Twinj: My Lifeline

Chapter 20

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for showering this story with so much love and affection and making it such a wonderful experience! Happy reading!

"Are you sure about this?" Twinkle asked Kunj as he stopped the car in front of a huge building, speaking to him for the first time that day. He had recognised her nervousness all along as she fidgeted with even the simplest things that she did flawlessly every day. "I was equally nervous on my first day. Don't worry, you'll be great!" He said, placing a hand on hers assuringly. She smiled, grateful that he had been so patient with her, knowing that his work way more sophisticated than hers and he had still been humble enough to draw a comparison. She walked beside him trying her best to match her pace perfectly with his so that she wouldn't come forth as an outsider to his world that she had actually been so far. He introduced her to the people he worked with, musicians who were part of his regular troupe, technicians and some of his friends who were there that morning, with just a "This is Twinkle." which she was a little saddened by, for him acknowledging her as his wife the previous day had aroused some hopes in her that were all crushed now. She managed to keep her smile unaffected though, glad to finally put it away when he led her to a small cabin-like room. "This is where most of the meetings and professional work like that happen. Make yourself comfortable. The recording room is just next door, I'm just a call away if you need anything." He said, watching her as she looked around curiously.

Kunj smiled to himself as she slowly arranged the table and put the files that she had brought along on it. He was relieved when she looked up at him calmly. He was sure that her initial bouts of anxiety had been overcome and she would manage just fine now, even in his absence. He walked to the curtain clad window on the side and slid the curtains aside, giving her a grand view of what he had called the 'recording room'. He chuckled when he heard her gasp at the sight. "You are always welcome to watch and listen too." He said, glad that the genuine smile that had been missing from her face for so long had finally returned. Twinkle watched all the preparations going on in the adjoining room in a daze for a while before returning to her work. She noticed that Usha had put little sticky notes that were specifically directed at her on pages that looked ambiguous to Twinkle, whose awe for her mother-in-law just kept increasing. She wondered for how long she had been planning on getting Twinkle and Kunj married if she had done all that in advance. She was jerked out of her thoughts when she heard Kunj's voice as he tested the mic with a few notes. She turned in her chair, watching them rehearse for an upcoming concert, drowning in the melody of his music. "He is thinking of you when he sings those romantic verses, isn't he?" A voice brought her back to the world. She smiled at one of the technicians that Kunj had introduced her to earlier sitting in front of the table, knowing better than that. She wondered if he was thinking of Alisha as he hit a high note that everyone applauded him for. She turned back to the girl in front of her and smiled again, hoping she would leave her alone and stop putting thoughts like that in her head.

"That was amazing!" Twinkle exclaimed excitedly when Kunj walked into the room after wrapping up for the day. "Thank you!" He said sweetly, sitting down on the chair opposite to hers as she returned to the papers she had been reading. "Do you think I sounded different today?" He asked, seeming intrigued. "Different as in?" She asked, not looking up from her work. "I don't know. They think I sounded more involved that I usually do at rehearsals." He said glancing at his troupe on the other side of the window. "Listen to me!" He demanded as he shut the file in front of her, irritated by the fact that she wasn't even looking at him. "I am listening, Kunj!" She said, annoyed at his act. "Answer me then!" He shot back in the same tone that she had used, making her giggle. "I don't know what I should compare this with!" She informed him, to which he nodded understandingly. "But you would know, wouldn't you? Did you think there was a difference?" She asked him looking right at his eyes. "It felt different." He confessed, avoiding her glance, but why he did that he didn't know. "Good different?" She asked again and he nodded, finally looking up to face her. "What is bothering you so much then?" This time it wasn't a question, it was her urging him to cheer up, as if she knew by some miracle that he didn't want to think about it yet. He didn't want to recall how everyone had insisted that this positive change was due to Twinkle's presence there, he didn't know if it was true, he didn't know why she had begun to mean so much to him, but he wasn't prepared to take it on right then.

