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CHAPTER EIGHT
Yuvi hurriedly slammed the door to Twinkle's room close. Breath in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, he repeatedly told himself. It obviously didn't work! Because his heart was still accelerating 150 miles an hour. This is NOT what Mahi meant by cheering her up'!
Oh, dear Lord. What was he supposed to tell Mahi now? Oh, Hi jaan. Guess what? You know Twinkle, the girl I live with, yea that Twinkle, yes she kind is in love with me...' Yup, that will work perfectly, if perfectly meant being beheaded!
Nonetheless Yuvi knew that Mahi deserved to know the truth. He couldn't keep her in the dark, that would be cheating by default. So, with trembling fingers, Yuvi booted up his laptop and connected to Mahi through videocall.
Bing. And he is connected.
"Oh, hi Jaan. Good morning!" Mahi chirps. She was currently in the middle of having breakfast. "Itni subah kaise yaad kiya?" She has a newspaper spread out before her, which she was totally engrossed in, not even sparing him a glance.
Any other day, and Yuvi would have taken a second just to admire her features. The way her reading glasses perched perfectly on the small bridge of her nose, the way her lashes fluttered against her cheeks whenever she squints to get a better read, the way her lips crooked upwards in a half smile. But today, Yuvi took a minute to answer because he really did not know where to start. Umm, jaan. I have to tell you something." He finally initiates, clearing his throat.
"Hmm." She asks absent-mindedly.
"Toh, you know how you said that I should try cheering Twinkle up, take her for a night out and all, yea?" That sole sentence grabs Mahi's attention. Not because of what it implies, but for how it was implied.
Mahi lets out a sigh, taking off her specs and closing the newspaper. So much for a good start. "You messed up, didn't you?"
"Pssh...me. No!"
"Yuvi..."
"Okay, haan! Sort of!" He relinquishes. There were little beads of perspiration beginning to form on his brows and temples.
"Explain sort of'?" She asks, her voice having an edge.
Yuvi contemplates if pretending to be a statue for a while would convince Mahi that the video hung, but then he remembers he had sadly tried the trick on her earlier. There was no way out for him now. So, he heavily gulps down his nervousness and takes a deep breath. "Okay! So, I took Twinkle to a bar and then proceeded to get her waste out drunk. In my defense, she was the one who ordered concentrated Tequila. I did suggest starting off with root beer, but that girl doesn't listen! Like the time when-"
"YUVI! WHAT.DID. YOU. DO?" She yells at his derailed thoughts.
"I got her drunk!"
Mahi's jaw drops. She squints her eyes close and pinches the bridge of her nose.
"Okay, just to be make sure we are on the same page, I-"
"Same page? Yuvi! We are not even in the same library! I said cheer her up! Cheer her up, not get her drunk!"
"And she said she loves me..." He mumbles slowly.
And Hell broke loose.
Yuvi received a half an hour lecture on the consequences of thoughtless actions, a threat of breaking up and then of murder and finally, finally the solution to sit and talk to Twinkle. Thankfully Mahi wasn't insecure out her place in Yuvi's life. She wasn't jealous or suspicious about her soulmate's feeling for the girl living with him. "Ok firstly I doubt Twinkle loves you. Maybe you mistook her words. Secondly you need to talk to her, and get things clear. Okay? Yuvi! Okay?"
"Yes! Okay?"
Okay. Good. Now I got to get ready for classes. Tell me how it goes." She says and sends a flying kiss his way.
Yuvi exhales a relieved sigh, running a tired hand down his face and collapses on the couch, instantly dozing off.
He wakes up to the heady smell of coffee and the sizzling of eggs on the pan. He contemplates pretending to sleep for a while longer but decides against it soon. The faster they get the air cleared the better. He pushes himself up into a sitting position and almost lets out a girly scream. Twinkle was standing right in front of him, with a saccharine sweet smile plastered on her face. Yup, he should have pretended to sleep a bit longer. God, he is nowhere near ready to break her heart.
"Listen Twinkle, about last night-"
"I Don't love you!" She blurts out as quickly as he speaks. It instantly lifts his spirits!
