First of all, Shubho Shoptomi💛
Hope my bengali buddies are enjoying Durga Puja to the fullest.
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"Mai bas nikal hi rahi hu baccha. Tum so jao please! Mummy ki baat maanlo", said Kashish, in an attempt to persuade her son who was adamant to be with his mother but couldn't, much to her dismay.
Karishma spotted a distressed Kashish pacing around and approached her out of concern, "All okay?" she asked. Kashish, although reluctant, decided to explain the situation to her.
"God! Agar mujhe pata hota ke Arish akela hai toh we wouldn't have stretched this", Karishma exclaimed, an unsettling expression resting on her face.
"Nahi woh akela nahi hai. He is with my sister. Ap pareshan maat hoiye", Kashish assured her, "Bas zid kar raha tha, mere bina rehna nahi chahta."
"Apne ma ke bina koun rehna chahta hai bhala!" Karishma muttered with a smile but unknown to her, her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, mirroring the profound sense of longing she had for her late mother's presence in her life. Kashish reached out to hold Karishma's hand, giving it a light squeeze as if she could feel what might transpire through the latter. "You should go, Kashish", Karishma urged, not wanting to let her guards down. "Aur mai itni bhi koi zalim boss nahi hu jo kaam ke chakkar mein apko apne family se milne na du", she added playfully, making Kashish chuckle.
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"Thodi der aur rukh jao? Mai drop kar dungi tumhe ghar", Santosh suggested to Haseena who was waiting for Adeel to pick her up.
"Bohut der ho gayi hai Santu", Haseena responded, glancing at her wristwatch. "Waise bhi aj bohut thak gaye hai hum", she added with a tired smile. But who was she kidding? She was only trying to avoid Karishma so that her facade of indifference won't crumble to the very ground.
"Okay. Get some rest then", Santosh said in an understanding manner.
"Kaal milte hai phir", Haseena said, but eyes wandered around the place looking for the one person she was seemingly trying to avoid and there she was, near the outdoor seating area, seeming to have quite a conversation with Kashish. "Why are they standing hand in hand!" Her expression changed for a brief moment but soon enough she managed to hide her restlessness under her calm demeanor.
"Haseena, tumhara phone!" Santosh nudged her shoulder lightly and the latter finally diverted her gaze towards Santosh, "Adeel call kar raha hai."
"Ji, woh pouch chuka hoga. Hum nikalte hai", Haseena said and left from there in an agitated state.
"In dono ke saath dikkat kya hai! Ek dusre ko bas ghurte rahenge lekin baat karne mei maut aati hai", Santosh murmured in disbelief, taking a sip of her drink.
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"Kuch hua hai kya?" Haseena asked her brother who was unusually quiet throughout the journey.
"Nahi!" Adeel lied, unwilling to upset her sister sharing the unpleasant conversation he had with his mother, given how exhausted she looked. "Tum aram karlo, bohut raat ho chuki hai", he said, settling himself on the couch.
"Tum naraz toh nahi ho na ke hum itni late ho gaye?" Haseena asked with an upset layer on her face.
"Bilkul nahi. Mai ammi thodi hu", Adeel joked, trying to lighten up her mood and it worked as Haseena moved towards her room with a soft dimple smile playing on her face.
"Ammi chahe jo bhi kahe, tumhari marzi ke khilaf koi shadi nahi hogi", Adeel mumbled under his breath, glancing at her disappearing figure once. He very well knew her mother's conventional thinking but it still didn't explain her persistence about this marriage, which Haseena had clearly refused. He couldn't help but wonder if he was missing something but he shrugged off the thoughts, considering his mother's orthodox mindset.
As the night extended, Haseena's restlessness grew and despite being hella tired she couldn't sleep. She was very determined to distance herself from Karishma but after their encounter from today it became crystal clear that it wouldn't be easy at all. They didn't even exchange words but it didn't really matter as if the silence itself became a bridge of communication between them. And as much as Haseena didn't want to admit it but Karishma had too much power over her, her emotions, even her senses, the power she herself gave her and there was no going back from it now. "But she doesn't need to know that", Haseena thought to herself as she closed her eyes trying to dissipate her neverending thoughts about Karishma.
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A new day emerged in Delhi with a bright and luminous sun, casting a golden hue all over the capital city and the employees of the Sehgal's once again got busy with their works. However, Karishma was also very occupied in her work, which was staring intently at the love of her life who was doing a very good job in avoiding her.
"Aise loser ki tarah usse ghurne ka kya matlab jab tumhe koi baat nahi karni hai toh?" Santosh uttered, being irked at Karishma's nonsensical behaviour.
"Mai kaise baat karu? Ignore kar rahi hai mujhe!" Karishma replied with a despaired expression. She literally had no idea how to strike a conversation with Haseena at this point and it made her angry at herself. How come she could say the worst possible things to Haseena and now when she needed to apologize and make up with her, she felt tongue-tied in her presence.
"Shukar manao ki bas ignore kar rahi hai. Mai hoti toh shoot kar deti", Santosh chided, earning a glare from Karishma. "Aise look dene se mai darne nahi wali. See you have 10 minutes to sort it out. Mai bahar ja rahi hu tabtak Haseena se baat karlo", she said, swiftly moving out of the cabin with Amit.
Haseena, who was busy with her work all this time, turned to leave once it was completed. She twisted the doorknob but before she could open the door Karishma stopped her, placing her hand over Haseena's.
"Chodiye humara haath!" Haseena muttered sternly without turning towards Karishma.
