"What?" Haseena looks with Karishma to the corner of the elevator ceiling.
"Where did the security camera go?" Karishma mumbles; almost like she is talking to herself instead of with her only company in the elevator. "Brian, there is no security camera here."
"Brian?"
As soon as Haseena raises the question of confusion, the elevator drops. The short free fall shakes Haseena to the core and the grab on the hand from Karishma is not enough to cure it. Karishma's response to this unexpected event is to protect Haseena; at all cost. She grabs her hand and makes sure that whatever happens next, she will be able to shield her. When the fall stops and the elevator is stuck at some mysterious floor, the light goes off and the silence creeps in. Haseena can feel like she literally slams into Karishma who is crushing into the handrail. Her arms are around her and for a second, she sinks into the embrace that feels so right at the worst possible time.
"Are you alright?" Karishma asks as she switches on the flashlight on her phone. She puts the phone in her shirt pocket and grab Haseena’s shoulders and moves her hands up to her cheeks to check every inch of her possible. "Are you hurt?"
"No." Haseena answers with a shake in her voice. "I'm okay."
"Okay." Karishma looks into her eyes and sees nothing but fright. "You're okay."
"Yeah." Haseena tries to follow Karishma's breathing pattern that seems calm and comforting.
"Take a seat." Karishma tells Haseena and for the first time, Haseena follows Karishma's instruction so willingly. She sits down and stretches her legs out as the only posture she can sit in her dress. Karishma watches her and smiles to at least ease Haseena's mind before picking up her phone to see one scary truth; there are no signals. She remains calm as she puts the phone back into her shirt pocket and presses the emergency call button on the elevator panel. As soon as she has done that, another scary truth reveals itself; there is no response.
"What happened?" Haseena sees how Karishma stands still in front of the button panel like she is looking at the most complex puzzle in the world.
"Not-"
"Karishma, I swear if you say nothing, I will kill you." Haseena's threat comes out strong but it can do nothing to Karishma who chuckles lightly as soon as she hears it. "I'm not joking."
"I know." Karishma joins Haseena on the floor and starts unbuttoning her shirt.
"What are you doing?" Haseena asks so suspiciously and starts to blush in the dim light.
"I have a spy cam on me -"
"I knew it."
"And it should have a tiny red dot in the back here to say that it works." Karishma shows the spy cam that she has pulled out of her button to Haseena who leans closer to look at the tiny cam.
"There isn't."
"There isn't." Karishma repeats Haseena and puts the spy cam in her pocket.
"Nothing works here; the emergency button, the phone, the cam. Weird, huh?"
"Someone is trying to get me." Haseena concludes so soundly and quietly.
"Yeah." Karishma nods and looks around to find the perfectly-make-sense answer.
"They probably try to trap you here and get you out somehow."
"How are we going to get out?" Haseena asks with a sigh that can't unload the burden she feels on her shoulders. This is not only her now; who has to be in this situation. There is Karishma as well.
"My partner, Brian, is a few blocks away. He should have known right away when the signal on the cam was cut off." Karishma explains and extends her legs out in the same posture as Haseena. She glances and sees some worries flying out from Haseena's eyes into the dark. She decides to scoot a little bit closer; enough for their skins to touch and her hand to make its way on Haseena's thigh. "Don't worry. Brian knows what to do."
Haseena glances down at the hand that places on her thigh. She knows that it is only for comforting her but it makes her heart go wilder than it should be. The sound of her heart beating is so loud that she begins to worry that Karishma would be able to hear it and worse, question it. "Hmm. How long have you been partners?"
"About three months."
"Three months?" Haseena repeats with a tiny chuckle. "It always feels funny to me that you 'cops' are so ready to take bullets for each other although you barely know each other. And you said I'm too trusting."
Karishma removes her hand from Haseena's thigh and intertwines it with another on her own lap. "We don't really have a choice, do we?"
"Why did you become a cop?" Haseena asks; not just to kill the silence but to fill in the blanks of her curiosity.
"I don't know." Karishma looks down at her hands and mumbles. "I happened to pass the exams I guess. Why did you become an actress?"
"Well, I happened to pass the exams." Haseena's answer gets both of them to giggle.
"You've read my file, haven't you? It wouldn't be hard for your dad to pass it over." Karishma asks out of the blue without really looking at her to demand the answer. She doesn't mind if Haseena chooses to dodge the question and changes the subject or even lie about it. She doesn't mind because that was exactly what she did. "You look at me differently. Like you've come to know about something that... I don't know... make you feel so sympathy towards me. Don't though."
Haseena looks at Karishma and wishes she could see her eyes clearer than this. She needs to know if they are mad or they are sad. She needs to know what would be the words to say. "I don't."
"Miss." The familiar voice comes through the elevator speaker after the static sound.
"Brian Park with the LAPD."
Karishma quickly gets up on her feet and presses the button on the panel to respond to her partner. "Ah, yes, officer."
