Second part as promised and I made it long as well! I'm so generous I know 😆
Thank you for all your lovely comments so far, keep them coming. My motivation levels are so low so thank you to all the people that pester me *cough cough Teddy, cough cough Karen*
Enjoy!
Part 3B - New Territories
"Yes, you got it!" Twinkle said excitedly as Kunj finished re-narrating the chapter they had been studying for the last hour. It gave her immense happiness knowing that her methods of revision were actually working in his favour.
"Well I did tell you I'm a quick learner Taneja, you just underestimated my capabilities" Kunj told her accusingly. Twinkle picked up the playful tone in his voice and couldn't help but laugh at his sulky demeanour.
"Perhaps" She shrugged. "Your supposed "bad boy" image doesn't exactly help the situation." She bit back a laugh as Kunj suddenly stood up from his desk, his stance now defensive.
"I do not have a bad boy image" He told her through narrowed eyes.
"Oh please! Save me the bull Sarna" Twinkle replied, rolling her eyes at him.
"I think you'll agree that I'm actually the good guy here" His voice conveyed challenge. The slight smirk on his face didn't go unnoticed either but Twinkle Taneja was always ready for a fight.
Setting aside the book from her lap, she crossed her arms over each other, now sitting upright on his bed. "And why is that exactly?" She said, her eyes narrowing at his gloating.
"Well..." Kunj elongated as he walked towards the bed. "...First of of all, I haven't hit on you even once." He said casually as he slumped onto his bed.
Twinkle gave him her are you being for real' look before replying, "You told me I had a pretty laugh the other day, how can someone even have a pretty laugh?" She questioned him.
Turning to rest on his elbow, Kunj chuckled. "Ok firstly, I told you that because that was the first time I saw or heard you laugh and trust me, I've met some girls with questionable laughs in my life. Secondly, that was not me hitting on you Taneja, that was me giving you a genuine compliment. Most girls would appreciate Kunj Sarna's compliments"
"Earth to Sarna. I am not most girls." Twinkle simply stated.
"Point duly noted." The conversation was interrupted by Kunj's ringtone. Usually when this happens during their sessions, he simply cuts the call and puts his phone on silent. However, his change of expression and sudden upright position told Twinkle that this was important. He glanced at her and she gave him a slight nod indicating for him to take the call. Re-thinking her actions, Twinkle was confused as to why she even felt the need to give him her approval, it was his phone and his life, her approval didn't matter at the end of the day.
"Hi dad." Kunj answered.
*****
Glancing at the name flashing across the screen, Kunj couldn't help the frustration. He had been avoiding this call for the past couple of days and he knew if he didn't answer it today, there would be consequences. He glanced at Twinkle, he didn't want to annoy her again by bringing his personal problems into her study time but he couldn't avoid this any longer either. His mind was racing but then a rather concerned looking Twinkle gave him her ever so slightest approval. Taking in a deep breath, he pressed the green button.
"Hi dad."
"I'm so grateful that you have my contact number saved Kunj, you really do make me proud to be your father." Came the sarcastic tone from the other end of the line.
"Is this important? I'm kind of busy right now" Kunj replied.
"Busy? Let me guess, a new woman in your bed? You never were the faithful kind Kunj. Couldn't even remain loyal to your own biological father" His father mockingly laughed.
Kunj closed his eyes trying to contain the anger brewing inside him. "I'm studying" He managed to say through gritted teeth.
"Well that's a new one. Good I suppose. How were your last semester marks?" Here come the 21 questions, thought Kunj.
"Fine. I passed" He lied. There was no way he was going to give his father another reason to berate him, like there weren't enough reasons already.
"Passed? I am not paying ridiculous sums of money to have you simply pass! Do you hear me? Completely useless. Why am I even surprised? You take after your mother after all"
The disgust in his father's voice ripped through Kunj like someone had run a knife through him. He didn't even realise that he was clenching his phone so hard until he felt Twinkle's soft hand over his own one. "Are you done?" Kunj said into his phone, his eyes still on Twinkle.
