Morning All! I'll be posting the next chapter on "SATURDAY." Until, then, Happy Reading🤓 & Stay Safe😷.
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It was the night before the wedding, Haseena was sitting on the swing and reminiscing about her time with Karishma. All the bittersweet memories they had together brought a smile to her face but that smile couldn't reach her eyes, this time.
"Tum jo itna muskra rahe ho," Zayan came and sat on the other swing next to Haseena, "kya gham hai jis ko chupa rahe ho," he applied some force and his swing started to oscillate.
Haseena glanced at him, he was looking so tired after being busy with all the wedding preparations from the past few days, "there is nothing like that, Zayan," she said while making a futile effort to smile but her facial muscles refused to move.
"Are you Happy, Haseena?" He asked as he continued to stare at the face of his best friend.
"I'm, Zayan," She replied but her voice carried a bit of agitation.
Zayan disregarded her tone, "but, you don't seem happy," he said as he continued to stare at her face, "Is someone or something bothering you?" His voice carried concern for her.
"Do you think anyone can dare to bother me, Zayan?" She asked playfully but her face continued to hold a melancholic look that didn't remain hidden from Zayan.
"I don't know what it is Haseena," He applied some more force to increase the movement of his swing, "but, I can sense, you are not happy," he glanced at her and then at the living room where Ammi and Bi were busy talking about something, "if you are marrying under pressure just for ammi's sake, please, don't do it," he uttered as he stopped the movement of his swing, "I'll talk to Ammi," he looked at her supportingly.
"I have to marry, Zayan, sooner or later," Haseena bent forward to pick up Picasso who had just entered the lawn, "why not, now?" She said casually while patting Picasso.
"But you should marry when you feel like you want to marry," He came and knelt in front of Haseena, "and, not because, Ammi wants you to get marry," he held her hand, "you need to find a person who cherishes you and your existence," he uttered lovingly while gently pressing her hand.
"Zayan you do know, it's all made up, and reality is much different," Haseena glanced at him and then at Picasso who was making an effort to snuggle closer to her, "not everyone is lucky in love," she said disappointingly.
"So, have you found someone?" He asked while making an effort to hold eye contact with Haseena which she was deliberately avoiding.
"You are assuming things, Zayan," Haseena avoided looking into his eyes.
"I can sense it that you have found someone," He sighed and stood up, "but you are not telling me," he went around and stood behind Haseena, "and that's fine. I won't force you," he pulled Haseena's swing back and then released it with some force, "but, if you have change of heart, even, during the wedding, you have to tell me, and we can call off the wedding," he pushed her swing again, "you know that your happiness, means the world to me."
"I won't call off this wedding," Haseena replied as she enjoyed the caresses of the evening breeze on her face.
"Hmmm...," Zayan continued to stand behind Haseena, "you know, I never thought you would get married," he said while gently pushing the swing as he changed the topic after sensing Haseena's discomfort.
"Why?" Haseena asked as she slightly tilted her head.
"You are so career-oriented just like Ammi," He said casually, "Bi has told me, Ammi never wanted to get married, her first love was medicine," he chuckled as he uttered those words.
"Her first love is still medicine," Haseena responded gleefully after the change of the topic, "haven't you seen her?" She asked while gesturing to him to stop the swing.
"I know," Zayan forwarded his hand, "but I still wonder, what type of life, she must have had with abbu?" He asked as he looked at Haseena who wrapped her hand around his upper arm.
"I don't know much," Haseena placed her head on his shoulder, "but all the memories, I have of them together, I have barely seen them arguing with each other," she continued to stroll beside him, "they might have their differences but they have prioritized me above everything," she said while removing her head from his shoulder, "Ammi has told me, I was the thread that has held them together, otherwise, they had nothing in common," She glanced at Picasso who was strolling beside them too.
"Hmmm...," Zayan muttered as he tilted his head to look around when his eyes landed on Karishma who was standing on the balcony from God knows what time, "Hey!" Zayan waved at her.
Karishma waved back at him but her movements stopped when her eyes met with Haseena's.
