Bloom into YOU

CH:12- What are you doing to me?

Picasso ran towards Karishma which broke Haseena's chain of thoughts. She tilted her head to look where he had gone but when she saw him lingering on Karishma's leg, she lay back, "He wants you to stroke him?" Her voice echoed in the peaceful silence.

"But he doesn't like me," Karishma said, moving away from Picasso as she still didn't trust him.

"If he doesn't like you then he will never come close to you," Haseena replied without turning her head back.

Karishma stood there for some time and then she sat down and patted Picasso, who in return started licking her hands. She has seen him since the chandelier's incident, he has changed. He doesn't glare at her anymore, however, what he does is always try to be around her, unlike his owner, who has become more distant, "ungrateful that's what she is," she thought.

"And, what are you doing here?" Haseena asked as she saw Picasso following Karishma, who was about to sit on a raised platform on the terrace right opposite Haseena.

"I can ask you the same," Karishma said as she opened her sketchbook.

"It's my house, I can go anywhere," Haseena was taken aback at Karishma's response, "and, why can't you stop following me?" She asked a bit annoyed.

Karishma remained quiet for a few seconds then she spoke, "Why would I follow you?" She scoffed mockingly, "you are not that important," she glanced at Haseena's face after saying those words but her face was expressionless like always, "aur, somewhere deep down, you want me to follow you," She utter her last sentence, playfully.

"Why would I want you to follow me?" Haseena glanced at Karishma, surprisingly.

"Because, you enjoyed my attention," Karishma replied as she peeked at Haseena while sketching.

Haseena scoffed as she disregarded Karishma's claim, "In your dreams, Karishma Singh!" She uttered, "I don't demand attention, I get it."

"Obviously, you do," Karishma thought admirably, "This woman and her unshakable confidence." She glanced at Haseena who was gazing at the sky, aimlessly.

None of them spoke after that, it was just Picasso who was a bit restless and walking in between Haseena and Karishma ever since Karishma came.

"Why did you walk out of your marriage?" Karishma asked as she couldn't hold herself anymore, however, she didn't expect any answer from Haseena.

On the other side, Haseena didn't say anything for some time. The only thing that broke the stillness of the night was; the chirping sound of crickets, and the barking of street dogs at a far away distance.

Karishma glanced at Haseena who was lying down with her eyes closed, "you really don't have any self-respect left Karishma Singh!" She reprimanded herself, "this woman doesn't even acknowledge your presence and you are just going after her like an obsessed being." She closed her sketchbook and was about to get down from the terrace's platform when Haseena's voice break the tranquil yet laden silence between them.

"His parents were asking for the dowry," She said while tilting her head towards Karishma, who seemed to be ready to get off the platform but sat back as she heard her voice.

"Isn't it, a kind of ritual in our society?" Karishma asked, puzzled as she opened her sketchbook but her whole attention was on Haseena.

"The society!" Haseena exclaimed, "Who makes society, Karishma Singh?" She asked a bit agitatedly, "People like you and me—-we are the society," she tried to calm herself down as she try to remember the day of her marriage and started narrating everything to Karishma, "I was actually very thrilled to marry Ishaan—we were compatible in all aspects and had a good understanding of things but I was unaware of the conceit that was hidden deep inside his and his parent's hearts."