Loving again part 52 (twinj ff)

Loving again part 52

It was a bright day with birds chirping on the climbers covering their kitchen window, house abuzz with a lot of activity and sunshine glowing through the whole house sieving through the new lime colour curtains they have hanged yesterday for the winters.

“I am hundred per cent convinced we swapped our Kavya with a fairy last night.” taking the little girl in her lap Uma kissed her plump cheeks.

“Here let me do your tilak and then go to your Pa…” Uma told the feisty girl as if she would listen.

“Dads are always daughters favourite Ma, don’t envy haan.” Kunj teased his mother.

“Kavya loves her grandma, it’s just she knows you guys are going out that she is this feisty.” Uma pointed out.

“Whatever Bebe,” he smiled on her tactics. ” I’ll check on the decorators and the cake guys.” Kunj walked to the sofa and took a seat.

“Bebe could you please help me? The lock is stuck somewhere and now my hands are hurting.” Twinkle approached her and told lowering her voice.

“give me some moments Twinkle, let me complete the tilak of Kavya.” pointing to the already restless kid Uma mouthed a sorry.

“What happened?… Twinkle you still not ready, is it a new normal for us?” He looked irritated, pointing all other moments when she was not ready on time.

“Just five minutes, Kunj.” pleading with her eyes she tried one more time.

“actually come here, I’ll help you – oh yes, I was enquiring about the cake, yes the one pound one and there is some change in time, please deliver by five,” he told the shopkeeper.

“you informed them about the time just now, really son?” I have told everyone to come by five Thirty…” Uma narrowed her eyes.

“actually yesterday the owner was busy somewhere and the guy on store told me to call an early morning.” he cleared the things.

“oh,” Uma got herself busy in the little ritual with Kavya.

“I told you I can help…” with a hand gesture he gestured WHAT-IS -THIS – BEHAVIOUR- Twinkle.

“Sorry, here… try to turn it clockwise or maybe anticlockwise…” she tilted her neck away from him to give him better access to her ear.

“Are you sure its clock or anti-clock… it seems I need to pull the small screw,” he muttered as her ear turned pink due to the invasion by his warm palms.

“Ma will do it in no time, you let it be, Kunj…” when it didn’t seem to loosen up Twinkle surrendered.

“Which one you are going to wear, give that to me,” he told her.

“you did it…” happy about the struck ear tops that came out finally she extended her another palm with little Jhumkis.

“I have to roll it or just push the lock-in…” he enquired before proceeding with the new alien item to him.

“clock or anticlockwise… I promise.” she smiled sheepishly when he got himself busy with the jewellery piece.

Unknown to them the aged lady in the room popped her knuckles after a certain “keep the evil eye away” treatment to them.

Life needed a moment to change forever and here a lot of things have changed in the last few months and some crucial changes have taken place in the last ten days or so.

The house was beaming with positivity, laughter often echoed through the house in evenings when Adi reached home and tickled the little baby, or her sharp shrills when the toy was playfully kept away from her or that brief moment of joy when she tried to walk into her father’s arm and he encouraged her to come to her.

The dining table was no more a silent affair, it was again the place where everyone talked about how their day passed or what was happening around the world and sometimes the receding economy and of course elections all over the globe.

Nights were though silent but peaceful, with no worry or nightmare looming the dreams and future of the people.

“I have to drop you guys back home after the temple, Ma, Twinkle are you guys done with everything?’ Kunj called them as he horned the new SUV.

“We are almost here.” smiled Uma balancing the bags of fruits and sweets in her hand.

“here I’ll keep it inside.” he took the bags and ushered her inside. “put your belt on.”

“please stop by the corner shop, I’ll take a milk packet…I’m sorry I forgot the one I kept in the fridge.” Twinkle requested as soon as she made a mental check of the things they would need.

“of course…” Kunj rolled his eyes, “so much for the Bday preparation about which they were preparing for so many days, last three days to be precise.”

________________*______________

They had planned to make it a silent affair but then close friends and relatives who lived by came in picture and list kept getting longer and eventually they had to cut down the long list.

The decoration and everything was perfect to suit the kind of birthday it would have been if things were not this different.

