Twinj: My Lifeline: Bonus Chapter 3

Hello all you lovely people! Remember me? I know, it’s been a while, and I do apologise for disappearing like that. To be very honest, I was kinda disappointed by the fact that the story ‘Meant to be’ wasn’t doing too well, and I didn’t feel motivated enough to continue anymore. However, I have Presh to thank for convincing me to get back. So, here’s to another hopeful effort at the bonus chapters I was working on, and if this goes well, I would consider continuing that story as well. Let’s go! Happy reading!!

Twinj: My Lifeline: Bonus Chapter 3

Twinkle burst into her and Kunj’s room, bubbling with excitement, and her plea being voiced right at the door, “Kunj, can we please go to watch that movie–” She trailed off when she found Kunj humming an upbeat tune as he set his hair in front of the dressing mirror. She frowned at the thought that he had already made other plans. “Are you going somewhere?” She asked, tugging at his shirt sleeve to get his attention when she had got close enough to him. He raised an eyebrow at her, fighting the smile at her attempted puppy eyes. “Yup. I’m going ‘somewhere’!” He said, freeing his shirt from her clutches. She huffed at the secrecy he was choosing to maintain. “You didn’t tell me!” She murmured, turning around and watching him as he walked over to the bedside table and dug around for something in the drawer.

Kunj grinned to himself, totally enjoying the curiosity that she was struggling to portray as anger. “You said something?” He questioned, turning back to look at her and shutting the drawer with his knee. She shook her head, almost sure that he would now ask her to get ready too. Meanwhile, she scrutinised his choice of clothes to get a fair idea of where he might be headed. He leisurely closed the distance between them and put his arms around her. “What?” She asked, wondering if he had heard her, which he had, but this wasn’t about that. “Since you were admiring from so far away, I thought I might as well give you an opportunity to do it properly.” He whispered with a shrug, laughing as she rolled her eyes at that. She crossed her arms in front of her, refuting his claims, but he stood steadfast.

“Do I look good enough?” He asked, evidently teasing. “You look okay.” She said carelessly, looking him up and down one more time. He knew she was lying, for her eyes had that dreamy look in them that he had come to recognise too well by now. “Okay should do. They won’t whine about it like you are doing right now.” He hit back, earning a glare from her. “Good for you. Bye.” She said, but didn’t as much as budge from her comfortable position in his embrace. “Fine then. Bye.” He replied in a beat, but didn’t make any move to leave either. Another couple of ‘bye’s later, the pretence of indifference in both their tones was gone, and Kunj leaned in to place a gentle but lingering kiss on her forehead. “I love you.” He reminded her, something he would never tire of saying. “I love you too. Now, leave before I change my mind and decide to keep you here to myself.” She said, pouting even as she pushed him away from herself.

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Kunj walked into the room where his newly acquired friend had already been waiting for him, whistling in pure appreciation for the amount of work the latter had managed to get done all by himself. “You are late, Mr. Sarna! I know you’re a celebrity and all that, but you can keep all those whims to yourself, because I for one, am not going to entertain all this.” Kunj was chided, making him laugh. “I’m sorry, really.” He managed, thoughtfully adding a “I got caught up with something at last moment.” He looked up at the snort he got in response to that, with a “More like someone, I know. I’ve known Twinkle for longer than you, remember? Also, I’ve heard her speak of you endlessly for more than a half of all those years.” Kunj knew he could not refute that. This was Yuvi after all.

Kunj threw his hands up in defeat, muttering “I surrender!” Yuvi laughed some more at that before leading him to the gaming console that he had managed to put up in one of the unused rooms at the Sarna Mansion. The two of them had only recently warmed up to each other, and then Yuvi had, out of nowhere, suggested that they should do something together – just the two of them – giving them a renewed chance at knowing each other. Yuvi had been really worried that the two of them would never find common ground, but as it turned out, Kunj had missed out a lot of things that Yuvi firmly believed he should have experienced in his childhood. And so, here they were.

Yuvi was patient with Kunj as the inexperienced among them asked a hundred questions and fiddled with the controls anxiously, save for a few laughs here and there. “You are only winning because you have good luck, Kunj! Else I’ve been playing this for years now, and there was no way you could have defeated me!” Yuvi commented when after the initial few losses, Kunj had won three games in succession. “Losers weepers!” Kunj shot back, putting out his tongue. Yuvi had clearly not thought his actions through when in the heat of the moment he picked up a pillow that was lying beside him and threw it at Kunj in protest. He was quicker to react than Kunj when he saw the pillow hit him. “Shit! I’m so sorry, Kunj! I just –” He began his excuse, and Kunj equally quickly assured him that he was absolutely alright, ensuing a playful battle. “He’s a really sore loser.” Twinkle finished for him, making both guys turn and look at her.

Twinkle walked in, her eyes moist from how well they had been getting along, and placed the tray of snacks that Usha had sent with her, in front of them. She had been shell-shocked when she had been told that the ‘non-judgemental’ person Kunj had said he would be hanging out with, was none other than Yuvi. She did know that Yuvi was the finest at friendship, but she also knew that Kunj was still healing from the Krish debacle, and was dreading a pin-drop silent room with awkwardness looming large, and seeing them on the verge of wrestling each other impishly left her overwhelmed. She was so grateful to Yuvi for so many things, and the guy didn’t seem to be tired of doing her favours even now.

