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The clock struck twelve but Twinkle was still awake , crying her heart out!
“Mera dil tod diya…..aur vishwas bhi!”,she stammered.
Poor girl, she felt as if her heart would burst out with pain. She controlled herself and became unconscious on the sofa.
The other side, Kunj felt as if he were a corpse. He absent-mindedly sat on the bed and thought about what happened few moments ago. Her words were banging in his head.
“Twinkle…..”,he called out for her.
“Kahan chali gayi hai?”,he got anxious. “Twinkle!”,he breathed a sigh of relief on finding her asleep on the sofa in the guest room. Her face was pale with tear stains down her cheeks. His heart sank on seeing her , this way.
He felt guilty yet again. Water pooled in his eyes. “Twinkle…..Twinkle!”,he whispered as he sat down on the floor beside the sofa. “Bahut bura hoon na main! Maine tujhe bahut dukh diye hain! You tried to work our marriage, but I ignored it like a jerk! You loved me but I ……I…..I only considered you as my bed mate……I never cared for you, for your happiness……I ignored you but you still loved me. Maine jaan buj kar tujhe takleefe di hai!…..Twinkle…..Maafi kaise manguga tujhse? Sharam aa rahi mujhe apne aap par! [I am ashamed of myself].”,he thought. He felt her twitching in her sleep, laying on the uncomfortable sofa. He gently picked her up in his arms and laid her on the bed . He hesitantly moved his hand towards her and caressed her cheek and admired her for the last time before moving out of the room.
All through the night, he kept thinking about Twinkle. He could not sleep. How could he sleep peacefully?
***************************
For the next two weeks, Twinkle ignored Kunj . She tried to behave cold towards him. She tried to avoid him. Kunj was trying hard to talk to her but every time either she ignored him or he lacked the courage because of his guilt. He could not even look straight into her eyes because of his guilty conscience.He was longing to hear her voice. He was longing for her. He was missing her!
He hated himself more now for he had broken Twinkle completely.
“Twinkle!…..Twinkle……Meri baat sun!”,he said as he hugged her tightly.
“Twinkle!…….Pata nahi…..ki kaise tujhse maafi mangu? I don’t know if you will forgive me…..I…..am…..sorry……..galti ho gayi…..bahut badi……Twinkle……Kuch toh bol…..Teri chuppi sahi nahi jaati…..Dant le….Thappad mar de….. lekin kuch toh bol! Akela ho gaya hoon main tere bina…..I am nothing without you……..”,he stammered.
She stood still. She wanted to hug him tight but she feared. She pushed him back .
“Kunj!…..Chodo! Maafi mat mango……galti meri …..”
“Twinkle…..It’s my fault not yours!”,he cut her in between and spoke.
She controlled her tears and moved away.
“Twinkle!”,He said as he saw her going away.
“Maaf karde!”,he breathed.
***************************
The next…Twinkle was descending down the stairs with a huge suitcase and her hand bag on her shoulder.
Kunj who had just entered the house after the office saw her and got shocked.
“Twinkle…..!……Twinkle!”,he said as he threw his bag on the sofa.
Kunj-Where are you going?
She kept mum and kept her suitcase down.
He held her shoulder and asked her the same thing twice.
“Where are you going? Dammit!”,he jerked her.
“You can’t go…..you can’t leave me . You cannot do this! Twinkle…..Tu kahin nahi jayegi! I won’t let you go! ?No…..Never…..You cannot leave me and go! You can’t ! “,he spoke like a miniac.
He got panicked after all!
“Kunj!…Lis…..”
“Nahi…..No…..no way! You cannot leave me and go!!”,he cut her off holding her shoulders.
She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath.
“Don’t you know?! I am alone!!! Without you!….huh?! I know , I am an idiot, but you cannot do this! “,He said with little tears in his eye.
He looked straight into her eyes.She read his eyes.He was sad.He was also broken.He loved her. She could sense his love for her!
“Tujhe pata hai……Ki…..Pyaar…..mujhe bhi hai! Kabhi ehsaas hi nahi hua!…..I don’t know if you will forgive me…..but please don’t leave me, Twinkle!”,he hugged her and said slowly with a lumpy throat.
She closed her eyes and let her tears fall.
She left herself in his arms,she let go of everything and lost herself in his warm embrace. He tighten the hold of his arms and pulled her closer. She could her his heart beating fast for her now and forever.