"Oh, thank god!" Nearly crying in relief. "So, that was just Tequila talk, right?"
Twinkle gives him a wide smile, offering him a cup of coffee. "Well sort of. Jab maine kaha that I love you both, I mean I love you and Mahi, together, as a couple." She clarifies and upon seeing the sheer relief on his face she indignantly adds. "Dude, I have a soulmate! Why the heck would I love you?!"
Yuvi flays his arms around dismissing her and reaches out for the much-needed cup of joe. He takes a sip, relishing the warmth and the perfect amount of sugar. Twinkle makes the best coffee! Finally, after another sip, he gathers his bearing. "Is that my hoodie?"
"Not anymore." She smiles at him sheepishly.
"YAAR! This is the second hoodie!" He whines.
"Shut up, I made breakfast as compensation" She offers him his hare. But just as he was about to reach for it, she pulls it back.
"Did you brush your teeth?" She pushes her face closer to his, trying to smell his breath.
"Chee, Twinkle! Kya kar rahi hai?"
"Main Chee? Yuvi, tu chee. Brush nahi kiya aur nikal pada nashta karne. Jaa jaldi se brush kar."
Yuvi sighs, giving up. There really was no way of winning from this lady. He drags his feet obnoxiously, making the floor boards creek as protest and turn up the volume to the stereo all the way up, before slamming the door shut to the bathroom.
He comes out exactly seven minutes later just as Bon Jovi starting playing.
"THIS AINT A SONG FOR THE BROKEN HEARTED! WOWWOWWOW WOW. A SILENT PRAYER FOR THE FAITH DEPARTED! TIOWTIOWTIOWWW. AND I AIN'T GONNA BE JUST A FACE IN THE CROWD. YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MY VOICE AS I SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!"
There was a seconds pause where Yuvi looks expectedly at Twinkle. She doesn't look amused. But then-
"IT'S MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She joins in.
Amidst the deafening music and screaming chorus, the duo failed to notice the incessant ringing of the doorbell.
"ITS.MY.LIFE" The song thankfully ends. With Twinkle and Yuvi on the kitchen island, still strumming imaginary guitars and whipping their hair.
The bell rings again.
"Yaar ab kaun duffer aa gaya." Twinkle whines, stepping down and stomping towards the door. Yuvi doesn't mind. He continues blasting the next song.
Twinkle was pretty sure Mrs. Brown was at the door, in her bright yellow skirt suit with hoarse sugary voice. Oh, deary Twinkle. Now you know I love you oh so much and I hate to bother you so in between all your university work, but could you please look after Mau-Mau for a little while. I have a hair appointment, deary.'
Mrs. Brown was already on Twinkle's last nerve. And dare Mrs. Brown ask her to look after her Dalmatian again Twinkle would feed Mrs. Brown Mau-Mau's gourmet dog food to her itself!
Twinkle huffs an angered breath, not even bothering to conceal her displeasure and yanks the door open.
"Mrs. Brown really-"
"SURPRISE!"
Well, it would have been a surprise on any other. But today, Kunj standing on her front door was nothing short of a shock.
"K-ku-Kunj tu?" Twinkle stammers, eyes wide and brain numb.
"TWINKLE!" Haan main! Aur kaun ho sakta hai, Silly girl!" He replies, pulling in for a hug.
Kunj shuts his eyes in utter pleasure, inhaling the all too familiar, sweet cologne of his best friend. Oh, how had he missed her!
"TWINKLEEE!" comes a yell before he could shout the same. Confused, Kunj breaks the hugs and raises her brow in question. Sadly, before Twinkle could answer, in comes a shirtless, dancing Yuvi.
This time Hell broke loose for Twinkle.
She bit her tongue in between her pearl white teeth, wondering why the earth hasn't swallowed he whole yet.
"YEH YAHA KYA KAR RAHA HAI!?!" Kunj bellows in surprise and barely coated anger.
And that is exactly when Yuvi decided to stop dancing and introduce himself. "Hi, I am Yuvraj Luthra. But please call me Yuvi."
