Part 9:

 

Angad went through few details of his new project before sending in for Kripa. A few moments later a knock was heard on the door which was followed by Angad's order to come in. Kripa came in absent mindedly and proceeded to sit on the chair in front of Angad as she usually did. Before she could sit, Angad's voice fell on her ears "Don't sit." Kripa left the chair abruptly from her half sitting position and cursed herself mentally for not waiting for her 'boss's' order.

Sensing her embarrassment, Angad smiled and got up himself "What I meant was, we are leaving for site seeing right now, so u don't need to sit."

Kripa raised her eyebrows at his sentence and stared at him questionably. Angad returned her questioning gaze with confusion for sometime. Then realizing her misunderstanding, he shook his head and said "I mean site seeing as in s-i-t-e seeing, not s-i-g-h-t seeing." He smiled again.

Kripa felt a pang of embarrassment again. Oh lord, it was just beginning of the day and she has already embarrassed her twice.

Angad ordered her to follow him outside and went out of the door without waiting for her. Kripa quietly followed him out and reached to the office parking lot where he was waiting for her beside his car. Seeing her approaching, he hurried to passenger's seat door and opened it like a gentleman, for her.

 

Angad drove the car in silence and nor did Kripa bothered to ask him about where they were going. However the way to their destination seemed exceptionally familiar to Kripa and a secret fear crept in her heart as she felt herself recognizing it. The car halted in front of a newly dug construction site. The land was all dug up and wetted in order to soften the land before laying the foundation of a new building. Hence, it was really muddy all over. Kripa looked at her sandals imaging them all dirty and soaked up in mud. Angad saw the look on her face and said "just wait a minute."

He moved out of the car and went to the back to take something out of dickey. He returned a few minutes after with a pair of large leather boots in his hands and another pair in his feet. He beamed proudly at her and said "Angad comes prepared for everything."

He opened her door and she stretched her hand to reach for the boots in his hand. But instead of handing them to her, he kneeled down in front of her and turned her around so that her feet were towards him. With a smirk on his face and naughtiness in his eyes, he reached for the buckle of her sandals to open and remove them, his fingers brushing against her skin every now and then. Kripa felt uncomfortable with his touch and uttered in low voice "Ermmm…I can do it myself Angad."  

"Oh Kripa why are u feeling all nervous? Its just a sandal I am removing from your body. Have u forgotten I used to remove many more things from your body till few years back, phir ye toh keval ek sandal hai." He said winking at her.

Getting what he meant, Kripa felt color rushing to her cheeks and she immediately bowed her eyes down not willing to see the look of his eyes. Angad removed her sandals and threw them inside the car, then he took her tiny feet and put the boots in it which fitted her feet ever so perfectly, which pleasantly surprised Kripa.  

Angad helped her out and they went closer to site for a better view. Kripa's face fell on seeing the better view as her doubts cleared off. In front of her stood remains of a destroyed building and a cleared off land. The view wasn't new for her. Only this time, the building was her very own home and land her courtyard. She felt tears welling up in her eyes thinking that only a week before, here stood her entire world. She followed Angad as he walked towards a man who was a perhaps a head worker here. after formal introduction he ordered her to note down the important points of there conversation. She obeyed though her eyes and heart still wandered around. Her eyes fell on a worn out rose plant in the place where once her garden stood. May be the cruel workers missed out that one. Without letting Angad even realize she started walking away towards that plant intending to save the last trace of her home if nothing else. She tried to maintain her balance on the dug, wet and slippery mud. The mud became more slippery as she walked further. On reaching near it, she tried to pull out the plant with notebook and pencil still in her hand, at the same time trying to maintain her balance on deep mud.

All of a sudden her boot's grip gave away and thud, down she came on mud with a loud shriek. Everyone's head turned towards her along with Angad. Covered in mud from head to toe with a notebook, pencil and a plant in her hand, she indeed presented a hilarious sight. Everyone started laughing. On seeing her, Angad immediately ran towards her, his face wrapped in concern. On reaching to her, he supported her with both his hand bearing her weight, at the same time ensuring that he doesn't fall as well. A laughing colleague shouted at them "hey Angad, tell ur secretary she looks cool in mud."

