Pyaar ki Takrar

Chapter 13: Feelings Unspoken

After their little accidental moment on the terrace, the tension between Twinkle and Kunj had reached an all-time high. The sun was now blazing, casting a warm glow across the house, but the heat between the two of them was something else altogether. ☀️🔥

Twinkle, who was usually calm and collected (well, mostly 😜), found herself distracted as she tried to focus on the tasks at hand. Whether it was setting the table or folding the laundry, her thoughts kept drifting back to Kunj—his smile, the way he’d held her, and that look in his eyes. That look that made her knees go weak.

"Kya ho raha hai mujhe?!" she muttered to herself, shaking her head as if that would somehow clear her mind. But her heart had other plans—it kept reminding her of the way he had gently tucked her hair behind her ear, the way his voice had dropped to a whisper when he teased her.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. HIM. AGAIN. She sighed, bracing herself for yet another round of their nok-jhok. Sure enough, Kunj entered the living room with that trademark smirk on his face. 😏

“Twinkle, kya kar rahi ho? Daydreaming about me, again?” he teased, leaning casually against the doorframe.

Twinkle rolled her eyes, trying to keep her cool. “Ha-ha, very funny, Kunj. Tum apne aapko itna important mat samjho.”

“Important toh main hoon, Mrs. Sarna. Tum accept karo ya na karo, but I know I’m always on your mind.” He winked at her, fully aware that his words were getting under her skin.

Twinkle clenched her jaw, determined not to let him see how much his teasing affected her. “Tumhara overconfidence kabhi nahi badlega, Kunj.”

Kunj chuckled, walking closer. “Nahi badlega, because I know the truth. Tum mujhse dur rehne ki jitni koshish karti ho, utna hi tumhare paas aata hoon.” He was standing right in front of her now, his presence making her heart race. 💓

Twinkle took a step back, trying to create some distance. “Kuch zyada mat socho, Kunj. Tumhare baare mein sochne ke liye mere paas aur bhi kaam hai.”

Kunj’s smirk widened. “Jhoot bolna buri baat hoti hai, Twinkle.”

Twinkle’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Main jhoot nahi bol rahi hoon!” she shot back, but even she didn’t sound convincing.

Kunj leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin. “Toh sach bolo, Twinkle. Admit it—tumhe main pasand hoon.”

Twinkle’s eyes widened in shock. “What?! Pasand?! Tum pagal ho gaye ho kya?!” She shoved him playfully, her face burning with embarrassment. 🔥

Kunj laughed, loving how flustered she was. “Relax, Mrs. Sarna. Main mazaak kar raha hoon... abhi ke liye.” He straightened up but gave her a look that made it clear he wasn’t done teasing her just yet.

---

The Little Things

The day moved on, but the tension between them refused to fade. Every little thing they did seemed to draw them closer. When Twinkle reached for a plate, Kunj’s hand brushed against hers—sparks flying between them. 💥 When she tried to adjust the cushions on the sofa, Kunj would purposely sit right in her way, grinning like a mischievous child. 😏

“Tum itne annoying kyun ho?” Twinkle huffed after one such encounter.

Kunj shrugged, crossing his arms. “Mujhe tumhara attention pasand hai, Mrs. Sarna.”

Twinkle stared at him for a moment, her heart doing flips in her chest. “Tumhare ego ka size kitna bada hai, Kunj.”

Kunj’s smile softened a little as he stepped closer, his tone dropping to something more serious. “It’s not ego, Twinkle. Tum sach mein special ho... aur tumhe tang karna mera favourite kaam hai.” 😊

For a moment, Twinkle didn’t know what to say. His words, his eyes, the way he looked at her—it all felt too real, too close to something she wasn’t ready to admit.

“Tang karna tumhara favourite kaam hai, par tum mere liye kuch karoge?” Twinkle asked, trying to steer the conversation away from anything too emotional.

Kunj raised an eyebrow. “Depends. Tumhe kya chahiye?”

“Dinner. Tum banaoge.”

Kunj’s eyes widened in surprise. “Dinner? Seriously? Tumhe lagta hai main wapas chef banunga?”

Twinkle smirked. “Haan, kyunki breakfast tumne bana diya tha. Ab dinner ka time hai. Prove karo ke tum itne perfect ho jitna tum pretend karte ho.” 😏

Kunj crossed his arms, accepting the challenge. “Theek hai. Lekin yaad rakhna, Mrs. Sarna, dinner banake tumhe impress karna mera goal hai. Tumhe impressed hona padega.”

Twinkle rolled her eyes. “We’ll see, Mr. Sarna. Tumhe impress karna itna asaan nahi hai.”

---

Dinner Date... Almost

Later that evening, the kitchen was filled with the smell of spices and sizzling vegetables. Kunj was at the stove, trying to make something edible while Twinkle sat at the counter, watching him with a bemused expression.

“Tumhe dekh ke lag raha hai ke tumhe kitchen ka kaam karne ki aadat bilkul nahi hai,” Twinkle teased, resting her chin on her hands.

Kunj glanced over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at her. “Main tumhe surprise karne wala hoon, Mrs. Sarna. Bas wait and watch.”

Twinkle couldn’t help but smile at his determination. Despite their constant bickering, there was something about seeing Kunj genuinely trying that made her heart soften a little. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t so bad after all. 😊

But, as expected, things didn’t go entirely according to plan.

The stove started to sputter, and a cloud of smoke filled the kitchen. Twinkle jumped off the stool, coughing. “Kunj, tumne kya kiya?!”

Kunj waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear the smoke. “Shayad thoda zyada garam kar diya...” he muttered sheepishly.

Twinkle burst out laughing. “Tum se toh yeh bhi nahi hota! 🤣”

Kunj looked at her, shaking his head with an embarrassed grin. “Thik hai, thik hai, mazaak uda lo. But at least I tried.”

Twinkle’s laughter died down, and she smiled at him softly. “Haan, tumne try toh kiya. Points for effort, Mr. Sarna.” 😄

For a moment, they just stood there, smiling at each other amidst the chaos of the kitchen. Maybe it wasn’t the perfect dinner, but somehow, it felt like the perfect moment.

Twinkle stepped closer, her voice softer now. “Shayad... tum itne bure nahi ho, Kunj.”

Kunj raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Yeh naya development hai. What brought this on?”

Twinkle shrugged, feeling a little shy. “Bas... tumne effort kiya. Aur tumhare saath hona... itna bura bhi nahi lagta.”

Kunj’s grin widened. “Bas? Itna hi? Tumhe confess karna chahiye, Twinkle, ke tumhe main pasand hoon.”

Twinkle’s eyes widened. “Don’t push it, Kunj!”

“Ek din tum admit karogi,” Kunj teased, moving a little closer. “Tumhe main pasand hoon.”

Twinkle rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile on her lips. “We’ll see, Mr. Sarna. We’ll see.”