Kunj doesn't reciprocate the pleasantries. "Yeh yaha kar kya raha hai?" He asks Twinkle again and then turns to face the cause of his anger and seethes again, "Aur aapka shirt kaha hai, Janaab?"
Yuvi being the Yuvi he is, doesn't catch the threat in Kunj's voice. "Arey please! Aap' bol ke itna formal kyu ban rahe ho!" He then proceeds to do what he doesn't best and pulls Kunj in for a hug. Kunj feels violated to say the least. "Oh, and to answer the other question, I am Twinkle's housemate! Cool right!"
"Coffee?" Twinkle chuckles humorlessly.
And that is how the trio were seated in the kitchen island, sipping on black coffee. Well, Yuvi was sipping on coffee. Kunj was just alternating murderous looks between Yuvi and his so called best friend, while Twinkle was trying her best to avoid those looks.
"Mmm, Twinkle aaj ki coffee ki baat hi kuch aur hai! Kunj, Twinkle ke haath ki bani coffee ki baat hi kuch aur hai! Hain na?" Yuvi utters, remaining oblivious to the poisonous glares being aimed at him.
"Mujhe nahi pata tha ki Twinkle coffee bhi banati. Muje laga aaj tak sirf mujhe bana rahi thi."
Yuvi lets out an adorable chuckle, one that instantly pulls Twinkle's own lips upwards. "Chal, you both catch up, I'll just be around town, running errands." Saying so, he takes the leave Twinkle was dreading most. She thinks she had forgotten how to manage her best friend in the short time that they have spent apart.
Nonetheless, she smacks him in the arm playfully, trying to feign normalcy. "Aur sunao! Kaise ho? Maya kaisi hai. Aayi nahi tumhare saath? Mumma-Papa kaie hai? Aur Anand bhaiya?"
"Kab se?"
"Kaab se? Yeh kaisa question hai. Main toh New York main ab 6 mahine se hoon."
"Twinkle..." And there was edge to his voice this time.
"-Mahine." She mumbles.
And he dangerously repeats her name. "4 Mahine!" She relinquishes this time.
The silence that prevails in the room was heavy and uncomfortable. The heavy breathing of Kunj was the only noise apart from the ever-present honking of New York traffic. "Aur tu ne mujhe batana zaroori nahi samjha?"
Twinkle sighs. This had been one of the reasons that she had kept this information from him. He was always so overprotective of her. Always ready to pounce! It was endearing at times but not today. This was patronizing. "Kya farak padta hai, Kunj?"
"Farak padta hai, Twinkle. Farak padta hai. Tu aise kaise ek ajnabi shaher mein, ek ajnabi ladke ke saath reh sakti hai?!"
"Tu bhi toh ek ajnabi shaher mein, ek ajnabi ladki ke saath rahta hai." Twinkle's a retort.
"Haan, par Maya aur meri baat different hai. Hum soulmates hai, Twinkle. Who ajnabi nahi hi!"
That was the last nerve! "Yuvi bhi Ajnabi nahi hai! Woh mera dost hai!" The chair screeched and dropped behind her, as she abruptly stood up to make herself loud and clear.
By the look of shock on Kunj's face, it was evident that he got the message. He knew he had pushed her too far. It was best to end the discussion here. And so, he raises his hand in surrender before rummaging his suitcase and pulling out a well packed box. "Le tere liye Jalebi laya hoon." It was a truce offering.
Twinkle smiled, taking a bite of the sticky goodness. "Chal mein tujhe ghar ka tour deti hoon." She sucks her sticky fingers and claps them together for extra measure before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards her bedroom.
The room wasn't as lavish as the one back home in Amritsar nonetheless it was homely. It was majorly white but had that classic Twinkle touch of colorful pom-pom lace to all surfaces possible. Her desk housed her laptop, some stationary and one or two scented candles. There was a single chair in the room, unconsciously indicating the desire to keep people out of her room. Kunj smiled a little at that fact. Twinkle next dragged him to the common balcony and on the way pointed out Yuvi's room.
