ALIGNING OUR STARS

Chapter 11- The Dinner Invitation

Karishma was looking outside the window, her dad had just called and said that they were all about to arrive.

Karishma went down, with the keys in her hand to open the locked garage, they could park the car as soon as it came in. She went down and stopped in her tracks and looked around the house. She had been in this huge house alone for the past 3 days, in hopes that she would spend quality time with her boyfriend, but she knows how that went.

The house wasn't made this huge just for the four of them. It was not long ago when the empty walls of this house were filled with numerous photos of her joint family. Everyone, including everyone lived here. From her 'dada-dadi' to her 'chahu'. From their eldest son to their youngest daughter, everyone lived within these walls happily, sharing the moments of joy and sadness.

Younger Karishma couldn't understand the importance of family. She couldn't understand it when her grandparents passed away. She only remembers knowing that she wouldn't see her ever again. She couldn't understand the importance of family even when she could hear the arguments happening within the three brothers (her dad, chachu, and bade papa) from her room.

One by one, everyone left the house. One by one, the photos were removed from the walls. The only thing which ever reminded them about the photos ever being there were the holes of the nails on the walls. Nails from which the photo frames once hung.

The sound of horn brought her back to reality and she went to the door and opened it. Their Porsche was outside with her father in the driver's seat, her mom beside him and at the back was her 9 year old sister, Ashvi.

Ashvi immediately opened the door and ran towards Karishma with her arms spread open. Karishma wasnt like her elder sister, but more like her second mother. She told everything to Karishma, including the smallest secrets to where she went with her friends. Karishma was her favourite out of everyone Ashvi knew.

"Aagya mera bacha vapis?" Karishma said, kneelimg down and kissing each of her cheeks. Ashvi nodded vigorously with her eyes dilated and her lips expanding from one ear to the other.

"Are ab garage khol bhi do bhai" Her dad yelled from the car and Karishma chuckled. She handed the keys to Ashvi. "Jao garage kholdo" Karishma said and handed the keys to Ashvi. She, with excitement, hopped to the garage to open it.

Within that, her mother stepped out of the car and went towards her elder daughter to give her a hug. She, and only she knew what happened in the house in their absence. But Karishma had assured her that everything was under control.

"Ab kesi ho?" Durga asked while keeping her hand on her cheek.

"Theek hai maa, Haseena ne sab sambhal liya" Karishma said with a smile.

"Hmm, kabhi bataya nhi iss Haseena ke bare main" Durga said with her eyebrow raised.

"Do–dost hai" Karishma said, with uncertainty.

"Hmm" She said. "Kal use invite karna lunch pe"

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Lying on the bed, Karishma was fidgeting with the phone in her hand. She was thinking about how to call Haseena for lunch. She didnt really know about her parents' opinion on orphans.

How could she explain to her parents that's Haseena was one of the most kind, sensible and sweetest people she had met. She would try explaining to her mother, she was most likely understand.

"Karishma di" Ashvi said, standing at her door with her pillow and blanket.

"Kya hua bacha? Idhr ao" She said, spreading her arms and calling her sister.