Solace

Chapter 21

It was the rush hour of the day with busy roads. Karishma was driving her car mindlessly across the road. Her hands were pale owing to her strong grip on the steering wheel and her eyes were red from anger. It was not the road that went towards their Haveli. But Karishma couldn't pay any attention to the outside world, as her mind was already preoccupied, replaying the moment when Haseena took flowers from that bloody Anubhav. The sound of car horns was the only thing that kept her grounded to reality.

It was not like Haseena to accept flowers or get close with some random person, so what's the reason now? Didn't she know what it meant? Or maybe she did know what it meant that's why she allowed it. Maybe she liked him? Karishma's mind was clouded with these thoughts and it didn't let her think or act rationally. The rage that was built inside Karishma watching them together, now felt more and more like an excruciating pain which was only increasing with time. She felt betrayed for some strange reason.

Suddenly her eyes went towards her phone that was ringing, flashing Haseena's name on the screen and it again diverted her attention. Soon enough she felt a jerk as her car slightly collided with another car nearby. Her right hand hit the side glass hurting her. But she quickly balanced the car, pressing the brake, nearly avoiding the accident.

"Yeh konsa rasta hai?", she murmured, finally taking a glance at her surroundings. "Shit! Haseena ko leke ghar jana tha! Akele kaise chod diya maine usse", she mentally cursed herself for her impulsive behaviour. Indifferent to the physical pain caused by the collision, Karishma moved the car to go towards the office.

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"Haseena ap abhi tak ghar nahi gayi?", Neha asked, being surprised as she was supposed to go with Karishma who was already long gone.

"Nahi, hum Karishma ke saath...Lekin woh dikh nahi rahi", Haseena replied, looking at her phone that went unanswered.

"Karishma ma'am to shaam ko bahar nikal gayi thi. I think she won't come back", Neha informed her.

Haseena's face fell at this newfound information but she didn't let it come on her face. She knew Karishma wouldn't just leave her here alone but she went out and didn't inform her. It confused her. "Thik hai phir hum nikalte hai", she said, turning to go.

Neha thought of something and said, "Ap mere saath ajaiye." She was very strictly instructed by her boss to take care of Haseena and she wouldn't dare to disregard her. Haseena hesitated but after Neha's numerous requests, she decided to go with her.

"Waise ap dono bohut qareebi dost lagte hai", Neha remarked, walking towards the parking lot, to which Haseena nodded in affirmation. "Hum dono bachpan ke dost hai", she said with a smile.

"Yeh do din unhone hazaro dafa mujhse bas apke bareme pucha! Jis tarah se ma'am apka khayal rakhti hai, khudki bhi itni nahi rakhti hongi", Neha voiced her amusement. Haseena's face lit up hearing Karishma's care for her and she smiled showing her dimples.

As they headed towards Neha's car, a loud sound of tire screeching made them flinch. "Ya Khuda!", Haseena mumbled, looking towards the car. It had scratch marks and also the right view mirror was slightly broken. Then she looked towards the driving seat, where Karishma was seated. Before she could react to this Karishma almost commanded, "Gadi mein aake baitho."

Neha looked at Haseena, gesturing to go and Haseena moved towards the car waving her bye.

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The car halted with a sudden jerk in the middle of the road, startling both Karishma and Haseena.
"Arehh yaar", Karishma spoke for the very first time since Haseena got into the car. She suspected this had to do something with the earlier collision. She got out of the car to check on the engine only for her doubt to be proved right. The engine was overheated.

It was an empty road with barely any human traces available and didn't seem safe for two women with a broken car. Karishma called Champak ji to send someone with another car urgently.

Haseena was looking at Karishma from her seat who, this whole time, didn't even take a glance of her, let alone speak. While in the car, she tried to ask where she had been all evening but didn't get any answer. No matter how much Karishma tried to look calm, Haseena knew her too well not to notice that something had happened to have enraged her.

"Ek toh khud kharab gadi leke ghumti hai, uparse gussa toh aise kar rahi hai jaise humari galati ho", Haseena murmured to herself, getting out of the car.

"Bahar kyun arahi ho! Jao gadi mein jaake baitho", Karishma chided, looking at Haseena who was getting out of the car.

"Bohut garmi ho rahi thi", Haseena lied. She was comfortable inside the car, as it was rather cold outside.

"Ac on nahi kar sakti?", Karishma replied with tinge bit of annoyance.

"Hume ac ki hawa nahi pasand. Nahi jana hume", Haseena replied, her voice was calm yet firm.

"Yaha khadi hoke hawa ka pata nahi lekin goli jarur khaogi", Karishma said, holding the car door open for Haseena to enter which she deliberately ignored, just like Karishma had ignored her before.

"For God sake Haseena, yeh jagah bilkul safe nahi hai. Abhi ke abhi gadi mai baitho", Karishma said, her voice filled with concern and frustration.

But Haseena couldn't pay any heed to anything Karishma said, because she was stuck at the point where Karishma called her Haseena and not Hasi. Haseena, yes, that's exactly what her name was, but her heart wrenched to be addressed like this by Karishma. It felt so distant and aloof that it made her take some steps back involuntarily.

Karishma felt her rage coming back, looking at Haseena who was strolling as if it was a park, as if it was not dangerous at all. First, all that closeness with Anubhav and now with her careless attitude, Karishma was a boiling bubble right now. She held Haseena's wrist and swirled her around to face herself.

Haseena found herself in Karishma's arms just in the friction of the second. Her hands rested on Karishma's shoulder to balance herself while her eyes didn't leave the sight of the latter's eyes. Suddenly Rajasthan's chilly night didn't feel so cold anymore, as if she was wrapped in a blanket of warmness. Her chest was heaving up and down in order to control her uneven breath, when she felt Karishma's cold hand around her waist that made her lean further forward to her face. She clutched the hem of Karishma's blazer tightly, trying to suppress the sensation evoking in her whole being.

Just a few moments ago, Karishma was scolding Haseena for stalling in this dangerous place. Now she found herself glued to the ground with Haseena in her arms, not bothering about the place or time. Why at this moment nothing else made any sense except Haseena!
What had Haseena done to get her in such a state! Karishma wondered, entangled with Haseena's warm body. It made no sense how her emotions started playing her whenever she was this close to Haseena.

Was it Haseena's brown eyes where she could just get lost, or her plump lips that looked so inviting, or that mole near her lower lips that didn't let Karishma look anywhere else! What was it about Haseena that made her heart thump against her chest as if it was going to come out soon! She pulled Haseena more and more into her, as their noses touched slightly and she closed her eyes inhaling Haseena's captivating fragrance.

Before she could lose herself in the moment, some sounds disturbed her. Some rustling noise flooded into her ears as she became more and more aware of her surroundings. She loosened her grip on Haseena, bringing her back from the daze and looked back in urgency only to find themselves trapped by a gang.

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Hello beautiful people, I hope you all are doing well. Here is chapter 21 of Solace. Do vote, comment and follow to motivate your writer.

See you in the next chapter.