TWINJ
Guys, if you are still there, Apologies for disappearing like that… a few of my works were reflecting on other sites and it was frustrating, that was the reason i stopped posting here. but since one of you asked about this book and i felt so bad leaving you all like that.
if by any chance any of you are there here is the next chapter…
chapter 57
She would have called the cleaners if it was possible but seeing the night and weather she agreed to her husband’s words but those creepy crawlers were still in her mind. They had checked everywhere on her insistence and as Kunj had told her they didn’t get them in other places.
“you said they are regular here… God, you know I can’t withstand rats and cockroaches in the house,” she said when they walked back to their bedroom.
“don’t worry, I’ll fix the window first thing in the morning.” he assured her. “ and don’t worry they are just like other bugs…”
“Please, it was coming towards me the moment I entered…” she scoffed.
“maybe he wanted to greet the lady.” Kunj teased her and she smiled at that.
“you are so different… nowadays,” she told him putting off the gloves and socks.
“we all owe a lot of personalities.” he winked at her and she stared at him in wonder.
“dont tell me, you are the cute Doctor in the daytime and a serial killer at nights…” she told him seriously and then burst into laughter.
“Who knows what a person is with another person…” he replied sombrely and the words chilled her.
“i’ll come in a moment.” she excused herself and locked the bathroom door behind her.
“was he hinting something?” she asked herself as she turned on the tap to brush her teeth.
She tried to imagine them in the snow-filled forest, running and laughing playfully, she imagined her family and it all made sense… if she failed to reciprocate his actions it would become tough to approach him afterward.
After freshening up she moisturized her wet skin and dabbed her lips with some balm and exited the washroom.
“what’s up?” she asked surprisingly when she found him pulling up his sweatshirt and trying to look at his back in the mirror.
“don’t know, the skin is burning like something bit or so,” he said still trying.
“i told you these bugs are looking dangerous, let me see…” she rushed to him keeping away the towel, and stood next to him near the dressing mirror.
Prying away his hands she curled her fingers around his thermal T-shirt and pulled it up… she gaped at the sight and covered her mouth with her palm.
“Kunj…how come you didn’t feel it?” she touched the angry red spot and touched around it.
“Your hands are cold…” he said and jerked away, the t-shirt fell pushed down. “there is hot water in there, were you enjoying the snow, haan?” he looked at her with a weird expression.
“No,” she laughed on that comment and rubbed her hands together for some heat. “It was so comfortable, I just wanted to feel I am in a polar land… okay show me your back now, let’s put some antiseptic on that,” she said and came behind him to expose the back when he jumped up.
“No need ,and with those cold hands an absolute No, I’ll , manage someway.” he started going away.
“Kunj, why are you acting like a baby, my hands are not that cold…” she stifled a smile and followed him.
“i am telling you Twinkle, don’t even touch me… your hands are so cold and I don’t like it.” suddenly he started running and she stopped on the stairs laughing openly.
“you look so adorable when you run like that…” she shouted from the top of the stairs and stepped down when he muttered something about the antiseptic cream not being on its place.
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“don’t smile like that, Karma always comes back,” he told her when she tried to cover him well with the quilt.
“i think you need to sleep, Jet-legged Kunj is so grumpy,” she teased him again.
“Twinkle, stop it…” he warned her.
“okay okay, sleep well… won’t disturb you.” she made a straight face and started going out.
“Now where are you going?” he looked over his shoulder from under the covers.
“Kavya might be awake during the night, would bring something for her.” she lied and the lie sounded pathetic since Kavya has stopped waking up at night.
Just when she felt he eyes her suspiciously she blurted, “coming in a moment.” she said and went out smiling inwardly on her plan.
A place do have its impact on one’s life, here in Dublin, in this strange city, in this new house, she felt new … it has just been a few hours but something has changed between them.
They were aware of the tension between them, and today when he looked stared into her eyes for a brief moment she had lost it to him… she wanted to make him happy, other things might need time but right now she so wanted to trouble him.
With such thoughts she came to their room, mischief evident in her eyes, if her sister saw that in that very moment they would have guessed nothing happened in these years and the old, bubbly, and playful Twinkle was back.
She took a moment to peep inside and he seemed busy in his phone with the brightness coming from the other side.
Silencing her steps she walked to him and with a swift motion touched his cheeks with the cold palms that had tolerated the assault of ice-cold water from the kitchen tap.
“what the…” he threw the covers and she stepped back to enjoy his surprised and terrified self.
“ God Kunj, look at you…” the words followed a hearty laugh that soon turned hysterical whenever she looked at him and for a moment he was lost.
She laughed like she didn’t care anything, she was enjoying her and that was very much evident through her actions, he knew at home she was a little reserved due to Ma but here … it seemed the perfect decision to fly here.
“you are so cute Kunj… I didn’t know you were that much ticklish….with…oh God,” she was unable to complete the sentence.
