Pyaar ki Takrar

Chapter 24: A New Beginning

Twinkle woke up the next morning, the events of the previous night still fresh in her mind. The intensity of their kiss, the way Kunj had held her as if he was afraid to let go—it all lingered with her. She sat up in bed, pulling the blanket close as she glanced over at Kunj, who was still fast asleep on his side of the bed.

How did things change so quickly? Twinkle wondered. The thought both excited and terrified her.

Suddenly, Kunj stirred beside her. His eyes fluttered open, and when they met hers, he gave her a sleepy smile. "Good morning," he said softly, his voice still thick from sleep.

Twinkle’s heart did a little flip. She was still getting used to this side of him—the caring, softer Kunj who seemed to be letting his guard down around her.

"Good morning," she replied, her voice equally soft.

For a few seconds, they just looked at each other, neither of them saying anything, but the weight of the unspoken emotions between them hung in the air. Twinkle felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze, and she quickly stood up, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

"I-I’ll go freshen up," she stammered, grabbing her towel and making a beeline for the bathroom.

As she closed the door behind her, she took a deep breath, her hand over her chest as she leaned against the sink. Yeh sab kya ho raha hai? How could one night change everything?

After freshening up, Twinkle stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Kunj standing by the window, his back to her. He turned around when he heard her footsteps, his eyes locking onto hers.

"Twinkle," he began, his tone serious, "about last night..."

Twinkle tensed up. Here it comes, she thought. The awkward conversation she had been dreading.

But before either of them could say another word, there was a sudden knock on the door. Both of them froze, their eyes wide.

"Who’s that?" Twinkle whispered, her heart racing.

"I don’t know," Kunj replied, moving toward the door cautiously.

As he opened the door, they were met with a surprise they hadn’t expected at all—Usha and Bebe, standing there with huge smiles on their faces.

"Kunj! Twinkle!" Bebe exclaimed, pushing her way inside. "Tum dono ko surprise dene aaye hain! Kitni khushi ho rahi hai humein!"

Twinkle’s eyes went wide as she exchanged a panicked glance with Kunj. This was not the way they had imagined starting their morning.

"Kya surprise?" Kunj asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow at his mother and Bebe.

"Aaj humne decide kiya hai ki poori family milke ek chhoti si party rakhenge tum dono ke liye!" Usha announced happily.

Twinkle felt her stomach drop. A family party? Right now? Yeh sab toh aur bhi complicated ho gaya hai.

Kunj ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to process what was happening. "Mom, it’s too early for—"

"Koi excuses nahi, Kunj," Usha interrupted. "Sab ready ho jao, we’ll meet downstairs in an hour!"

And just like that, Usha and Bebe left the room, leaving Twinkle and Kunj standing there, still in shock.

"Party?" Twinkle finally muttered, her voice faint.

Kunj sighed, shaking his head. "Seems like we don’t have a choice." He turned to her, his gaze softening. "You okay?"

Twinkle nodded, though her heart was still racing. "Yeah… it’s just… family stuff is complicated."

Kunj gave her a small smile, stepping closer and brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "We’ll get through it together."

His words were simple, but they held a promise—a promise that maybe, just maybe, they were in this together for real.