FF: Asleep - C14

Sonia showed Kripa the guest bedroom. ‘Here you go. The bathroom’s on the left. If you need anything during the day, ask Sheila.’

Kripa continued chewing her gum. ‘Nice digs. Ya, don’t you worry about it. I’ll ask her if I need anything at all.’

Sonia looked at Kripa in disgust as Kripa emphasized the word anything. Alex was so low class. Oh well, she would be useful, why else was she letting this tramp stay here? And anyways, she would be able to keep track of this unwanted houseguest in this room.

Sonia left and Kripa started searching the room in earnest. Too many crime-shows and books later, she knew how to screen a room for equipment like a pro. She saw the camera installed on the ceiling and went up to cut the wire. To be on the safe side, she went to the bathroom, grabbed a towel and put it on the camera. Next in line, a sound recording device.

She patted the bed frame and stuck her head under the bed. Aha, there it was. She saw a small recorded jammed under the bed. She took it out and stomped on it breaking it effectively. A woman like Sonia was bound to have more of the equipment. So Kripa systematically searched the room and found more listening devices in the flower vase, behind the TV and another camera snuck on the candle holders.

This Sonia was a smart woman, Kripa thought. And this is what Chotu had meant that a lot of things had changed here. Kripa couldn’t imagine Angad being this paranoid to have such equipment tagged everywhere.

Kripa quickly freshened up and went to the dining hall for dinner. There she saw a man in argument with Sonia.

‘I know he’s here. Where’s Angad? What have you done to him?’

‘Word travels fast. Here for your best friend? You never were able to convince him of my guilt over anything. And you think you’ll be able to do that? Dream on, honey.’

Angad wheeled his chair outside and exclaimed when he saw the man, ‘Josh!’

The man named Josh hurried to Angad, looked at his state and hugged him tight. ‘I just heard you’re alive. I couldn’t believe that you could die like that. I’m so glad you’re fine, Angad. I was worried dead about you. Are you OK?’

Angad’s eyes were a little misty. ‘Josh, I’m fine. What would happen to me? I’m so glad you’re here. Yeah, I’m alive. How have you been?’

‘You’re asking me how I’ve been? You disappeared for more than three years and you still ask me how I’ve been?’ Josh sounded extremely formidable with his temper. Kripa stared at Josh with awe.

‘Josh buddy, I’m fine. Let’s sit. Alex,’ he said when he spotted Kripa.

‘Alex, this is Josh. Josh, this is Alex. She brought me here.’ Angad introduced them.

‘Yo, whaddup?’Kripa sneered at Josh.

Josh took in the sight of her and raised his left eyebrow, ‘Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Thanks for bringing him here.’

‘Ya, no problem. I didn’t do it for free. I’m getting money out of this deal.’

Josh stared at Kripa with disgust clearly etched on his face. He then turned back to Angad and talked to him for a while. Kripa noticed how Sonia didn’t come close to Angad when Josh was around. That was an interesting development.

Sonia suddenly announced, ‘Angad, I have to go out of town for work for a few days. I hope that’s OK. And Sheila will be here to take care of you anyways. I have been planning this charity event for months now or I would have put this off. You’ll be fine, darling?’

Gosh, this woman was now pretending to be Mother Theresa, Kripa thought. What a sick woman. But this would be a good time to shout at Angad. What kind of a gullible person was he before the accident? Was he even the Angad she knew?

Sonia left with a huge bag, was she planning to stay there for a month? Angad waved her goodbye and turned to see Kripa.

She motioned him to go in the bedroom with her. She wheeled him in the guestroom while Josh stood there in shock.

‘Who is this Josh? And how come you never mentioned him to me? And why were you clinging to that bimbo? Gosh, Angad, you were behaving like an overeager teenager. I’m so freaking mad at you!’ Kripa screamed.

‘Kripa, whoa, why are you angry with me? I was engaged to Sonia once, remember? I have to behave with her as I used to,’ he tried to placate her.