The whole day was spent in different activities and last moment preparations and here they were sitting silently before the guests came.

“Sometimes I think about the people who have everything but they don’t want that, they keep ignoring the beautiful people they have… I feel sorry about them.” Caressing the small head of a sleeping Kavya, Kunj quipped.

“Yeah, you are right. But what happened, suddenly such a topic.” Twinkle asked looking up from the old newspapers and magazines she was collecting to keep in store.

“Actually this is the perfect moment for such a thought to come into mind, isn’t it? When we are happy then one such insecurity comes to mind.” he sighed and tapped on the keyboard.

“insecurities are a sign that we are willing to keep the happiness to us and don’t risk losing it anyway, isn’t it?” she smiled assuringly.

“Yeah, you are right.” he returned his smile deepening those dimples on his cheeks.

“are you happy?” she asked suddenly.

“isn’t it obvious.” he kept away the laptop and stared her.

And she didn’t answer anything but the smile that followed after a slight nod was the answer.

“by the way this time you can not say I am getting us late, I am already ready but I am afraid this time our B’day girl is going to get us late.” she covered her lips to stifle a laugh.

“she does not usually sleep at this hour, right. I think all the activity of day tired her completely.” he smiled as well. ‘anyway it’s her day, she can do whatever way she likes it.” he took her side.

“I have framed a few photographs of her and they are kept downstairs, after the party or maybe tomorrow we can hang them,” he told her.

“arey, you got the pictures framed, I want to see them.” she was excited in no moment.

“No, let’s see them after the party and we will decide which frames are to be put where.” he reasoned cautiously without triggering any slip outs.

“Okay, that would be nice.” she smiled.

He knew the frames meant a little low moment for all of them so he didn’t reveal them just now and after the party, he would be able to handle it …hopefully.

__________*___________

“any way one-year-olds don’t blow the candles, parents are the ones who do… but I’ll ask Twinkle to wake her up.” Uma clarified to a bunch of her friends.

“Yeah, you are right.” and they laughed in unison.

“look at her, my princess is already up,” Uma exclaimed.

Clad in an aquamarine dress and matching hair accessories Kavya made her way into the room clinging to Kunj’s shirt.

Her pink nose looked like she was about to cry or had already done a session of tantrums.

Behind them Twinkle followed the suite with the tray of cake and a few kids present along with their parents or grannies ran to the table, kick-starting the Bday celebration.

Fighting the urge to hide somewhere and not go in front of some familiar faces in the party Twinkle slipped behind Kunj and Uma.

Not seeing her beside him Kunj turned to his side and gestured her to come forward but she mouthed she was fine and he should help their daughter in cutting the cake.

His stern gaze asked her one more time but when she smiled hesitantly he thought to let it be.

___________*____________

Next, an hour and a half were passed in snacks, chat and usual gossips that were the life of such small get together.

Finally, when last of the guests who were close and who were insisted lovingly to have dinner left for their house, Kunj brought the big box inside their room and kept on the table.

“Ma was happy, everything went well.” Twinkle spoke coming out of the washroom.” what is this?” sighting the big box she asked him.

“let’s see,” he called her to his side.

“actually have a seat here and I’ll show one by one.” taking out one frame he suggested.

“oh, the photo frames… give me a moment I’ll dry myself and sit properly.” wiping the water in a swift motion she told him and in no time they were settled around the table.

“The first one was a small Kavya trying to crawl..

“awww, look at my baby,” Twinkle exclaimed and in no time she realised the photograph was one of Yuvraaj’s click.

Her eyes moistened but she controlled the feelings, she had a low time in the morning when she took Kavya to her old room and stood behind their big photo frame.

“look at this one. Ma used to send me a lot of pictures back then,” he told her smilingly unaware of her state.

Seeing his enthusiasm she smiled to him, he has proven to be more than anything a man could be to her daughter… their daughter.

“so much for not remembering her Birthday.” she teased him in his words from the morning.

“This is nothing and you know that.” a cute smile spread on his lips.

“you have made so many frames, we are not going to adorn every wall, right?” she teased him again.

