"It's not even ten minutes that she has gone and I'm already missing her," Karishma sat on the bed as she reminisced their very first intimate encounter, "now, I can't take shower for an entire week," she hugged herself, "I just want to feel her more around me," she sniffed herself, "Eww! you stink Karishma," she muttered, "Why didn't she say anything?" A knock on the door broke her chain of thoughts and Meena entered Karishma's room.
"Were you expecting someone else?" Meena asked, suppressing her smile after seeing a disappointment on Karishma's face, "she has slept," she place the food tray in front of Karishma, "I took a little longer to bring the food," she started serving Karishma, "you have no idea that how worried she was for you," she pulled the chair and sat opposite to Karishma.
"You can go," Karishma muttered, "you must have other work to do," she took a spoonful of soup.
"I don't want to die," Meena fiddled with her dupatta, "if I left you unattended, Haseena di won't leave me alive," she uttered in a light manner.
A smile appeared on Karishma's face, "Who found me?" Karishma asked as she took another spoonful of the soup.
"It was Haseena di," Meena spoke, "the other day when you shoo me out of your room--- Haseena di asked me about your wearabouts," she glanced at Karishma who was having her soup but she was listening with full concentration, "when I told her you didn't have any dinner, she asked me to bring food for you," Karishma's hand stopped near to her mouth, "and, when I came after half an hour with food, I went to her room," she paused for a brief second, "becuase I was scared to come back into your room," she peeked at Karishma from the corner of her eyes, "so, Haseena di brought the food for you," she got up to give medicine to Karishma, "I have never seen her that worried," she handed the glass of water to Karishma, "she was a totally different person that day," she collected the dishes from in front of Karishma, "she didn't left your side even for a single second," she moved towards the door, "it is the first time in those past two days she has left this room," she smiled at Karishma, "she really likes you, di," she uttered with all her honesty and walked out of the room.
After Meena left, Karishma leaned on the bed and closed her eyes, "even if Meena hasn't said all those things about you," she murmured, "I would have still known," she inhaled a huge sum of air, "I have felt everything in your actions," she placed the pillow in her lap, "but, do you really like me, Haseena?" She kept her eyes closed as if she was actually seeing Haseena, however, the knock on the door broke the flow of her conversation. Karishma opened her eyes and saw Riya entering her room.
"How are you feeling?" Riya moved to hug Karishma but before she could do that, Karishma stopped her.
"I stink," She muttered, hiding the actual reason.
"That's fine," Riya moved again to hug her but Karishma pushed back again, "What is up with you?" She asked, surprised.
"I don't want anyone to come close to me," She said while gesturing for Riya to take a seat.
"Oh, My God!" Riya almost screamed, "don't tell me you have got any infectious disease," she uttered, almost moving away from Karishma.
"Nothing like that, you idiot," Karishma smiled at Riya's antics, "she hugged me," she avoided eye contact.
"Ahhann," Riya grinned, "and, that's the reason you are not letting anyone touch you," her voice was filled with playfulness, "so, finally your Ice Queen has melted."
"Or, probably, she was just returning a favor," She said, still unsure of everything.
"If she was just returning a favor, Karishma," Riya's tone of voice changed, "there are many other ways," she said a bit angrily, "she doesn't have to put herself through discomfort to keep a watch on you."
Karishma didn't say anything in return.
"I don't know Haseena much," she looked at Karishma, "but since the time, she has come back from her case, she seems different," she said while making herself comfortable on the bed, "I don't know if she loves you in another way," she took an envelope out from her bag, "but her concern for you was very clear in those past two days," she placed the envelope in front of her and zipped her bag, "you should talk to her."
"I don't know what to tell her," Karishma spoke with uncertainty in her voice.
"Tell her, how you feel about her," Riya held Karishma's hand between her's, "tell her, how much she matters to you," she pressed on Karishma's hand to boost her confidence.
"And, then what will happen?" Karishma removed her hand from Riya's hold, "she will think I'm some pervert who is after her for some other reasons," she uttered while covering her face with a duvet.
"You are overthinking, my friend," Riya spoke calmly, "you are living in your head," she pulled the duvet down, "you never know, she might be waiting for you to make a move," she winked at Karishma.
"Do you think it's all sunshine and rainbows?" Karishma critiqued her friend, "I'll go and tell her, and she will accept everything?" She asked sarcastically.
"You know what, don't do anything," Riya got up angrily, "sit here and continue to sulk," she tried to pace around to calm herself down, "and, when tomorrow, she will get married to someone else," she stopped and glared at Karishma, "then, don't come and cry on my shoulder," she placed her hand on her hips, "do you understand that?"
"Why are you yelling?" Karishma covered her ears.
"Because you are being a dumb bitch, right now," she threw the envelope towards Karishma, "Bi has given this for you," the pitch of her voice was lower down, "she couldn't come because of her arthritis but she has asked you to see her once you get better," she picked up her bag, "and, keep seeing the guy that maa has set you up with," she moved towards the door, "but remember, you are wasting both his and your time," she walked out while slamming the door.
