Haseena steps out from her bedroom in an East Village two-bedroom apartment that she shares with Alice. She stumbles out the door into the living room area and rolls over the backrest onto the fabric couch. A couple of pillows are lying on the couch but they didn't stop Haseena from breaking her own wrist falling on them. Her eyes are not fully open just yet and she doesn't even want to wake up.
"This is why you broke your wrist." Alice with a cup of coffee in her hand says from the kitchen area that is not far away; a fully functional kitchen with only counters separating the area from the living room. Haseena spent a few months putting this kitchen together. She wanted some sort of Food Network kitchen and she got it. "You should break another bone so you can ask that doctor out properly."
"I asked her out." Haseena lifts her head up from the couch with her hair looks like it has been through war, not a night sleep. Nothing has been done more than what she already did. Haseena is very good at leaving some space and she intends to keep that reputation although it might cause her this girl.
Alice shrugs. "Congratulations?"
"I asked her. She just hasn't answered and she hasn't called." Haseena tries to fight for herself. Alice can't say that she chickened out because she did ask Karishma out. That is a progression of her dating life. "Are you going out tonight?"
"Yeah. It's Friday night. I'm not going to stay home and play video games." Alice turns to the toaster as two toasts pop out of it. "Do you want some toasts?"
Haseena's phone rings. It is in her good hand but that doesn't make her answer it any faster. She takes some time to look at the number that is shown on the screen. Some number that she doesn't recognize and her glasses are still on her night stand. 6 can be 8 and 2 can be 5. "Sunshine Cleaning Service, how can we help you today?"
"Hello?" The end of the call responds with so much confused in her voice. "Ah. I'm trying to reach Haseena Malik."
"This is Haseena Malik."
"This is Karishma. Singh. The doctor at Ridgeview hospital."
A smile slowly creeps on Haseena's face. "Karishma Singh. The Doctor at Ridgeview hospital. Hi. This is Haseena."
Alice immediately takes her quick steps towards Haseena who is now sitting up on the couch. Her eyes light up nearly as bright as sleepyhead Haseena's. She gets excited and tries to listen to every bit of the conversation while nipping her avocado toast. Crumbs are falling on the couch and Haseena hates that but it doesn't seem to matter now.
"Hi." Haseena seems to be able to repeat only one word and that might be enough.
"Are you also running a cleaning service?" Karishma chuckles softly.
"No. No. That was just a joke." Haseena starts to wave her casted arm around nervously as she speaks.
"Ask her out." Alice mouths while trying to stop Haseena's arm from casting a spell.
"Karishma..." Haseena starts and then gets interrupted.
"What are you doing tonight?" Karishma asks. There is not one bit of hesitation in her voice. She sounds confident and determined. She sounds like everything that Haseena is not.
"Going out with you?" Despite the nervousness and the sweat in her palms, Haseena tries to appear cheeky. If that isn't her intention, at least she can get some laugh out of it. She has plenty of jokes in her arsenal in case things go terribly wrong. She can also start a cleaning service if it's necessary.
Karishma giggles. "I believe so. Can you meet me at the hospital tonight... say around 8?"
"Yeah."
"See you tonight then."