“well, I love all these photographs and there are so many walls to start with… here, then hall then dining are..

“Kunj…Really?” she eyed him on his suggestions.

“Okay fine, we will decide together which ones to be hanged tomorrow and after a month we’ll swap them with another set.” he defended himself.

“That sounds like a plan.” she complied.

Dheeme dheeme sapno ka jaise khat hai…

Geeli geeli chahat ki jaise lat hai…

“There is one more that we are going to hang in her room so she remembers… her dad.” and he pulled out the largest of all frames from the carton.

Yuvraaj smiled to the camera holding a sleeping Kavya to his chest, his one arm secured the small back of the baby and another was busy in clicking the moment.

Keeping the picture in front of them Kunj took a seat beside her and stared at the picture.

“We can frame a trio of you guys if you wish, I didn’t know whether you like or…

“I don’t think that frame would look good, she will always remember him as his father but you are his Pah and I think that would be fine…right?” she stared the picture for one more moment and then left to bring out the extra blankets cause last night she felt cold in the middle of the night.

“We received a courier from Neha and Dhruv this evening, it was a box of word puzzles and other things.” she changed the air in the room.

“oh, great,” Kunj muttered.

“Kunj, Twinkle…” Uma knocked on their door.

” I’ll go to Chiku’s house, her grandpa fell in the bathroom they are rushing him to the hospital since no one would be at home, Chiku’s mom wants me to stay at their house for a few hours,” Uma explained to them when Kunj went to the door.

“I’ll be back in a few hours…sorry Son.” Uma collected her phone and whispered the small apology.

“No worries Bebe, actually call me if it gets too late, I’ll come to get you, and here let me have my jacket I’ll walk with you.” searching for his jacket he told her.

“Kunj… it’s just 9 and I’ll walk on my own, now lock the door.” Sometimes he cared a little too much just like most sons of the world.

___________*___________

“i thought you might like the hot chocolate…” she kept the cup in front of him.

“Thanks, haan, it’s so cold outside and then the cold winds…” he imitated a shivering act.

” you have some work?” he asked when she didn’t join him and walked to the cupboard.

Telling him to wait for a minute she struggled with the knob since she had a cup in one hand and when it opened finally she pulled out a wrapped box.

“Mumma got a gift for the princess..not bad.” he craned one of his eyebrows teasing her.

“Princess already got a lot of gifts… this is for you.” she nearly whispered the last syllable.

“For me…?” his face changed a few expressions finally settling on a satisfied grin.

“i tried to choose something you would like…” she spoke with her lashes down.

“then open it for me.” he encouraged her.

Keeping away the cup she opened the wrapping and when the watch box was revealed her nervousness grew a hundredfold.

This was the most genuine gift to a guy but she felt nervous and anxious about it.

She extended The watch with a Coppery Grey finish, to him.

“There is no need to get nervous,haan. I like it.” his dimples deepened and the ever so mischievous eyes glowed with genuineness.

“Now tie it for me.” he extended his wrist to her and sat like an obedient kid.

Biting back her smile on his tactics she tied the watch on his wrist and waited for him to inspect the gift properly.

“This looks good, just a small problem.” his eyes grew big with a worry.

“What happened?” she panicked.

“it’s a little cold on the skin in this already cold weather.” and he laughed when she realised the humour.

“oh…” she laughed along.

“Umm… There is something on the back.” she pointed to the backside of the watch.

Untying the watch he flipped it to its back and focused on small letters engraved on the back.

“Sunshine to my shadows…”

moments ticked in the watch and around them but somewhere words died and everything stopped for him.

jaise khwab hain ankho me bhare meri

Jaise neendon pe silvate pade teri.

he reached for her hands and held them in his.

“it means a lot…” he whispered ever so softly.

Tere Ishq pe ae mar Javan…

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Hello everyone, again apologies for the delay but I think that has become the new normal for me…I feel so sorry about keeping you guys for this long but here is the next chapter.

i hope you guys like it.

there are so many things to talk but as it is…

Also, please ignore the grammar and typing errors since i have not proofread the chapter in the haste.

stay safe and stay healthy.

with love Morusya.