Greetings all you lovely people!! I am just so excited right now, that I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to put down in words all that I intend to! I’m hoping, desperately, that you all are at least pleased with this, if not anything more. Alright, so first things first. What is this? A random collection of shots that I intended to include as a part of the plotline of My Lifeline, but they got cut out for several reasons. Nevertheless, I love this story too much to let it go that easily! Which made me realize that I could just present those ideas as bonus chapters. I really hope that you all will enjoy these. These will be a series (I don’t know how many chapters right now, but we’ll see) of unlinked chapters. Of course, they are directly connected to My Lifeline, but not any continuation of where we left the plot last time. These will mainly be abstract, and you’ll find that you can easily place them at wherever you feel they belong. Okay then, let’s go! Fingers crossed!!
Twinj: My Lifeline: Bonus Chapter 1
Twinkle looked up from the laptop in front of her, almost sure that she had heard a faint knock, but then there was nothing. The silence that she had gradually been getting used to work in had returned. She sighed, her eyes drifting to the table clock involuntarily before she forced them back to the screen. That was when she heard the knocks again, and this time, a smile crept up her lips, for she recognized the knocking pattern too well to be deceived into misconstruing it.
“Yes?” She called out, knowing already that the person on the other side wouldn’t respond to that. “Excuse me, ma’am? May I have a few minutes of your precious time?” She heard the voice that she woke up to every single day, the voice that was the last thing she heard every night, the very voice that she still hadn’t given up listening to all day on her playlist. She looked up at him stealthily, only to find him flashing that signature smile of his that they both knew would make her swoon. “Who are you? How did you get in here? Aren’t you aware that this is Kunj Sarna’s office, and not a marketplace that anyone can walk into like that?” She questioned, putting on her best aloof expression. She saw him raise his eyebrows momentarily before he grinned – a sure indication that he was willing to play along. “Yes ma’am, I do. I’m in dire need of a job, and only Mr. Sarna, who I’ve heard is really kind and big-hearted, can help me out!” She heard him whine, making her roll her eyes. He wouldn’t give up his self-praise ever.
Kunj watched in awe as she stood up and walked over to him with a mischievous look in her eyes. “Is that true, now?” She whispered when they were just inches apart, and could have sworn she saw him shake his head to recall the little game they were playing. She pursed her lips to prevent the laugh from getting out. “Yes.” He breathed as one of her hands sneaked over to his chest, making its way to the back of his neck. She appeared thoughtful when she suddenly withdrew and stared blankly beyond him, and he knew she was making up her next lines. He handed her the red rose he had behind his back until then and she hummed appreciatively. “I think we could offer you a job here. In fact, I know exactly what my husband would want you to do.” She stated, maintaining eye contact, while her free hand ran the rose down his face slowly, stopping when she got to his last unbuttoned shirt.
Twinkle was surprised, to say the least, when he suddenly grabbed her hand and held it in between them, for she couldn’t think of anything she had done to annoy him. At least lately. “So, this is what you’re doing behind your husband’s back, Mrs. Sarna? Can you even imagine the pain he would be in when he finds out?” He said seriously, totally enjoying the way her eyes widened. “What?” She asked a whole minute later, and he only took it as his cue to burst out laughing. “See? I’m evidently better at this than you are. One line that you hadn’t expected me to say, and you just lost it!” He teased, laughing some more as he watched her eyes sparkle with the realization that had just dawned upon her. “I hate you!” She whimpered, but only closed the distance between them to hug him, placing her head on his chest, right where it belonged. “No, you don’t!” He answered, to which she mumbled incoherently, relaxing in his embrace.
“I have a surprise!” He said excitedly, pulling away and looking at her. She could literally see the excitement in his eyes. “When do you not?” She teased, knowing he would frown in response, but she loved teasing him, probably just as much as she loved him. “Alright, that was very funny. Can we leave now?” He prodded, nudging her arm continuously as she turned around to get back to her seat. “Of course not, Kunj! I know you’ve been out, working all day, but I still have a lot to get done, and-” She began, pausing when she saw that he wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying anymore. “Yes, you’re right. Shall we go?” He asked, not even looking up from his phone, assuming that she had said she had some work, but do it the next day too. “Kunj!” She called out sharply, making him snap his head in her direction.
He watched confusedly as she returned to her seat without any further talk and resumed her work. “What did I do now?” He ventured, but she only shot him a glare. “I swear I don’t know what I did wrong, but I want to correct this, please! Besides, I’ve made these arrangements for us that I’m really looking forward to!” He spoke sincerely, putting his phone back into his pocket and walking over to her. He counted to ten in his head as she continued to ignore him, hoping she would turn to him any moment, but she didn’t, and so, right when he finished, he pulled her chair away from the desk. He quickly moved the laptop and sat in its previous place comfortably, right in front of her now. He had been surprised that she had let him do that in the first place, and then she was looking at him with narrowed eyes. He could but wonder if he had screwed up.
Twinkle kept her eyes trained on his, repeatedly reminding herself not to drift off in them, for she knew her tendencies to do so too well. She leaned backwards as he leant towards her and placed his hands on the armrests, his eyes only leaving hers to make sure he wouldn’t end up crashing into her. “What is it?” She asked, her voice coming out as a squeak, surprising both of them. “Nothing at all.” He answered, only bending a little to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Kunj? This is your workplace.” She reminded him, her hands settling on his shoulders, but not pushing him away. “And yours.” He quipped in. She gulped hard, nodding as she replied, “And mine.”
