"Kya tumko lagta hai ki ye humse hoga? Mujhe nahi lagta hai ki hum Kia toh sambhal payenge. We are not- I am not ready for this." Karishma said leaning onto her palm.
"Karishma-"
"Singh." Karishma corrected her and Haseena scoffed.
"Singh. Kiara ko humare alawah koun sambhalega..aap kudh jaanti hai ki Santu aur Cheetah ke family unke friends hai. Hum te undonon ke family."
"Tum jyaada emotional ho rahi hai Mallik."
"Aur aap zyada insensitive ho rahi hai Singh." Haseena said pointing her index finger at Karishma.
Their voices seemed to have gotten high and Kiara's wail was proof enough.
"Why did you shout!?" Karishma scolded Haseena and Haseena aired her hands in frustration.
Kiara was in her cradle crying of course when the duo made it to her. Karishma bent wanting to pick the kid up but backed away when she felt Haseena swatting her hands away.
"What the fuck?"
"Language Singh." Haseena glared and Karishma rolled her eyes.
"We need to ferberise her. Warna usko lagne lagega ki harr baar rone pe hum doudke ajayenge uske paas. Usko kudh se rukna seekhna padega aise humne kisi series mein dekha hai. Haan Modern Family." Haseena said. Karishma who was very dumb simply accepted
"Kiara baby guchi guchi koo." Haseena said and Kiara's wails increased.
"Stop scaring her Mallik." Karishma said dryly.
"You try. Baatein karwa lo inse bas." Haseena criticised.
"Kiara love, you know Karishma mausi loves you right. Please rona band kardo na humko headache ho jayega. Phir kal office bhi jaana hai na jaan. Aapko kya chahiye aap bata dena hum dilayenge. Aapki Haseena mausi badi riché hai." Karishma engaged in a conversation and Haseena hit herself on her head at Karishma's attempt at silencing the lil one.
"Aap hatiya shayad inko bhook lagi hai." Haseena carried Kiara walking away from an offended Karishma.
"Mujhe laga Baby ko ferberise kar rahe hai." She taunted, air quoting the word ferberise.
"Shut up Singh and what's that freaking smell." Haseena sniffed with a frown. The smell made her want to throw up.
"Tumko nahi lagta iski diaper change karna hai?" Karishma asked. Haseena closed her eyes summoning the required patience and she carried a giggling Kiara to the bathroom. Karishma followed her but started going on reverse gear once Kiara was on the changing table.
"Bhaagne ke baare mein sochna bhi mat Singh hum maar dalenge aapko sach keh rahe hai." Haseena warned.
"Mein kyun karoon??? Tum karo. Mujhe ye sab aata nahi." Karishma said with a disgusted face.
"Excuse me? This isn't rocket science. Aur aap baat toh aisi kar ri jaise humne iske pehle das bacche paala hai. Karo aap!" Haseena said angrily and Karishma removed the tags to the diaper with a crying face. Haseena kept supplying her tissues. The bathroom was a warzone and the warriors were defeated by a mere diaper. A soiled diaper.
Haseena carried Kiara out her steps faltering indicating how tired she was when Kiara started crying again.
"Aarghhhh." Haseena grunted.
"SINGH." She shouted for Karishma at the top of lungs. She wasn't dealing with this alone.
By the time Kiara slept again it was 4 AM. Haseena lay on the sofa with Karishma sprawled on the floor.
"You still think it's the best idea that we take care of Kiara?" Karishma asked and this time Haseena was silent. Last night had made her rethink her capability as a parent.
"We need a time table. Aapko aapke shifts ko adjust karna padega aur hum apne Cafe jaane ke timings ko adjust karenge uske hisaab se." Haseena tiredly stated.
"Okay." Karishma agreed.
By the time Haseena returned home she was dead meat. The renovation of the cafe was eating her up. It had her running everywhere. She missed being a chef. Running a business was much harder than she had realised. Kiara was with the baby sitter for the duration that she had attended the meeting. Haseena tipped the baby sitter who handed over Kiara to Haseena.
"She looks beautiful. She has your eyes." The elderly lady said unaware that Haseena was not Kiara's mother.
