Karishma takes her steady and quiet steps into a dark warehouse with the gun in her hands. She forces her feet to be so heavy that each time she presses her boots on the concrete floor, there is nothing but silence. She is being so cautious about her move, her decision and her turn. Officer Maria is a few steps away from her on the right side. She is being equally cautious. She is facing backward while Karishma is facing forward. They are watching each other's backs in the situation that their backs can easily be shot at by the ruthless criminal. The backups are coming so there is no need for them to make such a hasty decision. Gestures and signals are exchanged between the partners as they reach a closed door in the far back of the warehouse. Karishma tries to listen carefully to what is happening inside and when the tiniest noise is made behind the door, she nods at Officer Maria. The person they want is in there; trying his very best to run and hide. Karishma moves in front of the door and takes her deep breath before channeling the power that is spreading all over her body to her foot that harshly pushes the door open.
Officer Maria moves in first and Karishma doesn't let her away from her sight. Before they get to move further inside, the suspect breaks the glass window and escapes back into the warehouse. Karishma; who is the closest to the door, rushes out and rushes her steps to catch up with the guy who groaned in pain when the glass cut through his jeans as he jumped out. Shots that are fired from the man keep Karishma ducking and dodging along the shelves in the aisle. Finally, as she is taking cover behind a large crate, Officer Maria joins her.
"It's 9." Karishma raises her voice over the bullets that keep flying their way.
"What?" Officer Maria asks as she takes a peek by the crate. The suspect is also taking cover behind a shelf that he has pushed some of the things off to make way for his bullets to fly.
"It's 9. This is our first call of the day. Meaning it's too soon to die now." Karishma jokes as she takes a better grip of her gun. She is in her best mood as she has always been in the past few days or so. It almost feels like she settles into something that is custom-made for her and she finds her peace.
"Are we still on for the double-date tonight?" Officer Maria lowers her head down a bit when she feels some pieces of wood from the crate shattering.
"Yeah. Oh and speaking of that..." Karishma tries to take a peek on her side but the bullets seem to be aimed right at her. She cannot look and has to rely on her instinct. "... Haseena was wondering if she... we should bring wine or something."
"Isn't she underage? To think of it, isn't she too young for you?"
"No. No. I don't think so." Karishma clears her throat and waits until Officer Maria pulls back from another peeking. "I mean... I am able to legally marry her."
"Marry what?"
"Marry." Karishma emphasizes and emphasizes again when the surrounding suddenly becomes silent. "I married Haseena... a few days ago."
Officer Maria' mouth is forming the obvious word of question but before the voice can leave her vocal cord, the clicking sound is sent across the warehouse. Something happens to the suspect's gun and other matters are immediately thrown out the window.
Karishma peeks by the crate once and twice before checking the gun in her hand. "Cover me."
Officer Maria watches Karishma slowly approaching the shelf that the man is taking cover. Then, she comes out of her cover to do just the same. The sound of the siren echoes the place; signaling that they no longer have to worry about a thing when there are so many people arriving to have their backs. Karishma aims her gun at the man who already has his hands in the air while the gun is still in his one hand. Officer Maria tells the man to drop his gun and tells him again when he fails to follow the order. He doesn't say a word when he decides to take a gamble on the gun that failed to function properly. And the clicking sound turns into the bang sound. And it is loud. And it is clear. And it is painful.
"Bless you." Aanya whispers after Haseena sneezes a couple of times until her nose turns a little red. They are sitting together in front of a courtroom where Brian should be brought in to plead. Her lawyer has told her a couple of times that she didn't need to be here. The judge wouldn't question anything more and Brian's lawyer wouldn't defend anything more. But Haseena insists. She insists that she wants to be here. She needs to hear with her own ears and hopes she will get her own closure.
"Thank you." Haseena wipes her nose and smiles.
"Here you go." James arrives back to the girls and hands the coffee he gets from a food truck outside to Haseena. Then, he sits down next to her and crosses his legs as he adjusts his necktie. He looks the most formal between the three of them. Although it is not the proper trial, he feels he needs to be proper. "Tons of cameras are outside."
