Bloom into YOU

CH:22- The Tug of War of Passion

Haseena and Karishma both reached home around 10:00 PM and with the help of Meena, Karishma was able to take Haseena to her room. After placing Urmila on the bed, she was about to move away when Urmila held her wrist, "Karishma Singh," she giggled with her eyes close in her intoxicated state, "yah Chatak Chandini," she let go of Karishma's hand as she turned to the other side.

Karishma continued to stand there as she glanced at Urmila, "you are so going down for this once you wake up," she muttered as she took off Urmila's shoes and after covering her with a duvet, she was about to walk out of her room when a thought struck her, "she must have that bullet mark," she took few steps towards Haseena and was about to lift her shirt when she heard Meena's voice which startled her and while dropping the idea, she moved outside.

Meena was waiting for Karishma to come out, "Is she okay?" She asked concerningly.

"She is fine," Karishma muttered as she started to move toward her room.

"She was never that drunk before," Meena uttered, still worried for Haseena, "Is she stressed about something?" She stood beside Karishma who was unlocking the door.

"If she is stressed then do you think she will drink?" Karishma asked as she entered her room and turned on the light.

"No," Meena just followed Karishma inside the room, "when she is stressed, she swims only," she fiddled with her dupatta, "it must be something big that's bothering her and that's why she has resorted to drinking," she looked at Karishma, "Isn't it?"

"I don't know," Karishma shrugged off her shoulders, "I don't know her that well," she muttered as she freed her feet from heels.

Meena didn't say anything, however, she continued to observe each and every move of Karishma and she can very much see the uncertainty, fretfulness, and anger building inside her, "I'll make lemonade for her," she said in order to gain Karishma's attention, "you can give it to her."

"I'm tired Meena," Karishma took out her clothes, "you can give it to her, yourself," she moved towards the bathroom, "I don't know if she is awake."

"Hmm..." Meena muttered and moved out from Karishma's room, "she is the same person who hasn't slept for nights when Haseena di wasn't home," she started descending the stairs, "she is the same person who hasn't eaten well in the last one month," she entered in the kitchen, "now when di is here why is she acting like that as if she doesn't care," she started squeezing the lemons, "even though if she doesn't say herself but she cares for Haseena di so much," she placed the glass in the tray and started moving towards Haseena's room, "and almost everyone knows about that in the house," she knocked on Haseena's door and after getting no response, she walked in, "aare yeh toh so gayi," she mumbled and was about to move towards Karishma's room but after remembering Karishma's disturbed state of mind, she walked back towards the kitchen.

On the other hand, Karishma was pacing in the corridor as she continued to glance at Haseena's door and when it became difficult for her to resist the temptation to go and check on Urmila, she walked downstairs and started pacing around the pool, "what was she trying to say?" she thought, "meine kese iska dimag kharab kar diya hai," she sat on one of the pool chairs, "char din mein kese iska dimag kharab ho sakta hai," she got up and started pacing around the pool as a thought cross her mind after remembering her fall in the pool due to Picasso, "you will tell me yourself Urmila that if you are Haseena or not," Her eyes shone with determination as she lay down on one of the pool chairs and closed her eyes.

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Haseena opened her eyes in bewilderment as her mind replayed the happenings of the bar, "Have I really attempted to kiss her?" She sat on the bed while holding her head, "what will she be thinking?" She got up and moved towards the bathroom to change into her night dress, "how will I face her, now?" She came out of her room and glanced at Karishma's room, "should I go and speak to her now?" She fiddled with her fingers, "leave it," she started heading downstairs to find something for her headache and was about to move towards the kitchen when her eyes landed on Karishma who was lying down on the pool chair, "yeh yahan kya kar rahi hain?" She walked into the pool area and glanced at Karishma, "she will kill me, once she will wake up," she thought and was about to move out from there when Karishma's voice stopped her.