EPILOGUE

 

Khanna palace

18 months later………….

The army of trademen – roofers, carpenters, plumbers, plasterers, polishers, apinters and wall paperers, electricians – had all packed up and gone home. At some stage they would return – there was still plenty of work to be done on the many bedrooms of the upper level. Once again khanna palace had taken its same glory.

This particular gala day, a Saturday had been st aside as a house warming for the very popular young couple whose splendid home it was and a fun day for all who had been invited.khanna palace rise like a phoenix from the ashes. This was their heritage after all. guests were milling around the house now marveling at what had been done. So absolutely right – kripa and her mother gayatri, ahd received hundreds of compliments and congratulations. They had worked closely with the decorators over the long months, demonstrating thoer own considerable artistic flair and innate good taste.

To  kripa, who couldn't quite believe in her own level of pure bliss, everything was a miracle. Finding angad, her wonderful husband and her soulmate was a miracle. Finding her real father another. The fact her and angad's wishes for a baby had been granted was yet another glorious miracle. She had recently had her pregnancy confirmed. She and angad were on cloud 9. so were gayatru and mihir who ahd married quietly only a few months before. They were over joyed by kripa's news.

Another stroke of good luck was that suryaban sharma had very quickly consoled himself by taking a new wife, a rich socialite widow,s till young enough to have a child. They were in fact on their honeymoon in USA.

Kripa stood at the doors looking out over the beautifully restored garden and the magnificent central fountain now playing, smiling quietly to herself.

Angad – now what's that little smile about? He came up behind her wrapping his arms around her .

Kripa was his life. Together they made a new life. He lowered his locked hands a fraction to press them lovingly against her tummy .

Anagd – love you murmured the flame of desire never far from his eyes.

Kripa – love you . See out there? I was hoping and praying mishti and prithvi would make a go of it.

Anagd looked out at the young couple who were the focus of her attention. They were pushing what had to be the pram.

Anagd – well it didn't happen overnight. But it is happening, thank god. Mishti is certainly a different woman. Mishti in fact had become a routine visitor to khanna palace saying she was family all along.

Kripa – motherhood suits her. I was wrong all along about prithvi. He wasn't going to turn his back on his child.

Anagd – I don't believe his parents were going to let him. But he seems determined to be father, so good of him!

Kripa – well he has an excellent reason to get his life together. Raj is a beautiful little boy.

Angad – and he'll have another cousin before long (bend to kiss kripa's cheeks) god, how happy you've made me, krips! Supremely happy! You've even with you compassion turned mishti into a friend,not content with that you've caused the khanna's to beg forgiveness for past wrongs .

Kripa – it was you who did the forgiving .

Anagd – how could I lock the old bitterness into my heart when I had such love in my own life?

Kripa leaned on angad's strong body, her head on his chest.

Kripa – and the greatest joy is yet to come, palcing her hands over his on her very gently round tummy.

Anagd – I didn't think it was possible for you to be more beautiful, but you are!

Destiny has as amazing way of throwing people together.