Hello everyone! I really have no words to express how grateful I am to each one of you. I had no idea there were silent readers out there who actually liked this story, a big thank you to you guys for putting forth your opinions. Besides, I wrote the previous episode a long time ago, and had no idea it would actually have to be continued. Thank you all so much for your love and affection! Also, like most of you all, I’ve been pretty indecisive of whether Kunj needs to be punished or not, and after lot of thoughts, opinions and considerations, I’ve found a way to carry the plot ahead. I hope it’ll be well received. Happy reading!
Twinj: It’s Always Been You: Episode 18
A quick recap: Twinkle breaks down in Kunj’s arms as she tells him about all that she had suffered and had to fight against all by herself. Kunj is torn apart between his longing for her and his desire that she should have a better life ahead. Twinkle decides to give him some time for thought and walks across the road with a speeding car almost about to hit her.
Kunj had hardly got half way to Twinkle when the car came to a screeching halt. He ran towards her and pulled her to him, apologising profusely to the car driver who was shouting at Twinkle for carelessly crossing the road. She appeared too oblivious to it all though. She stared blankly in front of her, no word from the conversation happening right in front of her even reaching her ears. She was jolted into the real world when Kunj hugged her tight after having dealt with the driver. His repeated attempts to make sure she was alright went in vain for she did not respond at all, but simply watched him with teary eyes. “I’ll be fine.” She said finally, but he wouldn’t take any of that. “I’ll drop you home. I don’t think you should be driving right now.” He said, more of like he was issuing instructions, and she nodded weakly, suddenly feeling too tired to even walk. He helped her into the passenger seat of her car and closed the door carefully, and then walked over to the other side to take the steering. He glanced at Twinkle, the wild fire in his heart threatening to ruin his entire existence, and bent to fasten her seat belt. She looked away from him sharply, stinging him, but he didn’t as much as flinch. He knew he deserved all that and worse. Both of them stayed absolutely quiet all through the ride back to the Taneja mansion.
Kunj sighed deeply when Twinkle didn’t show any signs of getting off. He then picked her up in his arms despite her protests and carried her inside. One look at both of them was all it took for everyone to realise that all was not well between them. Kunj avoided all the questioning glances and gently put her down next to Leela so she could have her mother to comfort her. Twinkle put her head on Leela’s shoulder immediately, wrapping her arms around her hand as she sobbed quietly to herself. Kunj looked around and realised that perhaps they all had been expecting them to return united, for they all looked up at him hopefully, making his heart break further. “Kunj, are you going to say something?” Usha asked finally, her patience exhausted from the silence, as she looked at Twinkle worriedly. “It takes forever to deal with losses like this one, Ma. We could really use some time for ourselves.” He answered, trying his best to keep his emotions under check, but failing horribly. “I’m sorry, what loss are we talking about?” Chinki asked immediately. “Kunj, nobody here knows about the baby.” Aparna whispered to Kunj, but Yuvi overheard it and asked, “What baby?” Usha and RT stood up at that, making no efforts to hide their shock. Kunj explained the happenings to them, shattering them as all they could think of was how Twinkle must have managed all by herself. “How could you do this?” Usha screamed at Kunj, grabbing his collars angrily. “You’ve failed me, Kunj! I don’t even know what I should do or say anymore!” Her voice muffled by her sobs rang through the hall. Aparna managed to get her to calm down, and made her sit down, wondering if all of this was her fault. Perhaps if she had gone against Twinkle’s wishes and revealed the truth to RT and Leela in time, they would have been there by their daughter when she needed them most.
Kunj stood lifelessly, cursing himself for everything, but he knew that wouldn’t make things better. He couldn’t bear to see his love, his Twinkle cry inconsolably as everyone else tried to console her. His mind went back to the day when he had caught her sitting alone in the college ground on their first day of classes. Things had been much simpler then, he figured. “Hey! Are you alright?” He had asked as he had sat down beside her on the stone bench. She had looked at him like she had seen an alien, but had recovered quickly and nodded quickly. “I don’t speak to strangers, I’m sorry!” She had said, trying to find a polite way to get up and leave. “Kunj Sarna!” He had replied quickly, holding out his hand for a shake. She had taken it reluctantly, murmuring “Twinkle Taneja!” He had then smiled at her brightly and said, “We aren’t strangers now, which means you can speak to me.” It had taken more persuasion than that to get her to speak, but he had managed to get past the wall that she had built around herself in just a couple of weeks, which was when she had told him that she had been cornered and laughed at on the first day. They had become really good friends quickly, with their own gang that they would hang out with some times, but mostly it was just the two of them at the sunset point, just like that morning. He recalled them laughing their heads off at their lame jokes, learning to open up to each other comfortably, studying together, becoming practically inseparable until he had spotted the most popular girl in college, Alisha, who Twinkle had warned him against, but he hadn’t listened. It was his relationship with Alisha that had first driven the wedge between them, but their persistence had saved their friendship and only deepened it if anything.
