Solace

Chapter 30

Woh ek aisi insan hai jinki maujudgi hum har pal apne wajood mein mehsoos kar sakte hai. Aur unka yeh ehsas hume apne apko mukammal mehsoos karata hai. Woh ek aisi insan hai, jinke shaksiyat se judi har cheez hume bhaata hai, chahe woh unki gussa ho ya shafaqat. Jo ehsaas hume unke paas hone se hota hai, woh hum shayad hi kabhi kisi aur ke saath mehsoos kar sakte hai, aur nahi hum karna chahte hai.
Kiya in ehsasat ko mohabbat ka naam dena galat hoga?
Pata nahi! Hume mohabbat ke bare mein ratti bhar ka bhi samajh nahi. Hum bas itna jante hai iss diary ki panno ki tarah humari zindagi mein bhi ek hi nam hai, "Karishma". Lekin yeh sab baatein shayad hum unse kabhi zahir na kar paye. Pata nahi, shayad hum hadhse jyada sharmile hai, ya phir hume khauf hai ki iss khoobsurat khawab ka toot jane ka...

Haseena traced her fingers over the words she wrote exactly three years back on this day. She was always reticent enough so that Karishma or anyone else would never feel a thing. Her words had always been trapped in the pages of her diary.... until today, until Karishma's heartfelt confession and suddenly her well hidden emotions seemed to have come alive, each and every bit of it. But she also couldn't shrug off the apprehensions lurking in the corner of her heart either. She closed her diary and stood near her window, feeling the chilly air all over her body. Her eyes wandered around the backyard of the haveli, where she saw Karishma sitting along with Santosh, discussing something. Affection shone in her eyes and a sense of contentment started to replace the apprehension she was feeling a moment ago, as she kept looking at Karishma endearingly.
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"Toh par lag hi gayi tumhari prem ki naiya!" Santosh remarked, sitting beside Karishma with a playful smile tugging on her lips.

Karishma looked at her a bit surprised.
"Tumhe kaise pata chala!" she asked, making space for Santosh on the wooden bench, where she was half laying.

"It's hard to be the intelligent one", Santosh boasted, shrugging off her shoulder, making Karishma roll her eyes at her.

"We had our moment", Karishma acknowledged, "Lekin woh bohut jyada sharmati hai yaar, I mean bohut hi jyada", she added.

"Haan, toh usme kiya hai! Haseena toh humesha se hi aisi thi", Santosh stated, giving her a blasé look.

"Haan, lekin mai bhi humesha se bohut impatient hu", Karishma muttered, making eye contact with Santosh who was clinging to her. "There's always this rush, it's like I want her all the time. Kahi iss chakkar mein maine usse offend kar diya toh?!" she voiced her worry that was consuming her. She thought things would get easier once she confessed but it didn't seem to work out as she wanted. She would dread Haseena misunderstanding her or her intentions for her!

"It's not wrong to desire for the person you love, this is how it's supposed to be", said Santosh, placing her hand around Karishma's shoulder. Her words carried a sense of assurance. "Haseena is shy but she also loves you. Toh woh offend kyu hogi?" she reasoned.

"Lekin directly bola bhi toh nahi!" Karishma persisted.

"Come on, tumhe pata hai woh kitni jal rahi thi Antara ko tumhare saath dekhke!" Santosh informed with visible amusement, "Kuch log apne pyar lafzon mein utna jahir nahi kar pata jitna woh apni harkato se karta hai and...."

"Haseena is one of them", Karishma completed her sentence, while Santosh shook her head in affirmation. "Waise I need you in the office tomorrow", she added, leaning on the bench.

"Kyu?" Santosh was quick with her query, her eyebrows furrowed with annoyance.

"Teen din bache hai project launch mein. Tumhe meri help karni hogi", Karishma informed her. Santosh was going to deny, but Karishma cut her off. "I won't take no for an answer", she added before leaving for her room.