"I'm your father! I will not have you speak to me in that tone you ungrateful child." And with that, the line went dead. The phone went flying across the room as Kunj stood and paced the room, his hands running through his hair and down his face, in desperate measure of trying to remain cool.
Twinkle remained silent. She had never seen him so affected by anything and from what she figured, the conversation didn't go down too well between Kunj and his father. When Kunj finally sat down on the edge of the bed, his face buried in his palms, she slowly moved over to his side, placing a hand to his shoulder.
"I'm fine" He said, not turning back to look at her.
"I know" She gently told him. She could see the red in his eyes so they sat there silently in that position until Kunj finally spoke up again.
"I hate him sometimes. I've tried. I have always tried to make him happy but every time, every single time, I end up disappointing him even more. I'm not loyal he says. I'm ungrateful. Why? Because I stood by my mother during their divorce? Does that make me a bad person Twinkle? Am I really a bad son?" He finally let it all out. The anger, the guilt, the disappointment.
"No" Twinkle immediately replied. "You are not a bad person and you are definitely not a bad son. I'm sure your mother is really proud to have a son like you by her side. There are some people in life that you will never be able to please Kunj, and it's unfortunate that one of them is your father. That's a flaw on his end, not yours. Please don't beat yourself up about it" She tried is pacify him. She was used to seeing an arrogant and know-it-all Kunj Sarna, the college stud, the hot shot, not the vulnerable guy that was sitting beside her right now.
"Thank you" Kunj said finally looking at her. No other words were needed in that moment.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the smile was back on his face. "I'm going to go out and get some air for a bit. You can stay here until I return and we can continue our studying or we can call it a night. I think it's safe to say that today's been a little heavy" He joked.
Twinkle lightly chuckled at his ability to make a joke out of such a serious situation. "I can wait, we still have a lot to cover" She told him. Yes, they had a lot to do but she kind of wanted to make sure that he was going to be ok too.
Kunj didn't question her decision. He was hoping she would stay back too. She might be the kind of girl you don't want to mess with but there was something about her that was comfortable. He had never discussed his family situation with anyone apart from Yuvi, and it came as a shock to Kunj himself, at how easily he blurted everything out in front of her.
*****
After Kunj left, it took Twinkle literally 10 minutes to plan the next steps in her tutoring sessions. Kunj had told her that he'll be back in half an hour so she had 20 minutes to kill. She could snoop around his room and uncover his dirty little secrets but then again, she wasn't sure she really wanted to deal with that kind of trauma knowing Kunj Sarna. So giving into her boredom, she decided to go downstairs. Come to think of it, she could do with a snack too.
Downstairs, she was presented with the same scene as she always was. Cherry, Yuvraj and Anand, all sat around the couches battling it off on the Xbox. Twinkle watched them for a while, shouting at each other, shouting at the screen and sometimes even shouting at themselves. Yuvraj seemed to be losing to Cherry and that was not going down to well.
"Press the blue button whilst holding down the Y" Twinkle said, only to be ignored by them all. She rolled her eyes at their ignorant dismissal and repeated herself to Yuvraj. He argued against it at first but eventually pressed it, maybe just to shut her up. She could be very stubborn at times.
The room fell silent as the screen displayed "Game Over" declaring Yuvraj the winner. All eyes suddenly turned to her as she stood proud with her "told you so" attitude.
"How did you know that would happen?" Yuvraj asked her cautiously, but the hint of admiration was evident to Twinkle.
"I play video games" She admitted.
"THIS IS CHEATING. THIS ISNT FAIR!" The outburst from Cherry causing everyone to burst into laughter. "Luthra you good for nothing. If Taneja didn't help you, you would've lost!"
"All is fair in war bro" Yuvraj said, sending an appreciative smile towards Twinkle.
"I want a rematch!" Cherry continued. "Taneja no offense, but you're not allowed to help"
"Can I play?" She doesn't know why she asked that but it was too late to take back the words now.
