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Twinj: My Lifeline: Episode 28
A quick recap: Usha is pretty impressed by Kunj’s concern for Twinkle. Kunj and Twinkle visit Alisha at the rehab facility, and on returning Usha and Twinkle end up having a huge argument that Kunj overhears, leading to him trying to console Twinkle.
The house had been awfully quiet for the rest of the day with Kunj ignoring Usha completely even when they sat together to eat. All of Twinkle’s efforts to break the ice had bit the dust, for Kunj didn’t want to hear a single word about Usha. “It’s just a difference of opinions, Kunj! Stop making it bigger than it actually is!” She grumbled as they walked into their room after dinner. She had her own demons to fight, they appeared to have grown stronger since she had seen Alisha, and on the other hand, she felt guilty that Kunj and Usha were caught in that cold war all because of her. “It isn’t just a difference of opinions, Twinkle! Ma doesn’t understand at all. It’s already so complicated with you and Alisha and everything else! She is supposed to be finding solutions to the problems, not adding to them! It was she after all who had forced me to agree to marry you!” He spoke in one go, turning to look at her when he realised what he had just blurted thoughtlessly. The look on Twinkle’s face made him regret immediately, but he couldn’t undo the damage that was evident in the way she struggled to even look at him. “I’m sorry! I didn’t intend for it to come out that way. It’s just that..” He tried to explain but ran short of words. She simply nodded and walked into the closet, his words echoing painfully in her head, making her wish she could cry over her sorrows and somehow miraculously end up feeling better. She could feel Kunj’s gaze fixed on her as she walked to the closet and shut the sliding door behind her, but she was careful not to look back, lest she should end up breaking down in front of him.
Twinkle knew she couldn’t blame Kunj for all that had happened. She knew it would get tougher for her as the days went by and still chose to marry him, she reminded herself. She heard a gentle knock on the door after a long time. “Twinkle! Please come out! I’m sorry that I’m such a jerk!” He called out and she sighed, shaking her head. “I’ll do anything you tell me to do! Please come out!” He said a minute later, making Twinkle smile. So what if she was hurting horribly on the inside? She would never ever let him be in pain. “Anything?” She asked, “Anything! I promise!” the reply was quick. “You’ll go right away and resolve the issues with Ma.” She answered, it was a command evidently, and she heard him groan in disappointment. “Else I’m staying in here forever.” She declared, giggling to herself as she realised that was a stupid threat to make, but it seemed to work, for a couple of minutes later, she heard him mutter something like a ‘Okay!’. She opened the door and followed him quietly, making sure he wouldn’t go back on his words. They found Usha sitting by herself in the hall with just a small light for the entire dark space. Twinkle smiled to herself as she saw Kunj kneel down in front of Usha and they discussed in hushed voices about who was wrong and why. She saw him finally lay his head on her lap and figured they were at peace now and returned to the room silently. She lay down on the bed, her mind wearily racing through all that had happened in a span of just one day, coming to a standstill as she recalled the moment when she had seen Alisha reach out to hold Kunj’s hand, both of them smiling warmly at each other, making her heart ache.
Twinkle shut her eyes tightly when she heard Kunj’s footsteps. She listened carefully as he closed the door and walked to the bed. He waited for a moment or so by the foot of the bed, but she was determined to avoid any conversation right then. She heard him lie down on his side and sigh deeply before he turned out the lights. “Thank you, and I’m so sorry that your stupid husband and best friend is an idiot!” She heard him whisper to her as he turned to face her, and opened her eyes, turning to him slowly. “I thought you were asleep!” He spoke and she shook her head, replying “I know. You wouldn’t call yourself an idiot otherwise!” He cringed at that, making her chuckle. They just stayed there, watching each other as they let their thoughts run freely, finding solace at the idea that just an arm distance away was the one person they could rely on for anything. “Unable to fall asleep?” He asked reluctantly a while later and she sat up as if on cue, turning on the lights on her side. He followed suit and smiled at her before getting off the bed and grabbing his guitar. She sat on the edge of the bed, glad that he had come up with that idea, she herself would have asked him to sing otherwise, for nothing else calmed either of them like his music did.