To say the moment felt angelic won’t be wrong but he was not okay with cold hands, His fingers went up to his fore and he scratched his temples due to the frustration of not being able to tell her but she tried to say something.
“with cold hands,” she spoke with difficulty and another bout of a laugh followed.
Deciding to leave the past behind he strolled to her and she made a run for her life…
“i had warned you earlier but now see what happens with you,” he spoke behind her as he increased her speed and caught her just when she attempted to open the main door lock.
“Kunj, leave… you were ticklish and I thought it would be fun…” she was still laughing at him and it was no use to tickle her from over the number of clothes she was wearing so he did the only thing possible.
He grabbed her and caged her in his arms… she still laughed when he turned her in his arms and pulled her back to his body.
“do you think I am weaponless.” she teased him and touched his arm with her cold hands, again a jolt went through his body but he controlled himself and ceased her hand motions.
“so you think it a fun activity, then let me have fun as well, Twinkle.” he whispered just below her ear and then picked her up in his arms
Her eyes looked up in horror and he saw the blank look that went through her face but in the next moment her eyes lit up and he forgot her hands were free…again.
“Twinkle, Nooo” he cried just before her fingers touched his cheeks, and another hearty laugh of a woman echoed in the near furniture less hall.
He left her on her feet and tried to control the rage he was starting to feel.
He recalled the icy arm he had touched back then, for moments he had caressed the life-less hand of his brother and somehow her cold hands were throwing him into the moment.
He didn’t want to shout at her and he actually didn’t go there when she touched him the second time, he was with her but somehow it was not helping now.
Suddenly the winds grew wild and he knew a cold night was about to fall on them, all the warmth would mean nothing if one such night falls between them…
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and just then she hugged him extra careful about not touching him directly, “sorry, I didn’t know something was troubling you when I touched you.”
“it’s nothing like that… its just cold hands are something I am not comfortable with.” he tried to sound normal but his breaths were still uneven.
“Are you thinking about him?” she asked him after a while still leaning on him.
“sort of… it’s late, let’s lie down we have to do so many things tomorrow…he brushed away the topic.
Together they walked to their room and just when he started to adjust their daughter’s stretched arms she stopped him.
Putting the spare table to the other side she made the baby comfortable to her side and walked to him, he started at her activities partially getting her point.
“can we sleep together?” she asked him not meeting his eyes but settling between him and the baby.
“thank you for understanding,” he said and smiled.
This was the same bed he had cried silently for his losses, cursed his irrational behavior over the years, somehow he knew this night was not going to be easy…
There were so many thoughts running through his mind when she pulled his t-shirt just like a small baby, her big eyes asked him to join her and he complied.
He was so wrong when he thought it would be him in this relationship, making efforts and melting the ice between them… the moment she put her arm around him as if to comfort him, he knew his wife would always be way ahead of him and would cross her own boundaries for him whenever needed.
“you want to talk about it…” she asked him after a while when he relaxed under her soft touch.
“would you be okay…?” it was not an easy topic for them but until they talked it would always be there between them.
No matter how tough it was for her to hear she knew he needed to tell about it to someone, if they were trying to walk ahead he needed to vent it all out.
“i’ll be okay because I am not alone…” she whispered and hugged him tight bracing herself unknowingly for the things she was about to hear.
“i knew it was him… I just knew it was him.” the cold night was in front of him, he could not possibly tell her anything so he went silent after that.
“I went there after the post mortem as well and that’s when I thought to meet and talk to him for one last time…I can’t ever forget that cold hand.” suddenly she felt his breaths going uneven, she pressed herself more to him and tried to push him away from those thoughts.
She could not believe such a harmless act caused him so much trauma or perhaps it was just a way for him to open up to her about his sorrows.
“He always loved you…” she whispered trying to comfort him.
“so did I.” despite everything he loved his younger brother and that was one thing he would be confident about.
“lets believe he is happy…” her voice broke and her throat clogged, she had forgotten they would never be able to talk about him… the memory was painful and gruesome.
Now it was his turn to comfort her and he caressed her hairs softly.
No words followed but they chased their silence for moments, it would have followed if the third person on the bed had not stirred in her sleep, and out of motherly instinct Twinkle came out of his arms and turned to her.
As soon as the little baby sensed her mother’s smell she stretched to her bosom and searched for the familiar warmth.
Everything was forgotten and she put her arm around the baby… Kavya was in search of one such moment and soon curled to her.
After contemplating for a few seconds he put his arm around them and though cold wind along with snow kept knocking their window glass the family fell to a blissful night.
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Hey everyone, the next chapter is updated. Hope you liked it.
Shadows of the past don’t go away and it’s horrible to think how the smallest of acts sometimes trigger big things but don’t worry they are mature guys, they have been through a lot so this night ends here and on a good note.
If you are there,let me know how it was
Love all
Morusya ♥