"What has got into her?" Karishma muttered, "it seems like everyone was waiting for me to be awake and get yelled at by them, first Haseena and now her." She opened the envelope that has the 'get well soon card' but instead of the image of any flowers or fruits, there was a hand-painted picture of Haseena and her—--in which Haseena was half lying down beside her on the bed with her eyes close while keeping a distance between them. It was a very beautiful painting. Bi has captured every detail of that moment, precisely. Karishma flipped the card where the note reads the following: "I got to see the glimpse of you two together. So, I thought of painting this for you. And, I'm pretty sure this will aid you in your recovery. See you soon. Lots of Love, Bi," Karishma traced Haseena's picture, "I don't know, how will I gather the courage to tell you what I want to tell you," she placed the picture near her heart and closed her eyes as the medicines started taking their effect.
______________________________
The next morning, Haseena came to Karishma's room who was awake and having her breakfast, "you look much better, today," she said while glancing at Karishma who has stopped eating after her arrival.
"If someone watches over me and worries about me, then, how wouldn't I?" Karishma resumed her breakfast but her eyes continued to follow Haseena.
Haseena didn't respond and quietly moved towards the wardrobe, "you should take shower, now," she said while taking out a pair of sweatpants and tees for her.
"What if I don't want to take shower?" Karishma pushed her plate and got up from the bed.
"Do you still have a fever?" She asked concerningly while turning toward the bed but ended up colliding with Karishma who was standing right behind her, "you seem fine," she remove her hand from Karishma's temple after checking her temperature, "here," she shoved close in Karishma's hand, "go and take shower," she walks past her, "you stink."
Karishma's heart was filled with contentment after seeing Haseena all concerned for her, "why did you watch over me?" She asked, halting Haseena in her steps.
"For the very same reason," she turned towards Karishma, "you have me in your sketchbook," she stood opposite Karishma.
"You weren't supposed to see them," she stared at the floor as she felt her body start heating up.
"Then, you should have locked them somewhere safe," she continued to look at Karishma's face which had turned beetroot red, "why keep them under your pillow," she placed her hand under Karishma's chin and made her look at her.
At that moment, Karishma wished to know some sort of witchcraft or a spell, so she could hide away from Haseena's smoldering gaze which was flaring something very different inside her.
"It seems like you watch me very closely," Haseena uttered as her eyes refused to leave the sight in front of her, "I couldn't even find a single detail missed," she glanced at Karishma's ear lobes which has turned red and while suppressing the urge to feel them between her fingers, she leaned towards Karishma's ear, "however, in all those, I like the one in a bathing suit," she could feel Karishma's uneven breaths against her face, "you have put a lot of effort in that," she moved back, "it's an amazing piece of art," she winked at Karishma who was sweating profusely.
"You think I'm a pervert," Karishma's voice carried a hint of anger and disappointment in it.
"When did I say that?" Haseena asked as she took a few steps toward Karishma and as result, Karishma moved backward.
"But that's what you meant, right?" Karishma's voice became shallow as she continued to move backward after seeing Haseena inching closer to her until her back hit the wall.
"After turning everything upside down inside me," she placed her hands against the wall while trapping Karishma in between them, "how can you act so innocent?" She asked with a bit of amusement in her voice.
Karishma glanced at Haseena's face and the thing that caught her attention was Haseena's eyes which were gleaming, "so, you don't think I'm a pervert?" She asked with uncertainty in her voice.
Haseena felt like banging her head against the wall, "If," she leaned forward closing the distance between them, "that pervertedness," she looked directly into Karishma's eyes, "is reserved only for me," she removed her one hand from the wall to wipe off the sweat that was forming on Karishma's forehead, "then, I don't mind," she could hear Karishma gasp after hearing her.
"So, it was a 'yes,' or 'no,'" Karishma thought while scanning Haseena's face, where she didn't find any sign of anger, disgust, or contempt, "her eyes," she continued to hold eye contact with Haseena, "they are smiling," she mumbled, "they are smiling." As she registered Haseena's eyes in her memory, her body automatically tilted towards Haseena, their lips were a few inches apart, when their trance was broken by the knock on the door. As a result, both of them parted and stood facing the opposite sides.
"What nonsense was I speaking?" Haseena thought, "have I lost my mind?" She rebuked herself as Meena entered the room.
"Have you fought again?" Meena asked as she saw them avoiding each other.
"NO!" Both of them in unison, which ended up startling Meena.
Meena glanced at their flushed faces but instead of poking her nose in their personal matter, she cleared her throat to gain their attention, "the station staff has come to meet you, Karishma di," she was about to move out of the room, "also, there is SHO Samar Singh with them too," she informed, "and all of them are waiting for you downstairs."
Haseena was about to follow Meena who had just stepped out of the room but Karishma's voice stopped her.
"The way I look at you," Karishma stared at Haseena's back, "I can never look at someone else like that," her voice was laced with desire, "and, never will." She waited there for Haseena's response but after getting none, she moved towards the bathroom.
Haseena's heart fluttered after hearing Karishma's words and after grasping the meaning of Karishma's words, she turned to respond and found the empty room staring back at her. She sighed and headed downstairs where everyone was waiting.