Irresistible

39. Lovers in Cahoots

Cheetah Chaturvedi!" She called out from the entrance on reaching the thaana.

"Ji ji maddam sir." Cheetah said running up to her. He still hadn't forgotten her bhaukal from yesterday.

"Jeep nikhaaliye. Kisiko arrest karna hai."

"Kisko maddam sir?" Pushpa ji asked from her table

"Karishma Singh ko." She answered and silence ensued in MPT. Pushpaji stood from her table, her smile decimated slowly.

"Maddam sir kya hum aapse ek minute baat kar saktey hai?"

"Ji abhi nahi Pushpa ji." Haseena said waiting for Cheetah to walk outside to the jeep.

"Haseena beta humare baat toh sune." Pushpa ji tried again. Haseena stopped when she heard Pushpa ji referring to her like that.

"Aap unke liye yeh sab kar rahi hai na?"

"Ji Pushpaji. Unke liye hum kuch bhi karengey." Haseena answered without looking back.

"Par woh ek criminal hai na maddam sir. Aapko yaad nahi hai jaise unke wajah se Cheetah ko goli lagi thi.." Haseena turned towards Pushpa ji with a knowing smile. She couldn't of course break it to her about Karishma doing it all for the undercover operation and the unintentional involvement of Cheetah in all of this mess though she herself was at fault for risking the police force to stop Karishma. She was aware of how Cheetah getting injured was both hers and Karishma's mistake. She'd come to accept it now. She turned to face Pushpa ji.

"Kon hai wo jisme kami nahin hoti,
Aasmaan ke paas bhi toh zameen nahin hoti." Haseena said with evident pain and a calm smile reflecting in her beautiful voice.

"Par baat yeh hai Pushpaji ki unke kamiyan bhi ab humein khoobsurat lagti hain." She said and left the thaana.

..

Cheetah's jeep was parked outside the godown. As per their last conversation, this was where Karishma would be right now. Haseena got down from the jeep and so did Cheetah.

"Nahi Cheetah Chaturvedi aap yaheen rahengey. Andar hum akele jayengey."

"Par Maddam sir-"

"Nahi Cheetah Chaturvedi. Iss baar hum akele hi jaayenge chaahe jo bhi ho jaaye par humare liye, hum dusron ki jaan ke saat khilwaad nahi karengey." Saying that, Haseena walked inside the godown like a lone wolf..no back-up, no nothing. Just her guts.

On seeing a cop approaching the gate, the guards started walking towards her as if to stop her but were soon subject to Haseena's wrath. They lay on the floor and Haseena made her way into the corridor leading to the shed. She made it to the main door and entered the common area where there was a huge gathering as if they were all present to celebrate the murder of Veerdas and the acquisition of a bigger market. Her sharp eyes easily spotted Karishma.

Just then Kanishk who was standing in the middle of all the people gathered there raised his glass to toast. Silence ensued and he spoke.

"Bhai jab inko meine dekha toh mujhe yakeen toh bilkul nahi tha ki yeh humare gang ke itni kareeb ho jayengi. Shayad isiliye kyunki yeh police thi." The gang members booed at the mention of Police.

"Par yeh humare dil jeet li hai." And everyone cheered like obedient minions. Haseena's heartbeat raised in realisation bout how Kanishk was speaking about Karishma. Her Karishma.

"ISILIYE humne yeh nirnay kiya hai ki Yash ki saadi hogi toh inse hi." Kanish said. The gang members lost their mind cheering for their short tempered leader. Karishma's face was momentarily scrunched as if someone had reminded her of a bad memory from her past but then again became expressionless as if it was made of porcelain. Haseena was silently onlooking everything trying with all her might to not put a hole through Kanishka's brain for coming up with this alliance.