“Kunj!….”,she said and pushed him back.
He flinched.
She dropped her handbag on the floor and moved forward to grab his collar.
“Kunj! I was going to the orphanage to donate the clothes in that huge bag to the warden there! Tum pagal ho? Why will I leave my house? Why will I leave my husband!?”,she said looking into his eyes.
He was flabbergasted! She was not leaving him! He got elated and embarrassed!
“What?!”
“Haan!”
“Mujhe laga….”,he spoke still in shock.
“Tumhe kuch jyada hi lagata hai…aur samjh mein utna hi kam aata hai!”,she said holding his collar.
“What did you think? I will leave so easily!? Hmm!? Tum bandh gaye ho Meri saath , samjhe! I will never leave you,dumbo!!!”,She said and burst into tears after a split second.
“Kunj…..”,she cried as she pressed her fragile body into his firm one!
“Maaf kar diya tumhe aur haan …….. love you…..”,she whispered clutching his back.
He stood still, still in shock. This woman had forgiven him. This woman made him realised his stupidity.
She broke the hug and made a face as if annoyed.
“Why don’t you hug me back!?!”,she said.
He was surprised, she was scolding him at one instant and loving him at another.
“Kitni ajeeb hai, yeh ladki…..Meri biwi!”,his mind thought.
He rose his arms to wind them around her delicate body. She glided in his arms gently and embraced him. Peace! Peace was what she and he could find in each other’s arms. He rubbed his hand behind her back and kissed her head.
“Twinkle!”,he whispered.
“Hmm…”,she cooed.
“Kuch nahi…..”,he replied as he pulled her closer. This was their first hug, full of love and respect for each other.
The relationship which was so absurd finally turned to a loving one!
***************************
Now, everything was good. It felt good. It felt like life. They felt more happy. They felt more loved. Night talks were now a daily routine. She learned his secrets. He became her human diary. Most importantly, he changed his perception towards marriages and relationships.
She was the one who taught him how to love and live! She was waiting for those peaceful days which she got after all.
***************************
“Twinkle!”,he said staring at the ceiling,laying on the bed with his wife next to him with their clothes thrown haggardly making the surrounding messy, but that doesn’t matter!
“Hmmm..bolo…”,she replied nestling her face on his left arm as a pillow.
“Kitna ajeeb tha na!?”,he said wandering his fingers in her hair.
“Kya?”,she questioned making imaginary drawing on his chest.
“Hamara rishta aur Kya!….tu ajeeb si,main ajeeb sa…lekin dono ne milkar saari ajeebiyat mita di!”,he said turning on his left to face her.
“Ajeebiyat!??”,she laughed.
He laughed and hugged her.
She hugged him back and pecked his neck. She could not stop her racing heart which was a result of his intense gaze.
“Aise Kya dekh rahe ho? ”
“Bas yunhi….”,he replied kissing her lip.
She pulled him closer and lost herself in that beautiful moment!
***************************
⏳Six years later⏳
Six years later , they were the same! They were together only their bond was much more stronger.
Sunlight had already sprawled into their room,birds had chirped and Kunj had woken up early, he was on his morning walk while Twinkle was still in bed, now sitting , sulking with a mug of milk.
It had formed a layer of cream on it, which she hated the most.
Kunj who was back , tiptoed towards their room to see what his wife was doing.
He peeped in slightly and saw her swirling her mug. What the hell was she doing, he thought and barged in.
“Kya kar rahi hai tu!?!”,he said barging in.
“Aaa…” She screamed being scared at the sudden intrusion.
“Kunj!!….You scared me!”,she replied calming her heart down.
He gave a sly smile and took off his trainers. He came and sat on the bed facing Twinkle.
“What are you doing!?”,he said seeing her still twirling the mug.
“Don’t you see, the cream on this milk.”,she said giving the mug to him.
“Areee!?! So what!? Keep quiet and drink it, now!”,he said.
“No…..Mujhe nahi peena!”
“Kitne nakhre karti hai , yaar! Meri maa pee le isse! Dekh, Maine isme bournvita Mila ke diya tha na! Ek ghanta ho gaya! Abhi Tak nahi pia…..”,he said giving her the mug.
She scrunched her face.
“Movie nahi leke jaunga! Pee le! “,He warned her.
“Tuch! “,She exclaimed and drank it like a child.
He smiled and patted her cheek.
