Twinj: It’s Always Been You: Episode 3

Hello everyone! A big thank you to all of you for the love and appreciation this story is receiving. Although it isn’t much, it’s sufficient to keep me going. Also, I hope you’re all staying safe indoors and taking care of yourselves and your loved ones.. Happy reading!

Twinj: It’s Always Been You: Episode 3

A quick recap: Twinkle confronts Yuvi and Chinki for sneaking into her room and reading her diary, she then cooks for Leela. Just as she’s done, she hears a very familiar voice calling out to her

Twinkle could feel the strong wind blowing in through the open front door. She slowly turned around, preparing herself mentally, to face him, who had been the very reason for some of her biggest joys and also her biggest wounds. “Kunj?” She spoke softly, her tone making it seem like she had totally forgotten him, but her heart knew the truth too well. Kunj looked at her in a daze, not knowing what he should say now. When he had run into her at the airport, he was heading out of town for an important meeting, but he had decided against it at the last moment and got to the Taneja Mansion, desperate to know the answers to the questions that had been troubling him for years now. As a result, both of them just stood fixed at their places, looking at each other.

“How are you?” Twinkle spoke finally, breaking the awkward silence. He gave her a puzzled look and then nodded affirmatively. “Have a seat” she offered, taking her apron off, while he just watched her. She repeated her words, asking him to sit down, as she sat on the sofa opposite to him. He quietly sat down, and continued looking at her. “Do I look strange?” She asked, wondering why he was staring at her, but it went in vain. “Kunj!” She called out a little louder this time, jerking him back to the real world. He slightly shifted in his seat and sighed. “Where were you?” He asked, and Twinkle knew him well enough to know he would fire an endless list of questions at her now. “I had found another job” She replied meekly, weighing each word carefully. “Where?” He asked. “Mumbai” She replied, limiting her answer as much as possible. “Why?” He asked next, both of them desperately waiting for that question to come up. For her, it was an indication that he still cared, and to him, it was the only question whose answer seemed to matter anymore.

Twinkle lowered her gaze to the coffee table in front of her. She spoke absolutely nothing for a minute, while he waited patiently. “Never thought you would hide something of this scale from me” He said impatiently, trying to trigger her enough to get her answer. She looked up at him immediately. “I was fired from the old one, that’s why” She replied matter-of-factedly, knowing it was only partially true. He doesn’t need to know that, she reminded herself. “Are you saying that there wasn’t a single other job in town? Not even in Leela Ma’s company?” He spoke a little too loudly, anger evident in his voice. “I needed some time off” She replied in between stifled sobs. He looked at her blankly now. He could only wonder what she had needed time off from. He brushed his thoughts aside and rushed to sit beside her. She looked at him with an emotion that he couldn’t decipher. He simply took out his handkerchief and gave it to her, just like he used to, three years ago. She quietly took it and wiped away her tears, like she had always done back then.

“Kunj?” Leela’s cheerful voice filled the room as she walked down the stairs and Kunj stood up to greet her. “Look! Twinkle is back!” She said, returning his greeting. He smiled at her, knowing she had been leading an incomplete life in Twinkle’s absence. Leela went on to tell Twinkle how Kunj used to visit her frequently and keep her company, leaving Twinkle surprised. Leela then insisted that Kunj should stay for lunch, and didn’t give him the opportunity to even deny it. She set the table and Twinkle brought the food, while he found a comfortable chair and sat down. He teased her, claiming she was a horrible cook, just like she had always been, making Leela laugh. Twinkle wasn’t taking it well though. “The times have changed Kunj, I’m no longer the old Twinkle who could be played around with. I’m much better at everything now. You would have to find someone else to play your pranks on now” She said plainly, and Leela had to quickly say something different to ease the tension in the air. Twinkle maintained her distance from him for the rest of his time there, while he tried his best to get her to speak to him.

Leela wondered what could have made her happy go lucky daughter turn so cold towards Kunj of all people, while she seemed to be fine with everyone else. However, nothing that she did could bring Twinkle to speak up on the issue. She then decided to give her some time to deal with it on her own. Twinkle, on the other hand, had had a very hard time keeping her emotions in check. She still loved him, she knew it and couldn’t deny it, but she had to. His behaviour had made it clear to her that he wasn’t where she was, he had moved away. A little too far away, she thought, sighing deeply. She couldn’t ever forget the helplessness she had felt when her boss had fired her from the job that had been her dream for years. She knew she had been at fault, but she had given in to her heart’s desire and the result had been terrible. Everything had seemed meaningless after that.

Twinkle later asked Leela if there was a job for her in her company, and Leela was more than happy to have her. Leela wanted Twinkle to move on from the darkness that she had locked herself into. She could read her daughter’s mind and knew that she was deeply hurt, despite her attempts to keep it all to herself. Leela had made a firm mind to help her out. She tried to keep Twinkle occupied with something all the time, giving her no time to brood over the past. The mother-daughter duo spent a lot of time together, chatting and laughing like the best friends they were. A few weeks later, Yuvi and Chinki had finally been forgiven, and the three began to hang out like they used to. Deep inside her though, the wound had still not healed, and on some nights she suffered a lot more than others.

One evening, when she got home from work, she saw a big bouquet of her favourite roses on her bed. A card in it read “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I might have done, I want to make up for it though. Tomorrow evening, our usual place?” She recognised the handwriting, and wondered if at all she should go. For the first time since Kunj’s visit something that he sent had got to her, else Leela, Chinki and Yuvi made sure they laid their hands on it first and it never reached her.

That’s it for now guys. Until next time,

Lots of love