"Right." Haseena responds quietly. This whole thing has been making such a scene for her. With her recent interview, all eyes are on her and the case. It is some sort of a scandal and it sells. People want to know how it will go and how it will end. People want to know if it will get more dramatic than it already is. "Good thing my dress is pretty."
James glances at the actress and lifts a corner of his lips. "What did your girlfriend say about this dress?"
"You look alright." Aanya tries to imitate Karishma's tone and gesture.
James laughs and nods. "Oh, yes.'
"Hey! She has actually said 'you're beautiful' before, okay?" Haseena holds back her laughter in embarrassment. She knows what they are trying to say and what they are trying to mock her.
"How many times?" James asks.
"Multiple... Fine. Two. Look, she is just not very good with words, alright?"
"Alright." James chuckles and raises his eyebrow sneakily to Aanya.
"Alright." Aanya repeats.
"Miss Haseena." Haseena's lawyer rushes his steps towards the three. He has come out of the door at the end of the hall with thoughts on his mind and papers in his hand.
"Mr. Lawyer." Haseena watches her lawyer stop in front of her with a mocking smile on her face. She still finds it funny how he always addresses her like that so she decides to do the same; maybe he will sense how weird it is and change how he addresses her.
Haseena's lawyer glances at her over his glasses that rest at the tip of his nose. Although Haseena looks serious, he knows she is playing around and this is not exactly the time. "I'd like your signature on this paper. And. Is it possible to have Detective Singh stop by for a second to sign hers? She is somehow considered one of the victims of the kidnapping."
Haseena is handed the paper she needs to sign but her eyes are still on the one that needs Karishma's signature. "She is on her shift. Can I sign for her?"
"Yes." The lawyer says without handing the paper over. "If you are legally related to her."
"Well," Haseena finishes signing her paper and opens her hand for Karishma's. "I'm legally related to her."
Aanya scoffs while James chuckles. "Issuing you a ticket doesn't make her legally related to you, Haseena."
"Miss Haseena, this is a legal document. You can't..." Her lawyer takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes and tries to explain patiently. It is an important day and he doesn't want to waste any time getting caught in jokes and games. "Being girlfriends is not considered legally related."
"I know that." Haseena responds and starts appearing to be awkward and struggling for words. She is about to reveal a little secret she has been able to keep for the past few days. "I... Being wives is, isn't it?"
"Well, yes." Her lawyer answers the inquiry before decoding his client's words letter by letter. He sighs as he finally realizes that he might have more work waiting for him after this.
Aanya's eyes suddenly get so wide as if she has just seen something as scary as a vengeful spirit. She turns to face her part-time sister and full-time boss. "What did you do?"
"Nothing." Haseena denies with her pitch so high so that her lie will be buried. "Something maybe.
I might just say a little something and bam...something has become something."
James chuckles so ridiculously. It is not from the guess that he takes. It is from the truth that he picks up. "I guess I can no longer use the word 'fast'. 'Rapid', maybe? Do I now work for Detective Singh also?"
"Look..." Haseena begins before taking a deep breath and sighing all the way out. Three pairs of eyes are on her and none of them are liking what she has implied. "There is nothing wrong with it."
"There are a lot of things wrong with it." Aanya is on the verge of yelling. It is not that she is mad or anything. It is just that she doesn't fully understand Haseena's decision. Haseena is young but she has always been wise. Haseena is young but she has never done something so extreme. "You're married to someone whom you've met like a month ago."
"Wh-When did... Do you have a legit marriage license?" Her lawyer finally hands Karishma's paper for Haseena to sign although he is so confused by this random marriage.
"I have a copy of it. The certified certificate will come in the mail." Haseena explains with the tone of a kid who gets caught doing something bad. She tries to speak as fast as she can so that they can move on to something else. "I mean... no one will find out if we don't say anything. It won't make headlines or anything."
"They found out that you got kidnapped, didn't they?" James raises his solid argument silently. He sounds so calm like a storm that is about to ruin everything.
"Detective Park told them. They didn't find out." Haseena raises her argument as higher as she can. She gradually becomes frustrated by the fact that everyone doubts her decision.
