Unchained Melody

CH:28- Consuming Insatiable Frenzy

Morning All! I'll be posting the next part on Sunday until then Happy Reading🤓 & Stay Safe😷.

___________________________

"This man always gets the worst out of me," Haseena mumbled as she entered her room after putting Misha to sleep in her nursery, "And there is no guarantee that he won't come after me, after our encounter today," She thought as took out her clothes from the wardrobe, "I have to be on a lookout for him," She sighed as she entered the bathroom to take shower.

Karishma came upstairs after changing into her nightdress. She was wearing shorts and an oversized button-down shirt which she had tucked in from the front and kept it hanging from the back. She moved towards Misha's room to check on her and after finding her asleep peacefully, she closed the door and moved towards Haseena's room. After entering the room, she looked around but didn't find Haseena anywhere. She was about to move out when the sound of running water in the bathroom caught her attention. She sighed and sat on the bed as she looked at the bathroom door which Haseena had left ajar. "You are a very good mother Haseena," She mumbled as she lay on the bed while her feet continued to touch the floor.

Haseena came out from the bathroom after a few minutes and while glancing at Karishma she moved towards her vanity table. "I was going to come down," She said as picked up the brush and started brushing her hair.

Karishma was startled by her voice. "I'm sorry for my behavior earlier," She said while sitting up and looking at Haseena who was wearing a white bathrobe that ends below her knees and slippers.

Haseena's hand stopped as she turned to look at Karishma.

"I don't know who I'm mad at?" Karishma said while averting her gaze from Haseena, "at you or at myself because I don't give a damn about him."

"I understand the reason to be mad at me," Haseena said as she made her grip tight on the brush and folded her hand over her chest, "But why would you be mad at yourself."

"A part of me envies you," She looked at Haseena momentarily.

Haseena scoffed. "Why would you envy me, Miss Singh?" She asked as she placed the brush on the table and leaned on it.

"Because..." She made her grip tight on the bed, "You are fierce, brave, strong, independent, resilient, and moreover, your self-respect," She looked at her, "makes you an anomaly." She got up from the bed, "It's not like I have not seen independent women, I have, quite a lot of them and they are all amazing but I always feel they are lacking something but you...," She took a few steps towards Haseena, "you are not lacking anything. I have seen a lot of strong women succumbing to the pressure and demands of life but you have, bear it all," She said placing her hands on the chair which was in between them. "Your these qualities make me envy you as much as they make me admire you." She Sighed, "Perhaps, I'm becoming greedy in your case but a part of me wants you to depend on me for something, anything." She said with slight frustration in her voice.

Haseena Sighed. "I don't know about all the other adjectives that you have used for me but the one thing that I have always valued is, my self-respect, which lead me to be independent," She looked at her, "In all my years in the States, one thing that I have learned is, the money you earn and spend own yourself is the best addiction—-it gives you inner peace." She turned towards the mirror and picked up the brush once again, "Also about the woman being strong, I have seen a lot of flaws in the western system and the way it defines a strong woman." She looked at her through the mirror, "I don't know if you have ever been to India but just want to let you know in the country of your origin and in the country of my origin there are many women like me, even stronger than me, they fight battles on daily basis in our underdeveloped nations without having many resources." She continued to brush her hair, "I know I have a rough past but that's what it is—-I can't change it and I don't want to change it because it made me what I am today. However, I don't want people to sympathize with me on the basis of my past; an empathy or an understanding of my situation suffices." She placed the brush back on the table, "I was fortunate enough to come here and I was fortunate enough to come out of that marriage." She paused, "If I was back home, our shared cultural values," She pointed towards Karishma and then at herself, "wanted me to stay in that unhappy marriage like a lot of women in our countries. Of course, there are some exceptions that get helped but the numbers are very low."