"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you."
Karishma greets once Alice gets the door. It is almost 7 o'clock and Alice can't bring herself to fully awake although she got a phone call from Karishma half an hour ago.
"It's okay. Come on in." Alice tries to tie her robe but eventually gives up because her brain can't really process anything right now. "Haseena's just called me."
"I called her too. She sounded weird though. She has been weird; like something is bothering her but she won't say anything." Karishma says as she follows Alice inside. She has noticed but it is not the kind of weirdness that gets her concerned. It's just a kind of weirdness that is noticeable.
"That sounds like Haseena in general?" Alice stops at the kitchen counter and takes a seat there. She needs some time to reboot her system before activating the coffee machine that is in sight. "Don't worry. She is just like that. By the way, do you need a lift to the airport? I can call Ben."
"No. That's fine. My friend from the hospital is also heading to the airport so she'll pick me up from my place."
"Have a safe flight, Karishma." Alice gives Karishma a hug. "Everyone is going somewhere and I'm stuck here."
"You don't want to get on a plane during holidays. Trust me." Karishma walks towards Haseena's bedroom where she will start a search for her sweaters that she has left here. Her last-minute packing was stopped when she realized that a lot of her warm clothes are at Haseena's.
"That's exactly what I was trying to tell Haseena."
Karishma who has already opened the door steps back a bit while she tries to process the statement that has just been told. "Where is Haseena taking a plane to? Didn't she take a train to Tarrytown?"
Alice who has already had coffee in her mug and realized she slipped something she shouldn't. She tries to hide herself in one corner of the kitchen. "I mean travelling in general. You get the shirts and would you mind locking the door on your way out? Thank you."
"Okay." Karishma looks at Alice getting away into her room. She is being suspicious but that seems to be normal among this group of friends.
Karishma gets into Haseena's bedroom and takes a minute to look around. Haseena manages to get her things up in place. Her books are on a new bookshelf. A couple of her scarfs are hanging on a coat rack by the door along with Haseena's Mets cap. Things are in place and this makes her comfortable as if this is also her place.
Karishma's target is at a Chelsea drawer. She doesn't want to be picky but the sweaters are comfortable, warm and just perfect for days in Maine. In the top drawer, there are plenty of miscellaneous: sewing tools, stationaries, Haseena's spare glasses, keys, etc. They are very organized in Haseena's way. From here, she grabs one of Haseena's spare Airpods. She has too many and she has lost too many. In the middle one, clothes. She reaches her destination. Haseena has her sweatshirts on one half and hers on another. Karishma quickly takes a couple of hers and decides to sneakily steal some of Haseena's. As she reaches for the one in the deepest end of the drawer, something comes out with it; a small box that is more than obvious of what could be inside.
Karishma looks at the box lying on the floor without moving one bit of her body. It is a ring box and there will be a ring inside. Haseena doesn't even keep empty shoes boxes lying around. This box definitely has a ring in it. Her choice is down to two; either she opens to confirm her thought or she puts it back in the deepest corner of the second row of the drawer and forget about it.
"I'm just being crazy if this is just a box." Karishma says quietly to herself before sitting on the floor in front of the mysterious black little box. She opens it and gasps. A simple yet delicate diamond ring. "Holy shit."
