Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Days passed, and Kuhu grew stronger with each day. Kunal refused to give up, and stayed in the Maheshwari house, only leaving occasionally to go back to his house to check on work and the rest of the family. With each passing day, Kuhu felt herself giving into Kunal just a little more. Although he would sleep on the sofa next to her bed, she would wake up often in the middle of the night and just gaze at him. He looked inexplicably at peace when he slept, dare she think… adorable? And each time, her heart would fill with love, only to be broken again when his jarring words echoed in her head. 

“Main nahin chahta tha ki yeh shaadi ho!”

“Yeh shaadi sirf ek deal hi hai, Kuhu! Main tumse pyaar nahin karta tha! Aur naahi kabhi karunga!”

“Bol do na, this marriage is over!”

“#Desperate!”

Nishant kept a close eye on his sister. After everything she had told him about her marriage, he was rather apprehensive about Kunal staying with her. He didn’t want her to forgive Kunal so easily. Kunal would have to prove himself deserving of her first. And Nishant was determined to see it for himself. 

It was around 1 am when Kuhu woke up and couldn’t fall asleep. She tossed and turned until she gave up and sat up, arms crossed in frustration. Kunal woke up just then, like he did for the past few nights. He couldn’t sleep when she was in the hospital, and he couldn’t sleep even now without knowing that she was safe and still breathing, despite being so close to her. 

“Kuhu? It’s 1:30 am. What are you doing awake?” 

Kuhu scrunched up her nose. Why did he care whether she was awake or asleep?

“Woh… neend nahi aa rahi thi.”

Kunal got up right away and rushed to the bed. He looked at her worriedly and placed the back of his hand to her forehead, checking for fever. “Tum theek toh ho na?”

“What? Yes, I’m fine. Tum jaao, so jaao. I’ll be fine,” Kuhu insisted. 

Kunal frowned and crossed his arms. “Kya baat hai? What is it?”

Kuhu hesitated. “Woh… main…”

“Bolo na!” Kunal insisted, getting more and more agitated by the minute. 

“Mujhe kulfi khaani hai,” Kuhu blurted out. 

Kunal looked at her in disbelief. “Kulfi? Iss waqt? Are you serious?”

Kuhu rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. “I want what I want. And I knew that you’d react like this.”

“React like what?”

“You know. All condescending and all,” Kuhu scoffed. 

Kunal bristled. Him and condescending? Was she joking? He got up and offered his hand to her. 

Kuhu looked up at him confusedly. “Kya?”

“Chalo. Let’s go eat kulfi.”

“What? Iss waqt?” Kuhu said, shocked. 

“Arey! You just said that you wanted kulfi. Do you not want it now?” Kunal challenged her. 

Kuhu hesitated, and then slowly slipped her hand into his. “Par hum jayenge kaise? Agar hum abhi jayenge, toh sabko pata chalega.”

“Then we’ll sneak out,” Kunal said with a mischievous smile on his face. 

They tiptoed out the side door in the kitchen, and got into Kunal’s car and drove. The whole time, they laughed, giggled, and chattered away. It was like nothing had happened between them. It was like they were friends, the friends they were before their marriage, the friends that had no hesitations, no judgements, no bitter grudges. 

Kunal parked right next to a kulfi stand and opened the door for Kuhu. 

“Bhaiya, do kulfi.”

“Do?” Kuhu asked, confused. Kunal never ate desserts, he hated sugar. 

“Haan. Am I not allowed to eat?” Kunal asked innocently, taking the kulfi and giving one to her.

“Nahin, mujhe bas laga ki…” 

“Ki main meetha nahin khaata, right?” Kunal chuckled. “Nahin khaata. Lekin pata nahin, aaj achanak mann kiya khaane ka.”

Kunal caught a whisper of a smile on Kuhu’s face. At last, she had smiled. 

The two ate in silence for some time, just enjoying the other’s company. Kunal began absentmindedly humming.

Jaane kya baat hai

Jaane kya baat hai

Neend nahi aati 

Badi lambi raat hai

Kuhu looked at him, surprised. The man that once told her in a drunken stupor that he hated romantic songs was now humming her favorite under his breath! 

Kuhu cleared her throat. “How do you know that song?”

“What song?” Kunal asked. He had been completely unaware of the fact that he had been humming anything at all. 

“You know… the one you were just humming,” Kuhu pressed.

“Kuhu, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kunal said, aloof. He took her kulfi stick, now empty, and tossed it in the trash along with his. “Ab chalo, ghar chalte hain.”

“Kunal, ruko,” Kuhu put a hand on his arm. “Tum yeh sab kyon kar rahe ho? Kya saabit karna chahte ho?”

Kunal looked into her eyes. They were accusing him, looking for fault. “I’m not trying to prove anything, Kuhu. Why would you think that?”

“Pata nahin. But whatever you’re doing, please stop. There’s no need to make this harder than it already is,” Kuhu said. 

“What is “this” Kuhu? And what exactly am I doing?” Kunal shot back. 

“Wahi toh main tumse pooch rahi hun, Kunal! Kya kar rahe ho, tum?! Tum har baar aise cheezein kyun kar lete ho, jisse mujhe tum pe pyaar-“ 

She fell silent, and Kunal felt a warm satisfaction build in him. There was still hope, he thought. 

“I’m not doing anything. I just want to see you happy. That is all.” Saying this, Kunal opened her door and motioned her to get in. She let out a little “hmph” and sat inside. 

They drove back together in silence. Kuhu angrily looked out the window the whole time, while Kunal smiled to himself. She still loves me, he thought. Deep down, she still does. 

They got back to the bedroom after tiptoeing back inside. Kuhu sat down on her bed, but didn’t lie down. Kunal sat down across from her, on the sofa. 

“Kya hai hamare beech, Kunal?” Kuhu said, after a long pause. 

“Matlab?”

“Who am I to you?” Kuhu asked, crossing her legs and looking at him, waiting for an answer. 

Kunal hesitated. He didn’t know. If he said wife, she would scoff and say that they weren’t really married. If he said best friend, she would laugh and say that they didn’t do anything but fight. And if he said companion, she would say that he was never there for her in the first place. 

Kuhu sighed. She knew that he didn’t know. Angrily, she went to lie down and face the other direction. 

“Pata nahin, Kuhu. Lekin itna zaroor keh sakta hun, ki tum mere bohot kuch lagte ho. You mean more to me than I can even say,” Kunal said softly. 

Kuhu heard this, and felt a shy smile grow on her face. He had feelings for her. She meant something to him. Something beyond words. Maybe there was still hope. Just maybe. 

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