Solace

Chapter 27

"Ab kya hua hai?!", Haseena asked, picking up the call for the seventh time in the last twenty five minutes.

"Mera yellow top nahi mil raha", Karishma replied from the other side of the call.

"Teesri drawer mein dekhiye", Haseena informed, getting down the stairs of the terrace.

"Okayy", Karishma cut the call and Haseena nodded her head in disbelief.

"Ek.. do.. teen.. chaar...", Haseena started to count and before she could reach 5, her phone rang again. "Kyu pareshan kar rahi hai aap hume?", she yielded, picking up the call.

"Kaha pareshan kiya? Tumne meri cupboard set ki thi na, toh tumse hi puchungi na ke chize kaha par rakkhi hai", she reasoned innocently although her voice carried a hidden glimmer of mischief. She knew what she was doing, calling Haseena again and again, making excuses.

"Accha! aur itne din kaise mili apko apni chize?", Haseena asked, this time in a bit confrontational tone.

"Areh tab woh nahi chahiye thi na jo ab chahiye", Karishma replied implicitly.

"Aur woh kya hai jo apko ab chahiye! Zara hum bhi toh jaane", Haseena again asked.

"Tum", Karishma was pretty quick with her answer. Her playful yet honest answer had caught Haseena off guard.

"Humm?...hum se..woh..", Haseena fumbled badly as she felt a crimson hue spreading across her face out of nowhere. "Hume ammi bula rahi hai, rakhte hai hum phone", finally being able to form a meaningful sentence, she cut the call abruptly, leaving an amused Karishma at the opposite side of the call.

"Buasa ap kyu barbar Hasi ko call kar rahi hai, ap toh already dressed hai", a confused Ashu asked, who was sitting beside Karishma all this time.

"Secret hai baccha", Karishma replied pulling his cheeks but stopped as something struck her mind. "Ek minute, yeh Hasi kya hai? Woh sirf mai bula sakti hu, samjhe", she told Ashu.

"Kyu? Kitna beautiful naam hai Hasi, bikul unki tarah", Ashu spoke with a toothy smile.

"Heyy!! Badi hai woh tumse aisi baatein nahi karte", Karishma told him off, being jealous at her baby nephew's innocent remarks. Ashu pouted as Karishma never scolded him before. Karishma just made him sit on her lap lovingly.

"You know what Ashu, hum sabki life mein na koi aisa dost hota hai, jisse hum sabse jyada pyar karte hai, khudse dur nahi karna chahte, kabhi share nahi karna chahte, ittusa bhi nahi! Aur tumhari bua sa ke life mein woh dost hai Haseena. When someone like this comes into your life, you would understand mai yeh kyu keh rahi hu", she tried to explain to him.

"But when?" Ashu inquired, being impatient.

"Umm..jab tum aur thode bade ho jaoge", Karishma replied, "So, calling Haseena as Hasi is a no no, okay?"

"Okay", Ashu nodded his head in agreement.

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"Sabash! Apne bohut accha kaam kiya hai Haseena beta", Vijay Singh praised looking at the designs Haseena made.

"Kya sach mein acche bane?", Haseena asked in surprise as she didn't expect this to be good enough for Vijay Singh to like.

"Bilkul. Ap bhi apne pitaji ki tarah bohut hunhar hai. Aj Usman hote toh bohut khush hote apke liye", he said with a genuine smile. A rare mixture of intelligence and honesty, Haseena's father became very dear to the Singhs in a short period of time, seemed like her daughter would take his legacy forward. Haseena's eyes sparkled with unshed tears as Vijay Singh continued showering kind words at her father's appreciation.