"How are you?" Zayan asked as he stopped the stroll and while placing his hand around Haseena's shoulder, he stood there as if he has all the time in the world.
"I'm good," Karishma answered casually, "how are you?" She leaned over the balcony slightly.
"Good...Good," He responded cheekily, however, Karishma's yearning eyes made it difficult for Haseena to stand there.
"I think Ammi is calling me," Haseen removed his hand from her shoulder and went inside the living room where Ammi and Bi were present, without acknowledging Karishma's presence.
Zayan looked at his friend surprisingly, "when did she become so rude?" He muttered and then glanced at Karishma, standing there with a slightly flushed face.
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Haseena came from the lawn and sat beside Ammi who was selecting jewelry and clothes to wear to the wedding with Bi, but her mind was stuck on the moment that she saw on the lawn. Karishma is standing on the balcony with her sketchbook. It was the first that in the past many days, that she has seen her holding the sketchbook, again, "How long she has been standing there?" She thought as she leaned on the couch comfortably but it was not even a few minutes since her arrival when Karishma entered the living room with the sketchbook in her hand and sat beside Bi opposite to Ammi and her.
"What are you sketching?" Bi asked as she glanced at Karishma who was sitting right next to her.
"I'm finishing a sketch," she looked at Haseena who was pretending to be unaware of Karishma's presence, "which I started some time ago," she said with a slight smile on her face.
As soon as Haseena heard her response, she bid goodbye to Ammi and Bi and moved out of the room.
"Why don't you speak to her?" Bi whispered in Karishma's ear as she followed Karishma's gaze which was lingering on Haseena who was ascending the stairs.
"I have tried talking to her, Bi," Karishma moved closer to Bi, "but she is not willing to listen."
Before Bi could respond, Ammi's voice broke the flow of their conversation, "what is going on there?" She looked at them suspiciously.
"Apparently, Karishma likes someone," she looked at Karishma whose face had gone pale, "but, they happened to have developed a misunderstanding and now that person is not willing to listen to her," Bi pressed on Karishma's hand gently and reassuringly.
"Is that so, Karishma?" Ammi peeked through her glasses.
Karishma just nodded, she didn't know how Ammi would react when she will get to know that person is Haseena.
"Look!" Ammi removed her glasses and placed them on the table, "I don't know much about love," her lips covered into a gentle smile, "but, I do know about passion," she continued to hold eye contact with Karishma, "my passion was and is medicine," she removed the clothes from the couch and patted the seat right next to her.
Karishma quietly moved and sat beside Ammi.
"And, I went after it regardless of the hurdles that I have to face— being a woman in medicine and that too in a specialty other than pediatrician and gynecologist, was a tough nut to crack in my time and still is," she held Karishma's hands in her hand, "so, if you love someone," she pressed on Karishma's hand gently, "and, if you are passionate about them," she affectionately tapped on Karishma's cheek, "then, go after them."
"What if they are not willing to listen?" Karishma pour her fears out, "and, what if they are blocking all the ways to reach them, then?" Her voice broke down without even her own realization.
"Then you find a way," she cupped Karishma's face, "there is always a way," she placed a kiss on Karishma's forehead.
A tear escaped from Karishma's eye and rolled down on her cheek.
"Aree!" Ammi wiped off her tear, "that person must be really stupid who is ignoring such a loving, caring, and beautiful girl like you," she nudge her shoulder playfully.
A smile broke on Karishma's lips for the first time within the past forty-eight hours.
"I hope you have got your answers, now," Bi participated in the conversation for the first time as she picked up Karishma's sketchbook.
"Nooooooooo, Biiiiiiiiii," Karishma almost ran towards Bi and after snatching her sketchbook, she ran out of the living room.
"Yeh aaj kal ke bacche bhi naa," both of them muttered in unison as they got busy with the preparations for tomorrow.
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It was the wedding day, and all the close relatives and family members had arrived. All the station staff was present too. Santosh and Riya had brought down Haseena who was wearing a baby pink lehenga with a pearl necklace around her neck.