“Ours.” He said a moment later, his kisses becoming more frequent. “Kunj! That’s exactly what I’m saying! Anybody could walk in, and-” She trailed off, colour rising to her cheeks. He withdrew from her, that ‘oh so stupid smirk’ on his face that she claimed she absolutely hated, but they both knew she loved it too. “You better just accompany me then, love.” He said, stepping away, but his eyes never leaving hers. She watched him in a daze, realizing that probably even all the time in the world with him wouldn’t be enough for her. She would always want more. “I know I’m amazing, but we’re only wasting more time! You can continue admiring me even after we get home!” He said irritably, making her laugh. She followed him out nevertheless, grabbing his hand, just because she could. And that she loved the way his fingers intertwined with hers. But that was besides the point, right?
“Tadaa!” Kunj exclaimed as he dropped his hands that had been covering her eyes because ‘It’s a surprise, Twinkle! You can’t see until I allow you to!’ She blinked her eyes a couple of times to get her eyes used to the bright lights in their room. What was his surprise really? “Are you sure we don’t have any other light in this room?” She asked sarcastically, looking around to figure out what his surprise for her was, since the room looked the exact same that she had left it that morning. “Always impatient!” He muttered, pretending that he didn’t hear her gasp in response. “You made me leave behind all that work to watch you turn out the lights.” She commented, now clearly annoyed. He chuckled at that, still choosing to keep his quiet as he returned to her side with his signature bright smile that she couldn’t – wouldn’t – miss even in the pitch darkness that he had left them in.
Twinkle watched Kunj’s fixate on hers momentarily, the soft, loving look her reserved for her never changing. It was no new thing that she forgot the world when he looked at her like that. So, she knew not when his arms went around her waist, until she found herself so close that she was sure she was a goner. Yet again. But her husband seemed to have other plans in mind. He smiled knowingly at her, one hand under her chin and leading her to look up. He heard her suck in a deep breath, his eyes flickering back to hers, a smile involuntarily making its way to his face.
“Kunj, this is so beautiful!!” She exclaimed what had to be at least ten minutes later, only to find him watching her still, and she could have sworn she felt butterflies in her tummy under that gaze, as if it was the very first time. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, making his grin only widen. “Thank you, for fulfilling my wish!” She whispered, snuggling closer to him and returning her attention to the glow in the dark stars that Kunj had got painted on the ceiling of their room. Evidently, he had planned it all too well, for she was pretty sure it resembled the night sky from Mycenae too much. And of course, he had to have been listening carefully to everything she ever said, for it had been only some time ago that she had whined about never getting to go stargazing with him after that night in Greece.
Kunj giggled when he heard her mumble something along the lines of “You are the best!”, but his laughter was short-lived, for just a moment later, she was standing a whole foot away from him and watching him accusingly. When he threw his hands up in an ‘I give up!’, she questioned seriously, “Where is the moon?” He blinked at her a couple of times, appearing thoughtful before answering, “There was no moon that night, was there?” It was now her turn to laugh at him, but midway, a brilliant idea appeared to have flashed her mind and he had evidently caught that change. “Twinkle?” He said warningly, knowing that sometimes, she had the craziest ideas in the world.
Not that it had mattered though. For, soon she had knocked him over and they had both landed on their bed before she had rolled off of him. “This, was something we couldn’t have done anywhere else in the whole world!” She gushed, holding his hand and letting her head sink back into the mattress. “You are unbelievable! I bring you the entire sky, and the domineering thought on your mind right now is the comfort of this bed?” He said accusingly, receiving a prompt smack on his shoulder for it. “It isn’t that, Kunj! It’s just that now we get to relive that night over and over, anytime we want to! And we don’t even have to get out of here to do so!” She replied, now turned to watch him. She heard him hum in agreement and smiled to herself, leaning forward to run her fingers through his hair.
“That isn’t all, is it?” He said a quiet moment later, still not looking at her. In moments like this, she was absolutely taken aback by how well he had come to know her. “No, it isn’t.” She conceded, seeing that there was no point in lying. He waited for her to speak, reversing their positions at he did. “I’ve always wanted to just lie down on the ground and watch the stars all night, not having to worry about falling asleep unguarded, unsafe. But you know how the world is!” She sighed as she finished, lifting herself a little to peck his cheek. “I love you, you’re the best!” She spoke softly, as though even a little louder would ruin the moment, and quickly wiped away the tears of joy welling up in her eyes. He pretended to be smitten at that – which he was actually, so it was more of reality than a pretense – and dropped back onto the bed as he said “Totally worth it all.” She burst out laughing at that, lying back herself and losing herself in the view once again. The fact that he was right there beside her only made it better.
So, that was that. I can’t wait to hear from all of you on this, so please put forth your views. If it doesn’t do well, obviously there won’t be any more of these.
Also, a special thank you to Presh for having my back always, and for believing in my work, perhaps a little more than I ever did, a tad bit more for this story especially. More love to you!
You could also tell me if you think I should drop the idea altogether. Until next time, much love!!