Natasha

Several years ago...

(3rd POV)

It was the second garba night at a small city of Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. Natasha along with her family arrived there to celebrate Dusshera with their close relatives. Chhindwara was Natasha's favourite place to visit. Not because the place was extraordinary. She simply got a chance to not be alone with her parents. She could breathe peacefully for a while.

It was the first day of the dandiya night. Like many other chicks, Natasha also opted for a traditional Chaniya Choli in the colors of yellow and red. A traditional Gujarati attire having a blouse, long skirt and a dupatta draped over it. The streets were lit with colorful lights and music. Natasha joined her cousins for a dandiya dance, immersing into the festivities. After sometime, her cousin brother Vedant called her.

“Your mother is looking for you. Go!” Vedant said, yelling over the loud drums playing in the background.

“O- okay,” Natasha replied hesitantly. She raised her long skirt slightly as she exited the short flight of stairs and swiveled her head around to spot her mother. As she neared the houses, she spotted her mother in a green saree. Natasha tensed as she noticed her face— her furrowed brows, bulging red eyes, flushed cheeks. She knew that face too well. It was when she was aggravated about something and was eager to lash out.

No fucking way Natasha was going to be that bitch's punching bag tonight. So she only did what she thought was best.

She fled.

The whole locality was filled with privately owned three storeyed homes. Families of farmers, factory owners and businessmen lived here. She recognized one house. It was Divya's— one of the girls she played around the neighbourhood. The door was ajar so Natasha entered and found Divya. She begged Divya to let her hide in her house and abide from telling anyone where she was. Nine year old Divya sensed the panic in Natasha's voice and instantly said yes, instructing her to go to the terrace. Natasha thanked her before dashing upstairs.

Natasha heaved a sigh of relief when she closed the worn out terrace door after herself. Finally, she was safe.

She raised her head towards the sky that was painted with several twinkling stars. The residents were sure lucky to be blessed with such a bombastic scene every night. Her gaze swiveled towards the surroundings, searching for a space to sit. She walked towards the backside of the terrace, only to squeal in surprise.

She wasn't alone.

A dark figure crouched down to the mat with his back against the wall and a burning cigarette dangling between his fingers. The boy stared into the distance, bringing the tip of the cigarette to his lips and exhaled a thin stream of grey smoke through his gritted teeth. The smoke faded into thin air. The bulb was turned on, giving the figure a visible face.

“Kunal?”

The teenage boy in question seemed to be unfazed as ever as he stole a quick glance towards Natasha and scowled. “Oh. It's you.”

“What are you doing at Divya's house?” Natasha asked, curious but received a cold response as Kunal continued smoking. She sat down wordlessly, watching him in his blue color kurta and jeans. Her curiosity got the better of her as she added. “Can I have one? Cigarette I mean.”

“You fuckin' kidding me?” Kunal turned to her slightly, his brows furrowed. He immediately turned away, taking a long drag, the smoke filling the air around them. Natasha coughed. “Go, play with your Barbie dolls or something.”

Natasha snorted. “I ain't ten, boy. I'm fifteen! Soon to be sixteen.”

“Same thing.”

Was Kunal always this grumpy? She wondered. Then again, she barely interacted with him alone. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Kunal for the past two times when she visited Chhindwara. Where has he been? Vedant said Kunal was sick or something. Was he fine now? She mumbled something incoherent that made him turn to her direction again. Her eyes widened.

Behind his grumpy exterior lay a person she hadn't seen. A nineteen year old boy with dark bags under his eyes, hollow cheeks and slightly paler skin. Like he hadn't slept peacefully. But what caught her was his black, lucid eyes that seemed hollow in contrast to the lively surroundings outside. They held an aura of darkness she recognized too well. Why was he so angry and sad? She wanted to ask.

“The fuck are you looking at?” Kunal spat, catching her blatantly staring at him. She deadpanned, looking ahead. To hell with it. She wasn't curious anymore. “What are you even doing here?”

She let out an air of frustration, standing up. “It's not like I'm looking forward to your pleasant company, Kunal. I'm only here to hide for a while. So you better stick your mean girl persona down your ass and stay put, sleazebag.”