Kunj gasped dramatically at Yuvi in response to Twinkle’s comment, sitting back to watch the fun he was sure was to follow. “I am not a sore loser! How dare you!” Yuvi exclaimed, standing up to face Twinkle. “You so are, Yuvi! Remember when you had lost that one basketball match and had ended up cutting off the whole world for three whole days?” She badgered in a sing-song fashion. “No! I so didn’t!” Yuvi said, shaking his head at Twinkle pleadingly. He had only started off decently with Kunj and didn’t want Kunj to start thinking he was such an idiot already. “You so did! And me and Chinki had to sneak in with a ladder to get into your balcony!” She added, laughing her heart out at the memory. Kunj was amused at this turn of events. Twinkle had climbed a ladder to get into a balcony? That was new.

“So, this is how you want to play?” Yuvi challenged Twinkle, who smirked at him confidently, taking his threat to only be a way to get back at her until she heard him speak next. And he wasn’t even speaking to her. “Kunj, has Twinkle shown you the ridiculously huge folder of your pictures that she had been collecting on her laptop for years?” Kunj jumped up at that, glancing at them alternatively. “I do not have such a thing! Don’t lie!” She was almost screaming now, keep her eyes carefully off of Kunj, heat rising to her cheeks in embarrassment. “I am not lying!” Yuvi argued, making Twinkle hold up her index finger in warning at him. “You!” She snapped, while he stood unaffected with his arms crossed in front of him.

Kunj thought that had been enough, and put his arms around Twinkle, pulling her backwards, and repeating “That’s enough!” to both of them. “Tell that to your wife!” Yuvi said, sneering at Twinkle. “Tell your friend!” Twinkle fought back, trying to free herself from Kunj’s arms. “My goodness! I give up!” Kunj said finally, letting go of Twinkle and stating, “You should each tell whatever to your own friends, don’t drag me in this madness! You two were friends first after all!” They turned to look at him sharply at that, surprising him. Twinkle nodded at Yuvi a moment later, in indication for him to proceed and tell Kunj what they both intended to. “It does not matter who knew whom for how long, Kunj! What matters is how dear they turned out to be, and how much of it all was real. Like this friendship we have – it’s priceless. As for knowing each other, we have an entire lifetime ahead of us for that.” Yuvi said, tugging a string in Kunj’s heart. He surprised both Twinkle and Yuvi by giving Yuvi a hug out of the blue, but Yuvi responded warmly nevertheless. It was the beginning of something beautiful, something real.

Twinkle and Kunj had just seen Yuvi off when Kunj tapped on Twinkle’s shoulder to grab her attention, like he had been bubbling to say something all day. She looked at him with a tender smile, pausing when she thought she saw a hint of mischief in his eyes. “If that wasn’t Yuvi, I would have been so jealous!” He proclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows. “What! Why?” Twinkle asked, not even attempting to conceal her discontent. “What was that you were saying back then about what you did to convince him when he was in sorrow?” He pointed out, a pestering smile playing on his lips. She immediately remembered that Yuvi had also revealed her folder full of Kunj’s pictures to him but hoped he wouldn’t recall it. She chuckled softly, sighing as she said, “Those were such fun days, back in college! Why would you be jealous though?”

Kunj gave her an ‘I don’t believe this!’  look as he complained, “And when I was absolutely heartbroken because you had left me – your hopelessly in love husband – all alone here, you weren’t even picking my calls, let alone climbing walls to get to me!” He watched as she struggled to hold back her laughter at that, but failed miserably. “Kunj, you’re impossible!” She managed amidst her laughter, hugging him on instinct. “Oh, I’m impossible? And what about all that stalking you’ve done and never let me find out about?” He enquired, tightening the hug despite his accusations. She hid her face against his chest, knowing he would never let her hear the end of that one. “Can I see it?” He asked a minute later, his hand that had been rubbing down her back halting suddenly. She pulled back and looked at him with widened eyes. “Of course not!” She responded, shaking her head vigorously with pleading eyes. He laughed at that before pulling her back to him.

“You can write me another of your love letters, then!” He suggested cheekily, referring to the note she had left for Usha and Manohar when she had left the house after being forced to think that he didn’t value their wedding at all. “Kunj! What has got you all needy for attention?” She asked, and regretted it as soon as she saw the look on his face. “It’s just that,” He began, leaning so close to her that she could feel his breath fanning against her cheek. “I think we left off somewhere in the morning because I had to go –” The rest of his words came out as a muffled murmur since he had got otherwise occupied. Twinkle’s breaths were coming off as exasperated gasps now, but somewhere in the back of her mind was the awareness that they were in the hall, anybody could just walk in on them. And so, she was more than glad when an idea struck her head. “You had to go steal my friend…?” She asked, earning one of his cutest quizzical looks.

When a minute later, Kunj had finally been able to get all that in place, he chuckled at her proposition, claiming “What’s yours is mine, no? Including you?”

That’s it for now, you all. Please tell me how you liked it. Also, feel free to drop in your suggestions for more such shots – I might just consider them! Until next time, much love!!