"Thank you." Haseena smiled at her the best fake smile she could manage. She was tired and she didn't have the strength to explain the death of her close friends to a stranger no matter how much she wanted to vent it all out.
"Let's get you to sleep shall we?" She spoke to Kiara carrying her to her room. Kiara just giggled looking at Haseena after four long hours. She always recognised her godparents and other familiar faces and she always smiled at them. Of course the cackling laughter that Haseena loved was reserved for her parents and she was afraid she would never hear that ever again just like how she'd never see Santosh smiling at her, a smile so wide and beautiful that it had always made Haseena smile too. That she'd never hear Cheetah adoring Santosh just as smitten as he had been when they were in college or that Kiara would grow up never getting to witness in first hand what great people her parents were. Haseena continued to pat Kiara on her tummy as she drifted to sleep wiping the tears with her other hand.
..
"Singh on my count 3...2...1 GO GO GO." The sergeant said. Karishma kicked the door the gun in her hand readily poised.
"Clear." She announced. They had received a tip that the murderer they had been after was hiding in this rickety old building and this was a bust that Karishma would give her life to make. She had never been the one to back from a dangerous mission. In fact she was famous for putting her life on the line one too many times. It was not an uncommon thing in her field. She was a police detective afterall but everyone clearly distinguished her work from the rest. Karishma fought and chased like she didn't care about her life. Karishma was in this job for the thrills. Safing lives was just a perk.
"To your left Singh."
"I have it covered, Sergeant."
A man dressed in black matching the description of the criminal ran across the corridor and Karishma chased him. She lunged pulling the burly guy down with her holding his arm twisting it behind his back.
"You are under arrest for the murder of John and Angela Keaton you have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used in the court of law against you." She repeated the familiar words as she handcuffed the guy pulling him with her. The uniformed officers took over for her.
"Good job Singh drinks on me." The sergeant said happily giving Karishma a fist bump. Karishma nodded.
"How are things at home. Kiara kaisi hai?" Her Captain (like SHO in Maddam sir) enquired. Karishma sat in her Captain's office. It was a long day and Karishma wanted nothing more than to crash in her bachelor pad with her PlayStation joystick in her hand playing her COD with her online friends or take home a girl she picked up from the bar. It was just how she lived life. Pushpa ji had taken care of her after the death of her parents but she had to move back to India due to her personal commitments. Karishma had refused to move with her. Her life was here. Cheetah was here. She had practically grown up with him. He had helped her get into college. She had helped him with lame pick up lines he'd used to woo Santosh when they were in college. He was the brother she never had. Santosh was the best sister in law to her. She never stopped Cheetah from spending time with Karishma and GOD she missed them. She missed them so freaking much.
"KARISHMA-" Her captain called out. She had zoned out again.
"Meine tumse kuch poocha hai."
"Haan Kiara theek hai. Usko patah nahi hai toh theek hai. Ms. Mallik aur mein adjust kar lete hai timings but this is not my cup of tea." Karishma sighed and palmed her face rubbing it roughly to gain perspective.
"You have no option, Karishma. They are your family now." Her Captain said. Karishma simply nodded excusing herself outside the Captain's room. They are not my family she had wanted to say but didn't find her voice.
Her phone rang as she made her way to the bar across the department.
"Hello Mallik." Karishma greeted, in a bored voice.
"Aap kab aah rahi hai? I have a huge order tomorrow aur humne aapko already bataya tha iske baare mein." Karishma closed her eyes in anger gritting her teeth. The thing is Haseena did inform her she just wasn't feeling like going home.
"I'll be there." Karishma said.
Kiara when Karishma had returned home was not having her food and was crying relentlessly. Haseena had tried everything off the books and Kiara was not stopping. Karishma's patience had reached it's peak when she punched the wall adjacent to the kitchen counter.
"Aap pagal hai?" Haseena shouted in frustration. She had Kiara in her arms and was rocking her so she would stop crying and Karishma's anger was not something she was ready to deal with at the moment. Kiara had her hands full already.
"Haan mein pagal hoon. Ye situation ne mujhe pagal bana diya hai. I didn't ask for any of this HELL I never wanted a kid par dekho kaise phasi hoon mein." Karishma shouted angrily.
