KAREENA: A Love Story

20. Ve Kamleya Mere Nadaan Dil - 3

Noorjahan Mallik was still very sad about what had happened, but watching the bhaukaali kadak Karishma Singh licking a bowl of sevaiyan clean, like a little kid... she couldn't help but smile affectionately.

'Haseena aur tu aaj shaam ko kya kaand kar rahi thi?' she asked suddenly.

Karishma paused mid-lick as her brain (un)helpfully supplied scenes from earlier that evening...

........... 'Sau bar aapse keh chuke hain ki jaldbaazi mat kiya kijiye...'

.......... 'Aapko bura lagta hain na jab humein chot lagti hain, aapko taqleef hoti hain na? Toh utni hi taqleef humein bhi ho rahi hain...'

......... 'Pant utariye'...

.......... 'Ek patnivrata biwi hone ke naate hum aapki seva kar rahe hain!'

......... 'Aapko humse kiss chahiye thi toh seedha maang leti na!'...

Karishma gulped nervously. 'Kahe... puchh rahi hain?'

'Coffee peene gaye they na tum dono? Iss beech accident kaise ho gaya tera... aur yeh tu aadhi-Haseena bani kyun ghum rahi hain?' She pointed towards Karishma's outfit of tank top, shirt and Haseena's salwar.

Mothers had this innate talent of knowing every single piece of clothing in their daughter's wardrobe, even when their daughters themselves might forget about them. Then they would wait patiently for their daughter to sigh and claim "pehenne ko kuch hain hi nahi" and immediately those forgotten pieces would fly out of the wardrobe and hit the poor girl straight in the face.

Therefore, Karishma Singh chose to go with the truth. Or a version of the truth anyway.

'Haan woh... clinic mein... first-aid. Humari jeans tight thi... toh exchange kar liya... nurse ke kehne par...' Karishma rambled.

'Chalo kam se kam tumhari coffee plan cancel nahi huyi, nahin toh Haseena pucca mujh par ilzaam lagati! Achha Karishma, uss waqt pareshaan thi toh puchha nahi... tu café se seedha yanha aayi hain kya? Nahi matlab jis tarah se tere muh par lipstick lipaa hua tha... itna jam kar kya khaya tha tune?'

Karishma licked her lips guiltily. She distinctly remembered the taste of Haseena's tongue in her mouth...

'Has—'

'Hmm?'

'RAS... Choco syrup... coffee mein... bohot tasty... toh... chaat gayi...'

'Ohh.' Ammi laughed.

Karishma breathed again. Thankfully they moved on to safer topics like the Best Police Thaana competition and Karishma enthusiastically launched into an explanation of how important it was for MPT to win, and how their SHO was not taking the matter seriously enough.

Ammi commented, 'Competition ki zarurat kya hain? Tumhari team ne itni badi mission puri kii, jaan par khel kar desh ko bachaya, tum logo ko aise hi jeet jana chahiye!'

'Kya baat kahi hain Ammi! Aapko Commissioner hona chahiye tha! Par kya karein, secret mission thi isliye kisiko nahi bata sakte.'

'Tere nikamme DSP ko yeh baat seniors tak pahuchani chahiye thi!'

Karishma startled, wondering if Ammi had forgotten that said DSP was also Karishma's brother. But Noorjahan Mallik was looking straight at her with an eyebrow arched. They stared challengingly at each other for a moment or two before bursting into giggles.

Karishma wasn't fooled though. Once the laughter subsided and Noorjahan sighed deeply, Karishma touched her arm. 'Ammi aap thik ho?'

'Nahi beta. Sacchai ko maan lene mein thoda waqt lagega... Hum yeh soch rahe hain ki agar humara dil itna dukha hain iss baat se toh bechari Haseena par kya beeti hogi... mujhe Haseena ki bohot chinta ho rahi hain.'