Solace

Chapter 8

Haseena got up from her bed stretching her hands. Her lips curved into a beautiful dimple smile as her mind went to the last night's memories, how Karishma had cheered her up and the little moments they shared. It was "sukoon" for her.

But her "traveling back to the memory lane session" thing didn't last long as she heard her mother's voice.
"Haseena, niche aa. Abhi soyi huyi hai kiya?", Salma said at a high-pitched voice.

"Ayii ammi", Haseena replied quickly and went downstairs not before putting the toothbrush in her mouth.

"Raat raat bhar ghar se bahar rehke ab nou baje neend khuli hai shehzadi ki", Salma said sarcastically.

"Ammi ap hume maat dhantiye. Ap hi ne to izazat di thi Mira ko party ke liye", Haseena replied shrugging off her shoulder.

"Dekho toh is ahmaq ladki ki karname, brush muh mein leke bahar agayi aur baat bhi kar rahi hai. Ja pehle muh dho aa, ek zaroori baat batani hai tujhe", Salma chided and Haseena frowned at her.

Karishma's sleep was disturbed by the sun rays peeking constantly through the window. She woke up with visible irritation in her face and then looked at the watch that showed 11 am.
"Kya musibaat hai! Yeh curtains kis din kaam ayenge yarr. Subah subah neend kharab kar di", she murmured stretching her body.

As she came back from the washroom after taking a shower, her phone rang.
"Ji vai sa, kahiye ek hi ghar mein rehte huye bhi aapko mujhe phone karne ki zaroorat kyun pad rahi hai", Karishma said sarcastically.

"Ap bataiye..Hume toh subeh kaam pe jana hota hai, apki tarah thode din raat sheher ke chakkar kat te hein, na ghar mein dikhai dete hai nahi office mein", Amar replied in the same tone.

"Ha ha, subhe subhe maar liya tana, khushi mil gayi!. Ab boliye kiya hua", she said.

"Jaldi se jaldi office ajao. Ab se regular ana hai tumhe. Yaad hai na tum bhi iss company ka shareholder ho, so it's important to have you here", Amar explained.

"Urghh..aj nahi na, kal se pakka ajaungi", Karishma said, intended to avoid the office work.

"Ji nahi, aj se hi shuru karna hai. Lunch karke chupchap office ana hai, samjhi", Amar warned her sister.

"Okayyy fine", she replied rolling her eyes.

"Acche se taiyar hona Haseena. Waise tum toh ho hi khoobsurat, thoda sa aur khud pe dhyan dogi na toh bade se bade heroine o ko bhi piche chod dogi tum", Chameli told Haseena who was sitting in front of the dressing table with a somewhat dull face.

"Yeh sab lazmi hai kiya chachi ji? Hume nahi acchi lagti yeh sab dekhna dikhana", Haseena said.

"Kaisi baatein karti ho. Rishta aise hi hota hai. Tum chinta maat karo, dekhna ladka tumse nazar nahi hata payega", Chameli assured her.
Haseena just nodded her head a bit but started to get ready for the afternoon.

Haseena entered the living room with a tray full of snacks in her hands. With her pink churidar, minimal make-up and open hair she looked like someone flung out of heaven. Her jasmine like fragrance spread across the whole room and as expected the guests were mesmerized by her beauty.
After some time Haseena was told to give the prospective groom a tour of their garden, and she obliged. They were talking, or to be precise he was talking while Haseena listened.

Sitting in her car, Karishma instructed the driver to drive towards their company office. She looked through the window and saw Haseena there, talking with someone. Before she could look properly at the person their car passed away leaving the view behind them.
"Kiske saath baat kar rahi thi yeh, woh bhi itna saaj dhaj ke? Koi baat nahi, baad mein puch lungi", Karishma thought to herself.

"Ma'am, your cabin is ready. This way please", a beautiful young woman informed Karishma.

"Ab yeh kya hai. Cabin bhi fix kar liya ab toh yaha ka escape ticket milna mushkil hai mera", she thought, furrowing her eyebrows. "And you are?", Karishma voiced looking at her.

"I am Neha Rastogi. Executive branch. Apko agar kuch bhi zaroorat ho toh please let me know. I'm just one call away from you", Neha replied.

"Thank you", Karishma said while looking at her cabin. It was a well furnished room painted in light blue with enough space for roaming around.
"The cabin is fine but I will need some stuff to decorate it in my style", she continued.

"If you say, I can order for you, whatever you like and it will be here by tomorrow, ma'am", Neha said.

"I will help myself. You can go now", Karishma replied and Neha left the room.

"Do ghante se jyada mai toh yaha rehne wali hu nahi. Phir bhi agar Karishma Singh ka cabin hai toh woh usse Karishma Singh jaisi dithni bhi chahiye", she murmured while sitting on her chair.

Karishma thought to call Haseena once but then she got busy with the paperworks and files that needed her signature and Neha helped her go through the projects they were working on presently. In the evening, she got a call from her college friend for a meet up that night and she accepted the invitation.

"Dekha salma behen, maine kaha tha na, ladka lakhon mein ek hai. Sarkari naukri karta hai, khandan accha hai aur shadi ke bad Delhi mein settle hoga", Chameli said.

"Ha hume bhi bada pasand aya. Ab jahez thoda kam le leta toh asani hoti", Salma replied.

"Areh itna accha ladka hai, thoda bohut demand toh karega hi", Chameli replied.

Haseena looked at the pair who were talking about her wedding but didn't bother to ask her opinion for once. Not that her mother would choose anyone wrong for her but on what parameter they were going to decide who was the right and who was the wrong person!

The man they were busy praising to the moon was an obnoxious idiot who lacked the basic courtesy of speaking with someone. All the time, they were at the garden, that person just tried to flaunt his status and speaking as if he was doing some favour on her. Haseena didn't know how to explain all these to her mother.

Karishma entered her house at late night and saw Pushpa Singh sitting in the living room. She decided to ignore her as usual and move towards her room.

But Pushpa had already seen her entering the house.
"Karishma beta, itni der kyu laga di aane mein? Kaha thi tum itni der tak!", she asked softly.

Karishma had to stop at her track after this. "Bas kuch friends mil gaye the toh rukna pada", she responded unwillingly.

"Itni der raat tak gharse bahar rehna sahi nahi hai. Chinta ho rahi thi hume tumhari", she again said.

"Apko mera tension lene ki zaroorat nahi hai, I'm not a child. Aur agee se aise jagiyega maat mere liye, please", Karishma replied in an irked tone and went to her room without waiting for Pushpa to reply.

Pushpa Singh got hurt at her words as a lone tear escaped from the corner of her eyes.

Karishma went to her room, frustrated and clsosd the door with a loud thud. Karishma knew her words had hurt Pushpa but she needed to stop doing this. Waiting for Karishma to come home, questioning her about her friends, showing affection, trying to mother her constantly. But why don't people understand that she didn't want anyone to mother her.
Karishma had a mother and she died. And in her life, relationships weren't replaceable.

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That was the chapter 8 of Solace. It may be a bit boring but it's necessary to build the story. So please bear with it.

I hope you are doing well and if you like the part do vote, comment and follow. Feel free to give your opinion in the comment section.

See you in the next chapter.