‘Don’t you dare touch me, Khanna! You used to behave like that with her? You said you were with her because she made you laugh! Why didn’t you ever tell me how beautiful she was?’

Angad stared at Kripa, ‘How is that relevant to anything, Kripa? You’re being unreasonable now.’

‘Unreasonable? You’re cozying up with that bimbo and you’re calling me unreasonable? I know we’re just friends but how dare you flaunt her in front of me? I want to scratch her eyes out! And did you see how low her dress was? Her cleavage was completely popping out! How could you have been engaged to her?’ Kripa continued her rant.

Angad stood from the wheelchair and went to her. He made her face him, ‘Kripa, we’d been together for a year before I got engaged to her. Of course we behaved like a couple. And it’s just the way she dresses. I used to think the same about her, with the way she used to dress up, but I realized how nice-’

‘Nice?’ Kripa screeched. She stood abruptly forcing Angad to do the same. ‘You realized how nice she was? Look where that got you!’ she screamed with her chest still heaving. They stared at each other, both angry with each other by now.

A few moments passed and they heard someone clearing their throat in the doorway.

They both froze, and turned to see who it was at the same time.

Josh stood there leaning comfortably against the door and grinning at them madly. ‘Having a lover’s spat?’ he asked cheekily.

Kripa flushed, looked at Angad and pointed towards Josh melodramatically, ‘Are you sure we can trust him?’

Angad sighed. As much as he had enjoyed seeing a jealous Kripa, he had to stop pulling her leg. ‘Yes Kripa, we can trust him. He’s my best friend. He has always been there for me.’

Josh smiled and walked towards Angad, ‘How come you never told her about me? And how long has it been since you both have been dating?’

Kripa looked at Angad angrily, ‘We’re not dating! I would never date a person with such lousy taste for partners. I won’t even date him in my dreams!’

Josh punched Angad, ‘Tsk, tsk, your girlfriend’s a hot pepper, dude. She’s breathing fire here!’

‘Didn’t you hear me? I’m not his girlfriend!’

Josh chuckled, ‘Then I guess you should be. Wow Angad, your taste has definitely improved. And Alex, or should I call you Kripa, take it easy. Angad’s IQ had always dropped a little when he was around Sonia but he redeemed himself when he came to me so that we could start collecting evidence of Sonia’s crimes. She wasn’t just trying to get rid of you, man, you were fiancé number four.’

Angad turned to stare at Josh, ‘What? Fiancé number four? And I did what? I knew Sonia was guilty?’

‘Wow, I guess your memory hasn’t returned properly. A few weeks before the accident, you came to see me about Sonia. I always tried to tell you about Sonia but that woman never left us alone at all so that I could tell you. But then a few weeks later, you disappeared. I knew Sonia had something to do with it, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. What really happened man?’ Josh inquired.

‘Josh, let’s get out of here first, then I’ll tell you.’ Angad glanced at Kripa who wasn’t as angry with him as she was before. Clearly Angad had redeemed himself a little bit in front of her.

‘Yeah, I don’t want to be here for much longer either. I don’t trust any of the servants or rooms here. That Sonia is too clever for her own good.’

‘Yeah, I know what you mean. I screened the room and she had a lot of equipment here to keep tabs on whoever occupied the room. I found a few cameras and sound recording devices. I smashed them all,’ Kripa said nonchalantly astonishing Josh.

Angad laughed, ‘She’s a writer. Her primary genre is thrillers,’ he explained to Josh looking very proud of Kripa.

Kripa glared at him, pushed him in the wheelchair and asked very sweetly, ‘Mr. Khanna, if it isn’t too much, let’s get out of here. Now at least let’s pretend that I’m doing this just for money?’

She glanced at Josh, ‘You should wheel him around since you’re his best friend. And what a best friend he is. He never told me about you. He just told me about his Sonia,’ she scrunched her face to show her disgust and stomped out of the room.

Josh looked at Angad and smiled, ‘Dude, I like her already!’