"What happens when you break up?" Aanya's question is simple but somehow it finds its way to stun Haseena. For the first time, Haseena realizes her marriage with Karishma is largely based on the heat of the moment. She has thought about her reputation. She has thought about the media. However, she hasn't really thought about the fact if the end comes faster than they have planned. "And don't you say you won't break up. You don't even know each other well enough. I'm sorry, Haseena, but... Arr... it's dumb."
"James." Haseena turns to James for a little backup. She whispers and places her hand on his arm hoping he would shoot some shot to cover her from the argument Aanya is throwing at her.
James shrugs. He wants to help but he doesn't have a better word. He hasn't really for this relationship from the start. From the way he sees it, it is way too reckless and he can't bend it any other way. "You can't even go 3 days without fighting, Haseena."
Haseena sighs again as she signs on Karishma's court document. It is her official duty as Karishma's wife but she doesn't even feel any delighted about it. It is just plain frustration with a bit of hesitation that comes to visit. "You know what? I don't care what you think. It is my personal life and I... I think... I've thought it through."
"Haseena..." Aanya watches Haseena hand the paper back to her lawyer and clearly sees how those words are not entirely true. "I really think it's best if you null it while you can."
"No!" Haseena yells as low as she can in the court hallway but her voice still catches some attentions; so she smiles. She smiles to act like nothing is wrong in the word her manager has just said. "You don't have any say in this, Aanya. There are two people who have a say in this; me and Karishma. Just me and Karishma. This is just all of you meddling in my relationship because you think it's going to ruin my career."
"You know that that is not it." James calmly begs to differ.
"Then, what is it?"
"This is you... diving in head first without thinking it through."
"Does she have visa problems?" Officer Maria asks as they step out of the patrol car in the station's parking lots. They made a pitstop at the hospital where Karishma has obtained new stitches by her neck. The last bullet from the suspect successfully left the barrel but it didn't successfully go right into the bullseye. It leaves a mark and now Karishma has a giant bandage on the side of her neck.
"Who?" Karishma gently touches the bandage just to feel a thing or two as she walks to her partner who seems to hold her steps to wait for her.
"Haseena... Does she have some sort of problems with her visa and you like... have to marry her?" Officer Maria places her hands on her duty belt and hesitantly looks at Karishma who chuckles amusingly at her question.
"You watch too many movies."
"Well, that's the only explanation I can come up with since you're not the married type."
"I'm not a married type?"
"No." Officer Maria replies with a look on her face to suggest how ridiculous Karishma sounds asking the question she should have already known the answer to. "I don't think you're a relationship type for that matter."
Karishma pauses her step and gently grabs her partner to do the same. She crosses her arms and takes a second to read Officer Maria' expression. Officer Maria isn't judging her. By the look on her face, she is saying things from what she has observed and known. "What do you mean?"
"Okay." Officer Maria imitates Karishma's posture as if they are in a battle that someone will miserably lose when they are done. "For example, the LAFD lieutenant's sister."
"Are we doing this again?" Karishma chuckles at the topic that had been brought up numerous of times before. "I don't -"
Officer Maria tries to remain the eye contact while Karishma starts looking away. She is withdrawing from the debate with the weakest rebuttal. "Didn't you practically wake up one day and feel like you were bored of her?"
"Not bored of her." Karishma argues quietly. "It was just that I didn't have enough time to... you know... be invested in that relationship."
"That still sounds stupid." Officer Maria makes a bluntly remark with a tiny chuckle. "Look, I know you love her and I'm genuinely happy for you. But this is marriage, Karishma. When you want to break up with her, it means you'll have to get a divorce and we both know it's not what you want to do in a marriage."
Karishma takes an evidently deep breath and silently accepts what Officer Maria said to be true. She wants what her parents had and her intention is if she ever gets married, a divorce is not an option for her.
"Detective Singh."
Karishma moves her sight from Officer Maria to a familiar face that is approaching from the station's entrance. It appears as though she was about to get into the station when she spotted them and decided to call the one she is here for. "Aanya."
"I'll go in and start on the report then." Officer Maria announces her plan as she is leaving the two to have a private conversation that Aanya obviously has come all the way here for.
