Take Me Home

21. Paradise

"umm Laila I am here. Aap log kahaan hai." Haseena looked around her and everyone was looking at her. She was dressed like she was going to a meeting with her slightly oversized striped grey suit over her black shirt, of course people were looking at her. She removed the ponytail quickly and shook her head wanting to look less formal and that act earned her more curious looks.

"A double malt thank you." Haseena took on the high bar stool knowing quite well that being a person who always turned up to places in time, she had arrived sooner than others. One of the guys in the bar eyed Haseena and with an encouraging pat on his back from one of his pals walked to her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked a bit nervously and Haseena gave him a friendly smile. She knew the dude meant no harm he looked too nervous.

"I am waiting for my girlfriend sorry." She said tilting her head slightly to lessen the impact of the blow. The guy nodded with an awkward smile before walking back to his buddies who all laughed at him. Haseena checked the time on her watch and looked at the door again and there they were. Laila and her entourage. She was flanked by her husband Richard who also worked in her cafe. Three of the baristas Kaily, Carmen and Fatima with their respective partners too and Haseena suddenly felt too lonely and wished she was also accompanied by her annoyingly cute brat in spite of them not yet being officially together. It definitely felt like they had already been seeing each other for months and she felt borderline clingy.

She eyed Laila glaring at her obviously because everyone was there with their partners and she was the only one alone and Laila smirked dismissively. They occupied one of the booths and conversations flowed easily as they started unwinding. Haseena gave them bits and pieces of her position and they all listened out of curiosity.

They were three rounds down, words getting a little bit slurry when Haseena caught Laila eyeing the door for the fifth time that night.

"Tum aise baar baar wahaan kyun dekh rahi hai?" Haseena asked finally. She was a dramatic woman nonetheless but Haseena in spite of being her friend for so many years had never noticed how badly she handled her liquor. She was already swaying and frolicking and Richard, who was sober and had taken the driver-duty watched on as his girlfriend continued to entertain them.

"I called your girlfriend to surprise you and she's late?" Laila said. Haseena's heart was beating erratically, obviously thinking it was Karishma.

"Karishma? What about Kiara? Did she get a baby sitter?" Haseena sipped from her glass and picked her phone up.

"Wait Karishma? But I invited Samantha!!!" Laila exclaimed in confusion.

"What????" Haseena whisper-shouted at Laila.

"How the hell was I supposed to know you're two timing?" Laila commented disapprovingly.

"I didn't even call her after the New Years party Laila!!!" Haseena whispered into her ear.

"Wait she isn't your person??? Karishma is?"

"Of course damnit I love Karishma." Haseena screeched and smiled at how good that sounded. "I love Karishma." She repeated and her contagious smile made Laila smile too. She looked like how a person in love did. Ecstatic.

"Hey guys. Hey Haseena." Samantha's voice interrupted their conversation. She was looking lovely in a floral tunic that reached her knees. If only Haseena wasn't head over heels over anything Karishma chose to wear be it her usual black leather jacket and jeans or even a garbage bag for that matter, she would have appreciated how beautiful Samantha looked. Samantha gave Haseena an awkward side hug and Haseena internally squirmed at how she had left things hanging. In fact she and Tanya Malhotra her girlfriend for 4 years had broken the right way as well. Tanya had woken up one day to her apartment looking as if there never lived a person named Haseena init.