"I'm sure it is nothing. They were in a show together." Karishma tries to land the best explanation but she knows how bad this is for Haseena. They are going to suspect her to be one of his customers. Involved or not, this could ruin Haseena. "They've listed this... for evidence?"
"Not yet."
"Thank you for this." Karishma's eyebrows don't know how to untie anymore as she keeps them furrow long enough they become one big knot.
"You might want to let her and her lawyer know about this. I'm sure they have a good explanation for this. Still, it is good to be prepared." Captain Lanna knows that she is going out of her way for this but she has to do whatever it takes to get Karishma through this mess. It was hard to see Karishma got through one and it will be even harder to see Karishma get through another.
Karishma looks up from the paper to Captain Lanna and tries her very best to put on her polite smile. "I'll take care of this."
"If there is anything I can do—"
"You've already done so much, Aiysha, and I already couldn't thank you enough”. Karishma holds up the paper before folding it back into the pocket-size secret. "I'll get this."
"Alright. Let's order, shall we?" Captain Lanna sighs with a bit of relief that Karishma has taken this scenario rather well. She expected rage and confusion that could have pushed Karishma to the edge.
"Yeah. Sure." Karishma looks back at the menu and continues reading through the list of delicious-looking menu. "I'm starving."
"Chris wants to meet Haseena Malik..." Captain Lanna mentions her husband who has as tight of a relationship with Karishma as her. He is the one who encouraged her to step up and extend her hand for Karishma to take when she needed one.
Karishma smirks without taking her eyes off the menu. "I'll see what I can do."
Haseena looks at her phone that is set by her glass of water on the lunch table. She is waiting for Karishma's response to the restaurant's address she sent. It has been a good while and her message has yet to be responded. Now, she begins to realize how frustrating it was for Karishma when she couldn't reach her. It is the feeling of unknown. She doesn't know where Karishma is or what Karishma is doing. It is even more concerning when Karishma is a cop; although she is suspended, she is more than sure that Karishma can still manage to get one foot into something she shouldn't.
"So. Do you want to go full public with Detective Singh?" Garry asks between his bites of the heavy lunch. This relationship of Haseena doesn't concern him much as he secretly believes that it will end as fast as it happened. His only concern now is to pull Haseena's name as far away from Will Hughes's as possible. "You should probably go on a date publicly for a bit. Like walking on the bench or something. Let me know what you want to do. I'll manage the paparazzi."
"I can't get ahold of her." Haseena mumbles and continues her lunch that is seasoned with the irritation that is spilling out of her.
"Have you talked to her about this?" Garry asks and lets his eyes wander to Aanya who is sitting on his right. He can sense the moodiness from Haseena and he is a bit uncomfortable. He doesn't want to be a victim in the crime that Haseena might commit out of anger.
"Well." Haseena puts the fork down and drinks almost the whole glass of water to put out the flame of rage within her. "She doesn't mind people knowing about us but she feels like there are more than me and her in this relationship. She minds that. She hates that, actually."
"Wha-" Garry is shoved into a maze that he isn't prepared for and he is struggling; of words, of thoughts and of actions. What Haseena said just doesn't make sense to him and he is too afraid to ask for any repetition.
"What Haseena was trying to say was... Detective Singh is fine with everyone knowing that they are dating but she will fuck everyone who meddles with their relationship up." Aanya elaborates with the same tone she thinks Karishma and Haseena would use.
Haseena gestures towards Aanya and nods in agreement of how she could portrait Karishma quite precisely. She is about to add something to that when her eyes catch the sight of the familiar face walking into the restaurant. She is late and she seems to know it well.
"Hey." Karishma holds up her hand and the movement of a wave is about to occur when Haseena breathes fire. Karishma decides to put her wave away and greets everyone else at the table with words before sitting down next to Haseena. "Sorry I'm late."
"Are you really?" Haseena whispers and faces Karishma. She now notices how Karishma has ponds of sweats on her forehead and the back of her blouse is soaked. It seems to her that Karishma has gone through a marathon; not a session of counselling, "Where have you been?"
"Thanks." Karishma takes the glass of water that has been passed to her from Garry. Karishma chugs the whole glass as if she has just returned from a desert. She strokes her hair back and can feel all the sweat that makes a permanent settlement in her hair. "What were we talking about?"
"Since you're here, detective -"
"I'm not a detective. Well, at least, not at the moment. Karishma will do." Karishma can feel that Haseena hasn't taken her eyes off of her and she can feel the heat that is hotter and ready to burn her alive. She places her hand on Haseena's thigh under the table; hoping her gesture will work like fresh cool water that calms her baby down.
"Right. Karishma, we were talking that maybe you two should be out on a date." "Like publicly."
"Like publicly."
"Oh. Haseena is going to JP Saxe's show tonight, isn't she? You should go with her. I'm sure we can manage one more ticket." Aanya suggests but her suggestion doesn't get a response right away although Garry seems to be 1000 percent on it.
Karishma's hand that is on Haseena's thigh now has a company. Haseena holds that hand in hers as Karishma looks at her with her eyebrows raised. "Do you want to do that?"
"Did you do something dumb, Karishma?" Haseena asks as if she hasn't listened to anything else but the thoughts in her head that has been processing what her eyes examined.
