Solace

Chapter 39

First of all, Shubho Shoptomi💛
Hope my bengali buddies are enjoying Durga Puja to the fullest.
_________________

"Mai bas nikal hi rahi hu baccha. Tum so jao please! Mummy ki baat maanlo", said Kashish, in an attempt to persuade her son who was adamant to be with his mother but couldn't, much to her dismay.

Karishma spotted a distressed Kashish pacing around and approached her out of concern, "All okay?" she asked. Kashish, although reluctant, decided to explain the situation to her.

"God! Agar mujhe pata hota ke Arish akela hai toh we wouldn't have stretched this", Karishma exclaimed, an unsettling expression resting on her face.

"Nahi woh akela nahi hai. He is with my sister. Ap pareshan maat hoiye", Kashish assured her, "Bas zid kar raha tha, mere bina rehna nahi chahta."

"Apne ma ke bina koun rehna chahta hai bhala!" Karishma muttered with a smile but unknown to her, her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, mirroring the profound sense of longing she had for her late mother's presence in her life. Kashish reached out to hold Karishma's hand, giving it a light squeeze as if she could feel what might transpire through the latter. "You should go, Kashish", Karishma urged, not wanting to let her guards down. "Aur mai itni bhi koi zalim boss nahi hu jo kaam ke chakkar mein apko apne family se milne na du", she added playfully, making Kashish chuckle.

.
.

"Thodi der aur rukh jao? Mai drop kar dungi tumhe ghar", Santosh suggested to Haseena who was waiting for Adeel to pick her up.

"Bohut der ho gayi hai Santu", Haseena responded, glancing at her wristwatch. "Waise bhi aj bohut thak gaye hai hum", she added with a tired smile. But who was she kidding? She was only trying to avoid Karishma so that her facade of indifference won't crumble to the very ground.

"Okay. Get some rest then", Santosh said in an understanding manner.

"Kaal milte hai phir", Haseena said, but eyes wandered around the place looking for the one person she was seemingly trying to avoid and there she was, near the outdoor seating area, seeming to have quite a conversation with Kashish. "Why are they standing hand in hand!" Her expression changed for a brief moment but soon enough she managed to hide her restlessness under her calm demeanor.

"Haseena, tumhara phone!" Santosh nudged her shoulder lightly and the latter finally diverted her gaze towards Santosh, "Adeel call kar raha hai."

"Ji, woh pouch chuka hoga. Hum nikalte hai", Haseena said and left from there in an agitated state.

"In dono ke saath dikkat kya hai! Ek dusre ko bas ghurte rahenge lekin baat karne mei maut aati hai", Santosh murmured in disbelief, taking a sip of her drink.

.
.

"Kuch hua hai kya?" Haseena asked her brother who was unusually quiet throughout the journey.

"Nahi!" Adeel lied, unwilling to upset her sister sharing the unpleasant conversation he had with his mother, given how exhausted she looked. "Tum aram karlo, bohut raat ho chuki hai", he said, settling himself on the couch.

"Tum naraz toh nahi ho na ke hum itni late ho gaye?" Haseena asked with an upset layer on her face.

"Bilkul nahi. Mai ammi thodi hu", Adeel joked, trying to lighten up her mood and it worked as Haseena moved towards her room with a soft dimple smile playing on her face.

"Ammi chahe jo bhi kahe, tumhari marzi ke khilaf koi shadi nahi hogi", Adeel mumbled under his breath, glancing at her disappearing figure once. He very well knew her mother's conventional thinking but it still didn't explain her persistence about this marriage, which Haseena had clearly refused. He couldn't help but wonder if he was missing something but he shrugged off the thoughts, considering his mother's orthodox mindset.