“You do know that it’s past midnight, right?” Twinkle asked as Kunj tuned the chords, and he nodded. “Nobody is getting disturbed, don’t worry!” He answered, and she smiled, happy that he sounded more cheerful than he had all day. She knew his choice of songs for that night would be mostly emotional ones, and she couldn’t have wished for anything else. He smiled as he looked up at her when he began singing, to see her looking at him like that again, like she was in a daze, like she could listen to him forever, making him feel better already. “I wish I knew how to play the guitar!” She whispered one of her deepest desires, when he wrapped up his session with their favourite song that had both of them watching each other as they let their eyes do the talking, lost in a world of their own. “I’ll teach you. Come!” He responded cheerfully as she turned to look at the clock that read 1:30 A.M. “Now?” She asked, and he looked at her suspiciously before he said, “Why is that so strange? Please tell me you aren’t a witch with some nocturnal rituals to do, and you’ve hidden that truth for six months of our marriage!” She glared at him making him smile. “Don’t you want to sleep?” She asked again, and he shook his head in a negative immediately. “I don’t even know the right way to hold it.” She confessed in a small voice but that didn’t seem to throw him off the idea. “I’ll teach you! It’s simple!” He insisted, standing up and asking her to sit on the chair. “Are you sure you want to let me play your precious guitar?” She questioned meekly and he rolled his eyes as he carefully handed it over to her, helping her place her hands the right way.
Kunj laughed as Twinkle touched the strings with utmost care according to his instructions, internally glad that she knew how much that guitar meant to him. It was a gift to him from his parents when his first big song had become a super hit, and he wouldn’t let anyone even come near it. He carried another one to his shows and rehearsals, this one was only meant for himself, until Twinkle had stepped in and things had magically changed, that is. Speaking of which, Twinkle was exempted from every rule that he had ever made, something that Usha couldn’t help being amused about. “This isn’t my piece of cake!” Twinkle said after trying hard for some time. Kunj was annoyed that she had given up so easily, of course it was hard for a first timer, but he hoped she wouldn’t give up altogether. He thought for a moment before holding his hand out to take the guitar from her. He placed it on the bed and sat down beside it. She observed him carefully, her eyes widening in surprise as he held out his hands again. She stood up and placed her hands in his hesitantly. He pulled her towards him without warning, and made her sit right next to him. “Here!” He said, giving the guitar back to her, she only took it when he persisted. He then put his arms around her and helped her with the chords, watching her eyes brighten as this time the music sounded way better than when she had been trying by herself a few minutes ago. When after repeated attempts she finally managed to get a little hold on it, she turned to him excitedly, only to find him so close that it caused both of them to stiffen, but surprisingly neither of them seemed to be in a hurry to move away.
There was no way Kunj could bring himself to fall asleep after that. Twinkle had been the first one to look away, her heart beating so wildly that she no longer had any control over it. She had mumbled something about continuing another day before she had walked away to place the guitar on its stand, he had only caught the gist of it, too lost in the flurry of his thoughts to pay enough attention. He had quietly slid to his side of the bed so that things wouldn’t get more awkward; he couldn’t figure out why he had developed that inclination towards her, were all best friends like that? He had never felt like that before, definitely not with Alisha, what was happening to him? Although he knew that he had proposed to Alisha and promised to marry her, whatever he had with Twinkle felt way more right. He loves Alisha, and she is his future, his everything, he shouldn’t be giving Twinkle false hopes that way, he tried to say to himself repeatedly, but images of Twinkle from all those months that they had spent together occupied his mind, even squeezing his eyes shut wouldn’t help. He turned on his side to look at Twinkle who seemed to have just fallen asleep, for he had heard her shifting every now and then until a few minutes ago. Had she been thinking the same too? He found himself absentmindedly push away the little strands of hair on her face, pausing as she stirred, unaware that she had admired him on several nights like that too, falling more hopelessly in love with him. He smiled as she snuggled close to him in search of warmth in her sleep, placing her head on his arm. He lay down beside her quietly, shutting all the thoughts out of his mind, preferring to just live in the moment. She was there, right beside him, nothing else he could ask for right then.
That’s it for now, guys. Hope you liked it. Come on, I have a hero who can play the guitar and that does not happen? 😛 Brace yourselves for things that are awaiting you all in the upcoming episodes! 😉 Lots of love!