Solace

Chapter 20

"Bhai wah! Kya zanjeer lagi hai humari sherni ke pairo mei", Cheetah said with a sheepish smile and Santosh who was sitting beside him, burst into a loud laughter.

"Aur nahi toh kya! Jo raat bhar party karte nahi thakti thi, woh ab subah subah kaam pe jane se pehle time nikalkar milne ayi hai humse", Santosh said between her laugh.

"Kuch jyada zuban nahi chal raha hai tum dono ka", Karishma said, gritting her teeth but it didn't seem to have an effect on the two humans sitting in front of her.

The clock showed the time at 10.15 am. Karishma along with Santosh and Cheetah, were sitting in an Italian cafe, having their coffee. As Karishma wasn't allowed to go out at night yet, they had to meet here in the morning. She continued to glare at her friends who were continuously pulling her leg for half an hour.

"Oho meri bhadi huyi bandook. Shaant ho jao", Santosh said, rubbing her arms and Karishma gave her a stern look.

"Waise Haseena nahi ayi tumhare saath? Ek saath hi jaate ho na office tum dono?", Cheetah inquired.

Karishma's face formed a bright smile at the mere mention of Haseena. "Ek saath wapas jaate hai. Tujhe to pata hai uski ammi teri behen ki older version hai", she replied looking at Cheetah, to which he chuckled. "Kaal thodi late ho gayi thi dinner karte karte, pata nahi uske liye kitna sunaya hoga bichari ho", she voiced her concern.

"Kya baat hai. Dinner dates and all, haa!!", Santosh again teased her.

"Santuu!", Karishma chided. "Everything is back to normal after a very long time. Toh tum phirse apna yeh bakwas shuru mat karo", she said and Santosh just rolled her eyes at this.

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As Haseena was thinking something, the pencil unintentionally fell from her hand. Before she could bend down to pick it up, someone else picked and forwarded it to her.

"Shukriya, Anubhav ji", Haseena said.

"Shukriya ki kya baat hai isme! Ap jaisi haseen ladki ke liye itna to banta hai", Anubhav flirted. "Waise kaal to apka swagat thik se nahi ho paya, toh socha aj kar lete hai", he added with a smile.

"Kaisa swagat?", Haseena asked, confused.

"Aisa", Anubhav offered her a bunch of colourful gerbera flowers, "Apke layak toh nahi hai lekin ap accept karengi toh bohut khushi hogi mujhe."

Haseena understood that he was showing a bit of extra interest in her. Not wanting to give him the wrong signal she politely refused, "Apka bohut shukriya ke apne itna socha. Lekin hum yeh flowers accept nahi kar sakte. I'm sorry."

"I understand. Mai apko force nahi karunga lekin yaha vase mein hi rakh lijiye", Anubhav replied, pretending to be sad. "Kya hai na, itni sundar phoolon ko dustbin mei phekne ka mann nahi kar raha", he added.

"Koi baat nahi hum vase mein rakh dete hai", Haseena took the flowers and kept them in the vase placed on her desk. Anubhav smirked looking at another colleague for his plan was successful, unaware of the fact that they weren't the only one who witnessed this.

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"Toh tum kab join kar rahi ho office?", Cheetah asked Santosh, after they waved bye to Karishma.

"Kabhi nahi", Santosh replied, as if the question didn't affect her.

"Lekin woh tumhari jagah hai, tumhari ma ke baad..", before Cheetah could finish Santosh interrupted him.

"Mujhe meri ma se aya hua kuch bhi nahi chahiye Cheeteh. Agar mai kuch karna chahti hu toh apne dam par kar sakti hu", she sternly said.

"Of course kar sakti ho. Lekin kab tak unse judi sab kuch deny karti rahogi? Office na sahi Haveli to wapis ja hi sakti ho", Cheetah tried to make her understand.