Angad – you're worrying about what's going to happen when you arrive home?

Kripa just nodded her head in yes.

Angad – the authoritarian father. I'll make sure I'm not like that. I hate to ask but doesn't your mother ever take your side?

Kripa – (protested) of course she does. She's a wonderful mother.

Angad – she makes up for your father's distant kind of parenting?

Kripa – I've told you too much angad.

Angad – you have to tell someone. Besides, I worked it out for myself.

Kripa – why did you go off and leave me? Last night, why did you leave me?

Angad – right now, kripa, you're immensely vulnerable. You have an ex – fianc who betrayed you – he is ex, by the way? (giving her a sidelong glance)

Kripa – I told him this morning. I know I said I wasn't going to until he was out of hospital, but I changed my mind after the events of last night. It was only the briefest visit to convince myself he was physically, at least, on the mend. And he is.(yippeeeeeeeeee finally )

Angad – what did he say?

Kripa – nothing, he expected it. Why wouldn't he? (with bitterness)

Angad – just checking. I know what a tender heart you have. I left you, kripa because I just can't bear to do anything to hurt you. By the same token it was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Kripa – may be I never knew what making love meant.

 

Just under an hour later they were driving over a grid beneath the huge sign supported by two massive posts that marked the entrance to Mumbai.

Kripa shifted uneasily in the passenger seat. She hated confrontations but she knew there was one coming up. As for angad who drove so calmly and efficiently beside her, it was as he said – he was well able to take care of himself.

Home, but for how much longer? She didn't understand why her father was leaving whole property to her cousin kartik and she would never get. It was almost seemed as if he were telling her to get married or get thrown out! Her father's delight in her engagement seemed to perfectly express his feelings.

Kripa loved her home, but in her eyes it lacked the romance of khanna palace.

Angad – here we go! (Bringing his car to a halt in the shade)

Kripa – here, boys!

Angad – what beautiful creatures!

Kripa – prince and blaze. You won't get better than them. They're working dogs. They'll be pleased to meet you.

Angad – I'll be pleased to meet them.

Excitedly the dogs welcomed kripa home, then turned to sniffing the newcomer who bent to scratch one then the other behind the ear.

Angad – shake hands (he gave order the older dog, prince)

Kripa – he mightn't do it. He  doesn't know you – she broke off laughing, as prince obediently presented angad with his paw.

Angad – good boy!

Kripa looked past angad to see her mother coming down the verandah steps towards them.

Gayatri – you're home darling. Good trip? Anagd how nice to see you again.

Angad – how are you aunty?

Gayatri – I'm well, thank you, anagd. I'm sure you'd like to come in and have something to eat after that long trip.

Kripa – (her eyes sought her mother's) where's dad? She asked carefully.

Gayatri – he and karan (made a character myself) have flown off to kolkata for a meeting. Your father won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. In other words, the all clear. Come into the house. It's hot standing in the sun. so how did you find prithvi?

Kripa – it's all upsetting mamma. Didn't damini aunty get in touch with you?

Gayatri – she certainly did. I'm not sure now if I didn't tell her off, poor woman. She idolizes that boy. In a way she's ruined him. But enough of that. Come in and freshen up then we can sit and relax.

 

Angad stayed for an hour of conversation, afterwards both women saw him off. Gayatri slipped an arm around kripa's waist as they walked back to the house.

Gayatri – do you know I can't remember when I met such a charming young man. And so well spoken. I like him very,very much.

Kripa – you liked prithvi, remember? She pointed out with a touch of irony.

Gayatri – (eyes clouded with tears) I had no idea he was so full of deceit.

Kripa – you haven't heard the half of it, mamma.

Gayatri – good god there's not more? Damini couldn't wait to recount your meeting outside the restaurant. She said angad threatened to knock mr. bose down. I must confess that shocked me though sometimes I think mr. bose needs flattening.

Kripa – I didn't think aunty told lies. (angrily) it was uncle who threw a punch on angad. He blocked it and told not to try it again. That was it!

Gayatri – she seemed to think you were to blame. You'd let them all down.

Kripa – mishti is carrying prithvi's child.

Gayatri – what are you saying?

Kripa – (harshly) mishti's pregnant, believe it.

Gayatri – what sort of a low life is he?

Kripa – I daresay mishti contrived it. Needless to say with his help. She's mad about him.

Gayatri – dear god! I take it his parents don't know?

Kripa – I wouldn't like to be prithvi when he tells them. Uncle would be a pretty violent sort of amn once he gets going. He loves prithvi, but he expects him to toe the line. Prithvi, by the way, told mishti to have an abortion.

Gayatri – that was his solution, was it? Get rid of his own child? God, haven't you been lucky? And haven't your father and I been colossally stupid? You're well out of it.

Kripa – you think I don't know that? Dad thought prithvi was perfect for me. He'll be shocked. Does he know angad was with me?

Gayatri – no, and we won't tell him.

Kripa – is that a good idea?

Gayatri – it's the best one I can think of at the moments.

Kripa – I should probably tell the truth. Dad runs too much of mu life.

Gayatri – he means well, krips. He'll be really upset about the whole sorry business. But it's prithvi who's the villain here, not angad. Your father has to get over his misconceptions.

Kripa – he's too rigid in his ways. I don't think he's ever going to approve of angad. He's set his mind against him.

Gayatri – not so different to how he treated angad's father. But what the heck! You're a woman now. You can do as you please.

Kripa – maybe the day will come when you can, too, mamma.