Karishma nods and watches her partner leave before turning back to Aanya who doesn't seem to have been having a good day at all. "Is Haseena alright? How was the court?"
"The court was fine. Everything went smoothly. Detective Park pled guilty as he said he would. He knew Haseena was there but didn't say anything to her; just nodded at her once." Aanya retells what she witnessed with her eyes before saying what she has judged with her mind. "But Haseena is not alright. Apparently, she's got married."
"Oh." Karishma exclaims quietly and suddenly feels like she gets caught without doing anything wrong.
"Yeah. Oh." Aanya is boiling like Karishma has never seen before. She now understands why Haseena has been trying to convince her to be the one who break this important news. "You should be the adult in this relationship."
"We both are adults in this relationship."
"You're more adult, detective." Aanya wants to shake Karishma and hopes some senses will emerge from wherever they have been hiding within her. "Do you have any idea how much this will affect Haseena's entire career? She has already had to recover from "Haseena Malik who got kidnapped by a cop' and now she has to live her career with "Haseena Malik who got married with that cop's partner"? And when you get a divorce, it will be 'Haseena Malik who got divorced after 2 weeks. People should know her from her works and her talents. Not all that."
"2 weeks?" Karishma furrows her eyebrows. "Where does that come from?"
"She'll be in Chicago for 4 months for filming."
"I am aware."
"You can't even go 3 days without getting on each other's nerves and that's you seeing each other's faces every day. Look, detective, I have nothing against you. You have been super nice to us and Haseena but this is getting out of hand. You can't just go along with everything Haseena wants to do. You should have stopped her."
"I am her girlfriend, Aanya, not her mom. Also, I'm aware what this means to her career. That's why we have agreed to keep everything on the down low. I'm not going to break up with her."
Aanya covers her forehead as she feels a major headache is forming and breaking her veins. She doesn't know anymore who is picking up whose personality but somehow both of them start to feel like the same person. "I'm not saying you're going to break up or anything-"
"I think you were obviously implied that." Karishma tries to be respectful but she is getting annoyed by the third hand that is reaching into her personal relationship. "I appreciate your concern. I want the world for her as much as you do. But whatever happens next regarding our relationship, we'll figure things out; Haseena and I."
"That's the thing you refuse to understand. Your Haseena is not just Haseena. She is also Haseena Malik. Her face is on a billboard in Time Square. Her TV show is on number 3 most streamed this month. They are about to let her do an EP. It was already enough for your partner to kidnap her."
Karishma doesn't respond or avoid the eye contact that fixes on her. She is grounded on the ground of her own mind. Maybe Aanya is right. Haseena has already got enough. What she deserves more than anything right now is her being able to follow her dream without any bumpy rides.
"Our lawyer suggested that your official marriage certificate might not be certified just yet. So. Let's just null it. Pretend it has never happened. You and Haseena can continue to date or whatever you're doing."
"What did Haseena say about this?" Karishma asks quietly as she is about to accept defeat in this unbeatable argument. "She wants this?"
"She wouldn't listen to anyone... but she will listen to you."
"She doesn't listen to me." Karishma smirks at the memories she has. "If she had, we wouldn't have had this conversation, Aanya. We wouldn't have seen each other ever again after that week."
Haseena steps out of Karishma's apartment bathroom with her hands getting busy trying to put on an earring. They are having a dinner with Officer Maria and her girlfriend who lives just a few blocks away from Karishma's. Haseena is excited. Finally, she gets to have something as normal as having a casual meal with her girlfriend's friend without having to worry about the cameras or the pictures that will surface the internet. A bottle of wine is bought and ready on the coffee table where Jabba is lying comfortably nearby. Somehow, the living area feels so chilly and it is not from the summer weather outside. It feels like it comes from the one who is pressing on a few keys at the upright piano. She hasn't asked but she can already sense that there is this huge grey cloud over Karishma's mind. It is getting bigger and heavier that it can be something as disastrous as a hurricane.
"Hey." Haseena presses a kiss on Karishma's bandage on her neck before occupying the empty space on the piano bench. "What are you thinking?"
