An update here, vote and leave lots of comments.
Not proofread
Enjoy!
________________________
She woke up to the irritating noise of her alarm. Everytime she heard it, she regretted setting her favourite tune as the noise which would wake her up everyday because she had begun to hate that tune.
She checked the time, it was six in the morning. She didnt want to wake up yet but she had to, her studies were calling her.
Even though, everyday she tried to not take her mobile the first thing in the morning, she ended up doing just that every single time. It had become a habit of hers to check her messages and emails everytime she woke up.
But today, there was something different. The first message she saw from Haseena. She opened her chat and there was a photo of the assignment along with an audio note. She played the message and put it near her ear.
"Iam really very sorry Karishma, jab tak hum ghar aaye tab bahut der ho chuki thi, humne jitni jaldi ho sake yeh khatam kiya aur apko bhej diya. I hope ap yeh jaldi khatm kr paye" Haseena said, her tone filled with hesitancy and guilt.
She pulled the phone away from her ear and smiled looking at the chat. This girl was so innocent and a total cutie. She looked at the time she had sent the message at, and understood why she was asking sorry. It was freaking 1:30 in the morning.
"Itne der tak voh restaurant mein thi?" Karishma mumbled, asking to herself.
Having several things in her mind, she got up to get ready. For some reason, or because of someone, the walls of her bathroom witnessed a cheerful and happy Karishma instead of a tiresome and groaning one. She had smile on her face while she scrubbed the soap on her skin, she showed some of her dance moves while the water ran down to her feet. She wanted to look the best of herself, for some reason.
Finally, at 7 she packed her bag and went to the college, humming a song. She was feeling like a chirpy bird with wings who wanted to fly high.
____________________________
Carrying the bag on her shoulders, Haseena was walking towards her college. The day didnt start too well for the girl when she found out that her bike had been punctured. No mechanic would be up this early so her only option was to walk to her college.
She was still exhausted, the previous day had been hectic for her. Her studies and work didnt give her time for herself. She sometimes looked at the people around her, the people who used to attend the same college as hers. Whenever she saw them, she only saw how luxurious their lives were. New clothes, no need to work. They had a lot of time to study and spare some for themselves.
Though she tried not to compare her life with others, she couldn't control doing it. Somewhere she knew that she didnt crave for the luxuries, she craved for the friendship these people had. Her only true friend at the moment was Santu, who she knew would always stand with her, who knew how to make her smile.
Santu was one of the persons she genuinely cared and loved with all her heart, like a younger sister. Though she proved to be really 'innocent' at times, she had that sense that Haseena was not who everyone thought she was.
"Haseena!" She heard a voice from behind as she reached the gate of the college, she turned back and found Karishma doing a little jog to catch up to her.
She smiled looking at the latter. "Good morning" she greeted.
"Apko bhi good morning" Karishma replied, finally putting a break.
"Apne voh assignment kiya?" Haseena asked.
Karishma smiled once again. How to explain her that she had done her assignment long ago, and that yesterday she was just searching for an excuse to talk to her.
"Ji kar liya" Karishma said and they both began to walk towards the class for their first lecture.
Haseena was not being attentive, she was just looking here and there, around the campus as if she was searching for someone.
"Kya hua? Kisi ka intezar tha?" Karishma asked and Haseena shook her head in no.
"Nahi. . ." her voice trailed "kya Rohit aya hai aaj?" Haseena asked, avoiding eye contact.
"Nahi, aaj voh nahi ayega, kyu kya hua?"
"Bas ese hi puch rhe the" She said in a low tone, "Chaliye hum chalte hai. Bad me milenge" Haseena said and walked away.
After hearing that, she sighed in relief. Her bully would not be coming today, so she could atleast study in peace.
________________
"Kya leke ayi ho tum lunch mein?" Anisha asked while opening her lunchbox and Karishma snorted a laugh. "Yaar meri mummy bhi na, aaj teesri bar lunchbox mein kese dal ke bhej diye hai"
"Haan toh acha haina. Tum kuch kharid ke khaalo. Varna roz toh ghar ke aye khane ko kosti ho" Karishma said, taking a bite of her food from her lunchbox.
"Haan toh, roz achar aur dahi chawal kese kha sakti hu mein" Anisha said.
"Yeh sab chodo, yeh btao ab kesi ho tum? Sagar ke arrest hone ke baad"
"Hmm, Iam trying to cope up. I never imagined he would do something like this." Anisha said with a sigh.
"Imagine toh humne bhi nhi kiya tha. Lekin uss din jab Haseena ne humein sach dikhaya tha, hamari ankhe khuli ki khuli reh gyi thi" Karishma said with the same disbelief.
"Voh kameeni?" Anisha said, making Karishma choke on her food.
"Kameeni kyu bol rhi ho toh in he" Karishma asked, trying to hide her anger.
"That bastard tried to steal my money" Anisha said, chewing her food in anger.
