Solace

Chapter 5

A cute five year old girl was playing in the mud and another girl who was wearing a beautiful red frock, stood behind her watching her messing with mud.

"Kya kar rahi hai aap aise mitti mein?" the latter asked the girl who was covered in mud.

She turned around and replied, "Tum kiya dekh nahi sakti! Khel rahi hu",

"Aise? apko daant nahi padti kiya!", the girl asked gesturing towards her muddy face and hands. Her white skirt was also covered with mud.

"Meri marzi hai. Karishma Singh ko koi daant nahi sakta hai. Kisime himmat hi nahi hai itni", she said coming out of the mud. "Lekin tum kon ho aur yaha kaise ayi? Har kisiko toh izazat nahi hoti yaha aane ki", Karishma questioned.

"Hum Haseena hai. Woh humari abbu nahi raahe na isliye hum sab Lucknow se yaha agaye. Ammi ne kaha ke hum abhi yahi rehne wale hai."

Karishma felt sad, as she remembered her mother's death.
"Tum yaha rehne wali ho toh meri dost ban jao. Phir hum eksaath bohut masti karenge aur tumhe apni abbu ki yaad bhi nahi ayegi", Karishma offered.

Haseena smiled at this and offered Karishma a handshake. But Karishma hugged her instead.

"Humara frock toh kharab ho gaya. Aj to ammi se bohut daant paregi", Haseena said getting nervous after seeing her frock had mud all over it. Karishma looked at her nervous face.

"Mai kisiko tumhe daant ne nahi dungi.
I will always protect you Hasi", baby Karishma declared as a little Haseena hugged her back.

Haseena chuckled remembering her first interaction with Karishma.

Everyone else expected Haseena to grow up, behave maturely, obey the rules and so she did.
But with Karishma it was different. They bonded over their shared loss. When she came to think of it, it seemed maybe that's why their attachment felt so natural. The connection she felt with Karishma, the pull she felt for her is unlike anything else she ever felt. Karishma was someone her soul craved for.
In their very first meeting, Karishma had claimed to protect her and called her by the nickname that was given by her father, without even knowing the emotional value it held for her. It made Haseena feel that she had someone to hold onto. And as years passed by, she had realized it was not just empty words. Karishma did become the one she would always hold onto, who cared for her, her wishes, and valued even her mere presence.

Haseena caressed the forehead of a sleeping Karishma with all her affection and Karishma smiled in her sleep. She carefully got up from the bed and covered Karishma with the duvet properly.

"Kiya hua, pareshan kyu dikh rahi ho?" Vijay Singh asked her wife who was looking worried.

"Kuch nahi. Bas Karishma ke bare mein soch rahe the", Pushpa Singh replied.

"Tum pareshan maat ho. Woh tumhara adar zaroor karti hai, lekin ziddi hai, manegi nahi", he said putting his hands on her shoulder.

"Nahi, hum iss bare mein nahi soch rahe hai. Woh ab badi hogayi hai toh usse ab ghar basane ka sochna chahiye", Pushpa Singh said.

"Lekin uski pasand toh kuch aur hai. Aise mein hum kiya hi kadam utha sake hai. Uske ma bap hone ke naate humne uske pasand ko apna liya hai lekin koi aur bhi man lega woh kaise keh sakti ho", Vijay Singh voiced the facts.

"Ha toh, uski pasand ko apna hi liya hai toh waise hi agee badhiye. Karishma se baat karke dekhiye, shayad uski koi pasand ho", she reasoned.

"Yeh bhi sahi hai", he nodded. "Waise tumhari koi jawab nahi. Pata nahi kaise manwa leti ho mujhe. Karishma ko ladki se rishta pasand hai iss baat ko mai shayad kabhi dil se maan nahi pata agar tum nahi hoti. Haan, mai usse bohut pyaar karta hu, mere jigar ka ek tudka hai woh. Phir bhi yeh baat hazam karna mushkil tha", he said.