Needless to say, her not- so- sweet outburst silenced Kunal as he looked at her with a raised brow. It didn't stop him from taking another drag of his cigarette though. Was it that addictive, she wondered? Instead, Natasha diverted her attention to the starry sky.

Silence followed except for the distant sound of the DJ and crackers.

“Sorry,” Kunal responded, a minute later in a softer tone. “I'm just not in a good mood so...”

“Okay.” Natasha said, casting a side glance at him. She sat down next to him again. Fortunately, he didn't scowl at her this time. She couldn't help but ask though. “Can I try one now?”

The glare Kunal shot was enough to shut her trap for once. Instead, he fished out a chocolate biscuit from the pack and threw it in her direction, expecting her to catch. She did.

Time passed just like that. They made a small talk—although it was mostly Natasha doing the talking,  before falling into dead silence. Even though they were engrossed in their phones, it was comforting. The silence was comforting.

“Do you ever feel like running away? Running far, far away from here.”

The question came out of nowhere. Kunal's baritone voice was barely more than a whisper against the wind. His eyes were transfixed on the starry sky, lost in a void, miles away from her. He didn't seem to be waiting for her answer either. Maybe that was why Natasha was able to speak the way she did, staring at the same sky.

“Always. If only I could be at a place where no one knew me. Where no one saw, hurt or judged me.”

“A place of absolute freedom.”

“Yes. Freedom.”

Both of them dragged their heads to look each other in the eye, acknowledging their presence for the first time. Appearance wise, Kunal looked dapper in traditional wear. His light skinned face was clean shaved, his thick dark hair gelled up. He had a lean figure with no extra fat on his body. No, he seemed rather underweight. Still, she could see why he was unanimously claimed as one of the hottest boys in the area.

They didn't talk much after that. None had anything intelligent to say. Kunal simply offered her two more biscuits while he lit another cigarette. Natasha watched him from the corner of her eye with mild fascination. One of his legs lay flat on the ground while another propped up against his torso with his arm resting on it. The way his eyes closed and his chest relaxed as he puffed out smoke— How could someone look so sexy while doing something destructive? She was definitely not right in her head. Someone, please check her brain cells. She might have lost it.

Sometime later, Natasha received a call from Sahil asking about her whereabouts. Instead of replying, she informed she would reach in five minutes. She bid Kunal a quick goodbye before stepping down the terrace.

By the time Natasha returned, her mother was already preparing her bed much to Natasha's relief. Crisis averted. Back in the comfort of her bed, Natasha's mind reeled back to her strange encounter with Kunal. His words stuck to her that night as if someone spoke the language of her soul. She wished to see him again.

* * *

Almost twenty- four hours later, Natasha was sprinting away with a lump in her throat and tears streaming down her cheeks. She almost seemed like a runaway bride with a fancy purple salwar suit and long hair tied in a single plait. How foolish to think she was saved last night. She should have known how heartless her mother was. Mrs Patil had the habit of not letting go once she caught the angry bug. Natasha inherited her stubbornness after all. Even though she lost her bloody earring, there was no need to yell and slap in front of her relatives. She felt utterly humiliated. Bitch.

Natasha didn't join the garba that night, despite Mitali persistence. Instead her legs took her to a safe refuge. To Divya's house.

Natasha wasn't expecting Kunal but damn fuck, was she relieved to see him sitting in the same terrace as yesterday. He had his earphones on this time, lip-synching silently to whatever song he was hearing. He only stopped his music for a second to greet Natasha with a nod before reverting back to his music again, his head turned onto the other side.

Any other person would be disappointed by Kunal's lack of interest but not Natasha. She was grateful as hell. It gave her a chance to be in her own space. So she allowed her emotions to get the better of her as she covered her eyes with her hand, whimpering softly. A strange scene unfolded where the boy blissfully unaware of her plight, continued to tune onto his music while the girl cried.

It was a lie though. Kunal happened to hear her muffled cries once the song ended. He simply pretended to be ignorant about it. Just as he unplugged his earphones, he noticed Natasha quickly wiping off her red face and sniffing out.

“I- I think the smoke of the crackers got into my eye. Perhaps I'm allergic to it,” Natasha lied, forcing a laugh.