"Nahi chhod sakti", Karishma replied as her hold on Haseena's hand became stronger.
Haseena wanted to get out of her hold but her body refused to cooperate with her brain. She cursed herself inwardly for getting weak but didn't let it affect her demeanor. "Zaroori nahi hai ki ap jo chahe humesha wohi ho", Haseena said, this time turning to face Karishma.
"Please Hasi!" Karishma pleaded, looking at her eyes, "Ekbar meri baat sunlo?"
"Hume apki koi baat nahi sun ni", Haseena replied coldly, but couldn't hide the hurt that clouded her eyes, "Aur apko yaad diladu ke yeh apka ghar nahi hai, nahi ap yaha ke boss hai jo sab apka manmani seh lenge!"
Karishma's heart sank at her distant tone but she knew she had no right to complain about it as her grip over Haseena's hand loosened. "I know I deserve every bit of your rude behaviour Hasi. But I am sorry, truly. Bas iss baar ke liye maaf kardo? Mai tumse dur nahi reh sakti!", Karishma murmured apologetically, "I know maine tumhare saath jaise behave kiya uske baad mai jitni baar bhi maafi mang lu kam hogi. But trust me, every word that I had said to you that night had plagued me since then." her voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Apko samajh nahi aa raha hai? Hum nahi sunna chahte hai apki baat", frustration grew into Haseena as she yelled. "Apne na bas humara dil nahi toda hai! Apne humari umeedon ko todke rakh diya hai, woh umeed jo humne apse lagaya tha! Aur woh umeed bas itna sa tha ke ap hume samjhengi aur apne!" she paused for a moment, "Kitni asani se humpe ilzam laga diya. Pyaar ka toh chodiye dosti ka bhi maan nahi rakha apne", with every word that Haseena uttered, the air around them became heavier as if carrying the burden of her broken expectations. "Lekin pata hai kya galati humari thi! Hum nahi samajh paye ke apke liye apni anaa aur gusse se barkar kuch bhi nahi hai."
"Aisa nahi hai Hasi! I didn't mean it..I would have preferred to die than to hurt you intentionally", Karishma said desperately while teardrops rolled down her cheeks continuously, mirroring utterly agonizing guilt she felt for letting her impulse take over and hurt Haseena to this extent. "Please maaf kardo mujhe, please!", she kept pleading in a weary voice.
Haseena held her emotions back, maintaining a blank face as if her words, her tears didn't affect her, as if she didn't want to nestle herself in her embrace at this very moment and cry her heart out. "Humare raaste alag ho chuke hai aur jitni jaldi ap yeh baat samajh jaye utni behtar hai", she uttered in a shaky voice as she moved out of the room, leaving a devastated Karishma behind.
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"Your choice of watch is so refined, must say I'm impressed!" Madam Sehgal complimented, in an attempt to draw Karishma's attention, who was lost in some remorseful thoughts.
"Karu, behave!" Santosh warned her, gesturing towards Madam Sehgal who was looking at them.
"Ap hi ki beti ka choice hai. It has to be refined", before Karishma could say anything a familiar voice was heard and everybody turned their attention towards the direction of the voice.
"Antara, I didn't know you were coming here", Madam Sehgal said with a hint of playfulness in her voice.
"And I didn't know you were going to steal my date for the night", Antara replied in a similar tone and Karishma looked at her puzzled. "Karu utho yaar. Bohut ho gaya kaam", she urged, pulling Karishma by her arm.
"Not today please", Karishma requested, glancing back at Antara, too worn out to hang out.
"No one says no to Antara Sehgal. Come on!" Antara said, dragging her out of the room. Karishma glanced at Madam Sehgal once and then at Santosh who gave her a poor look.
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"Look at you, bilkul lady devdas ban chuki ho", Antara said, taking a shot of tequila.
"Sahi comparison hai. Devdas behaved like a prick and so did I. In fact I have done worse! Devdas toh phirbhi fictional character hai", Karishma mumbled, sipping her drink in between.
"So it's over?" Antara asked, to which Karishma nodded in a disheartened manner. "Lekin tum pyaar karti ho unse!" Antara said.
"Bas pyaar karna hi kafi nahi hai. Usse nibhana bhi ana chahiye", Karishma uttered faintly as the alcohol started to show its impact.
Antara looked at her friend's miserable condition but she did what felt best to her drunk mind, "See that girl in red, she is checking you out", she gestured towards their left. "I know it sounds really shallow but it works, all the time!" Antara said, winking at her as Karishma followed her gaze and their view was tempting enough with that girl's red deep neck top for anyone to break all the barriers. But the only one Karishma could think of was Haseena, how she would caress her forehead, her ever so soft touch, her dimpled smile, her jasmine like fragrance, her honey sweet lips that she once felt against her lips. But her Hasi was not beside her now, in fact she is not "her" anymore and it shattered her heart.
"It's either her or no one", Karishma mumbled in a slurry voice, diverting her gaze at Antara who, although drunk, gave her an amazed look.
"You are so doomed", Antara scoffed. "And you are one lucky woman, Haseena", she added with a smile.
"No I am the lucky one..no i was lucky", Karishma corrected her, resting her head over the table in front of her and Antara too followed her suit. "And now I am not so lucky", she mumbled, quivering her lips as they remained in the same position, mumbling random things in their drowsy state.
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Here is chapter 39 of Solace.
Do vote and pen down your thoughts about it. See you in the next one, byee.