FF: A Blue Moon Ago - Chapter 8

'What are you talking about? Josh didn't tell me anything about this. I'm sure if anything like that would have happened, he would have told me. He wouldn't have hid this. All these years he didn't talk about Angad. I thought that was because he didn't want to hurt me. But the fact was that they weren't talking? How is this possible? They were best friends. Did it happen because of me? I shouldn't have told Josh anything! Because of me their relationship is spoiled!' said Kripa with tears in her eyes.

Aaliya tried consoling her best friend, 'Kripa, please do not be upset. Maybe this is why Josh didn't tell you because you'd be upset. Kripa, we were best friends too right and see what happened to us. Don't worry; such things do happen all the time. Please don't blame yourself. It wasn't because of you. I'm sure it was a mutual decision.' Aaliya sighed. Maybe it was a bad idea after all to come see her best friend. She was so upset and she didn't know what to do.

Kripa finally stopped crying and hugged her friend. 'Aaliya, maybe you should get going now, it's pretty late and I don't want anything to happen to you. Drive back safely alright?'

'Kripa! I can't believe you're trying to get rid of me already! Just joking honey. Yeah, we'll talk tomorrow OK?' They hugged one another and Aaliya left Kripa wondering how she would tell Angad about her and Josh. She was planning to do so tonight because she knew Angad was still awake and she wanted to get over it as soon as possible.

She drove back and saw Angad seated on the chair staring into space. This was going to be harder than she had imagined. She cleared her throat and Angad looked at her.

'Angad, I wanted to talk to you about something,' she stopped and took a deep breath. 'I'm going to get married to Josh as soon as possible.'

Angad looked at her with such fury in his eyes that she unconsciously took a step back. 'You will do nothing of that sort Aaliya. You're talking to Josh? YOU'RE ACTUALLY TALKING TO JOSH? YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED TO THAT *******?'

Aaliya got furious at him. 'How dare you call him that? How dare you? YOU WERE BEST FRIENDS ONCE! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS? WHY DID YOU PUSH HIM AWAY? WHY DID YOU GUYS FIGHT?' asked Aaliya her voice raising with every sentence.

'Don't you talk to me like that young lady! I'm your older brother! What happened between him and me is none of your business! All I know is that you stay out of his way! Don't you dare talk to him again OK!' he said this with his voice so quiet that it took a person who knew him to realize how dangerously Angad was close to the brink of breaking all hell lose on Earth.

'If it's none of my business, why should I even stay away from him? We had stopped talking after you guys fought. I met him a few years later and he was still courteous to me. I would have thought that he would have wanted to kill me but no, he was the most polite person I had met. We became friends again and then we fell in love. No matter what you say, I intend to get married to him!'

'Didn't you hear what I said? You will not get even close to him, forget about marriage! I will not have you ruining your life! Do you get that? I will not have you ruining your life!' he shouted.

'It's my damn life OK! If I want to ruin it, I will do so! Do not interrupt. Oh, don't give me that hurt look. It doesn't suit you at all! Do you know how many lives you have ruined? You have no idea bro! No idea whatsoever. And you know what? I'm not even going to tell you about it! You have made so many people suffer! I don't even want to start counting the number now.' Aaliya said quietly thinking about Kripa, Kunal and Josh. Angad was a moron. The biggest moron she had seen.

'Don't talk about things you do not know about OK! I have not ruined anybody's lives. If I did whatever I did was payback! JUST PAYBACK! You will not get that! And for the last time I'm telling you, you will not get married to that *******!'

Aaliya said quietly, 'If I don't marry him, I will not marry anyone else.' With that she walked to her room.

Angad swore eloquently under his breath. He smashed his fist on the glass table which broke and had pieces of glass in his hand. It was bleeding profusely. Aaliya turned and saw what had happened. She screamed and ran down the stairs. She made her brother sit down. She ran towards the bathroom and got the first aid kit. She quickly removed the pieces of glass from his hand and flinched when she saw how deep the wounds were. She quickly bandaged his hand and looked into his eyes. Her eyes were misty as were his.

'Aaliya, I really do care about you. I just don't want my little sister to be hurt. I really love you and I want you to know that. If he ruins your life, I'll ruin him.' Angad looked at his sister and realized how much she had grown up. She had chosen a man and it was his duty to accept it whether he liked him or not. He wouldn't let his sister down. No, he wouldn't do that. 'If you want to get married to him, that's fine. Just let him know that one tear from your eye and I'll break his neck OK sweety?'

Aaliya started to cry in earnest now. 'Oh Bhaiya, I love you! I love you and I love you! Thank you so much! He really loves me you know and I love him too! He's the sweetest person I have met and he can do anything for me! He will never hurt me. In fact, he won't even think about it!' She hugged her big brother and smiled through her tears. Angad hugged her back with a fierce brotherly protectiveness.

They talked for a while and called her mother. Naina Khanna cried over the phone because she was so happy for her daughter. At least one problem was solved. She wondered if Angad would ever finally find a daughter-in-law for her. She had tried in the past to hook him up with several women but he refused and she eventually had to give up. She didn't want to think about it now and wanted to be totally happy for her daughter.

Aaliya ran up the stairs full of excitement. Her brother had agreed! Hurray! 

Angad collapsed in his chair and closed his eyes. He replayed the scene that did not leave him for over a decade.

*********** Flashback***********

Angad came out of the classroom and saw Kripa in Josh's arms her eyes full of love. Josh then twirled her around and she laughed like she was the happiest person on Earth at that moment. Angad formed his hand in a fist and a muscle twitched in his jaw. Sonia came and stood beside Angad and watched the scene.

'I had told you about this Angad. Only you didn't believe me. Now you have solid proof in front of your eyes. What you choose to do with it is entirely up to you. I don't think you should let go of this now. Angad, if it’s payback you want for this, it's payback you'll get.' She was smiling wickedly only Angad did not seem to realize that. All he was thinking about was how Kripa was laughing with Josh. All he could see was Josh's arms around Kripa's waist. That *** ** * *****! He had been his best friend and he backstabbed him! His own girlfriend, his own love had cheated on him wit his best friend! He made a decision.

'You're right Sonia. It's payback I want. I have a plan.'

He had held Sonia close to him, his face turned away from the door. Any moment Kripa would come in the room and find him in the compromising situation with Sonia. He wanted to see the look she would give him for that. He wanted to see the hurt that would appear in her eyes. He wanted her to hurt so bad that it hurt him.

After that scene, he had gone out of his way to complete all his assignments, attend all lectures and take part in as many activities as he could. Kripa had left the next day and he never saw her again. He was mad about that because he wanted to torment her. He wanted to make her life so miserable she would beg him to stop. Only that he never got that opportunity. Josh came to him the next day.

They quarreled. Josh had asked him how he could have cheated on Kripa. Angad had replied with a fist on Josh's face. They then had a full blown fight which was stopped by a few students in school. The best friends then became pure enemies. It was worse, they acted like strangers.

***********End of Flashback***********