Is Love Enough ??

Chapter 12

"What the hell is she doing here?" Anoop's voice boomed off the rafters of their room.

And Kamal cringed inwardly. Outwardly she only expressed mild irritation. She had known this would be exactly how it would play out. Kirti's sudden arrival and Anika's support had put her on the backfoot as well. For now, Kirti was in the guest room. She had accepted Preeti's idea to call Anoop, get him home and then talk to him in private. With decorators and servants already present in the house and with their relatives starting to come in a little later, it would be embarrassing if Anoop lost his temper before all of them. Plus, the fact that it would give both strangers and people they knew ample ammunition to gossip for days if not months. And so, she had called Anoop, told him to come home immediately citing an emergency. It was an emergency. She had then ushered him straight to their room and closed the door before she had told him reluctantly about Kirti's presence. He had looked shocked. Then incredulous. But those emotions had lasted only a couple of seconds before his anger had taken over.

"Please calm down," Kamal said keeping her voice neutral, "she did not come on her own, she was invited," Kamal said on a deep breath.

"Invited?" Anoop ground out.

"By Anika," Kamal responded understanding Anoop's unsaid question, "for the wedding and other ceremonies," she explained.

"And you are asking me to calm down," Anoop thundered, "you expect me to calm down when I told you that...no, not told you, I laid down the law to everyone in this house that that wretched girl was dead for me," he yelled, "and she was never to even enter the gates of this house," he said angrily, "and she is here," he said pointing the finger downward towards the floor, "in this house, that too on invitation," he said tightly still unable to believe it, but at Kamal's nod of agreement something really ugly raised its head inside him. His jaw tightened and mouth thinned, "Where is she?" he asked in a low, deadly voice.

Kamal's face turned pale. She shivered involuntarily. The intent in her husband's voice was clear. He would throw Kirti out. Again. If he had to drag her in front of everyone he would do it. Now. That was hazardous. Men. Why were they so stupid? Always acting before thinking. Didn't Anoop realize that doing something like that would be scandalous? Maybe in his anger he didn't. Of course, he didn't. She saw him move towards the door when she didn't answer immediately. And instinctively she caught his arm and moving in front of him blocked his path.

"Get out of my way Kamal," Anoop said furiously, "you know better than to stop me," he said dictatorially, "she may have forgotten, as did your other daughter, that she is not part of this family anymore, that disgraced girl will not sully our name again," he said strictly, "I will not let anyone do that again," he said decisively.

"Anika invited her Anoop," Kamal said keeping a tight control over her emotions so her voice didn't waver. Had Kirti ever thought of what upheavel she will cause with her return? Did she even care? She left them when she felt like it. She came back when she felt like it. And she expected all of them to just accept how she came and went without a word. Hurting them. Opening up old wounds again. Kamal shook herself mentally. This was not the time to get into all of that. She needed Anoop to listen to her. To understand the repurcussions. There was a lot more at stake this time than just their family name.

"Who gave her the right?" Anoop asked in frustration. He had had no clue when Kamal had called him up and told him to hurry home telling him something about an emergency and not a clue to what it was. When he had arrived Kamal had been waiting for him downstairs. Then quickly assuring him of everyone's good health she had ushered him up to their room before spitting out what the matter was. He had been shocked to hear Kirti's name and that she was here. He had flipped his lid. He didn't care if the whole world listened. The old pain, hurt and anger returned with a vengeance not that it had ever gone away. He was the head of the family. And his word was law. Kirti had defied him and so she had been cut off from this family and no way was he going to accept this transgression sitting down. And now, Kamal was telling him his other daughter had gone ahead and defied him too by first staying in touch with Kirti and then inviting her for the wedding. Who the hell did both of them think they were? They maybe old enough to do what they wanted but he was their father...at least he was still Anika's father he quickly reminded himself and Anika had no right to disrespect him or any of his dictates. And why was Kamal looking so calm? How come she took Kirti's return this easily? Or had she had more time to adjust to the idea? How had she even allowed Kirti to set foot in this house? Why hadn't she thrown her out the second she had seen her? Had she softened? And suddenly with those questions popping in his head one after the other his anger turned its direction towards his wife. Had she been in on this too? Had she known all along about Anika's anitics? And he narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. "How come you are taking this so calmly?," he asked as he looked at Kamal who looked at him a little strangely as if she didn't understand what he was saying, "How come you allowed Kirti to be here when you knew what I had dictated to each and every member of this family Kamal," he asked again in a very soft voice laced with undertones of anger, "or is it that you had known all this time what Anika was upto and kept it a secret," he said in a menacing tone.