A cute five year old girl was playing in the mud and another girl who was wearing a beautiful red frock, stood behind her watching her messing with mud.
"Kya kar rahi hai aap aise mitti mein?" the latter asked the girl who was covered in mud.
She turned around and replied, "Tum kiya dekh nahi sakti! Khel rahi hu",
"Aise? apko daant nahi padti kiya!", the girl asked gesturing towards her muddy face and hands. Her white skirt was also covered with mud.
"Meri marzi hai. Karishma Singh ko koi daant nahi sakta hai. Kisime himmat hi nahi hai itni", she said coming out of the mud. "Lekin tum kon ho aur yaha kaise ayi? Har kisiko toh izazat nahi hoti yaha aane ki", Karishma questioned.
"Hum Haseena hai. Woh humari abbu nahi raahe na isliye hum sab Lucknow se yaha agaye. Ammi ne kaha ke hum abhi yahi rehne wale hai."
Karishma felt sad, as she remembered her mother's death.
"Tum yaha rehne wali ho toh meri dost ban jao. Phir hum eksaath bohut masti karenge aur tumhe apni abbu ki yaad bhi nahi ayegi", Karishma offered.
Haseena smiled at this and offered Karishma a handshake. But Karishma hugged her instead.
"Humara frock toh kharab ho gaya. Aj to ammi se bohut daant paregi", Haseena said getting nervous after seeing her frock had mud all over it. Karishma looked at her nervous face.
"Mai kisiko tumhe daant ne nahi dungi.
I will always protect you Hasi", baby Karishma declared as a little Haseena hugged her back.
Haseena chuckled remembering her first interaction with Karishma.
Everyone else expected Haseena to grow up, behave maturely, obey the rules and so she did.
But with Karishma it was different. They bonded over their shared loss. When she came to think of it, it seemed maybe that's why their attachment felt so natural. The connection she felt with Karishma, the pull she felt for her is unlike anything else she ever felt. Karishma was someone her soul craved for.
In their very first meeting, Karishma had claimed to protect her and called her by the nickname that was given by her father, without even knowing the emotional value it held for her. It made Haseena feel that she had someone to hold onto. And as years passed by, she had realized it was not just empty words. Karishma did become the one she would always hold onto, who cared for her, her wishes, and valued even her mere presence.
Haseena caressed the forehead of a sleeping Karishma with all her affection and Karishma smiled in her sleep. She carefully got up from the bed and covered Karishma with the duvet properly.
"Kiya hua, pareshan kyu dikh rahi ho?" Vijay Singh asked her wife who was looking worried.
"Kuch nahi. Bas Karishma ke bare mein soch rahe the", Pushpa Singh replied.
"Tum pareshan maat ho. Woh tumhara adar zaroor karti hai, lekin ziddi hai, manegi nahi", he said putting his hands on her shoulder.
"Nahi, hum iss bare mein nahi soch rahe hai. Woh ab badi hogayi hai toh usse ab ghar basane ka sochna chahiye", Pushpa Singh said.
"Lekin uski pasand toh kuch aur hai. Aise mein hum kiya hi kadam utha sake hai. Uske ma bap hone ke naate humne uske pasand ko apna liya hai lekin koi aur bhi man lega woh kaise keh sakti ho", Vijay Singh voiced the facts.
"Ha toh, uski pasand ko apna hi liya hai toh waise hi agee badhiye. Karishma se baat karke dekhiye, shayad uski koi pasand ho", she reasoned.
"Yeh bhi sahi hai", he nodded. "Waise tumhari koi jawab nahi. Pata nahi kaise manwa leti ho mujhe. Karishma ko ladki se rishta pasand hai iss baat ko mai shayad kabhi dil se maan nahi pata agar tum nahi hoti. Haan, mai usse bohut pyaar karta hu, mere jigar ka ek tudka hai woh. Phir bhi yeh baat hazam karna mushkil tha", he said.
"Duniya badal rahi hai saath mein hume bhi badalna hi chahiye. Aur isme galat toh kuch nahi hai, humsafar wohi hona chahiye jiske saath insan khush rahe", Pushpa said sitting beside her husband.