Karishma was standing beside Bi and was whispering something in her ear when her eyes landed on Haseena and she forgot to blink, "she is looking so ethereal," she murmured.
"Close your mouth, otherwise, you will catch a fly," Bi whispered after seeing Karishma's reaction.
Karishma cleared her throat and avoided looking at Bi due to sheer embarrassment, "so, the plane is ready," she continued to stare at the floor.
"Haseena must find this look on your face very enchanting," Bi muttered as she noticed the redness on Karishma's face deepened, "enough of the teasing," she cleared her throat, "I have told Riya, five minutes all you have to take her from here," she looked at Karishma, "do you think, you can manage?" She asked, assertively.
"I have to Bi," Karishma held Bi's hand, "it's now or never," she exhaled a sharp breath as she rubbed her hands nervously.
"Then, let's begin," Bi muttered as she gave thumbs to Riya and disappeared into a crowd.
On the other hand, Riya nodded and stood behind Haseena as she saw Karishma moving toward them. However, Haseena was unaware of all the happenings and, she has no idea, what is going to transpire within the next few seconds.
"Ohhh!" A loud groan escaped from the crowd after the sudden electricity shortage as everything went dark.
"Let me check!" Zayan said as he moved towards the main switchboard to calm down the panic-ridden crowd. Nevertheless, the electricity was recovered within less than three minutes but the panic rose again after not finding the bride in the hall.
"Where is the bride?" Everyone started to ask each other as they look around but no one was able to find any trace of her.
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Haseena fluttered her eyes open as they got adjusted to the yellow light in the room but before she could ask, the light was turned off, and a hand covered her mouth.
"Please, don't scream," Karishma whispered while leaning over Haseena, Zayan is looking out for you, outside.
Haseena dug her teeth into Karishma's palm which was covering her mouth in order to get rid of her hold but Karishma didn't budge.
As soon as Zayan moved out of the terrace, Karishma turned on the light of the storage room which was on the other side of the terrace, and almost yelled at Haseena, "why did you bite me?" She looked at her hand which has Haseena's teeth imprinted on it and the blood was oozing out from them, "you knew it was me, didn't you."
"Because, you kidnapped me, Karishma Singh," Haseena got up from the chair, "from my wedding," she took a few steps towards Karishma, "and, in my own house," she uttered displeasingly while crossing her hands over the chest, "I don't know, how have you become a police officer?" She looked at her angrily, "when all you do is, criminal activities."
"You have made me a criminal," Karishma pressed her hand which Haseena had just bite, "you weren't listening to me, then, what was I supposed to do?" She spoke helplessly.
"Ahh!" Haseena sat back on the chair, "it's so easy for you to blame others for your doing, isn't it?" She asked while placing her both hands on the armrest, "have I forced you to marry me too, Karishma Singh?" She stared at her face as a fresh swell of rage started to rise inside her, "or, have I forced you to divorce me too?"
"You didn't," Karishma avoided looking into her eyes.
"So, now when all this is clear," Haseena got up from the chair, "then, I should take your leave, Wife?" She tapped on her head, "Oh! I forgot it is ex-wife, now, isn't it?" she looked at her sarcastically, as she twisted the door knob.
"Hear me out!" Karishma grabbed Haseena's hand in order to stop her.
"Don't you even dare!" Haseena warned her and was about to step out of the storage room when Karishma's words become the chain of her feet.
"I can't live without you," Karishma's voice broke down as she uttered those words.
Haseena's grip on the knob loosened, she closed the door and leaned on it as she stared at Karishma who was kneeling on the ground.
"I know, I have wronged you," she fiddled with her fingers, "and, for that, I was never able to forgive myself," she continued to stare at the floor which hasn't been clean in days, "but, I wanted Riya to have her happily ever after," she started drawing asymmetrical patterns on the floor with her fingers, "I don't have words to define, how many favors, I owe it to them and how much Riya and Puhspa Ji means to me," she glanced at Haseena who was still leaning on the door, "they have supported me and stood by me, through my every thick and thin. Either, it's my parent's death or the incident of my images gone viral, they never left my side," she wiped off the tears that were continuously rolling down on her cheeks, "I would do anything for them in a heartbeat because they were the only family I had."