“Where do you think you’re going?” RT called after Kunj as he turned to leave. He had seen Leela and Usha take Twinkle upstairs to her room so that she could take some rest and decided that it would be better if even he left already. He turned to look at RT who glanced him up and down disappointedly as he walked towards him. “I know it’s all my fault, Mr. Taneja! I shouldn’t stay here any longer.” Kunj answered promptly, keeping his eyes lowered. “Why do you choose to flee all the time, Kunj? Isn’t this exactly what you had done last time when Yuvi had beaten you up? Don’t you think you should give her some time?” RT questioned, surprising Kunj that he hadn’t beaten him up yet. “I’m sorry, Sir! I really am, but I had no knowledge of what I had done until it was too late to repair things! I know I can’t make things better by staying here, so I might as well leave and mourn alone.” Kunj spoke slowly, his helplessness getting the best of him. “Kunj, it isn’t your loss alone. All of us here have been deeply pained and I don’t see how you can be allowed to continue thinking that you are the only one suffering.” Leela spoke emotionlessly as she and Usha walked towards them. Usha glanced at Kunj and told Leela, “Kunj hasn’t left me worthy of speaking now, Leela Ji. It will be your call. Please tell us what is to be done.” Kunj could feel the pain dripping in her voice, and it only made things worse for him.
“I think we should let Twinkle decide.” Aparna suggested as she carefully studied everyone’s expressions. They all nodded quietly, for they realised that they were trapped and didn’t know what had to be done. “I don’t know if I can say this, but I think we should stop mourning over the unborn and focus on trying to make things better for these two.” Aparna added, their approval to her previous statement giving her the confidence to continue. “You knew all along, and didn’t tell us anything at all?” Leela asked her pointedly, making her wish she had not spoken at all. “Very easy to ask them to just forget everything and move on, isn’t it? How would you know what it feels like to lose a loved one, Aparna?” Leela continued, making Aparna cry out the tears she had been holding back all along. “I’m sorry, aunty. I just put forth my thoughts and not a decision. I know that you are Twinkle’s mother, and thus you know what’s better for her. All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t let the past get so burdensome that we forget to live in the present. From experience, I know that we can never be certain about life. All that we have today might be gone even before we realised it, for I lost my entire family in one go and know pretty well what it feels like to lose loved ones.” Aparna spoke firmly, looking at all of them before angrily walking up the stairs to her room, leaving Leela a huge bundle of regrets for saying that.
“I’m sorry, Ma. I know I don’t deserve to be forgiven, but I really need you all to know that I regret all that has happened, and am as helpless as anyone else, although I desperately wish I could make things better. That is why I’m asking you to let me go from here. You might not believe me, but all that I’ve got to know today has left me feeling worthless. It was my baby too. I love her with all that I have, but it’ll still never be enough and I just hate myself for it! I hate myself!” Kunj cried his heart out, kneeling down front of Usha, but she wouldn’t give in, not after all that had happened. Surprisingly, it was Leela who came to Kunj’s side and helped him to his feet. As Usha looked on, unable to believe it, Leela wiped away Kunj’s tears and placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve known about Twinkle’s love for you even before she knew it, Kunj. I always thought you were the right one for her, and even if I managed to keep it hidden, my heart always hoped you two would get together by and by. I know that both of you are going through hell right now, and I know how horrible you must be feeling. But for once, would the two of you consider things calmly instead of jumping to decisions?” It was a request, from a mother who didn’t know what she had to do to make her child feel better, it was filled with guilt and remorse and Kunj couldn’t be more grateful that she had managed to think practically even in such testing times. He nodded and she smiled at him before turning to the others and giving them a look of finality.
That’s it for now guys. By next episode you’ll be able to see which way the story is leading and I hope it won’t be a disappointment. Lots of love!