"Shut up smith and stop laughing. She is my wife, dude." Angad said sternly.

 He helped her, half carrying her towards car and made her sit down. Informing about his departure he came back and started driving back. The anger was completely evident on his face as he drove in great speed in silence.

Scared, Kripa finally spoke up "I…I am sorry."

"Why…why the hell are u saying sorry to me?" Angad shouted at her.

 "I…I embarrassed u, that's why. I didn't meant to do it, I swear." Kripa said innocently.

Angad brought car to a halt with a screech, at the corner of a road and faced her "It's not about me Kripa, its about u. U could have hurt urself severely. What were u thinking by the way. Walking in slippery mud like an idiot. Are u out of ur senses?" Angad shouted at her again.

Kripa suddenly started sobbing loudly clutching the plant still in her hand. "Now why are u crying and whats that in ur hand" Angad said pointing towards plant, getting worried by her tears.

 "I…I wanted to take my plant. We…we planted it…together…it was very…dear to me." Kripa said between her sobs.

Angad threw his arms in air and said hopelessly "u…went there to get this stupid plant. U r such a fool, Kripa."

It made Kripa cry even more, louder this time due to his scoldings. Angad too shocked at her outburst tried to calm her down "o my god Kripa, don't cry. I am sorry. I mean it was so intelligent of u to get that plant, so considerate. Please chup ho jao. Dekho maine kan bhi pakad liye." He said holding his ears.

Kripa raised her eyes to look at him and started to calm down. Angad relieved now, took out his handkerchief and wiped her tears with his own hands. 

 

Angad stopped the car in front of Kripa's motel. Standing in front of building, Kripa felt too embarrassed to go inside in such dirty condition. "itne luxourious hotel mein andar aise kaise jaaon." She said to Angad.

Shaking his head, Angad interlinked his arm with her and pulled her along inside with full pride giving confident smile to the passers by who stared at them.

 

Angad fell on the couch in Kripa's apartment after removing his coat. Kripa continued staring at him for few moments and finally spoke up "ermmm…Angad I am all messed up, so don't u think I should change."

"Yes go ahead darling, who is stopping u." Angad said lazily.

"There is only room here and I am kinda dirty so I cannot take my clothes in bathroom as well…" she said feeling mud sticking to her body.

"soooo…" Angad said unaffected.

"ermmm…so u should leave…I think." She said trying to rub off mud from her hair nervously.

"Oh common Kripa, I am ur husband. All that won't be anything new to me. Mujhse kya sharmana." He said eyeing her body from top t bottom. Saying this he fell on couch again.

Kripa tried to say more but realized that he has no intentions of leaving. Throwing her hands in air she collected her towel and robe and went to bathroom. Rubbing her body and hair vigorously for a good 45 minutes, she finally came out expecting Angad to be either asleep or left already.

She stepped out in her white bathrobe that came a little above her knees, slightly revealing her cleavage, her wet hair falling on her shoulders. Finding Angad missing from the couch, she heaved a sigh of relief and turned towards her bed only to see him staring at her leaning on his bed with amusement in his eyes. He signaled her to look at her feet. She looked down and realized that she was still wearing her boots that too on a robe. She bit her tongue and raised her eyes to meet his, again. Instead, she saw him moving towards her. A little scared she moved backwards. Before she could move any further or say anything he grabbed her waist and crushed her body against his leaving no space in between and sealed his lips with hers. He kissed her hard with full passion making her lost her senses. She felt her knees give away as there tongues intertwined leaving her intoxicated. After few minutes Angad pulled away leaving both of them breathless and murmured in her ears while rubbing on his thumb on her throat "sorry…but no man in his right senses could resist a woman in this state. U r looking hot." Saying this he left her in dazed state.