Pyaar ki Takrar

Chapter 27: Unveiling the Past

The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm golden hue across the room. Twinkle stirred in her sleep, her face buried in Kunj’s chest. She was wrapped securely in his arms, her breathing steady and peaceful. Kunj was already awake, his gaze resting on Twinkle’s serene face. There was something about watching her like this—vulnerable, peaceful, and completely at ease—that made him want to protect her from every storm life might throw their way.

But today, as much as Kunj wanted to hold onto this quiet moment, there was an undercurrent of something more—something left unsaid between them. Twinkle had yet to open up about everything that had happened with Neil, and though Kunj had told her they could move on, part of him knew that they couldn't truly start fresh until all the baggage was out in the open.

Twinkle stirred in his arms, slowly waking up. She opened her eyes, blinking sleepily as she looked up at Kunj. A small, soft smile played on her lips. "Good morning," she whispered, her voice still groggy from sleep.

Kunj smiled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Good morning, Mrs. Sarna."

Twinkle let out a soft laugh, her heart fluttering at the sound of her new title. She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before snuggling closer to him.

For a few moments, they lay there in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's presence. But Kunj couldn't shake the nagging feeling that they needed to talk, that they needed to clear the air before they could fully move forward.

He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, his voice low and careful. "Twinkle… there's something we need to talk about."

Twinkle stiffened slightly in his arms, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. "What is it?" she asked softly, already knowing what was coming.

Kunj sighed, running a hand through his hair as he propped himself up on one elbow to look at her. "It's about Neil."

Twinkle immediately looked away, her body tense. She had been dreading this conversation, and part of her had hoped they could just bury the past and move on without having to dig up old wounds.

"I know you don’t want to talk about it," Kunj continued gently, "but I feel like we need to. I need to understand what really happened between you two."

Twinkle bit her lip, her mind racing. She didn’t want to relive the painful memories, but she knew Kunj was right. If they were going to build a future together, they couldn’t keep secrets. They couldn’t pretend like the past hadn’t happened.

Taking a deep breath, Twinkle sat up, pulling the sheets around her as she gathered her thoughts. "It’s not easy to talk about," she admitted, her voice quiet. "But I’ll tell you everything."

Kunj sat up beside her, giving her the space she needed, but his hand remained on her back, offering silent support. He didn’t push her, didn’t rush her. He just waited, knowing she would speak when she was ready.

Twinkle took another deep breath before finally beginning. "Neil and I… we were together for years. It started out great. We were young, in love, and everything felt perfect. But as time went on, things changed. Neil became more controlling, more possessive. He wanted to know where I was at all times, who I was with, what I was doing. At first, I thought it was because he cared about me. But then it started to feel suffocating."

She paused, her voice thick with emotion. "He made me feel like I couldn’t live my life without him. Like I wasn’t enough on my own. And I believed him. I started losing myself in the relationship, and I didn’t even realize it until it was too late."

Kunj’s hand tightened slightly on her back, his heart aching for her as she spoke. He had never imagined how much pain she had been through, how much she had hidden behind her brave facade.