"Aur mujhe khushi hai ke tum meri humsafar ho. Kahi na kahi ek accha insan banaya hai tumne mujhe", Vijay Singh remarked in an appreciative manner.
Pushpa smiled at him. "Waise accha hi hai, hume apni beti bida nahi karni paregi. Balki ghar mein ek aur beti ayegi", she exclaimed.
Haseena came back from the haveli after the sunrise. If her mother by any chance went to her room and didn't find her, she would receive a good scolding from her. She carefully opened the main door
and went inside. She found her mother's room locked.
"Shukar hai", Haseena thought and went to her room without wasting any time. She was yet to hide her chain from her mother, that Karishma gifted her. A smile crept on her face thinking about Karishma's gift. Haseena was not someone materialistic, efforts mattered to her more than any gifts or other materialistic things. But that chain was gifted by Karishma and that's what made that gift special to her. She thought never to take it off.
The sound of loud Punjabi music was coming from the balcony situated in the left side of the Singh haveli.
Karishma was there doing her regular morning exercise. And Ashu was trying to follow the activity of his bua sa. He first tried to do push ups with his little hands and now he was lifting the toy dumble, that Karishma was kept for him. She knew her nephew liked to imitate her activities so she made some toy dumbles for Ashu, so that he wouldn't get hurt messing with the real dumbles.
"Karishma chalo beta nashta karne aao", Pushpa Singh called her but she didn't respond as loud music was playing. Pushpa then turned off the music and Karishma turned to look at the intruder with an irked face. She found Pushpa there and her expression changed.
"Karishma beta, breakfast ka waqt hogaya hai. Fresh hoke ajao jaldi", Pushpa Singh said caressing her head lovingly.
"Ji. Chalo Ashu fresh hote hai", saying this Karishma moved forward immediately to avoid her and went away with Ashu. Pushpa understood this as her face fell and she came out of Karishma's room.
So that's how their relationship was going to be? always? Well, to be fair, it's not like Karishma was hostile to her. She never misbehaved with her. But she never warmed up with her either. The person "Pushpa Singh" didn't hold any place in Karishma's life.
Pushpa knew she could never take her mother's place in Karishma's life. But does someone can be a mother only when they give birth to that child? She didn't agree with that.
Her motherly emotions, her affection, her love for Karishma and Amar was unconditional. She thought them as her own children. Amar with time became very cordial with her but Karishma had always kept her at arm's length.
Haseena was busy doing household chores and didn't realize someone was behind her. The person came tiptoed and touched her shoulder from behind, startling her.
"Haye Allahhh!", Haseena looked behind keeping her hand on her chest. "Mira ki bacchi. Katal kar denge hum tumhara. Aise bhoot ki tarah darate kyun ho", she said hitting on Mira's arm.
"Batake aati toh surprise kaise banta?" Mira said sitting on the slab.
"Isse surprise nahi shock dena kehte hai", she replied still startled.
"Ha ha yehi meri style hai. Waise meri behen ko janamdin mubarak ho", Mira said hugging her.
"Bohut bohut shukria Mira", Haseena said hugging her back.
"Bas shukria se kaam nahi chalega. Aj shaam tum humare saath bahar jaa rahi ho", Mira demanded.
"Humare saath?", Haseena gave her a questioning look.
"Mai, Raj aur humare kuch dost. Tumhari birthday manayenge", Mira replied.
"Yeh kab hua?" Haseena asked being surprised.
"Hua nahi hai hoga. Aur mai na nahi sunungi, aunty ko mai mana lungi. Waise bhi tum kabhi bahar nahi jaati, aj mere saath hi chal lo", Mira tried to convince her.
"Jayenge..lekin humara birthday.. Karishma ke bagair kaise?!", Haseena hesitated.
"Ha pata hai uske siwa nahi jaogi tum. Woh bhi ajayegi. Cheetah ko bol dia hai maine", Mira assured her.
"Thik hai, lekin ammi agar na mani toh humse kuch ummed maat rakhna", Haseena warned.
"Tum woh sab chodo. Aj kya pehnogi woh choose karo jake", Mira said and Haseena just nodded her head.
___________________________________________
So, that was the chapter five of Solace.
I hope you all 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.