The stood in the balcony for a while, bearing the harsh wind that blew. The air was thick and foggy, despite it being almost 10 in the morning. But that was the Magic of New York! The fast blur of yellow cabs against the white fog. The men and women briskly walking in monotone business suits and then the vacationers and fashionistas in their rainbow outfits, the white and blew of the hot dog stand and the green of the ice cream carts. It was all so colorful! "I hope tujhe apna soulmate bahut jaldi mil jaye Twinkle. I can't wait for you to see all the colors! Sach mein Twinkle Rango ki duniya itni haseen hai kit u soch bhi sakti." Kunj breathes, eyes still fastened on the road below them.
Twinkle sucks in a sharp breath, realization hit her colder than the blowing wind did. She yet had to maintain her faade of being Un-iridescent. She was going to have to put on her mask of deceit once again. She realizes how difficult it was going to be. These six months away from him, meant that she didn't have to walk on egg shells. She could freely talk about colors and no one would bat an eye. Heck! She didn't even have to pretend around Yuvi. But now she had to brush up her lying skills.
Having Kunj here wasn't as fun as she thought it to be.
Twinkle couldn't formulate a reply to his wish and merely set her gaze ahead. Thankfully, Kunj broke put a yawn, muttering something about being jet lagged. "Haan! Haan, tu thodi der ke liye so ja! Thak ka hua hoga." She exclaims, relieved to have a way out of the conversation.
She blows up an air mattress and sets it in Yuvi's room. "Tu Yuvi ke room mein so jaa. Waise bhi who aone room mein kam hi rehta hai, toh tujhe koi disturbance nahi hogi." Kunj was too tired to argue.
~~~
Yuvi came back after his stroll about 3 in the noon. He hoped that, 5 hours was ample time to help Kunj calm and settle down. It was clear as crystal that Kunj was jealous and surprised about his presence there. He only hops that Twinkle had handled the situation. And to add to that, why did he have to take his shirt off to dance! That never made a good first impression on anyone!
He found Twinkle pacing the length of the living room, her nails being chewed on. Well, things apparently weren't all solved then. "Kya hua. Jvala Mukhi ab tak chill nahi hua?" he asks, setting his shoes neatly by the door. He had never done that before, but he wanted to be on Kunj'sgood side for the length of his visit.
"Yuvi! Yuvi dekh, aaj se tu bhool ja ki main Iridescent hoon. Aaj se mein colors bilkul nahi dekh sakti got it? I have to be the old Twinkle!"
He gets her concern. She doesn't want Kunj to know that she was Iridescent. Because that in turn would raise the question as to who her soulmate was, and that in turn would lead to Twinkle reveal that Kunj himself was her soulmate and thus resulting in a complicated love triangle. Ta-da! This was rocket science level shit.
"Par tu yeh baat kab tak chupayigi usse? Ek na ek din toh sach saamne aa jayega."
Twinkle dismisses his warning. "Woh ek din ka hum baad mein dekh lege. Bas iss visit mein Kunj ko iss baare mein kuch nahi pata chalna chahiye."
"Mujhe kya nahi pata chalna chahiye?" Comes the voice she dreaded.
"Ho gaya Siyappa!" She smacks her hand against her forehead. Kya Baba-ji. Thodi help nahi kar sakte the?' "Woh Kunj, Tum uth gaye.! Chalo fresh ho jao. Hum lunch karne bahar jaate hai."
Kunj doesn't buy her sorry excuses. "That wasn't my question."
"Arey bro, woh tujhse yeh chupana chahti thi ki hum dono kal raat pub gaye the. Aur Twinkle ne kuch zyaada hi pee li thi. Usse pata hai kit u kitna upset hota yeh baat sun kar. Bechari darr gayi thi." Yuvraj smiles in his typical carefree manner. "Haina Twinkle?"
"H-Ha-Haan. Yehi baat thi."
Kunj wasn't pleased. "Aur yeh pub shub jaane ka ghatiya plan tera hi hoga na?" he seethes at Yuvi menacingly.
