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Twinkle was standing before the new Captain America movie poster, her entire attention absorbed onto the tagline: United We Stand, Divided We Fall.
"Twinkle, chale?" Kunj asked, coming up from behind her.
Looking at his empty hands, she raised her eyebrows.
"Sold out." He answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
She titled her head, giving him a 'come on' look. Taking a deep sigh, she looked back at the poster.
"I promise it won't happen next time." Kunj said, trying to appease her.
She folded her arms across her chest. "That's what you said the last three times."
"It's not my fault the movie is that good!"
"So you mean to say, you will take me to a shitty film?"
"Wh - no! I mean, we'll watch it some other time."
"Leave it Kunj." Twinkle held up her hand to make him stop embarrassing himself further. "Let's just go."
"Twinkle," Kunj sang out her name. "Are you still mad at me?"
"United we stand, divided we fall." Twinkle repeated, absent-mindedly.
"What?" He glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road.
"United we stand, divided we fall. That's what it said on the poster." Twinkle explained.
"Hmm."
"There's so much behind that line. No?" Twinkle looked at him for the first time since they had started their drive towards home.
"Yeah. There's power in unity."
"There's power in independence. It takes merely one person to start a revolution, to bring about a new era, a new change."
"Yes, but what use is that revolution or change if there's no one to follow it? That one individual's sacrifices would have gone to waste. No?"
"Perhaps. But he would have created a legacy."
"That again, someone would have to appreciate it enough to record down in the books."
"What about us?" Twinkle asked, perplexing Kunj as to where the conversation was now headed.
"What about us?"
"Where do we stand? Divided or united?"
"That's on perception. There will always be issues that I won't agree with you on Twinkle. Your impulsive behavior, your tendency to help anyone and everyone gets you in a lot of trouble sometimes. Your inability to share your problems with me... it hurts a lot."
Twinkle looked out the window, her jaw clenching.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you go. I will always be there to help you out."
"Because it's your duty."
"Because I want to." Kunj corrected. "No one forces me to be with you Twinkle. I am because I choose to."
"Have you ever thought of leaving?"
"Never." Kunj replied immediately. "That thought has never crossed my mind. I do wish you would open up a bit about your problems to me."
"I have."
"What?" Kunj's hand gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Thought of leaving." He straightened his back, but his shoulders drooped. "I have thought of leaving you."
Twinkle tapped the window and followed a trail of rain drops.
"Thought maybe it will make your life a bit easier. More relaxed. More peaceful." She spoke the words slowly, as if her vitality was enclosed in it.
"Are you still firm?"
"No." She replied after a few heart beats. "I don't think I'll know what to do if you weren't there."
She took a deep breath in.
"You've become a habit now. A routine. You need to be there in some form or another."
Kunj pulled up into their driveway. Twinkle turned around to face him.
"Your absence will haunt me for the rest of my days." She stared into his orbs, without blinking an eye.
His fingers ghosted over hers and trapped them in a lock.
"Your presence consumes me." He whispered, tracing her cheek with his free hand.
"Kill me with your memories."
"Destroy me with your energy."
"United we stand," She began.
"Divided we fall." He finished.
The thunder growled.
The rain poured.
They remained oblivious.
Their sighs and moans infused with each other's pores.
Cricket
Kumkum Bhagya
