Love's Renewal

Chapter 32.

Santu reached for the door handle, but Shivani grasped her arm, pulling her back. "Hey, Santu, don't"

Santu turned to her, questioning. "What?"

Shivani's eyes locked onto hers. "Karishma and Haseena are together in the room. If you go inside, Haseena will ask you to stay instead of karishma, let karishma be with haseena or else she will kill me with all her 'call haseena' 'ask her how she is', 'you should go check on her', Oh god No"

Santu's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, right. Sorry, babe."

Shivani's voice was playful. "Ooo right, sorry baby."

Santu closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face. "I just brought sweets for Haseena. Sweets help with anxiety."

Shivani's response was teasing. "Hmmmmm, I don't know what to do with the sweets you brought, but I could definitely use you as a sweet to reduce my anxiety."

Santu's face flushed with a sweet blush, her eyes opening to meet Shivani's gaze. "Stop it, we are in the hospital" she whispered, her voice laced with laughter.

Shivani's grin was mischievous, her eyes sparkling with love and adoration for her girlfriend.
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As the clock struck 10PM, the hospital room grew quiet, the only sound being the soft beeping of machines and the occasional whisper of the nurses outside.

Haseena snuggled under the blankets, her bed cranked up to a comfortable position.

Haseena's voice was soft and gentle,
"Dr. Karishma, you can go. You don't need to spend your night here in the hospital room."

Karishma's response was equally soft, "Good night, Haseena."

Haseena knew that Karishma wouldn't leave. She had seen the determination in her eyes, the unwillingness to leave her side.

Without another word, Karishma settled  into the sofa that's beside haseena's bed, her eyes never leaving Haseena's face.

11:30 PM

Karishma stood up from the sofa, her movements quiet and graceful, and walked over to Haseena's bedside.

She gently checked the saline bottle, her eyes scanning the levels, and nodded to herself. With precision and care, she removed the needle from Haseena's arm, her touch gentle and soothing.

"You can sleep peacefully, this was the last saline," Karishma whispered, her voice soft and reassuring.

Haseena's eyes locked onto Karishma's, her gaze filled with gratitude and admiration. She had been watching Karishma since she arrived at the hospital, marveling at her dedication, her care, her compassion.

Haseena just nodded.
And karishma was back on her sofa..

Haseena's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The words of Nandy and Pushpa echoed in her mind, but it was Karishma's actions that troubled her the most. Despite her efforts to trust, her heart stubbornly refused to accept that Karishma had betrayed her, that she had lied to her. The thought was too painful to contemplate.

Haseena's voice broke the silence, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

"Did you call Nandy this morning, while I was on the terrace?" she asked.

Karishma's response was swift and reassuring.
"No, she was coming here anyway. I just told her to arrive an hour earlier. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you alone on the terrace, vulnerable and Vulnerable."

Haseena's response was a soft
"Hmm", her voice barely audible.

A few minutes of silence passed, before Haseena's voice pierced the air again. "Why did you do that to me, Karishma?" she asked, her tone laced with a mix of emotions.