Part 28 –

 

Mihir garewal was having a busy morning. He had flown from shimla, his home town to delhi, the previous evening and he hadn't had a moment to himself once. Well this was the life he had wanted, fame and fortune. He sighed deeply, putting off a phone call he knew wouldn't wait. Though it was his intesions to to quit politics after giving 25 years of his life to it. He had dicussed the matter privately with prime minister, they had agreed on the best time for the announcement.

 

Son of the wealthy legal family – he had himself worked for a few years as a barrister in the law firm established by his grandfather – his entry into poltics was put on the fast track when he married tulsi virani. There were many meetings with the virani's when tulsi, so very sweet and earnest, fell in love with him. And that was that! It was a union of old money. A union of establishment families. The beginning of a good marriage and highly successful career in politics. It had been two years now since he had lost tulsi to cancer. Tulsi had made him a wonderful wife and had been a loving mother to their two sons. She had wanted nothing more than to serve him and the boys. He had always been regarded as the perfect husband and son – in – law. God knows he had always tried to be. Less than a year after tulsi's death her father also died.

 

He had done hid duty by everyone. Now he felt, despite the honours that apparently were yet in store for him, he desperately needed time to himself. Time to breathe, he was 53 now. Only an hour ago his press secretary had pooped her head around the door to remind him of a press interview she had lined up for the following morning. He was working diligently at some papers when his secretary (shobha) buzzed him.

Shobha –  I know you didn't want to be disturbed sir. But there's a lady here – she ahd no appointment – who thinks you might see her.

Mihir – a lady? What lady?  What's her name shobha? what does she want? (he didn't have any lady in his life after tulsi's death)

Shobha – mrs. Gayatri sharma, sir. She claims to be a old friend, she's very beautiful.

Mihir felt something like an electric shock go through him.

Mihir – gayatri! Oh my god! Send her in, shobha.

 

Kripa was so nervous she was almost ill, and she missed angad terribly.

Kripa – are you sure he wants to see me?

Gayatri – he sent the limousine for us, didn't he? We're having dinner with him at his home, which tends to hand over to his elder son and young family. Mihir had brought a penthouse apartment with fantasitic views of the city, we'll get to see it.

Kripa – what am I going to call him?

Gayatri – just relaxed.it'll come. Mihir is a most charming man. He will put you at ease.

Kripa – will he now? That remains to be seen. And he wasn't angry you never told him about me?

Gayatri – well, you know, beta it's as I told you. He was extremely shocked and very upset.

Kripa – (murmured, imagining the scene) it's a wonder he didn't throw you out.

Gayatri – that wouldn't have been at all like him.

Kripa – I'm sorry he lost his wife. She wondered whether tulsi knew about gayatri or not.

Gayatri – he loved her.

Kripa – does he know about you? Does he know you're going to divorce mr. sharma?

Gayatri – he knows everthing!

Kripa was thinking whether she was going to be able to talk. This was her father she was about to meet. Her real father, jer won flesh and blood.

 

Gayatri – we're here, you okay?

Kripa – I'm fine, lead on (wishing angad were there so she could hold his hand)

Kripa's eyes were rivetteed on the tall charismatic man who stood staring down at her, so deeply, so gravely. She had seen him many times on television and in the newspapers never dreaming there could be any possible connection, now she saw him in the flesh before her.

Kripa – my father! My god! The realissation didn't came easily.he looked what he was: a powerful, brilliant person, but how would he react to her? Would he entertain her briefly would he react to her? He had the sons he wanted. The life he wanted. A man in his position would surely be desperate to avoid a scandal? Would this meeting have been possible had his wife still been alive?

She saw him reach out to take her mother's hand. She saw her mother reach up to kiss his cheek, a special kiss.

Gayatri – mihir this is your daughter.

Mihir looked at kripa and he lifted his arms wide, not making the slightest attempt to hide the raw emotion in his eyes. Indeed his handsome face was suddenly ravaged by a mixture of joy and anguish. This was his daughter. He knew instantly and without doubt.

Mihir – kripa! Oh, god!

An enormous lightness seized her. Nothing could hold her back now. This was really her father. She had waited 24 years for this. Kripa went into those outstretched arms, feeling them close atrongly around her.

Mihir – that's my beautiful girl!

 

promo -

angad missing kripa