Yuvraj got up immediately and handed the controller over to her, "You can have my go Taneja. I'm absolutely starved anyway. I need food." He said as he turned and headed into the kitchen.
It was 15 minutes into the game and both Cherry and Anand were sat sulking at the fact that Twinkle had managed to defeat them both so early on in the game. They weren't taking the attack on their masculinity too well basically. Twinkle however, was giggling away at their antics.
Suddenly they heard a loud bang and Yuvraj shouting something from the kitchen. All three ran to see what the commotion was about and there stood Yuvraj Luthra in front of a blown up microwave, black smoke rising into the air.
"Mac and cheese anyone?" Yuvi stated taking into notice his audience.
*****
Kunj returned back to the house after an hour or so. His drive was only supposed to last half an hour but he had ended up on the other side of town somehow and the traffic was crazy due to an accident. His phone also died. How typical. He just hoped Twinkle wouldn't be too mad at his lack of time management.
Stepping in through the front door, he was immediately hit with a delicious aroma that filled the air. Cheese? He could definitely smell cheese. Yuvi and Cherry stood at the dining table setting up cutlery and arranging seating. Kunj rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly.
"Dudes" He said, making both guys turn to acknowledge his entrance. Cherry approached him first and planted a punch straight to his right arm. "Ouch bro!"
"You seriously are good for nothing Sarna"
"What the hell is going on? You guys are setting up a table? YOU GUYS? Where's Anand? Wait a minute, where is Taneja? Has she left?" He was just about to turn for his room when Yuvraj spoke.
"Taneja's making dinner and Anand is assisting her" He told Kunj casually.
"What?" Kunj couldn't believe what was going on. He had only left the house for an hour and everything had changed in his absence. He made his way to the kitchen to find Twinkle bent over the oven whilst Anand was piling up the garlic bread and fries.
"Ohh hey Sarna, you're just on time. The lasagna's just come of the oven" Twinkle chirped on seeing him enter. Removing her oven gloves, he picked up the dish from the cooling rack and made her way into the dining room, swerving past a very stunned Kunj Sarna.
"I can't believe you didn't tell us that Taneja was such an amazing cook Sarna! I have learnt so much today" Anand berated Kunj. After all, Anand was known to be the house chef and refraining from sharing such precious knowledge was a crime in his eyes.
"Erm I didn't know myself" was all that Kunj could muster up.
"Okay guys enough Q&A. The food's getting cold" She interrupted as she served everyone very generous portions. There was silence throughout the entire meal. Everyone was so lost for words at how delicious and heavenly the meal was. It was eventually Cherry who started off the praises and appreciation. Twinkle didn't even need them to convey their feelings through words, the fact that the four guys had to conduct an arm wrestling match to decide who gets the last piece of lasagna was enough of a declaration for her. Guys will be guys, she thought to herself.
*****
Once dinner was over and everyone had shared the clearing up duty, the rest of the guys left for their usual evening gym regimes, leaving Kunj and Twinkle at the house.
"You didn't tell me you can cook" Kunj said.
"You didn't ask" She replied.
"Not fair Taneja" He stated not being able to help the laugh. His fun was short-lived as Twinkle handed him a pile of papers, example answers and mock questions, which he was supposed to read and complete by their next tutor session. She would mark them and they would decide the next step by seeing how much progress he's made so far.
"You better complete them on time Sarna" Twinkle told him, turning back from the front door.
"Ay ay captain!" Kunj replied, emphasising his understanding with a mock salute. She smiled before heading out, leaving behind a very happy Kunj. Today had been a series of rather interesting events but to top it all off, he was pretty certain that he was going to smash this resit with all the help he's received from Twinkle. She was determined and smart, slightly nerdish but still pretty cool.
Considering how patient she has been with him and the lads, it's only fair that she receives the same on her end of the bargain. From tomorrow, Kunj would start working on his end of the deal of setting Twinkle up on a date with Verma.
Edited by Tranquility123 - 9 years ago
Kumkum Bhagya