“Pyaara baccha!”,he said and kissed her cheek.
Twinkle’s heart swelled with happiness with his simple gesture.
She smiled and moved forward to peck his cheek when she got an emesis attack and ran to the bathroom.
He went behind her.
The milk which she had chugged in , came out!
He rubbed her back and gave her a glass of water.
She felt weak.
“Dekha…..Kitni baar ulti karun main!…..[How many times will I throw up!?]”,she told him.
They moved back to the room and sat down.
“Koi baat nahi,Twinkle….It will get better.”,he said.
“Hmmm!”
Oh…. didn’t I tell you that Twinkle had conceived and had a three month old, living being in her tummy.
“Take deep breaths with me!”,he said and she followed.
She felt better. She put her head on his lap and closed her eyes while her patted her head. After a while,
“Kunj…….”
“Bolo…”,he replied.
“I feel like eating a Tyre.”,she said.
“What ….!??! Kya……!?”,he was shocked at her absurd demand.
She got up and nooded her head.
“Kya!!!? Tyre !? Tu theek hai!? “,He asked.
“Haan……I feel like smelling new rubber tyres!!”,she said with gleaming eyes.
He slapped his forehead and gave an unbelievable look.
She and her crazy cravings. Sometimes she wanted lemon, some other time chocolate. Oh God! She had driven him crazy, but he loved being crazy with her and fulfilling her crazy needs but he in no way was going to bring a rubber tyre for her! No way.
“No….. That’s not happening! Twinkle…..that’s so harmful for you and for our little peanut! …”,he tried to explain her.
She scrunched her face.
“Sadu Sarna kahin ke!”,she said.
“I know that Mrs.Sadu Sarna….”,he said .
[Sam…..dekho!?? I loved this term hence forth , I have used this here! Hope you don’t mind! ?]
He flashed his teeth to irritate her.
“We will go to the clinic today to get you checked and your crazy cravings and mood swings! “,he said.
“Do you want anything else?”
“Nahi!”,she said.
“Okay!….I am going to have a bath!”,he said and got up to fetch his clothes.
“Let me help you.”,she said getting up.
She took out his clothes and handed him.
She tried to clean the room but felt a little pain.
Kunj who was watching her do the stuff, through while he was getting ready saw her scrunching her face and turned around.
“Twinkle, are you okay!?”,he went to her.
“Yes….Little pain in the abdomen.”
“Come lay down….Who asked you to do such work!?”,he said.
“Kunj!”
“Chup…..Ruk…..Kahan dard ho raha hai!?”,he asked moving his hand on her tummy.
He rolled her kurta and felt her tummy.
He rubbed her tummy ever so gently feeling their little one.
He got emotional again. She smiled seeing him.
“Twinkle…..our little peanut!…..He feels so small”,he said.
“I know! “,She replied.
“Twinkle…..I will become a father…..you will be a mother! We and our little one! Our little family!…..We couldn’t have asked for more! “,He said and placed a kiss on her tummy.
“Your Papa loves you, peanut!”
“Mummy too!”,she added and they laughed.
They were entering into a new phase. She was going to be a mother to her and Kunj’s kid. What could be better than that!
He kept her happy , their families had gone crazy when they disclosed this news to them. Everyone was happy!
“Twinkle…… Twinkle!….”,said Kunj as he entered the room.
She emerged from the bathroom and burst in fits of laughter seeing her husband! She laughed so bad seeing him .
He had a pillow under his shirt, he was behaving like a pregnant woman.
“Aah!….uf….hato!”,he pushed Twinkle mimicking a pregnant woman.
“What are you doing!?……Kunj! “,She said slapping his arm giggling.
He removed the pillow and laughed.
The room was filled with their chortle.
They were enjoying this part of their lives’ journey , their journey was going to be filled with many more surprises and happiness and they were to enjoy it together!
•••••••BAS ITNI SI THI YEH KAHANI••••••
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? Finally!!!! It ends!!!
Don’t even ask why did I introduce a pregnant Twinkle! My wish could not be completed in TEI! So I wrote it myself! ??
Thank you, people for your likes, two dislikes, comments! ?
Anyways! See, I am not late! ?
If you read it……and you know what I am going to say, right?
I don’t know when I will be back or active here! ?
I’ll miss this space! ?
Accha chalti Hoon, Dil mein yaad rakhna!
Adios! ?