Twinkle looked up and seeing the unknown face, she screamed. The man palmed her mouth muffling her voice, even then she didn’t got quiet. He sat on his knees and held the back of her head pressing her face in his chest, she widened her eyes as he did. They stared at each other for sometime but then he stood up and again forwarded his hand towards her, she couldn’t take her eyes off his face as she placed her hand in his hand and he pulled her up. She couldn’t stand straight without crutches and encircled her arms around his neck to support herself.
He too let his arms linger around her waist, something in him attracted her towards him. She felt dizzy and lightheaded and her head fell on his chest. He felt her weight was fully on him and picked her in his arms keeping her on the couch in front of the bookshelves. He looked at the crutches on the floor and picked them keeping them near the shelf. He seemed to be very caring. He sat in front of her and caressed her hair and then stood up and sat on the floor.
Later Twinkle woke up and it was night only. She saw the lights were closed. The man switched on the light and broke the door of the store room and tried going outside but he slipped and fell backwards down the stairs. Twinkle got shocked and limped towards him but she too fell in the middle, he landed on the concrete floor but immediately stood up helping her to her feet and made her sit back on the couch and he too sat beside her. “You didn’t tell me your name,” she said and he smiled at her cutely.
“Hi, I am Kunj Sarna,” he told her forwarding his hand. “Twinkle Taneja,” she said shaking her hand with his hand. “I know,” he said making her confused. “But how?” she asked. “Now only you told me,” he said and they both had a laugh. “What are you doing here in the store room? And what happened when you tried going outside? How did you fell?” she asked and he looked down. “I will tell you everything later, but for now, go and sleep comfortably, you need it, I broke the door for you, you may go now, I will meet you tomorrow.”
He said and she agreed. He gave her the crutches and she stood up by it’s help. His face carried a sad expression seeing the crutches. He watched her go upstairs and locked the door behind her. She went to the room adjacent to Yuvi’s room and slept over there. Next day, she woke up before Yuvi and went back there in the store room and laid as if she was there only the whole night. Yuvi came there after sometime and woke her up. “Get me some tea,” he ordered and she stood up by difficulty and followed him.
She stopped in the middle and looked back at Kunj. He assured her by his eyes and she continued going upstairs. Kunj too came out of there. Yuvi was in his room so Kunj followed her to the kitchen, she lit the stove and began to prepare the tea. “Yuvi will go to search for a job and then we would be alone here,” she told him. “And I will tell you what really happened,” he said. Yuvi heard her murmuring. “Twinkle, do it fast!” he said and she sighed. “Why don’t you leave him forever?” Kunj asked, she shrugged and went from there with the tea.
She kept the tea in front of Yuvi and went back to the kitchen and saw Kunj still there. “Are you invisible?” she asked and he shook his head. “So why don’t you go back to the store room? He may see you,” she said and he shrugged and chuckled. “Nope, try it,” he said and she began to go out of the kitchen and he followed her. She turned to him again and stopped him. “Please go back to the store room, I will meet you later,” she said and he went.
As Yuvi went, Twinkle went and slept as she didn’t had a good sleep last night.
*************SPLIT**************
After two weeks, Twinkle and Kunj developed a very good bonding and she always wished he was her husband instead of Yuvi. It was a usual morning, and Twinkle woke up later hearing piano.
Jism is tarah, dard se bhara
Rooh ki koi bachi nahin jagah
Pyaar dhaal tha, magar nidhaal sa
Mujhe hi loot’ti, rahi meri panaah
She kept searching for the person and then his gaze went on store room door and she recalled Kunj. She walked towards it carefully by the help of her crutches.
Dheere dheere jal rahaa
Jal ke pighal rahaa
Behta chala hai dil mera..
Main hoon kya?
Mere Khuda…
Kaatun main kyun ye sazaa
Piya… kaahe pehle milaaye
Jab aakhir hi judaai hai
Dil se kyun khele bataa..
She opened the store room door and the voice was coming from there only. She began to go downstairs as slowly as possible.
Dekh pyaasi hai jaan
Hai udaasi yahaan
Khaali khaali jahaan
Bemaza har samaa
Lab sookhe-sookhe
Naina bheege-bheege
Rootha-rootha sa mann
Jis tann laage aisi beqaraari
Jaane bas wohi tann
Uljha hoon kab se main, suljha..
Main hoon kya?
Mere Khuda…
Kaatun main kyun ye saza..
Piya… kaahe pehle milaaye
Jab aakhir hi judaai hai
Dil se kyun khele bataa..
She could sense the sadness in his voice and she knew there was something he was hiding.
Haar maane nahin, bewajah sa yaqeen
Yaar to hai kahin, benaseebi yahin
Kaise main bhulaaun ya main bhool jaaun
Beeta hua mera kal
Kahaan chala jaaun, jaake dhoond laaun
Pyaare apne woh pal
Tune kabhi kya ye socha
Main hoon kya?
Mere Khuda…
Kaatun main kyun yeh saza…
Piya… kaahe pehle milaaye
Jab aakhir hi judaai hai
Dil se kyun khele bataa..
She went and placed her hand on his shoulder, he held her hand and kissed it shocking her. “Kunj?” She said in a shock and he turned. “I feel very bad for you that you got such an abusive husband, but I can’t even do anything about it, he’s not a good person, leave him forever and go from his life,” he said and she shook her head. “If my parents get to know, they will die, even I want to leave him,” she said. “But remember, I m always there for you, you will always have a friend in me,” he said.