“Yeah. Whatever, take this,” Kunal answered nonchalantly, offering her his handkerchief and few chocolate biscuits. For a second, Natasha regarded him with disdain. What was she, a fucking ten year old kid with a sweet milk tooth? Regardless, she ate it with a scowl.

Sometime later, Kunal stood up, startling Natasha. She peered at his back, wondering if she did something wrong? He almost looked like superman who stood at the top of a building with his hands on his hips.

“Wanna run away for a while?”

Natasha blinked. “Where?”

He looked back at her, his eyes gleaming slightly for the first time. “To a place of freedom.”

~

Twenty minutes later, Natasha reached the destined live map location shared by Kunal on WhatsApp. She was instructed to leave the terrace five minutes later after he did to minimise suspicion. She reached a small shop near an abandoned building. It looked like a abandoned shopping complex. She purchased a packet of chips and Frooti before heading behind the shop.

What she saw next had her drooling beneath the shawl covering her face. The sight of Kunal on a black Pulsar bike, his back hunched down. One of his hands revved the throttle releasing the engine as it growled to life while his other hand held the cigarette near his lips. The textbook definition of a bad boy.

Slash, a smouldering, bad boy. Way better than all the immature dickheads in her class. Or perhaps she had abnormal tastes. Just the sight of him made her wanna touch his arms or something. What was happening?

“The fuck do you keep looking at, girl? Get behind me,” Kunal opened his filthy mouth, making her scowl. She unmasked the veil from her face and walked closer while he stood up. “Why were you late?”  

“And why are you so bitter? Did someone bit your ass or what?” Natasha replied with gritted teeth while Kunal raised a brow at her. “I took a detour to dance with my siblings before saying I had a stomach ache. To make it less suspicious.”

“Hmm, quite smart of you, Patil.” Kunal said and helped her climb on the backseat of his bike. He knitted his brows when he noticed her holding a decorated wooden stick that is typically used in a dandiya dance. “The hell is that for? We ain't dancing.”

Natasha twisted her lips, hesitating. “You know how parents and society say not to accompany strangers— especially boys and especially at night. Yet, I'm doing exactly that. I know you're Vedant's friend, but I don't know you that well. If you dare act funny or take me somewhere creepy, I won't hesitate to swing this over your back. A girl's gotta do what she—”

Natasha was interrupted by an unexpected sound she didn't think she would hear from a grumpy boy like him. A deep, roaring laughter. Kunal's shoulders shook as he continued to laugh at her expense while slapping the bike in between. But as she drank the delicious sight of his crinkled teary eyes, toothy grin and his pleasant sound, she noticed something she had never seen before.

A dimple on his left cheek.

You got to be shitting me!

“By all means— Hit me where the sun doesn't shine if that happens,” He teased, positioning her arm and swung the stick against the air. He raised his head and blew off the last bit of his cigarette into thin air before its embers burnt out. He flicked the remains of the cigarette far away. She watched his back clothed in a black jacket as he swung his leg onto the bike with ease, turned on the ignition and kicked off the clutch from the ground. The engine growled into the silence as he twisted the handlebar. “Shall we proceed, your highness?”

Natasha bit her lip, suppressing a giggle. Her palms hovered above his shoulders until she found the confidence to touch him. “Yes.”

When Kunal said freedom, Natasha envisioned a number of cool spots like they showed in the movies. A top of a hill, hidden garden or a secret waterfall. However he took her to none of those. Her wild imagination flushed down the toilet when he took her to a posh neighborhood and stopped near a local ice-cream parlor.

“Ice- cream. Seriously?” She stared at him incredulously.

“The best one in town apparently,” Kunal muttered proudly, raising his collar. “Bhaiya, one cup of kulfi falooda and one plate of rasmalai.”

Natasha took Kunal's word for it and took a spoonful of falooda, the cold, sweet desi cream and vermicelli noodles melting in her mouth. Her grey eyes gleamed. “Oh my God! This is... this is heaven.”

“Told you so.”

After finishing what felt like the best falooda Natasha had in her life, Kunal took her to a nearby garden. They sat on the swings, moving back and forth for a while. Though it wasn't what she imagined, it still made her smile. She felt better.

