𝙹𝚊𝚋 𝚆𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚝 (✔)

Chapter 36

It was nearly midnight, and Karishma was starting to feel like Cinderella. Their evening had been like a fairy tale, especially those moments under the fireworks, when she'd held Haseena as they'd watched the fireworks.

But now they were back home-at Haseena's house, she corrected herself-and the magic had ended, without Karishma having the slightest chance of getting her Princess
Charming.

She slid off her shoes-no glass slippers-and walked barefoot down the hall.
Haseena followed silently. She lingered in front of Karishma's room instead of continuing on to her own. "Um, kal maine chutti Li hain, kal apko main chod ke aau.. ghar tak?" It hurt that Haseena even had to ask. Did she really think what they had shared had meant so little to Karishma?

"Of course. Ye vi koi puchne ki baat hain?"

"Hmm." Haseena slid her glasses higher up her nose and rubbed her eyes. "main bas thoda tired hu."

Karishma wanted to reach out and caress her cheek so badly, but she held back, not knowing if an intimate touch like that would be welcome. "Ab so jao, kal mujhe chodne vi to jana hain."

"main apki packing mein madad kar sakti hu," Haseena said. "Ya fir Cheeta aur Billu ane wala hain?"

"Ha woh log ayega..." Her voice trailed down, "tumhe fikr karne ko koi zarurat nehi hain."

"Fir bhi, main apki madad karna chahte hu." Haseena said with a weak smile.

"acha, Thankyou."

They stood looking at each other for a few seconds longer, then Haseena said,"Good night."

"Night, Haseena."

Haseena trudged down the hall. God, she really looked tired. Or maybe sad.
Karishma wasn't sure. She watched Haseena until the door clicked shut behind her. Only then did she enter her
room, where she dropped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. No way would she get any sleep tonight, so she might as well pack.

She started with everything that was in her room, then tiptoed out into the living room and gathered her things from there. Damn, her stuff was all over the house! No wonder it had driven Haseena crazy in the beginning. She'd never realized what a slob she was, but one month of living with Haseena had changed her perspective on a lot of things.

After returning back to her own life, she doubted she could find one she would come to trust as much as she trusted Haseena.

God, she'd miss her. Karishma sniffed as she carried her armful of things into her room and dropped them onto the bed.
Something caught her attention. When she came here for the first time, she borrowed a Kurti from Haseena, which hadn't returned yet. Karishma hold the cotton piece into her hand and sniffed. It smells delicate like Haseena. Karishma's memory traced back, when they spent quality time together. Haseena had listened to her, had seen her, so she had always broke her diet plan.

When she felt as if she couldn't look at the piece of cotton for a second longer without bursting into tears, she whirled around and marched to the kitchen to look for any of her stuff there. She didn't want to leave anything behind. Bas tumhara dil baaki reh gaya. the stupid voice of her head commanded.
Karishma bit her lip. "Amma bhakk!"

Haseena lay in bed, but sleep was far off. In the light of the full moon shining into the room, she stared at the trees that was illuminated by moon. The ticking of clock seemed to faster, if she could she would stop the time.

But it wasn't really the clock that kept her up. It was the quiet sounds that drifted through the closed door. Karishma seemed to be sleepless too, and she was walking around the house. Earlier, Haseena had heard a suitcase click shut next door, so she knew Karishma was packing.