Karishma chuckles and doesn't leave her sight from Haseena; not for a second. If Haseena is going to try and read right through her, she will let her and hope she finds failure. "No."
"Why didn't you pick up your phone or... or... or reply to my text?" Haseena tries to make sense of what is happening right in front of her without really care what is happening around her. She needs some answers.
"Haseena. Haseena." Karishma smiles gently and says her name underneath her breath. Her hand takes a short journey from Haseena's thigh to Haseena's lower back. There, she caresses her to make sure she knows that she is here now. "I'm sorry."
Haseena wants to keep her suspicion and her irritation but with Karishma drawing her finger on her back into the shape of something too sweet, she can't help herself but smile. "Fine."
Garry watches the pair and decides to clear his throat to get someone's attention. Anyone's. "So. We're going with that?"
"I'm sorry, Garry." Haseena turns back to her colleague across the table and puts on her business face. She tries to act serious but they all know by now that she can't really achieve that with Karishma around. "Can you repeat the whole thing? I... I wasn't listening."
"You'd better get used to that, Garry." Aanya says to Garry with a smile as she sips her water.
Karishma, who is sitting on the floor in the living room with Jabba lying by her side, isn't really aware that Haseena has already made her way downstairs with the ankle boots in her hands. Karishma is listening to something on her AirPod that definitely takes her somewhere else although her hand is rubbing on Jabba's belly. Her eyes are staring into the void while her legs are stretching out into comfort. The jeans she is wearing is unnoticeable shorter than her legs while the band t-shirt seems to fit her well. None of these are hers but all of these come with the perk of dating someone with the same size.
"I think Cheeta is here." Haseena announces her arrival to the living room with the random mention of her big brother.
"Here?" Karishma is instantly brought back to the presence as she takes off her AirPod and manages to turn off whatever she has been listening to.
"I mean in the States. These couple of days, he has been texting me back almost right away. Like he is in the same time zone or something."
Karishma finally looks up to the girl who stands in front of her. A smile lands on Karishma's face in the second her eyes land on the girl. She is wearing all black, red lipstick and her hair down. Now, Karishma just wishes they don't have to go out. "I've just realized how much I love India. What a wonderful country. I wish I could go down there."
"You do?" Haseena leans in for a kiss before sitting down on the armchair across from Karishma. "You can just say you love me, Karishma."
Karishma looks at Haseena who is putting on her shoe and pulling back a bit. She regrets what she said and is about to take it back.
"I was... That was a joke." Haseena awkwardly tries to cover up when Karishma didn't respond with the line she expected her to. "I was joking. Hmm. I... It... You... You must hate this, don't you? Having to go with me... like with all these conditions... It's... It's... It isn't exactly an ideal date."
Karishma smirks and she watches Haseena become so stutter. It's rare and it's new but it's somehow enjoyable. "I do but it's fine. If it's something that comes with your job, I'll find a way to cope."
"Right." Haseena keeps busy with her shoes while her mind is in such chaos with the accidental joke that came out all wrong.
"Haseena." Karishma calls her name without moving an inch into her space. She stays put on the floor with her legs stretching out and her hands intertwining on her lap. "You do know that I do, right?"
"Yeah." Haseena whispers with a smile and more at ease. "I think I do. I hope you do."
"I want to be with you until I'm like 73."
"73?" Haseena finishes putting her boots on and stands up confidently in them. "That's a bit specific, don't you think? What happens when you turn 74?"
"I'll... find someone new. Younger. Prettier. Taller."
Haseena scoffs and crosses her arms. "That's rather impossible."
"I'm probably going to try." Karishma chuckles and opens her arms for Haseena to get in. Haseena is not really a stubborn head when it comes to this. She carefully straddles Karishma without alarming Jabba who seems to enjoy the spot next to his mama. She sinks into Karishma's arms and feels all the love that hasn't come out in words but surely come out in their language. "Everything will be alright again. I promise."
"Yeah, I know." Haseena mumbles in Karishma's neck before pulling away to give her a kiss on the lips. "Oh. This color looks good on you."
"Really?" Karishma folds her lips and wishes she could look in the mirror. Then, she remembers something far more important. "Can I get more then?"
Haseena giggles. "Definitely."
"Will we be late?" Karishma asks when the smiley lips are getting closer to her.
"James knows a lot of shortcuts."
"Good."
It is after dinner time. The kitchen is cleaned. The dining table is cleared. Now, it is the trash's turn. Brian takes the trash bag and heads outside while Joanne pours some wine into a glass and some orange juice into another. It is one of those Friday nights where Jr. spends the night with his grandparents at the beach house. He could wake up and watch the wave with his grandfather. He loves that and his parents love that they get some alone time every once in a while.
Brian throws the bag into the bin by the sidewalk and notices an old sloppy black van turning the corner into his street. It barely makes any sound which is contrast to how it looks. This type of van makes sound and considering how old it is, it must make sound. The van doesn't speed up nor slow down as it approaches Brian whose feet glue to the ground to observe in order to kill his curiosity. He thinks nothing of it until that old moving van paves the way for the grand entrance of the men in black. They blend into the night and with the masks on their faces, they blend together. Once Brian pieces everything together, it is too late to move or do anything as one man gets to him with a bat smashing right on his stomach. He immediately falls to the ground.
"Guess what? What goes around comes around, mate."
______
Take care
Bye'll 👋👋