"Ek dum sahi!" Yuvi answered unfazed.
His honesty took Kunj by surprise and left him tongue tied for a minute. He wasn't used to anyone talking back to him, other than Twinkle. And this only meant that he absolutely had to have the last word and so he hastily spits, "I don't like you."
Yuvi just smirked and, shrugged his shoulders, infuriating Kunj all the very more. "Cool. I don't wake up every day to impress you anyway."
Oh, the gall of the man, really!
Kunj highly insulted faces Twinkle, "I don't like him." He repeats.
"Okay." Was all that she could say in reply.
~~~
Lunch wasn't the amiable even that Twinkle thought it would be. Instead it was very similar to breakfast that morning. Murderous looks and Falafel sandwich didn't go well together, Twinkle thought. Yuvi remained willingly oblivious to the angry looks aimed at him, and continued to loudly sip on his smoothie. "Tu isse tolerate kaise kar ti hai?" Kunj whispers at her.
"Jaise who tujhe karti hai." Yuvi answers, having heard Kunj's hushed words.
"I don't like you." Kunj utters it for the umpteenth time in the past two hours. It was becoming his standard reply to all of Yuvi's questions and conversations.
Acha Kunj tu kaunsa Protein Shake pee ta hai. I honestly don't like the GMC choco flavor.' Yuvi would say.
I don't like you' Kunj would reply.
Twinkle helplessly dropped her head on the table in front of her. This was going to be more difficult than she thought...
Lunch passed by, painfully like a kidney stone. But it passed. Ans she survived. Twinkle to celebrate her endurance suggested that they stroll by Yuvi and her Univeristy. There was just a week remaining before the Winter Break.
"Kunj, yaar you should have enrolled here! NYU is amazing!" Yuvi jumped ahead of them, excitedly handing by the large gates of the Campus.
"I don't like you!" Kunj yet again mumbled under his breath.
"Yea, he should have but priorities." Twinkle mutters sadly before she can stop herself.
~~~
Twinkle was anxiously pacing the corridors of Infinty Mall. The click-clack of her heels heavy and angry. Kunj, duffer! Idiot! Sadduuu! Kabhi bhi time par nahi aa sakta!' She glanced at her watch again. He was an hour and a half late.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! Main late ho gaya!" Comes a voice from behind her. It was Kunj. He wounds his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin on top of her head. Damn him, he purposely does this all the time. He knew, he knew that all her anger melts like butter on a hot day whenever he hugs her like so.
But she wasn't going to let him off this easily. "Kya yaar Kunj! New York jaane mein sirf pandra din bache hai, aur ab tak hummne shopping shuru bhi nahi ki hai! Tujhe to hiss baat ki tension hi nahi hai. Upar se tu late hai!" Twinkle fires.
"Arey, arey, arey shaant ho ja, meri rajdhani express." He places a kiss againsy her already red cheek. Man1 His manaofying skills were sharp. Twinkle possibly help but smile at that. "Great! Ab pehle shopping se pehle, please coffee pee lete hai na. Bahut pyaas lagi hai."
Could she even deny him?
"Chalo. Bhukkad!"
Kunj eagerly sipped on his latte. Twinkle wasn't that enthusiastic about her ice tea. She just wanted to get their shopping done. Half a month really wasn't much of time. And with Kunj on her heels, it always seemed shorter.
"Twinkle, actually mujhe tujhse kuch kehna hai." Twinkle only now notices that his enthusiasm over the latte, wasn't actualy enthusiasm. Rather it was trepidation. She suddenly had a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Main Maya ke saath Mumbai University join kar raha hoon."
It was only understandable that she empty the contents of the glass in front of her over his head.
And it was only understandable that she locks herself in the room and cry her heart out, ignoring all his calls and texts.
And it was only understandable that she takes the next quickest flight to New York. Away from him and further heart ache.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Do I have to say it?
I will anyway...😆 (Just in case)
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Originally posted by: docritu99Daammm..!!!
I totally missed it Mevs..
Res for now..
I have 7 chaps to cover..
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