Karishma turns and smiles without answering anything. She starts pressing more keys on the piano to cover the tense atmosphere with something else that speaks volume of her heart. Haseena lifts one corner of her lips and listens to the melody Karishma is creating so attentively. Then, after a moment, Haseena is able to tell the song Karishma is playing and that makes her smile even wider. Then, after a moment, Haseena starts to hum along and Karishma cannot stop herself from smiling and feeling such delight in her heart. She has never felt like this. She has never felt this comfortable in the most chaotic scenario between them. She can see this going such a long way. She can see herself being right here; right next to Haseena for a very long time.
Karishma sings along underneath her breath as she continues pressing the piano keys as if it is something she does every day; as if it is something so easy and everyone can do it.
Haseena smiles with her crinkled nose before leaning in for a kiss that suddenly chases the dark cloud away. "I love you."
Karishma looks into those beautiful blue eyes and smiles at the stubbornness that shines through before anything else. "You wouldn't null it, would you?"
"No." Haseena answers immediately without having to think about it. Her hand is hanging out behind Karishma's neck as her thumb caresses her warm skin that reminds her that this is very real and present. She doesn't want anything less than this. "Aanya talked to you, didn't she? That was why she left me with James at the workshop."
"She did."
"And you're really considering it? The annulment?" Haseena lets a bit of disappointment leak through her eyes. She expected Karishma to stand by her for once.
"I'm not." Karishma chuckles ridiculously. She knows where Haseena is coming from with that statement but she still finds it a little bit ridiculous. "I'm not considering it... unless you're considering it."
"I'm not considering it." Haseena takes her stance firmly enough to not be shaken by anything at all.
"You'll have to get a divorce if you want to break up." Karishma explains the fact that both of them have heard one too many times today.
"You are the one without a lawyer and please stop telling me that you do. You should be the one who worries about that. Not me. I'll take Jabba."
Karishma gasps. "That's... That's unbelievable. He is my child."
"So. Let's conclude this once and for all." Haseena shifts her sitting posture to straddle the bench in order to be able to really look Karishma in the eyes. "We both agree that we're not going to null this union."
Karishma chuckles. "Right."
"If we want to break up... if we get divorced, I'll get Jabba."
"Fine." Karishma unwillingly agrees with the last part of the conclusion. "But. That will never happen. I can't let that happen."
"Which one? Losing Jabbs or losing me?"
"Losing Jabbs."
Haseena hits Karishma harshly in the arm and whines like a kid who loses the unfair battle. "You're unbelievable."
Karishma presses a kiss on Haseena's hand that was used to cause such pain on her arm. "I wouldn't change a thing. We've honestly been through practically everything at this point and for me... I wouldn't want to go through all those shits with anyone else. I wouldn't want my parents to look down and see me with anyone else. So. No one is going to stop me from going along with everything you want. If you want to hop on a plane to somewhere right now, then I'll hand in my personal leaves and we'll go."
Haseena narrows her eyes as a plan is unfolded on her mind. "Are you serious?"
Karishma scoffs. "No. We need to put more thoughts on what we'll do. We need to be adults."
"Let's go to Mexico after dinner." Haseena ignores what Karishma has just said and reads out the plan she has on her mind.
"I was just giving an example."
"I mean you have a couple days off from that thing on your neck and I'll have to leave you for months. So. Where is your passport?"
"Haseena, I... That... That's like hours of flight and I... We really need to start thinking things through before doing something."
"We can do that next week and you'll be fine after a couple of drinks. Can Jabba stay at Angela's for a few days? I feel bad if we leave him at the daycare or something."
"What have I just got myself into?" Karishma watches Haseena begin to wander the room for things she needs for this spontaneous trip that Karishma has yet to agree to. "I shouldn't have said that."
"A big trouble, Karishma." Haseena steps back to Karishma who hasn't moved an inch away from the bench. She bends down to refresh her soul with the warm amber in Karishma's eyes. "In a form of me. Are you down?"
Karishma shakes her head to her own ridiculous words that Haseena is making them more real than anything else. She dials the phone while Haseena is attacking the closet in her bedroom for the luggage that is hiding in the far back. "Angela, can I take Jabbs and leave him with his buddy for a few days?"
______
The End..
