The Fragile Trust (Chapter 10)

The Fragile Trust
Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you for your encouraging support! Well, today’s update might seem to be a bit boring because it has nothing much in particular, but only how Twinkle feels about the entire mess. So, please feel free to ask your doubts (if any). I’ll try clearing them all.

Anyway, in case if someone missed out on the previous update, here’s the link below:

Chapter 9
HAPPY READING!

• • • • •

(TWINKLE)

I come running out of the building and shout, “Naina, Tushar, hold on.” They turn around and look at me. I run towards them and pant trying to regain my breath. I bend down, rest my palms on my knees and stand trying to relax myself.

“1st rank?” I stand straight after a minute as Naina shoots me with a question. “Yeah,” I reply and smile at her. “Twinkle, please forget him. It’s been one year and you haven’t seen him. I don’t think he stays in the campus anymore,” Tushar says and I frown, quizzically.

I walk forward, turn around and say, “You both continue back. I’m going to get myself a cold coffee and some sandwiches. See you in an hour.” “Twinkle, listen to me. I didn’t mean it that way,” Tushar says as I walk towards the cafeteria. “I know Tushar. Relax.”

___

I sip my coffee after finishing one of my sandwiches thinking about Kunj and the last one year. Kunj hasn’t yet shown up. It has been a year and the thought of it makes me feel scared. ‘Is Kunj alright?’

“Excuse me,” someone speaks and I look up instantly. “Yes?” I pick up my cold coffee again. “Can I sit here? I don’t find any other place in the cafeteria empty,” he says and I quickly glance across the cafeteria.

“Yeah, sure,” I say gathering my stuff and clearing the opposite side of the table. “Hey, don’t bother yourself. I just have a burger to finish,” he smiles settling down on the chair and smiles at me. I smile back and sip my coffee slipping into my thoughts, again.

___

“Second year?” I nod sideways and say, “Third.” He looks at me a bit shocked and says, “How come I’ve never seen you?” I shrug because obviously I’m not the one supposed to know that. “Are you in third year, too?” I bite into my other sandwich while he speaks, “I’m doing my internship right now.”

I feel a sudden urge to ask him about Kunj, but I keep all the queries to myself for the time being. “That’s great,” I reply. “So what do you want to pursue ahead?” I ask sensing that this conversation is coming to an end, rather abruptly. “Bussiness, probably?” He laughs and I must admit, he’s handsome.

“Do you stay in the hostel?” “No. There are so many people staying here. I don’t think it’s possible to get to stay in the hostel unless you’re one of the first few people to get in, in your batch,” he says and I agree. The amount of people in this college might statistically count upto a township.

“So, at home? Well, isn’t it difficult to travel from home to college every single day?” He laughs and says, “No, I stay in the extra flats that have been offered by the college.” I laugh and say, “There’s something wrong. How come we’ve never seen each other staying at the same place or, studying at the same place?” He laughs along with me and says, “May be we were destined to meet while eating a burger and a few sandwiches.”

I finish my sandwich and he says, “Anyway, what’s your name? I’m Aman Singhania.” I feel like I’ve heard this name before, but I ignore the feel and say, “Twinkle Taneja.” He pauses for a second and slowly, he shakes his hand with mine and smiles. We sit quite for sometime while I try to understand the reason behind it.

___

“Kunj talks a lot about you,” he says and my heart clenches. My heart whimpers and I slowly mutter, “Kunj?” “Kunj Sarna. We stay together,” he says and I look at him, confused. “Doesn’t Kunj live alone?”

“He used to, but since the past one year, we both have been staying together. I think I wasn’t here last year when you two got together. My grandma wasn’t keeping well so, I’d to go back home. Kunj was very reluctant and refused to tell me anything when I returned. He just told me he wished to move into my apartment for sometime and it might end up till the end of the internship. I allowed him to, because it would’ve been wrong on my part and, then slowly after a few months, he told me everything. After that, he kept talking about you, but I never expected we’d meet up like this. I wondered what Kunj had seen in you, but I guess I understood everything now. There’s nothing for which a person can refuse to love you,” Aman completes and I feel the tears rolling down my cheeks.

I sit still for a while. Aman slowly gets up from his chair and pushes his chair in the front. “Thank you! I’d a great time talking to you. See you later!” “Can I have your number?” I ask, abruptly.

“Yeah,” he replies and gives me his number. “Thank you so much!” I say and he smiles back. “Hope to see you soon, again,” I say and he nods his head. I sit on the chair watching him, as he goes out of the cafeteria and I stare at him disappearing slowly. “Kunj!”, I mutter slowly. I put down my head and I cry.

___

I get up from the table and shoot a glance at my watch. I pick up my phone and find Tushar calling me. “Hello,” I say. “Twinkle, it’s so late. Where are you? You promised to come back in an hour,” Tushar replied from the other end.

