Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all the love and affection this story is receiving!! Happy reading!
Twinj: My Lifeline: Episode 58
A quick recap: Twinkle and Kunj shoot for their song, visiting several places and making memories along the way, wrapping it up with a short scene at their own hotel room in Athens, post which Kunj puts forth his suggestion to spend the remnant day of their trip.
Kunj giggled softly to himself as he pulled Twinkle back into his arms, whispering “What was that?” He had noticed how she wasn’t trying to get away, making his smile widen. “What?” She asked, feigning innocence, when he led her hand to his cheek and responded “What was that thing here?” She laughed as she quickly said “Nothing!” He wouldn’t give in so easily though. “In that case, Mrs. Sarna, can I get a few more ‘nothings’?” He asked, slowly turning her to face him. She hummed, looking thoughtful and avoiding his glance, until she suddenly came up with an idea and exclaimed, “Kunj! Look, the phone is ringing! Must be Usha Ma.” He nodded understandingly at her, but right when she had begun to assume that he had bought it, he pointed out, “Really? That’s a bad trick, Twinkle!” She smirked at him and shot back, “Is it now? Worse than the one you used?” He was confused by that, not catching her reference immediately, so she helped him out with “You know, the classic ‘asking help for a friend’ trick?” He was definitely taken aback at that. “How did you know?” He had just managed to ask when she burst out laughing. “Do I know you or what, Kunj Sarna?” She taunted in his style, and he threw her a bored look. “Wait! You had caught that right then?” He asked in a surprise and although Twinkle was tempted to say ‘Yes’, she resorted to the truth, “No. I figured out only a couple of days ago.” He smiled at her, muttering “So smart!” that earned him yet another giggle that he joined in gladly.
“Now that’s really Usha Ma.” Twinkle stated when they heard Kunj’s phone ring. She put her hand in the pocket of his hoodie and took out it out, showing it to him, while he smiled at how comfortable she had become with him. “Go ahead! Receive the call!” He insisted keeping a straight face, but she could have sworn she had seen a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Let me go!” She demanded, but that only made him pull her even closer and tighten his grip on her. “Kunj..” She began, but he simply shrugged his shoulders, an indication that he wasn’t giving up. “Keep your tricks in check please!” She said, more of a warning than a request. He shook his head like a sincere student and she had to resist the urge to ruffle his hair, reminding herself to receive the call first. Maybe later she would? *coughs* “Hello, Ma?” She greeted Usha, while Kunj mumbled something that sounded like ‘Ma always has the worst timing!’ Twinkle threw him a warning look as she told Usha, “Yes, Ma. The shoot just got over.” Her eyes widened as she saw Kunj place feathery kisses on her hand, and her voice slightly faltered. “A little tiring, Ma… Kunj, stop it!” Her response to Usha’s question was interrupted and quickly followed by her shrill protest to Kunj’s kisses now moving up her arm to her shoulder. She watched stunned as there was absolute silence on the call and Kunj too watched her quietly, frozen in his spot. “Ma, I’ll call you back in a while.” She told Usha an awkward minute later and heard Usha muffle her laughter just as she cut the call. “Kunj! That was so embarrassing!” She complained, and he shot her a challenging look, one that she had to give in to. “Do you realise what Ma might be thinking!” She tried again, but he seemed unaffected as he replied “It isn’t something that she wasn’t already aware of!” She was left speechless at that, and quickly freed herself and walked away, leaving him snickering. He knew exactly how to get her to come around.
“Yuvi had called.” Kunj informed Twinkle, sliding open the door to the balcony, causing her to jump up because of the sudden intrusion. “Wait, what were you doing?” He asked, peeping over her shoulder to make sure he had actually spotted pictures of them on what seemed like a slideshow on her phone’s screen. “Just.. Watching the sunset!” She covered up quickly, locking the phone, although she knew he ought to have seen it. But she was angry at him, or at least pretending to, wasn’t she? Her eyes followed him as he dragged himself a chair from inside and put it beside hers. “The sunset?” He asked, like he was making sure, and she nodded vigorously. “You might want to have a look at the sky once, you know?” He spoke calmly, settling on his chair and fighting back a smile. She mentally smacked herself when she realised that the sun had been setting hours ago when they were shooting, now it was just the starlit sky out there. “Fine!” She huffed, and set out to leave when he stood up suddenly and she tumbled into his arms, causing him to bend over her to maintain balance and prevent both of them from falling over. She opened her eyes slowly, when her mind had finally processed that the anticipated fall hadn’t come yet, only to find the ones that she always lost herself in watching her intently. She realised that in her attempt to grab something so that she wouldn’t fall, she had firmly clutched his T-shirt and his arms were around her, protective, but also wreaking havoc by their playful actions at the same time. When she tried to straighten herself up, he helped her quietly and then whispered “I saw your ‘sunset’, it’s beautiful! More importantly, it’s one that’ll last forever!” He was surprised when she didn’t argue this time round, for he had found her to have a special liking for countering almost everything he said, unless it was a serious situation of course. This thought only left in awe of how brilliant she was at handling everything, be it in her stride or otherwise.