"Oh look, they're playing your song!" Twinkle said, turning on the radio in the car as they headed to Leela's place like Kunj had promised her. "Oh come on, I'm sure you already know that this radio station plays tons of my songs this time of the day!" He said grinning at her. "Maybe I do!" She said smiling back at him, not wanting to tell him that she always listened to that show, even when everyone else got bored of it. "Of course you do! You are a big fan, remember?" He teased, bringing back to her mind flashes of their conversation on the evening of their engagement. "I don't know when I'll get to watch a concert of yours though!" She said pouting, surprising him so much that he brought the car to a sudden halt. "What?" She asked him, looking around to see why he had stopped. "You've never come to any of my concerts?" He inquired of her, unable to believe it. "If you're counting those little shows in the college auditorium, yes." She replied, her voice almost a whisper. She had never been able to go to any of his concerts no matter how badly she wanted to, for she had only Chinki's company for it, and Leela wouldn't let the girls go by themselves to a show that ended late in the night. "That's alright! Nothing to be embarrassed about! I hope you'll have a blast at the upcoming one at Udaipur!" He said, returning his eyes to the road. "I'm coming to that concert?" It was her turn to be surprised now. "Aren't you my manager?" He hit back and she responded with a "Yes", her mind racing as she processed what accompanying him on a trip, the two of them just by themselves actually meant.

Leela welcomed them warmly, and Kunj was overwhelmed by the warmth the atmosphere in the house offered him. "I know you might find it a little tacky, but our house is always bubbling with laughter and conversations." Twinkle whispered to him as they sat down on a sofa in the living room. She knew that the silence at Sarna mansion was considered a grace there, and had realised that Kunj was probably used to living like that. Kunj, however, found it very endearing, like a safe haven where he could be himself and would be loved just for that. There was no show of any sort there, it was just pure love and affection, bringing glee to his heart. Leela brought them the snacks that she had prepared just for them, making sure that Kunj ate well, as a lively discussion about Twinkle's childhood was on at the table, Chinki joining in to make it more fun. "Oh my goodness! Is this you?" Kunj asked Twinkle as he held up an album that had her very first pictures, everyone bursting into laughter as they saw the photograph of chubby baby Twinkle, chewing onto some toy she had in her hand. "Ma! I can't believe you're actually showing him that!" She protested while Leela giggled at her. "Give that back!" Twinkle implored, but Kunj challenged her with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. She stared at him, but he stood up and ran across the room, the album still in his hand, with her following closely behind. Leela's attempts to stop them went unnoticed as Twinkle chased after him, bumping into someone because her eyes were fixed on Kunj. She looked up to see Yuvi up close as he held her to prevent her from falling. Chinki caught Kunj observing them and walked over to him. "Look! I turned your best friend from quiet and boring to cheerful and fun!" He said when she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "She has always been 'cheerful and fun', Kunj! She only shows that side to the people she trusts!" Chinki responded. Kunj struggled to hide his disappointment at that, but failed miserably. He couldn't stop wondering if Twinkle didn't trust him yet or why she didn't.

Kunj's eyes returned to Twinkle, who looked genuinely happy. "I love this way of saying Hi!" Yuvi told Twinkle as he let go of her with a wink. She playfully hit him and led him to where the others were sitting, her eyes landing on Kunj momentarily. She then quickly rushed over to him, while he managed to flash a smile at her. "Bored?" She asked him and he shook his head quickly. She looked at him, knowing that something was wrong, but before she could say something, she heard Leela call them. They returned to their seats immediately, not wanting to bother her. "Me and Kunj will skip the ice cream, Ma." Twinkle said as Leela brought in dessert for everyone. "Why?" Chinki asked, surprised that she was denying her favourite ice cream. "It isn't good for him, effects his voice." Twinkle said simply, when she heard Kunj whisper to her, "How do you know that?" She smiled at him and whispered back, "I'm a big fan, you see?" He was dazzled by her yet again, but he picked up the bowl of ice cream placed in front of him and handed it to her. "I'll have a bite too. You don't have to skip it for me!" at which they heard Yuvi and Leela go "Awwww!" in chorus. Twinkle quickly took the bowl from him and looked away, but he had already seen her blush, and now that image was stuck in his mind forever.

That's it for now, guys. Much love!