“Yeah, Tushar. I went to the library for a project. I’m just coming back,” I say gathering my things and picking up the tray from the table. I trash it in the bin and head towards our apartment. “Come quick,” Tushar replies. “Five minutes.”

___

“Tushar, Twinkle’s here,” Naina screams across the hall as she finds me at the doorstep. “Let me in atleast,” I say and make my way inside. “Twinkle, what took you so long?”

I fill myself a glass of water and reply, “I just told you. Didn’t I?” I gulp in the water and head toward my room. “Twinkle, sit here and talk to me,” Tushar shouts at me and I hate this. I throw my things on the bed and come and sit on the sofa opposite to him, unwilling to talk.

“There wasn’t any project you’d been assigned. What were you doing?” I keep quiet and pull out my phone from my pocket. “Twinkle, keep the damn phone aside. I’m talking to you,” he shouts and I keep the phone aside. I flatten my palms on my thighs and listen to him.

“What’s going on Twinkle?” I exhale a deep breath and I question him back, “What’s going on with me Tushar?” He throws his phone on the other sofa and shouts, “Exactly what I’m asking. Now answer me.”

“Tushar, calm,” Naina shouts standing with the support of my doorframe. “Naina, ask her to answer me. I don’t know what to tell Uncle and Aunty. You know how worried they’ve been,” Tushar tells Naina and I immediately pick up my phone.

I dial maa’s number and Tushar says, “I told you to keep that damn phone of yours aside. I need you to talk.” Maa picks up the call after a few seconds and shoots me with a number of questions.

“Twinkle, how are you?”

“Are you fine?”

“How’s college going on?”

“Why haven’t you been calling us?”

“Maa, calm down,” I say and realise that it has been a week, I hadn’t called maa. I see the relief that covers Tushar’s face immediately as he realises that I had called maa.

“I’m sorry for not calling you for the past one week, but I wasn’t in the mood to do anything. I’m really sorry about it,” I say and maa instantly asks, “Are you fine beta?”

I smile. “Ya. How are you? How’s dad?”

“We both are fine. How’s college going on? All okay, right?” “Yes maa, everything’s okay here. Don’t worry and I’m really sorry that I made the two of you worried. I didn’t really intend to,” I say.

“It’s okay baccha. It happens at times. Anyway, Papa wants to talk to you about your next year. Wait a minute,” Maa says and I wait patiently to hear out Papa.

“Hello, Princess?” I could feel the tension in his voice. “Papa, I’m fine. Don’t worry. Maa told you needed to tell me something. What’s it?”

“Princess, don’t be mad at me, but you know it’s been three years since you’ve been staying at the hostel plus, you know how unsecured we both are,” Papa says and I nod. “I know,” I reply.

“Beta, we’re shifting you to the Singapore branch so that next year you can stay at home and complete your internship,” Papa says and I’m flushed with worries. “Papa, no,” I reply. “It’s difficult to adjust in a new environment again. It’s just a matter of another year. Please let me stay here. After that, I promised you nah, that I’ll be back home,” I continue.

“Beta, please,” he requests and I sigh. “I’ll let you know by tomorrow night. Give me some time to think about it,” I reply. “Okay.”

“Good night, Papa,” I say and he greets me back. I disconnect the call soon after and walk toward my room. “Thanks Tushar,” I say before going inside my room.

I close the door and fall down on my bed. I stare at the ceiling for five long minutes and then sit up straight on the bed, against the headboard. I reach out for my laptop and open the social networking site. I open Kunj’s account and stalk him, again.

___

I open my eyes to realise that I’d slept with my laptop open, resting my head against the headboard. I shut down my laptop and place it aside. I pull out my earphones from the nightstand and grab my phone. I lay down and pull the blanket over me.

I go through my playlist and search for a song which would describe how I feel right now. I find it and hit play.

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I’m afraid, to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died everyday
Waiting for you
Darling don’t be afraid
I have loved you
For a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more

I close my eyes and let the tears roll down. I feel the song and it perfectly matches the situation. Perfect. Just as me and Kunj are together, perfect!

I unlock my phone and put the song on repeat. I open my messenger and drop a text. I instantly receive a reply and I smile. I drop a thanking message back and lock my phone again.
‘Tomorrow’s a big day’, I think and close my eyes, feeling contented.

• • • • •

A/N: Okay, repeating again, I didn’t reply to the comments yet. I’ve been keeping a bit busy lately because of my mocks so, will be doing that soon (Hopefully).

Also, guys I am thinking of posting an analysis on this page. I’ll try completing it fast, please do go through it. We’ve so many fan fictions left incomplete on our page and most of them are the stories the readers over here used to love. So, let me know if you all want to add any stories to the list and just in case, any one of us is in contact with them, we can probably request them to continue.