Hello beautiful people. I am here with a new OS. I feel this story is a little different in terms of writing from my other stories but I hope you all like it nonetheless.
BESTSELLER
It was a quite evening one day when Twinkle returned from shopping. Dinner had been served and devoured, nightly greetings were called and silence was a thick blanket surrounding them. The shopping trip was nothing special, just a few Knick knacks for the house, a saree for mummy-ji, new curtains and the likes and yet Twinkle's fingers were itching to grab hold of the one day that she had oh so delicately hidden from the others. She grabs the brown paper bag, pulls out its content and settles herself comfortably on the bed. Oliver Twist' written in white bold letters across a picture of a boy running along a dirty road greeted her. She smiles as she always does when she starts a new book.
It was when Chinki gave her a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo' back in 8th grade that she fell in love with books. Since then she had consumed books like there is no tomorrow. Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse, you name it and Twinkle has read it. She has fond memories of burying herself under a blanket with a faithful torch and a book for company, spending hours of the cold, harsh winter days in the manner. Rainy days were spent with her sitting by the window, raindrops pebbling down the glass, a book in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in another.
It was love yes! She loved reading. But it was also a coping mechanism. Her days weren't always sunny and rainbow filled and some days all she wanted to do was put her life on hold and jump into the universe of The Great Gatsby'. She laughed with the character and cried with them, she lived with them and died with them. The last page of any book had her smiling with achievement and crying because it felt like she had lost a good friend.
The months leading to her marriage were a whirlwind that left her breathless. She hadn't been able to pick a book for months. Thankfully now, things had settled down considerably and she found herself back in her favourite bookstore, carefully walking down each aisle, trying to narrow down her selection to five.
Every time she put down a book and out of her current selection, she winced in pain that was never physical but very emotional. Finally, after meandering down the same aisles for two hours, Twinkle had made her decision. She walked down to the cashier with firm decided steps and tried her absolute best not to look back now, because she knows if she does she might end up buying another half dozen books. She taps her foot impatiently as the cashier checks out each book and places them in a bag. It didn't take as long as Twinkle thinks and before long she seats herself car, homebound.
The evening was a prickly thorn in her side when she had to make polite conversation with every one when it was suddenly decided that tea and talk was a good way to spend the evening and to catch up with each other. All Twinkle wanted to do was settle in bed, a warm comforter around her, a book in hand and an evening of silence.
Everyone retreat to their respective rooms later than she would have liked and Twinkle had to remind herself to take slow steady steps because she had half a mind to just damn it all and run up the stair to their room, lock it and ignore the world for two straight days. Kunj mercifully has nothing to say to pull her leg with and he silently make way to the bathroom to change into his pajamas.
Once declaring herself comfortable enough, she opens the book with careful fingers. She is immediately transported in the world of young Oliver Twist.
"Oho, Ms. Amritsar tu kabse kitabo mein interest lene lagi?" Kunj asks her, catching sight of her. He knew something was up because she had been unnaturally quite the entire evening. She doesn't answer him. It's clear she is immersed deeply into the book.
He couldn't catch the title of the book from his position or angle. So he walks up beside her and bends down so that his head is practically in her lap. Oliver Twist' he reads before his face lights up in great delight and before Twinkle lets out a surprised yelp "Kunj! Yeh tum kya kar rahe ho?"
"Tu Oliver Twist' pad rahi hai! Yeh meri favourite book hai."
Those were seemingly the magic words because Twinkle is out of her book land and into the land of the living. "Wait wait wait! Favorite book? Tumhe bhi books padne acha lagta hai." She says gleefully.
He looks disgusted for a second "Acha lagta hai?" his hand raises up to his chest as if he had just been highly insulted. His expression them morphs into his more natural ones and he continues. "Sirf acha nahi lagta hai, bahut acha lagta hai. I love reading"
Twinkle's eyes light up even further while Kunj takes his place on the bed, "Sach? Mujhe bhi. I love reading too." She puts down Oliver' and directs her complete focus to him. "Mujhe nahi pata tha ki Mr. Kadoos Sarna ko bhi books mein interest hoga." She dismisses the taunt before he can retaliate though and hands him the bag containing more books.
He empties the contents of the bag on the bed and eyes her selections with critical eyes. She grabs a blue covered book with a 2 women in red on the cover. Yeh meri favourite book hai' she tells him, hugging the book to her chest. The cover read A thousand splendid suns'
The then a few minutes later make a deal. She will continue reading his favorite book and he will hers. He pulls her comforter around them and they both settle in for a long, long night. The hands on the wall clock tick away into the wee hours of the next day and by the time the first yawn escapes Twinkle's soft lips its quarter to three. She doesn't know when she falls asleep.
Breakfast the next day was a blur of sorts. Their eyes were tired but their minds hadn't been more awake. Kunj had successfully finished half of the book and Twinkle was a mere five page behind the goal. In the middle of their breakfast the naughty streak in Kunj takes over and he leans close next to Twinkle's ear. This action thankfully went unnoticed by the others. "Fagin kills Oliver." He whispers. The butter knife clatters loudly, falling from Twinkle's hand. "KUNJ!" she yells but the voice was wrong. It was definitely wrong because it gave others the wrong impression.
