Pyaar ki Takrar

Chapter 8: Dil Ka Connection

It had been a few days since the cricket match, and life had returned to its usual chaotic but entertaining rhythm at the Sarna household. Twinkle and Kunj's playful banter continued, but underneath the teasing, something was brewing-neither of them could deny that their connection was growing stronger.

One lazy afternoon, Twinkle was in the kitchen, busy preparing lunch. She was humming softly to herself, completely absorbed in chopping vegetables, when suddenly, Kunj appeared at the doorway.

"Arre, kya ho raha hai chef sahiba? Aaj toh tum bahut hi focused lag rahi ho," Kunj teased, leaning against the counter with that signature smirk of his.

Twinkle didn't bother looking up. "Haan, tumhaare bina toh thoda peace mil jaata hai. Aaj ka lunch special hai, aur tumhaara tang kheenchne ka koi chance nahi."

Kunj raised an eyebrow. "Lunch special? Tumhe kab se cooking mein itni seriousness aa gayi?"

Twinkle rolled her eyes. "Aaj main Bebe ke liye kuch special bana rahi hoon. Tumhe agar interest nahi hai, toh nikal lo."

"Arre, tum toh naraz ho gayi," Kunj chuckled. "Main toh bas yeh dekhne aaya hoon ki meri biwi kya kar rahi hai."

Twinkle gave him a playful glare. "Biwi ka toh tumhe bahut late yaad aaya. Waise, agar madad nahi karoge toh jaane do."

Kunj, pretending to be hurt, placed a hand over his heart. "Itni bheed bhari line aur tum mujhe jaane ko bol rahi ho? Main toh tumhaari madad karne ka irada leke aaya tha."

Before Twinkle could react, Kunj took a step closer and picked up the extra chopping board. "Main bhi chef hoon. Aaj dekho Kunj Sarna ke hath ka kamal."

Twinkle, not wanting to let him have the upper hand, smiled sweetly. "Acha, toh tumhe cooking bhi aati hai? Let's see how long tum is challenge ko sambhal paate ho."

---

The Kitchen Chaos

Kunj, with all the confidence in the world, grabbed a knife and started chopping an onion. Within seconds, his eyes started watering.

"Yeh kya ho raha hai!?" Kunj exclaimed, squinting his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Twinkle burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. "Yeh hota hai chef banne ka asar! Ab samjha? Tumhe laga tha cooking easy hai, lekin tumhare onion cutting skills toh zero hain!"

Kunj, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, shot her a mock glare. "Tumhari hasi sunke lagta hai ki tumhe isse bahut maza aa raha hai."

Twinkle nodded, still giggling. "Maza? Bohot zyada! Tumne kabhi socha bhi nahi hoga ki main tumhe itna rulwaungi, haan?"

Before Kunj could retaliate, the knife slipped from his hand and landed on the floor with a loud clatter. Both of them bent down to pick it up at the same time, their heads colliding with a solid thud.

"Ouch!" Twinkle yelped, rubbing her forehead.

Kunj, wincing in pain, quickly grabbed the knife and handed it to her. "Tumhara dimaag bhi itna tez hai ki chhuri ke saath takra gaya," he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Twinkle rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Tumhe toh main..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she stumbled backward, slipping slightly on the floor. Kunj's reflexes kicked in, and he reached out to steady her, but instead of catching her properly, they both lost balance and tumbled to the floor in a tangled heap.

Twinkle landed on top of Kunj, her hands splayed against his chest. For a moment, neither of them moved-both stunned by the sudden fall.

Kunj looked up at her, his breath catching in his throat. Twinkle's hair had fallen loose, framing her face as she stared back at him wide-eyed, her lips parted in surprise.

"Kya tumhara plan yeh tha? Mujhe gira kar yeh pose karne ka?" Kunj teased, though his voice was softer than usual, almost breathless.

Twinkle's heart was racing. She could feel the warmth of his body beneath her, his hand resting on her waist as if to hold her in place. She opened her mouth to snap back, but the words got stuck in her throat.

For a second, the world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them.

Kunj's gaze dropped to her lips, and Twinkle's breath hitched. She knew this was an accident, but the way his hand tightened ever so slightly on her waist made her wonder if there was something more to this moment. Something neither of them was ready to admit yet.

Twinkle blinked, quickly shaking off the strange sensation that had overcome her. She scrambled off of him, her cheeks flaming red.

"Yeh sab tumhari galti hai!" she muttered, standing up and brushing off her clothes, trying to act nonchalant.

Kunj sat up, smirking as he adjusted his shirt. "Meri galti? Tum hi toh mujh par giri thi."

"Haan, lekin agar tum mujhe nahi pakadte toh main kabhi nahi girti!" she shot back, crossing her arms.

Kunj stood up and stepped closer, leaning down slightly to look her in the eyes. "Tum sach mein kuch alag ho, Twinkle. Accident ho ya nahi, tumhare saath har moment interesting ban jaata hai."

Twinkle felt her heart do a strange flip at his words. She narrowed her eyes, trying to keep up the banter. "Mujhe pata tha tum filmy dialogue maaroge."

Kunj grinned. "Filmy hoon, lekin sach bol raha hoon."

---

A Romantic Mishap

Later that evening, Twinkle was in the living room, flipping through a magazine while trying to ignore the flurry of thoughts about her "accidental fall" with Kunj. She was almost successful, until Kunj walked in and sat down beside her on the couch, casually leaning back.

"Ab kya problem hai?" Twinkle asked, her voice sharp but not unkind.

Kunj stretched his arms lazily. "Problem? Koi problem nahi, bas aaj ki moment pe soch raha hoon."

Twinkle raised an eyebrow. "Moment? Tumhari life mein bahut moments hote hain, kis ki baat kar rahe ho?"

Kunj looked at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Wahi moment jab tum meri upar thi."

Twinkle's eyes widened, and her cheeks heated up instantly. "Tum... tum bas yeh baat kar rahe ho?"

Kunj nodded, grinning as if he'd won some kind of victory. "Haan, ussi moment ki baat ho rahi hai. Kuch feel kiya kya?"

Twinkle gave him a look that could kill, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Tumhe koi limit nahi hai na?"

Kunj chuckled, leaning in slightly. "Limit? Jab tum ho, toh sab kuch unlimited hai."

Twinkle couldn't help but laugh at his cheeky response. "Tum kabhi serious nahi ho sakte, na?"

Kunj's expression softened, and for a split second, his gaze was serious. "Ho sakta hoon... lekin tumhare saath filmy hona zyada pasand hai."

Before Twinkle could respond, Kunj stood up, stretching again. "Chalo, ab dinner ka time ho gaya. Tum ready ho, ya phir mujhe ek aur accident karna padega tumhare saath?"

Twinkle threw a cushion at him, laughing despite herself. "Bas! Aur koi accident nahi chahiye."

Kunj caught the cushion and winked. "Accident toh main nahi, tum karti ho, Mrs. Sarna."

---

Later That Night

That night, as Twinkle lay in bed, her thoughts kept drifting back to the moment she'd fallen on top of Kunj. She replayed the scene in her mind, trying to understand why it had made her heart race the way it did.

"Kya sach mein yeh bas ek accident tha?" she whispered to herself, staring up at the ceiling.

Across the room, Kunj lay on his side of the bed, a smile playing on his lips. He wasn't sure what was happening between them, but one thing was certain-his feelings for Twinkle were growing, and these little "accidents" were only making it harder to ignore them.