“Why do you wish to run away?” Natasha conjured up to ask, glancing at him.

“Why were you crying earlier?”

“You heard me?” Natasha replied, feeling conscious all of a sudden as she tucked a strand of her hair, nervously. Kunal simply shrugged. He didn't seem like the type to talk about himself. Neither did she so she sighed, giving up. “Can't you take me to the hills or something?”

“As if we have the luxury of time. Some other day maybe.”

Shortly after, they returned back to the society. The night thereafter was pleasant where Natasha had something else to think about, other than her mother's petty argument. She gladly let her thoughts wander off to a certain boy in his Pulsar bike.

The next few days passed by in a jiffy as Natasha spent time with Kunal. Or at least tried to. It wasn't easy with the horde of judgemental Aunties and teens in the block who had their eyes and ears everywhere. Instead, Natasha told Vedant to call his friend so that they could all play together. Atleast she got to see Kunal this way. If not, then she would go to Divya's terrace at night to annoy him. She knew it was pathetic but fuck it, she couldn't help it. She was drawn to his aura like a moth drawn to the flame. His silent demeanor spoke volumes— an untold 온라인카지노게임 hidden behind the veil of smoke. The loneliness behind his eyes, masked with angry words. Perhaps she was imagining it all, or perhaps she was the only one who could relate to it. Relate to his looming darkness. It was comforting.

Kunal wasn't present on the fourth day.

“What's your freakin' deal? You following me around like a lost puppy!” Kunal spat angrily when Natasha followed him after he exited Vedant's house, the next afternoon. They were at an open wheat field outside the neighborhood now. “You wanna sleep with me? Sorry, but I don't fancy making out with fifteen year olds.”

“Soon to be sixteen! And I don't want to make out,” She bellowed but then lowered her voice while trying to match his walking pace. “You weren't there last night.”

“My mind, my body, I can take it wherever the fuck I want.” Kunal said before he stopped walking, his eyes serious. “You probably don't know since you are a big city girl, but things aren't the same here. If we are seen together often, people will gossip and defame us. And I don't want to be their subject of gossip more than I already am. So for fuck's sake, spare me!”

Natasha looked at him conflicted which gave him the chance to walk away from her.

“When will you take me to a place of freedom?!”

Kunal stopped walking, letting out a groan. This girl. A stretch of silence followed where both of them stood, without moving an inch. Finally, he walked back to Natasha, throwing his scarf over her head. “Cover your face with this. I'll take you somewhere... Not where you're thinking.”

Natasha stopped abruptly when they reached the designated place. It was a small two storey home with light green and peach walls, surrounded by thick trees. Even though it wasn't big, it looked prettier and greener than other houses in the block. Kunal let her inside and introduced her to his grandmother and a Labrador dog named Jackie. It was only when he let her upstairs to his room, did she realise.

“Don't tell me this is your place of freedom?” Natasha enquired in disbelief after looking at a side of a wall filled with posters of countries around the world.

“Atleast for me it is,” Kunal chuckled. He continued while picking one of the books on the wooden shelf. “It's one of my places to retreat. My grandparents home, not mine. They were kind enough to reserve this space for me. Personally, I prefer this room over the one in my parents house. And you are one of the few people who I let in here.”

“I'm honoured, my lord.” Natasha bowed in fake courtesy.

The next two hours were spent in Kunal's grandparents house chatting about books. Natasha took her sweet time browsing through the line of books stacked on the wooden bookshelf while Kunal watched her. They ranged from mystery, adventure and philosophy. Although Natasha wasn't a hardcore reader, she did indulge in books from time to time. It was nice to share her interest with someone in a non- reader society. He even lent a mystery novel to her. The more she got to know Kunal, the more she was impressed by him.

“You know, you aren't as bad as the rumors claim you to be. Definitely much more than that,” Natasha said as she flipped the pages of the novel Kunal lent her.

There was a flicker of emotion in Kunal's eyes as he looked at her. “You better stay true to your opinion then.”

“No worries, once Natasha forms an opinion of someone, it is unlikely she changes it.” She stated proudly while he chuckled at the way she said it.