"Even though ruining someone else's life too?" Haseena asked, this time much calmly.
Karishma stared at her for a few seconds, "I never wanted to be a part of your life," she continued to draw patterns on the floor, "the only purpose of marrying you was to keep you away from Zayan's life, and once Riya is married, I'll send you the divorce papers," her voice became shallow as she uttered those words, "never in my wildest dreams, I have thought that you will be my SHO," she tried to smile but couldn't, "but, it seems like that fate had something else planned," she glanced at Haseena, once again, who still hasn't moved a bit, "when I met you the first time at the station, I saw hatred for me in your eyes," this time she made eye contact with Haseena, "and, you were absolutely right in disliking me or even hating me," she wrapped her hand around her knees, "I deserved, and still deserve, every bit of it, because, I don't have any right to ruin your life, for my personal gains."
Haseena didn't respond, however, she slide against the door and ended up sitting on the floor opposite Karishma.
"I don't know when during all that guilt, teasing, and running after you to protect you, I started falling for you," her voice softened up as she said those words, "I liked, correction," she smiled through her tears, "I like spending time with you even though when we don't exchange a word, I like watching you when you are doing your mundane chores either it's putting lotion before going to sleep or taking your clothes out for another day," her smile became wider, "I cherish every single second when I'm with you."
Haseena stared at the woman sitting in front of her who was healing her wounds with her tender words.
"When I first realize, I am attracted towards you," her cheeks became crimson, "I was perturbed at my own state," she avoided looking into Haseena's eyes as she was saying those words, "I have never in my life felt, such a strong attraction towards a woman or even a man, as I have felt it towards you."
Haseena noticed the redness was spreading through Karishma's cheeks to her earlobes which she really wanted to hold between her fingers.
"It took me some time to realize that I wanted you in all the ways that a spouse would want their spouse, once, they are in a committed relationship," she glanced at Haseena, momentarily, who was staring at her intently.
Haseena didn't interfere as she continued to listen to her without missing a beat.
"You were right!" She moved a few inches closer to Haseena, "I crave your attention--every fiber of my being does," she looked directly into her eyes, "it burns me when someone other than me touches you," she averted her gaze from Haseena when she felt an urge to caress Haseena's face, "I want to be the only one who has all rights on you, no one else. No one."
Haseena blinked her eyes multiple times, in order to realize that she was actually hearing all those things and it was not just a mere delusion.
"But, I have realized one thing, now," she moved an inch closer to Haseena, "I would have fallen for you sooner or later, even when we have never met before, even without having Riya and Zayan between us," she held Haseena's hand fearing Haseena might pull them away but she didn't, "I would have fallen for you even if we have met in college in some other universe," she looked at Haseena's hand which were painted with Henna, "I would have fallen for you, even when you have different roots/nationality in another universe," she traced Haseena's bangles, "I would have fallen for you in all the universes," she looked at Haseena endearingly, "it would have been you and it will always be you regardless where we meet and how we meet."
Lumps started forming in Haseena's throat as she heard Karishma speak with so much passion.
"I might be a dreadful chapter in your story," she intertwined her hand with Haseena's, "but, you are my whole story, Haseena Mallik," she leaned forward and rested her head against Haseena's, "I would never be the same without you."
Haseena gazed at Karishma's face earnestly as she pushed her away gently and made an effort to get up.
"I know, I don't deserve your forgiveness," Karishma stood behind Haseena who had her hand placed on the doorknob, "and, you have all the rights to push me away from your life," she made her grip tighter on Haseena's hand, "can you please, please, stay here for few more seconds, let me bask in your essence before you start a new life?" she pleaded, "just a few more minutes," her voice was trembling, "I won't ask you for anything else," she cleared her eyes with the back of her hand as her vision was getting blurry but she didn't know it was due to excessive crying or the stress that she taken form the past many days.
Haseena felt Karishma's grip on her hand loosen up, "I will...," she turned to inform her but when she found Karishma lying on the floor, unconscious, she felt life is slipping away from her.