"I'm with the building maintenance. LAFD is on their way and they are well informed of your situation. Hang in there. We'll get you out." Brian makes his words cryptic for all others but not to his partner.
"ETA? I mean... When will they arrive?" Karishma clears her throat and hears a bit of laughter coming from her only company in this unfortunate event.
"Five min -" Brian tries to respond as the call is cut off again.
"I don't think you'll do a very good job at a real undercover job, detective. You'll probably just expose your partner in two seconds." Haseena makes her remark and starts tying her long hair back as the area begins to take a toll on the weather. With her one available hand, she digs into her shoulder handbag for some rubber bands or hair ties or anything.
When seeing that Haseena is struggling, Karishma gives her a hand. She squats down and helps her find the rubber band that plays the undercover part better than her. "Yeah. Your boyfriend is also suspecting that I'm not your assistant.'
"My boyfriend?" Haseena takes the rubber band from Karishma and makes it evident that she is not such a fan of the word. "So now, both of you are suspecting one another? What a plot."
"I'm not suspecting him." Karishma pulls out the liar tag and puts it on her forehead again with that sneaky smile of hers. She watches Haseena tying her hair up in a loose ponytail and helps her tuck some of her hair behind her ear.
"You'll be alright."
"Yeah. I know." Haseena whispers back. Although her voice is low, she doesn't take it lightly at all. She knows she will be alright because the way Karishma said it, it sounds so solid and like a promise she will keep. The flashlight that shines from Karishma's pocket shows her a glimpse of Karishma's sun-kissed face. "Detective, aren't you a bit sweaty as well?"
"No, I'm not." Karishma uses her hand to wipe away the sweat that starts to form on her forehead to make her statement stand true.
"I'll tie your hair up." Haseena says something that is far from suggestion. She isn't asking or offering. She is telling Karishma what she will do as she puts her bag on her lap in order to see better of what is inside. She is looking for another rubber band.
"No, you're not." Karishma denies again and before she can leave Haseena's side, she is grabbed by the hand and that works like a handcuff that attaches her to the girl.
"Karishma, sit down." Haseena giggles as she finds another hair tie and manages to get Karishma sit crossed-leg next to her. She starts parting her hair and gets only the part she wants to tie up. "I'll just put your little wispy bangs here. Into this half little bun."
Karishma watches Haseena smile like a child who gets to play dress up. Her eyes shine like nothing else she has seen before and the more she stares, the more she knows that it would be hard to look away.
"What?" Haseena asks when the stare doesn't leave her but the answer is not much of what she concerns. She is busy admiring her work of art on Karishma's head. With a smile, she grabs Karishma's face with her both hands. At first, she does so just to get a good look on the bun she has made. Then, when her eyes meet Karishma's that haven't figure out how to leave hers, her first intention is ruined and the second comes to take its spot. Karishma leans in and Haseena doesn't stop her or let go of her. Her heart beats so fast like she could possibly faint from it. She is nervous but she doesn't want her to stop. She wants her lips on hers and her entire existence in her arms.
"Karishma Singh." a voice from the outside breaks them apart right when their noses touch and their lips about to do the same. The voice calls the detective's name and the bang sound on the elevator's roof is followed. Karishma has her hand on her gun at her ankle and her eyes on the ceiling. She thinks she knows the voice but she doesn't trust it. "I'll get you out"
"Lieutenant." Karishma finally responds and removes her hand from the holster.
"You're alright in there? Anyone need medical attention?" The voice asks along with the banging sound that starts to develop. Another guy is trying to use his heavy tool to get them out. "We're getting the exit hatch's lock out. You might have to come out this way because you're stuck between floors."
"Alright." Karishma responds and looks back at Haseena who is lost in her thoughts about the kiss that didn't happen. "We'll get out through that panel up there. I don't know how far up we are to the nearest floor but they will put a safety harness on for you before getting you up. They are pros. I know them personally. You can trust them on that. Alright?"
"Alright." Haseena sighs once and again as a sign of relief when she sees the reassuring smile from Karishma. "I'll need a drink after this."
Karishma furrows her eyebrows and puts on a ridiculously serious face. "No. I'll arrest you."
"Will you have a drink after this?"
Haseena asks as the exit hatch is cracked opened.
"Probably."
"I'll arrest you if you drink without me."
Haseena says it with such a poker face that she has learned so quickly from Karishma.
"You... You can't." Karishma stutters as she doesn't know how to go on with that expression and that word that echoes along with the almost-happened scenario.
"Try me."
"Hi." The fire fighter lieutenant greets as soon as his feet touch the elevator floor with the bigger flashlight that shines right to the pair who has already separated from one another; far enough to not make it suspicious but not far enough to make it suspicious. They might leave space between one another but their eyes; not for a second, leave one another. It is almost like the empty space next to them has become a pit of quicksand that refuses to make this temporary visitor leaves. The thing is; none of them seem to put on a fight to leave either.
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