Haseena walked into the living room with the tray and announced, 'Madam ji, world best coffee taiyyar hain!'
'Uska report card hum denge,' remarked Karishma smirking and picked up one of the cups. She took one sip and closed her eyes, the smirk replaced with a contented smile.
'Aapke chehre ne report card de diya hain,' Haseena said happily.
They sat and drank their coffees in companionable silence, but before long Haseena became impatient. There was something she wanted to know.
'Haan toh ab bataiyye, clinic mein aapka mood achanak kyun bigar gaya? Woh Guru ji se aapki baat huyi uske turant baad se,' she asked.
Was Haseena mistaken or did Karishma look panicked for a second there?
'Woh umm... woh kuchh nahi... unko galat faymi ho gayi thi... ki aap... matlab aapko humare baarein mein humse jyada pata hain aur aap aisa full confidence ke saath form bhar di... shayad wohi sab dekh kar... ahem...' She trailed away awkwardly.
Haseena let Karishma fumble around for a few more seconds. It was a rare sight but awfully adorable. Karishma noticed her companion's amusement and pouted sadly.
'Dekhiye na Madam Sir, jab aapke samne khulte hain toh aisa khul jayenge ki border ki jitni bhi seemaye hain sab paar kar dete hain. Aur jab nahi khul paate hain toh, dekhiye kaisa haalat ho raha hain humara...'
'...Guruji ko laga ki hum dono couple hain?' Haseena said softly, without beating around the bush.
Karishma's head snapped up from behind the coffee mug where she had been trying to hide. But as her wide eyes met Haseena's calm ones, she found no discomfort, no awkwardness, no embarrassment.
'Kaise pata chala?' Karishma asked in wonder.
Haseena shrugged. 'Pehli baar thodi huya hain yeh... aur frankly, humne aaj tak kabhi nahi dekha hain do saheliyo ko "tum dono sada sukhi raho"— aisa ashirwad milte huye. It was kind of obvious.'
A shocked Karishma tried to make sense of Haseena's matter-of-fact tone. 'Aapko iss baat se koi dikkat nahi hain ki anjaan log humare barein mein aisa soch rahe hain?' she asked carefully.
'Nahi. Dikkat kyun hogi?'
'Teen hafte pehle aap khud ko kose rahi thi ki nashe ki haalat mein aap humare kareeb aayi,' observed Karishma.
'Aur phir humne yeh bhi kaha tha ki agar aap shaadi shuda nahi hoti toh humein uss raat ke liye koi afsos nahi hoti,' reminded Haseena.
They stared at each other heatedly for a long moment. The slowly curling smoke from their cups wrapping them inside a bubble of their own.
Karishma moved a little closer and whispered, 'Bilkul bhi afsos nahi hoti?'
'Nahi...' Haseena whispered back, her gaze intense, voice firm. A stark contrast from the frustrated, guilt-ridden person with avoidance tactics from just a few weeks back.
Something has changed between then and now... thought Karishma.
Karishma looked down moodily at her coffee mug and spoke, her voice completely lacking of it's usual confidence. 'Hum sirf duniya ki najar mein shaadi shuda hain... aisa jaanne ke baad, aapke liye kuch badla hain ka? Matlab... aapki feelings mein isse koi fark padhta hain ka?'
Haseena saw that Karishma's face was wrought with both hope and terror. A combination of feelings that Haseena reciprocated. She knew she had to inform Karishma that she was in fact, not married, not even technically. And yes, that changed everything for Haseena. But what she had not taken into account in the inital euphoria, was how the truth would affect Karishma? The girl had, after all, made a conscious choice to get married, fake or not. She had her reasons... all her family and relatives knew she was married. What would it be like to be told otherwise after three years? It would change everything for Karishma and Pushpa Ji's Lalla.
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KAREENA: A Love Story
FanfictionThe story picks up from the end of Mission Jeet, from the moment Haseena Mallik sacrificed herself. Haseena and Karishma's relationship changes from that moment. But Karishma is married... or is she? And Haseena loves Karishma only as a friend...