Sometime later, Natasha stopped by a shop and called Vedant to pick her up. He knew who she was with so there was no point hiding. She explicitly explained how she only borrowed books from Kunal and nothing else. It was the truth. She made Vedant sworn to secrecy while Vedant shot daggers at his friend.

~~~

Soon it was the last day of the garba night- The Dussehra night. The celebration was the biggest this time around with a bigger crowd, music and food stalls. A gigantic cardboard statue of Raavan was set up in an open area to burn. Natasha was all dolled up to dance alongside her siblings tonight. She searched for a familiar face but there was no sign. Kunal mentioned how he hated the crowd and noise and often avoided it. Even Vedant wasn't expecting him to turn up. She sighed in defeat.

However, an hour later, Natasha witnessed a miracle— a familiar face dressed in black designed kurta and white kameez waltzing his way towards their group with a dandiya in hand.

“Impossible! Are pigs gonna fly tonight?” Vedant said, widening his eyes in shock though the next moment, he raised his fist at Kunal.

“Oh, the whole world's gonna fly tonight, bro. I'll make sure of it,” Kunal joked, followed by laughter. Some other boys followed suit, making similar comments. Despite his uneven reputation, Kunal was oddly well-known amongst his peers. Just a minute after he showed up, a group of boys surrounded him. 

In the midst, Kunal gaze followed a certain grey-eyed girl. There was a certain glint in his eyes as he checked her out in her black - maroon chaniya choli, that modestly accentuated her curves. Her long hair tied in a single plait, her kohl covered eyes, her soft red chapped lips— It heightened her beauty more if possible. What's more, their outfits were color coded. Almost. He made a gesture with his hand clearly indicating what a ‘pataka’ (firecracker) Natasha was looking tonight. She pressed her lip, suppressing a smile.

Eventually the group of youngsters gathered around. Natasha was swiveling her head, searching for her siblings.

“He really showed up, huh?” A boy besides her spoke in a mocking tone.

“Damn, right,” The other boy chuckled along. “Didn't think he would dare with all that ruckus last year. He didn't show up during holi and mahadev mela either.”

“Haan, bheegi billi jo ban raha tha saala,” said the first boy and they burst into laughter. Natasha didn't dare but she still followed their line of sight. Her stomach dropped as she spotted Kunal talking to some boys. They were indeed talking about him.

“... Must have come to score some girls. That's his speciality anyway.”

“Correction, his only speciality.” The second boy corrected and they guffawed. The moving crowd caused the second boy to bump again Natasha. He was quick to apologise, though it didn't stop her from shooting daggers at him like a killer. She didn't even know why she did that. The two boys shared a look of confusion before scurrying away quickly. Soon Natasha returned to her siblings.

The group then gathered to form two circles to dance in pairs. The pair would hit their dandiyas (decorated sticks) against one another while moving their hands and legs to the beat before moving on to the next person. Natasha's eyes followed Kunal like a compass while he also kept stealing glances in between. Her heartbeat rose as she got closer and closer to him with each dance. When they were finally paired up, Kunal said something that took the wind out of her sails.

“Just so you know, I came here for you. Heard you are leaving  tomorrow morning so wanted to bid you goodbye.”

Natasha's brain froze. She stopped moving her arms until Kunal ushered her to move. That's how badly she was dick- whipped. Just two days ago, Kunal was telling her to stop following him. What changed? In that moment, the words of doubt derived from the comment made by those two boys faded away. Kunal was all she could see in that moment. She ended up mumbling incoherent words in panic, even letting him know how handsome he was looking. She blushed more if possible while he smiled mischievously in response. The kind of smile that displayed his dimples. Someone hold her please!

Their gazes kept dancing around each other throughout the festival. A magical night that marked the beginning of something between Kunal and Natasha. A perfect recipe for a love 온라인카지노게임.

Except it wasn't. Atleast not entirely.

* * * * * *

Welcome to Kunal's arc lol. Or more specifically, the flashbacks to their past. It's like a whole segment that will continue for a few chapters so stay tuned. Hope you liked the whole interactions between Kunal and Natasha. What are your thoughts?

Vote and Comment. Until next time.