"Aap bhool rahi hai ki ismein Kiara ki koi galti nahi hai." Haseena replied monotonously.
"You think I don't know that. Ye ab mujhse nahi hoga." Karishma said, picking up her bike keys from the bowl and taking her leather jacket from the hanger.
"Singh aap ab bhi bike use kar rahi hai aap bhool rahi hai ki inki maa baap ka abhi abhi accident hua hai aur aapko safe rehna hai aapke liye nahi balki inke liye." Haseena walked to the door following Karishma. She shushed Kiara when her wails got louder. Karishma spared the duo another look as Haseena's warning sank in.
"I fucking don't care." Karishma spat before ramming the door loudly. Haseena could hear Karishma kicking her bike and leaving and she sighed with tears threatening to leave her eyes. She again tried feeding Kiara but this time she did not make a fuss and had obediently eaten whatever Haseena had fed her. Haseena smiled at how Kiara was being cooperative as if she knew Haseena was crying. She sat on the couch with Kiara on her lap and was scrolling through her gallery looking at the pictures from when Santosh had just given birth to lil Kia. Her ears caught a familiar voice from one of the videos, a voice she yearned to hear one more time now.
Karishma opened the door removing her jacket and throwing it on the coffee table before sitting beside Haseena and Kiara. She was back as soon as she had left. Her anger had got the best of her but no emotion could stop her from caring for her best friend's daughter.
She apologetically looked at Haseena and Haseena simply nodded in an understanding manner before resuming the video. Karishma sat closer peeping into Haseena phone. She too yearned for a glimpse of her closest friends.
"Cheetah tumko meine kitni baar bola hai ki milk ko fill karne se pehle bottle ko dho baar sterilise kiya karo." Santosh said angrily emptying the bottle into the kitchen drain.
"I need to pump again aur mujhe patah bhi nahi hai ki ab pump kar bhi sakti hoon ya nahi I just pumped an hour ago."
"Jab tumko nahi aata hai tumko karna nahi hai toh mujhe batana mein tumhare jaise Kiara ke health ke saat compromise nahi kar sakti."
"Santu yaar ek baar hi karte hai sab kaafi hota hai. See it's clean." Cheetah argued weakly. It was two months after Kiara's birth and the couple seemed tired in the video.
"Just shut up Cheeta. Patah nahi kyun I decided to have a kid with you." Santosh exclaimed and Cheetah left the room angrily, not wanting to retort. One thing about Cheeta he loved his wife in all her phases. Even when she was being mean because of her tiredness even if she was pmsing, he had never once raised his voice against her. Haseena had lowered the phone after Cheetah had left to help Santosh with the steriliser.
Haseena kept her phone aside and looked at Karishma.
"Woh donon bhi laddte te. Jagadte te. Kyunki ek bacche ko bada karna asaan nahi hai." Haseena whispered and Karishma nodded. Kiara was now asleep so Haseena leaned back on the couch when Karishma still had her hand just above her shoulder so Karishma instinctively pulled Haseena into her embrace and Haseena tiredly gave in leaning onto Karishma's shoulder.
"I think humko unke jagah lene ka nahi balki humare apne jagah banana hoga Kiara ke zindagi mein, iss ghar mein. We need to stop behaving as if they're coming back." Karishma mumbled and leaned her face over Haseena's head. She caressed her hand over the top of Haseena's arm and Haseena sighed.
"Iss ghar mein unke pictures kuch jyada hi hai nahi?" Haseena asked looking around at the hundreds of photos.
"Haan. Humko iss ghar mein ab atarah saal rehna hai toh we better start treating this place like the place we live in not like a paid guest house." Karishma said.
"I'll bring my things over tomorrow." Haseena got up lifitng Kiara with her.
"Thank you for not leaving." She whispered to Karishma.
"Thank you bearing with me." Karishma replied with a smile.
..
Tell me how it was byeee.
I am in love with this story and I have so much fun writing it except that it might end in 20 or so chapters because that's how the story is laid out. Let's see how far it goes.
The upcoming chapters are all my favourites literally 💘