Kunj watched quietly as Twinkle walked to the railing and stood quietly, having realised by now that something was really bothering her. He stood beside her quietly, trying to follow her glance to spot whatever her eyes were fixed on, but failing, for she seemed to be staring blankly at the horizon. He had learnt that she wasn’t like him, she wouldn’t simply tell him right away, so he waited until she herself wanted to speak. “Kunj, does the future and its uncertainty never scare you?” She asked finally, turning to him, observing him carefully. When he looked at her cluelessly, she added, “I’ve always believed in this philosophy that when we’re at the highest of our triumphs, we’re always prone to the greatest fall. I’ve never been this happy before, and the prospect of all this being ruined scares me, Kunj! I don’t know what to do!” He heard the helplessness in her voice and it made his own heart tremble. He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her cheeks as his mind raced to find the right thing to say. He knew she could be really vulnerable at times, and that it wasn’t easy to console her then. “I agree that nobody knows what fate has in store for them, but here’s what I’ve learnt from life. At any given point, we should just go with whatever we really want, what really makes us happy right then. That way, even if something goes wrong tomorrow, we’ll always have these happier moments to look back on, they’ll always remind us what we have to keep fighting for.” He explained, and saw her nod, even though she didn’t seem very convinced. “And for now, I’m doing just that, and so should you. Right now, with you, in this moment – that’s where I am, neither reeling in the past, nor fearful of the future, because I’m sure that come what may, we’ll get past it. Together.” He continued and smiled when her teary eyes looked more hopeful and relieved. He placed a lingering kiss on her forehead before asking her to come in quickly to eat, but he had only begun to walk away, when she caught his hand, her heart thudding so loud that she was worried he might hear it as she did. He stopped immediately and turned to her, he was in for a surprise, but he didn’t know that yet.
“Twink..” Kunj’s voice trailed off when he saw the look in her eyes; he had spotted something in them that he had never seen before. “I love you!” She whispered, closing the gap between them and placing her hands on his chest. They had been looking into each other’s eyes, while he tried to ascertain if he had read the signs right. He didn’t want to scare her after all. A sudden jolt of confidence in her made her lead his hands to her waist, and he raised her eyebrows at her in a teasing manner, only to get a quick smack on his head. Little did she know that he was only trying to help with her anxiety. Perhaps if he hadn’t been careful enough, he wouldn’t have even spotted her eyes flicker down to his lips for a second before returning to his eyes. After an agonising wait, he finally leaned in, and their lips met for the very first time, her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they stretched to reach his hair, fingers entangling themselves there. They could feel fireworks go off as Kunj deepened the kiss, moving one hand to her neck, sliding along her arm. He knew all this was completely new to her, he could sense her nervousness, her inhibitions and took it slow. He had to make sure all his love for her was channeled in this kiss, it was their first, it would mark several new beginnings for them after all, or so he hoped. They pulled back a few minutes later, both gasping for breath, their eyes still not leaving each other’s until she could no longer take his gaze and hugged him tight, resting her head on his chest. “I love you too!” She heard him speak as he rested his chin on her head, making her sigh. She looked at the star lit sky that had been witness to what had just happened, and to their confession a few days ago. The stars always brought her calmness, but today, in Kunj’s comforting embrace, with his hand rubbing her back, it was yet another new thing for her. She wasn’t scared now, to say the least. She was now looking forward to spending every single day of her life with him, unaware of the tension bubbling back home.
“Kunj, put me down!” Twinkle squealed as her ‘hopelessly in love’ husband had got excited by their little adventure out in the balcony and had picked her up, instead of just asking her to walk in with him. “There’s no way I’m doing that!” He replied as she burst out laughing, watching him keenly, realising for the first time that her hands were around his neck, which made her drop her hands immediately. He had observed that of course, and narrowed his eyes at her. “What?” He asked, and she shook her head. Right, as though that would stop him. “I know!” He answered his own question, adding “I’ll only tell you if you put your hands back.” But he knew she wouldn’t give in so easily either. So he tried another way, “I’ll drop you if not!” She threw him a bored look, making him laugh. Well, at least until his foot hit the leg of the bed, since he was too lost in the beauty in his arms to see where he was going, and he ended up actually dropping her, fortunately on the bed, and landed right on top of her, both of them laughing wholeheartedly.
That’s it for now, guys. Lots of love!!