"Arey arey, yeh sab romance dining table par toh mat lao." Anand Bhaiya cheekily says earning a laugh from everyone present at the table, except the culprits who instead turn a deep shade of red.
Twinkle manages to stomp heavily on her husband's foot under the table knowing that they weren't in any situation to call further notice upon themselves. He merely turns his head to her and gives her a grimace of a smile.
She calls him in the office later that day when she knows he must be at his busiest. He answers the phone like she knew he would. "Hello."
"Laila and Tariq kudhkusi kar lete hai." Is all she says before hanging up.
"TWINKLE!" he screams loudly in his cabin; his peon comes running in scared at this outburst.
They both manage to wrap up their daily duties early that day. Dinner was cooked earlier than usual and files were looked over and signed at a godly pace. They end up climbing into bed at the same time. Kunj pulls the duvet over them and they turn to reach their bed side tables for their respective books.
Twinkle gives out a sad sigh every now and then, so does Kunj. Two hours in, this happens: "Tumne mujhse jhoot bola!" she screams punching him in the arm. "Oliver bilkul theek thaak hai. Jhoote kahi ke"
Two hours and three minutes later "Tu! Tu ne jhoot bola. Laila zinda hai." He flickers her nose in revenge for the punch in the arm.
It takes them another hour until they turn the last page of the book. Twinkle has little tears forming in the corner of her eyes and Kunj has a poker face on, taking in the end of the book.
"Thank you."
"Kis liye?"
"Mere saath apni favourite book share karne ke liye. Oliver Twist' ab meri nayi favorite book hai."
He smiles glad that she liked-no loved-the book. And if he ever over thinks it then he could convince himself that she liked his choice or maybe even him. Sharing his favorite book with Twinkle in sense became like sharing a part of him with her. He honestly never had the guts of telling anyone else his favorite book, too embarrassed about his choice but with Twinkle these things just came naturally. The fact she liked his favorite book and now considered it her favorite too was enough to send him over the moon.
And her sharing a part of herself in the form of her favorite book was enough proof to know she felt the same. Books according to him were an intimate piece of their soul, a physical representation of their thoughts, love and spirits in dark black permutation of alphabets along yellowed pages.
This is how their journey begins, sharing books to share souls.
They read Da Vinci Code' together. Huddled close and heads touching as they journey across the Vatican City through words. It takes them longer to finish the book this way but they don't mind. Personally it might be their preferred way to read from now onwards.
One night when they had exhausted the collection of books that Twinkle had purchased and sleep was an enigma Kunj says "Jab Dad, Maa ke saath ladte kab unki awaaz se escape karne, situation se escape karne, quilt ke andar jaa kar books padta." He doesn't continue beyond that and Twinkle couldn't make out if wanted to continue or not. She waits a while, giving him ample time to continue if he wished. When its confirmed that he won't she takes over. "Jab school mein friends mere Papa ke baare mein gande stories banate toh main ghar jaa kar, study table ke neeche jaa kar ro leti aur phir apne aap par gussa ho kar, books padne lagti."
They don't speak after that; they don't need to. They just lie in the darkness relishing each other's presence
Eventually they grow closer and closer to each other with and without books. The fact was cemented when Twinkle read him To kill a Mocking bird' when he lays fever ridden in bed. They end up liking that book a lot because it wasn't about Scout but Atticus. It was a book on fathers. Something Kunj had and yet didn't and something Twinkle know had at all.
He gifts her Pride and Prejudice' because its them in some twisted sort of way. She is Elizabeth and he would be Mr. Darcy. They laugh heavily about Yuvraj being Mr. Wickham and or Mr. Collins.
They ended up buying a second bookshelf for their room when the first one could no longer hold anymore and they had to stack up books on the floor.
She called him Watson once and they had a mighty fight over it. "Main Watson?" Kunj puffs up his chest "Tu Watson! Main clearly Sherlock hoon, koi doubt na rakhiyo."
She gives out a mock laugh,"Tum aur Sherlock? Abhin ahi Mr. Kadoos Sarna. Tum mein toh ek percent bhi dectective giri nahi hai. Aur hi toh mujhe Bomkyash Bakshi bolte ho na toh by default main Sherlock hoon. tum Watson."
They don't know when exactly they stopped requiring books to convey their feelings for one another. But she stopped calling him Mr. Darcy and he no longer called her Elizabeth. They no longer fought on who is Sherlock and who would be Watson. Instead she woke up him by whispering Mr. Kunj Sarna.' And he teased her by calling her Mrs. Kunj Sarna in front of all. He calls her Queen' in the comfort of their room instead of Siyappa Queen' and she calls him Handsome Sarna' instead of Kadoos Sarna' And before they know it they have written a beautiful life for themselves and others had the pleasure of reading a few pages of it.
If they were a book, no doubt they would be a bestseller.
THE END.
Well that's the end of this story. I hope you all liked it. Please comment and let me know. Also a huge thanks for giving this story a try. Love you all.
🤗
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
