COME, BURN WITH ME!

28. HOW DO I LOVE THEE? ~

"Waise ittefak se yaad aaya karishma to sayad ab tak pahuch gayi hongi pr unhone na koi msg kiya na koi call... ek baar dekhe to kuch aaya h ya nhi", haseena thought taking out her phone to check.

She was correct, there was no update from karishma. She was disheartened but still she tried to change her mind thinking may be karishma didn't get time but she'll definitely text her once she is free and relaxed.
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"Ms lunch ka time hogaya h, aap bhi aaiye na ham sab ke saath!", said pj while standing at the door.

Haseena was sad and that was clearly visible on her face. She removed the book from the front of her face which was blocking pj's view. Pj immediately caught that something was wrong with her.

"Kya baat h ms, aap pareshan lag rhi h hame?", pj asked out of concern.

Haseena was zoned out for a moment but then she she rolled her eyes and focused on pj and said, " nhi kuch nhi pj wo bas ham ye kitab padh rhe the, socha bahut din hogaye kuch case study hi dekh le."

Pj sighed and came inside and stood beside her and then said folding her hands on her chest, "Ms ye urdu mein likhi koi nayi kitaab h kya?"

"Kyu pj", asked haseena.

"Kyuki aap ise ulta padh rhi h to hame laga sayad hoga", pj gently scoffed.

Haseena immediately turned the book and saw she noticed that all this time she was holding it upside down. She kept the book down on the desk and sighed heavily and didn't try to make another excuse as she knew that it would not make any difference to pj.

"Ha, ham thora pareshan h pj ...", haseena tried to explain herself.

"Kis baare mein ms?", asked pj.

"Pj dekhiye baat aisi h ki dopeher hogai h aur karishma ki taraf se koi msg ya koi call nhi aaya h hame... bas isiliye ham kaam pr dhyan nhi de paa rhe h.", complained haseena.

Pj listened to her carefully and well understood her condition but tried to distract her.

"Ms ho skta h wo thak gayi ho aur kal raat bhi so nhi payi hongi wo, jaha tak hame lagta h to sayad ghar pahuch kr aaram kr rhi hongi, shaam ya raat tak baat kr lengi wo aapse, aap bekar hi itni fikar kr rhi h unki", pj tried to comfort her but there was no ease in haseena's restlessness.

Pj added, "aur agar maan lijiye unhone aapko phone nhi kiya to aap khud phone kr dena unhe tab to baat ho jayegi na ms?"

This idea brought a new spark of hope in haseena's eyes and she immediately looked for her phone and picked it up to call karishma but pj held her hand and stopped her.

"Kya hua pj, baat to krne dijiye hame kashu... karishma se!", said haseena.

"Nhi ms, hamne kaha na sayad wo abhi aaram kr rhi hongi to aap raat ko phone krna unhe sayad tab tak unka hi phone aajaye.", pj explained.

Haseena desperately wanted to talk to karishma but upon pj's insistence she anyhow stopped herself.

"Theek h pj, jaisa aap kahe, aaiye lunch kr lete h", uttered haseena a low tone and then left from the there.

Pj was feeling regretful because she has never seen haseena grew this much  despondent for anything but this time it was different and she knew that it was not going to get over any time sooner. She followed haseena.

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"Pichle ek ghante se tum phone ko hi dekh rhi ho karu beta, koi khas baat h kya?", ammi asked while placing snacks and tea on the table.

Karishma smiled and said, "Are nhi ammi, wo bas hamari aadat hogai h harr waqt duty ki fikar krte rhne ki to bas wahi dekh rhe the ki koi khabar aai h kya.", and kept her phone aside.

"Aur batao karu beta waha lucknow mein sab kaisa chal rha h?", asked singh sahab.

"Papa, waha sab badhiya h!", karishma briefly answer as she was distracted too.

Ammi gestured singh sahab to start the conversation. Singh sahab blinked and assured that he will say.

"A.. w.. wo karu beta tum to janti ho na ki Aabid ke naam pr jo jameen thi unsab ke kagzaat hamne aur noor bhabhi ne theek krwa liye h aur hamne tay kiya h ki uspe ek besahara aurton ke liye ghar jaisa kuch banane ka....", said singh sahab.

"....jahan se unko ek chhat, do waqt ko roti aur apni khud ki pehchan banane ka mauka phir se mil sake... aur beta Aabid bhi to yahi chahta tha!", continued ammi.

Karishma took a sip from her cup and then held it down in her lap and then said while tracing the lip of the cup with her finger, " Agar Aabid yahi chahta tha to yahi hoga aur usse bhi jyada agar aap dono sehmat h to hame kya dikkat hogi, hame manjoor h."

Both ammi and singh sahab were happy and then singh sahab mention, "to hamne aur noor bhabhi ne aaj se ek hafte baad ki date fix ki h puja ki aur is subh kaam ke shuruat ke liye."

"Aur ham haseena ko bhi phone kr dete h taaki wo bhi aajaye yaha aur tum dono hi shuruat krna is mahila kalyan sansthan ki.", said ammi in excitement.

"Ammi rukiye!", karishma abruptly stopped her.

She looked up at both of their puzzled faces and then explained, "w..wo ham ye keh rhe the ki ham khud haseena ko bata denge, waise bhi hame thane ki jankari to leni hi h to saath mein ye bhi bata denge, aap dono baith kr nashta kijiye, ham thora aaram krke aate h!"

She made ammi sit in the couch and gave her a samosa in her hand and tea in other and she left from there.

Ammi took a bite from samosa and asked singh sahab, "bhaijaan ye sach mein badli badli lag rhi h ya hame koi bhram hua h?"

Singh sahab nodded and agreed, " phir to bhabhi hame bhi wahi bhram hua h jo aapko lag rha h."

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"Ye Aabid ko samajh nhi aata kya ki hame wo haseena bilkul nhi pasand h!", roared karishma while slamming her bag on the desk.

"Aur ye kashu kya hota h, jaise hame samajh hi nhi aata ki bachpan se abhi tak karu kehne wala hame aaj kashu kiske bolne pr bol rha h!", she growled.

Karishma was fuming in anger. She has never liked the presence of haseena in her life. She was bearing her for his sake.

But handling this nonsense of accepting a nickname given from her was way too much for karishma and also she was not that sweetheart specially when it came to haseena.

"Chahe kuch bhi ho jaye ham ye bardasht nhi karenge, wo hamari dost nhi h, wo kuch bhi nhi h hamare liye isiliye hame uske diye naam se bhi koi matlab nhi h!", she ranted to herself.

" aur ye kashu chee ye kaisa naam h... aisa lag rha h maano kisi ne naam ko hi chasni mein dubo diya ho!", she frustratedly complained.

She was lying down in her bed and was getting flashes of the past.

"Kashu.... hame chorr kr kabhi nhi jaiyega.... ham aapke bina nhi reh payenge!", said haseena while trailing the footpath curb.

Years after when karishma heard "kashu" from haseena's mouth then for a moment she felt the world had stopped for her and in that moment all she felt was her heart rapidly thumping against her chest.

But the next moment she felt her world and heart sinking within her. She was not able to figure out what actually she was feeling.

" ye kya ho rha h hame, hame samajh kyu nhi aarha ki haseena ka hame aise pukarna acha lag rha h ya bura.", she asked to herself.

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That is it for this part guys. Bye 👋 milte h next part mein.