"Esa ho hi nahi sakta!" Karishma said, getting up from her ch aur in anger. This would be the nth time she had heard shit talking regarding Haseena.
"Chill, uske liye itna gussa kyu ho rhi ho?" Anisha asked
"Because you are just believing what others are saying" Karishma said amd held her wrist.
"Are hath kyu pakad rahi ho hamara?" Anisha asked but Karishma did not reply, instead she just dragged her where she knew Haseena would be.
Isolated from everyone, Haseena was having her lunch behind the canteen. It was the only place where she could have her lunch in peace, without being bullied or being beaten by anyone, without getting called names. But that seemed to be not the case today, soon she was welcomed by Karishma and her friend Anisha who believed she was a total liar, a womanizer and a thief.
She stood up from the bench and looked at both of them. From the look on Karishma's face she was sure she was getting in trouble, she had been slapped by Anisha once before, she was going to get slapped again today.
"Kar—karishma? Ani—anisha ji?" Haseena said, afraid.
"Tum mujhe yahan iske samne kyu layi ho?" Anisha asked, infuriated.
"Haseena, ek sawal puchenge apse. Sach sach jawab dijiyega" Karishma said sternly and Haseena did not have any other option than nodding het head in yes. "Kya apne uss din Anisha ke pese churaye the?"
Haseena was taken aback by this question. Now she knew that she did not have any intention to steal her money, but will Karishma believe it? And moreover, will Anisha believe it?
"Puchne ka kya hai isme. Restaurant mein kaam karti hai, kitne hi kama leti hogi. Pese dekhe toh lalach agya hoga" Anisha said with a smirk and Haseena looked at her with a look of heartbreak.
"Humne nahi kiye pese chori" Haseena said, trying to sound as genuine as possible. She was not that kind of person, sure she wanted to earn a little more to fulfil her needs, the money she earned was mostly used up in paying bills, at the end of the month she ended up broke. But that never motivated to her to steal from anyone. She considered it wrong, legally and morally. "Uss din, apke pese neeche gire the, hum toh bas utha ke de rhe the unhe, utne mein aap palat gayi aur apko laga humne chori kiye hain" Haseena said, justifying herself.
Anisha gave a sarcastic look, "Yeh uss din kyu nhi bola tumne"
"Aapne humein bolne ka mauka hi nhi diya tha. You slapped me" Haseena said, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Seriously Karishma? You believe this nonsense?"
"Believe karna hoga unko" Santosh said from behind, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Santu tum?" Karishma said with surprise.
"Hmm, hum hi hain and by the way, Anisha ji yeh lijiye apke pese jo apne canteen mein gira diye the" Santosh said, handing her a two thousand rupee note.
"Tum yahan kabse thi?" Karishma asked.
"Sab sun liya, itni der thi mein yahan" Santosh said and walked over to Haseena who had her head down. "Apke bag ka zip band kijiye" Santosh said to Anisha and she looked at her bag which was indeed open.
Anisha was embarrassed, how could she be so careless. "Shayad galti se..."
"Yehi galti uss din bhi hui thi apse. I think you should be more responsible." Santosh said, giving her ego a hard punch.
Anisha just walked away from there, she did not have anything else top say. Karishma went to Haseena who still had her head bowed down.
"Theek hai aap?" Karishma asked and Haseena just nodded her head, thats all she could do.
"Ap vishwas karti hai hamare upar?" Haseena asked.
"Na karne ki galti hum dubara nahi dohorayenge Haseena." Karishma spoke with all the genuineness she had. Haseena's heart just melted there. She looked at her, her captivating eyes, her complexion. For the first time she felt . . . she felt things she couldn't explain.
Santosh coughed to make her presence known. Haseena jerked out of her thoughts while Karishma coughed in repeat.
"Humei—humein chalna chaiye" Haseena said and both nodded.
___________________
It was finally time to go home and Haseena could not wait another moment to keep her head on the pillow and have a good nap. She had not slept properly from the past week and all she could think of was sleep.
On her way, while walking on the road, she found Anisha standing and talking to someone on har mobile on the footpath. Haseena did not want to make Anisha know that she was there, she did not want any more trouble. But she had to use only that way to reach her home. Haseena thought to try her luck and pass her without being noticed, it was good that she was on call.
"Haseena ruko" Anisha called her as she passed and Haseena closed her eyes, releasing a sigh. She did not want to deal with her, she was already hurt by the statement she made earlier. Haseena knew that people thought really low of her, but listening to that verbally had broke her heart. But whatever, Haseena had to stop. Or else she would get bullied even for that.
"Tum toh bike se jati hona?" Anisha asked and Haseena nodded.
"Voh Anisha ji, suniye. Hum apse maafi chahte hai uss din keliye. Hum Karishma ko samjha denge aapki koi galti nhi thi" Haseena said
Anisha heard that and felt ashamed of herself. The poor girl had not done anything but she had carelessly just accused her of stealing and now, the whole college considered her a thief.
"Iam sorry"