“Hey Kunj,” with a certain accent Noah called him behind as he was returning from the market.
“i heard you the other day you are leaving the place,” he said as soon as he came in hearing line.
“yeah, shifting to my home town.” he forced a smile on his face.
“Oh… we didn’t interact often but we’ll miss you,” he said giving a light slap on his back.
“ Even me, Thank you for all the times, Noah,” he replied with eyes beaming a genuine smile.
“what about your lady love? did she agree?” he winked on him.
“that is one more reason to shift back,” he assured him.
“come here for a honeymoon then,” this man was the only thick trunk Kunj has earned in this city for all the years he was here.
“good idea actually!! I’ll try my luck for her to agree, she is sometimes tough to buzz.” his dimples were visible as he thought about the last interaction he had with her.
“she would…” he hoped before taking the stairs to his house.
“i understand you Twinkle,” he whispered hugging the leather jacket to himself.
__________*__________
“I wanted the whole house to get painted but it won’t look nice Shail, right now I want people to do more gossips.” looking at the walls of Kunj’s room Uma told Shail.
“Yeah Bhabhi, you are right but are you sure Twinkle and Kunj would be fine with these developments,” Shail asked suspiciously.
“they have to live together Shail, now they have to agree with these developments.” taking away the mattresses Uma replied.
“it would take two days to get it painted and reshaped… I was thinking to complete the shoppings afterward because once Twinkle comes back it would be tough Bhabhi.”Shail told the plans.
“Why are they taking unnecessary time, these workers na… give as much money they want, they will do what they want to.” huffing Uma mumbled furiously.
“You look busy Mrs. Sarna?” the voice surprised as well as took them off guard.
She very well remembered that one phone call which came with the news of the accident and now today they were again at her door.
“police !!!” Shail whispered under her breath.
“We have located the lost phone of Mr. Yuvraj Sarna, We want to return it to you.” the officer said humbly.
“oh,” suddenly the accident night was there.
Uma felt her heartbeats running erratically, her palms were getting sweaty, it seemed one more time something was being snatched away from her.
“Bhabhi, calm down.” Shail came to her rescue seeing her colorless face.
“i am fine Shail,” with that she took the torturing steps and took the phone.
“This should not come in sight of Twinkle,” she thought, caressing the broken screen of the phone.
_____________*_____________
“Twinkle, you didn’t meet Sharma Ji’s grandson?” Vivek was surprised.“every evening it is him only who takes Kavya for a ride…”
“oh, I couldn’t recognize him,” she answered with no light in her voice.
“what happened my daughter, you look dull?” perhaps her distress was visible on her face.
“it is not like that Papa, I am alright.” taking the clothes from the cloth line in their lawn she muttered.
“Twinkle come here, sit with me for some time,” he called her.
“every father use to think about their daughter’s safety, her happiness all his life… in Yuvraaj we saw your safety and we were content dear.”
She looked at the grass and then the little ant, she wanted her focus to be anywhere but on this talk.
“Uma Ji talked with us on this topic… You know Kunj was always our first choice but we had no problems with Yuvraaj.” he took a sigh.
“don’t go far, just look at her your own mother in law,she has been a tough shell for her sons and for her but I want my daughter to be under the umbrella when it is adverse.” fathers never shared their feelings but if they were sharing then there was something that was troubling them.
“Life doesn’t stop after someone’s departure, we have to learn a living.” this father was unfortunate in many respects.
First Kasturi’s pain troubled his soul then his this daughter was in some unsellable dilemma.
“I am trying Papa,” she whispered.
She might need the tricks to hide her distressed face soon to stop her family from worries.
“can I meet Kavya, Twinkle di?” the boy not older than 16 or 17 asked sheepishly.
Wiping her face she stood, “ of course, sorry I could not recognize you all these days Shubhoy.”
___________*____________
“I AM SORRY for the other day…” she apologized embarrassed. “ I just was upset on something.” she lied.
“it is okay… I am happy you expressed your feelings and didn’t tolerate me.” he consoled her earnestly.
“you are not angry?” sometimes it did not seem it was the same man who didn’t tolerate her existence for a moment.
“why would I be, I know how moody you are.” with no hints of mockery his reply shocked her but she decided to not get affected.
“shit…” he bit his tongue realizing what did he say.
“did you talk with Bebe?”
“How is my girl?”
To escape the embarrassment and awkward moment they asked at the same time.
As their respected questions escaped their respective throat, a new bunch of red tomatoes creped slowly on their cheeks.
“Okay, you go first.” she smiled finally as the two-day-old grey clouds turned lighter.
“Bebe is not attending my calls that were the first concern I thought to call you,” she told the honest primary reason.
“yeah, she took it for a very brief moment telling me she is busy with something.” he told recalling the sore voice of his mother.“ I thought she might have told you, she was stressed about something.”
“but she didn’t talk to me.” Twinkle was now stressed.
“arey don’t worry, she would be exploring the city with her best friend.” referring to his bua he calmed her worries.
“yeah, you might be right.” she agreed with him letting the concern to fly somewhere.
“so you didn’t want to talk with me…” he asked suddenly.
“What?” she was surprised by the question when the tension has already evaporated.
“You said you wanted to ask about Bebe so you called…” he spoke her words not more a few minuted old.
A silence followed beckoning him to punch himself for asking it, knowing how hard it already was for her to call him.
“That was the primary reason, there were others too,” she answered sheepishly.
He laughed a hearty laugh putting the phone on hold, her humor was coming back and that was his primary happiness at this moment.
“are you still there?” the sudden call-being -held tone has gotten her suspicious.
“We will come to visit the Auroras here…” he changed the topic.
“they give the mysterious vibes… she told the first reaction she had about the beautiful northern lights.
“People say it is amazing to watch them…” she asked surprised.
“nope…. we will enjoy it TOGETHER.” he expressed his little wish.
Sath tu ho agar, to haseen hai
Behisaab se ye Zindagi ke Silsilay.
_________________*_______________
Hey everyone,
Now the coincidence is here we have a loving and understanding Father the kind, most of us see in normal lives but I was also typing a strained Father and daughter duo in some other story of mine.
If you watch the old classics of Bollywood then there were such fathers in abundant who had trust issues with their children due to the responsibilities this relationship comes with.
Leave it, I hope you liked the part…
With Love Morusya.