Haseena rested her cheek on her palm as she looked out the window, completely lost in her thoughts.
Ever since that night when she was running from Randy’s boys and broke into the apartment of an unsuspecting innocent law-abiding citizen, Haseena hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.
It was a weird twist of fate. Haseena was bi-sexual, though she leaned more towards women than men. Honestly, she didn’t even find Randy’s girlfriend attractive, but the woman had pissed her off by making some rather off-putting comments about Haseena and her ex-girlfriend a while ago.
So naturally, this was how the woman decided to get payback.
Little did she know that her stupid revenge scheme would make her end up meeting Karishma.
Karishma.
Just her name was giving Haseena chills. She didn’t know what it was about Karishma that was so enchanting. Was she good-looking? Sure. But that wasn’t it. Haseena came across a lot of beautiful girls, but nobody had ever struck her like Karishma did.
Was it her non-chalant charm or her calmness even during a situation where someone else might’ve fainted? Or was it her blunt no-bullshit banter and sarcasm? Was it the mouth-watering tacos that she made? Or could it be the moment she dropped the towel and Haseena saw her beau___
"Nope. Nope. Nope. Not going to think about that again."
Haseena came to the conclusion that it was everything about Karishma that had turned the big and tall gangster into a grumpy and sappy schoolgirl with a crush. It wasn’t the fact that she had a thing for Karishma that was pissing her off, but rather that she was most likely never going to see her again.
And even if she did... what was she supposed to do? Ask her out? No sane human would ever go out with someone that broke into their home.
Maybe she could pray that Karishma was just a tad bit insane then...
No! Stop it!
Haseena groaned in frustration as she kicked the table, making everyone around her look at their leader. Ava rolled her eyes as she cleared her throat, making Haseena glare at her before proceeding to look out the window and sulk again.
“What’s wrong with her?” Asked Taylor, the biggest guy on the table, and stereotypically the most dense as well.
“She’s been like this since last week,” Ava answered. “Apparently baby Haseena fell in love at first sight with the girl who she held hostage.”
“I did not hold her hostage!” Haseena protested. “And I’m not in love with her. Maybe I did like her a teeny tiny bit but...”
“But yeah, no way that’s ever happening so you might as well just forget about her,” Ava retorted.
“If it were that easy then I would’ve already done it,” Haseena grunted. “But my stupid mind just can’t seem to get her out of it.”
“You’re literally never going to see her again, dude. And you know nothing about her either!” Ava spoke.
“I know her name and where she lives,” Haseena stated. Ava stared at her as if she couldn’t believe that she was really that idiotic, Taylor still clueless as he kept glancing between the two, and their fourth friend, Esteban, was busy playing crossword on his phone.
“Um, and what are you planning to do with that information? There’s no way she’s ever going to let you back in voluntarily. If you’re forgetting then you broke into her house, Haseena. That might not be a huge thing for us but...but she’s a normie. She ’ll definitely call the police next time or season your burrito with rat poison,” Ava said.
“I don’t like it when you talk rationally,” Haseena grumbled, folding her arms in front of her chest like a little kid who was just told that she could not eat dessert before dinner.
“Someone has to be rational when your head is in the gutter the whole time,” Ava muttered, sounding like she was done with her friend’s bullshit. “You need to forget about her, Haseena.You’ve been distracted lately and that’s not good for business.”
“Fine. I won’t think about-“
“You mean obsess.”
“Fine! I won’t obsess about Kar-“ Haseena’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at the person that had been haunting her for days. “Karishma! That’s her! Guys! That’s her! That’s her!”
“What? Where?” Ava asked. Haseena pointed to where the kitchen entrance was of the restaurant that they were in. “I don’t see anybody.”
“I saw her through the little glass window on the door!”
“Uh,” Ava blinked. “Oh god you’re hallucinating. How can you be sure that it was her?”
“She had blue chef cap! How many people do you know that can cook amazing food and also have blue chef cap? Um, well, let me think...one! Karishma!” Haseena grinned.
“I can’t believe this,” Ava mumbled as she shook her head. “I did not sign up for this when I joined the gang. I wanted to get revenge on my dad’s killer, not babysit three grown humans. One of whom has completely lost her mind!”
“Ouch. Okay. That got dark real quick. But it doesn’t matter because I haven’t lost my mind and I’m sure that it was Karishma I saw in the kitchen!” Haseena insisted.
“Why don’t you go and check, then?” Taylor suggested.
“Don’t give her ideas!”
“Good idea. But if it really is her then what will I say?” Haseena questioned, looking at Taylor for further advice. The blond scratched his head as he thought.
“Hi?” Taylor answered.
“Hm,” Haseena hummed. “Simple but sweet. I like it.”
“Kia Musibat ha” Ava exhaled deeply before looking at Esteban. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
“Sache pyar ko milne se koi ni rok skta” Esteban stated, making both Ava and Haseena stare at him in surprise. Taylor, the only one out of the four that didn’t speak Hindi, looked as puzzled as ever.
“What did he say?” Taylor asked.
“If it is true love then you cannot prevent it from blossoming by the use of words,” Haseena translated.
“Damn,” Taylor whistled, “I didn’t know that you were a poet.”
“Great. Now you’re enabling her crazy behavior too. Great. Just great!” Ava exhaled deeply before resting her forehead on the table, clearly done with the rest of them.
Haseena stood up from the chair as she made her way towards the kitchen. Just as she was at the door, she straightened her shirt before grabbing a spoon out of a waiter’s tray to check her reflection. If it really was Karishma inside, then she wanted to look her best.
“Excuse me ma'am, but where are you going?”
Haseena froze, her hand on the knob as an unfamiliar voice stopped her. She turned around, putting on her signature smile as she came face to face with the manager.
“Actually, I was-“
“Oh! Are you the buyer?”
“The...buyer,” Haseena blinked, before nodding. “Yes. That would be me.”
“My apologies, ma'am! Feel free to check out the kitchen,” the manager spoke.
“I will, thank you very much,” Haseena replied before swiftly entering through the door.
Haseena had never been inside the kitchen of a restaurant, and she had no idea of just how chaotic it could be. She began exploring, looking for the person that was the main star of all of her dreams recently. Haseena cursed internally as she went through each row, weirding out a lot of people by staring at their face to make sure they weren’t Karishma.
Just when Haseena thought that maybe Ava was right, that maybe she really was going out of her mind and seeing Karishma when she really wasn’t there...she saw her.
Haseena didn’t know much about the kitchen hierarchy, but just by the woman’s body language, she could tell that Karishma was someone with a high position.
Haseena stood there, unable to move, simply staring at the woman.
Was it somehow possible that she had gotten even more attractive in the past week? Or was it just Haseena thinking that?
She watched as Karishma smiled at the woman she was talking to, before patting her shoulder and nodding.
Her smile. Her goddamn smile.
Haseena was so caught up in looking at Karishma, that she did not even notice when the head chef eventually turned in her direction. Karishma’s eyes widened as her gaze fell on Haseena, who was still standing at her spot with a lopsided smile.
Karishma marched towards Haseena, her expression screaming that she wasn’t pleased at all. She said nothing as she grabbed Haseena’s arm and began pulling her. Haseena did not question or try to stop her, simply following as Karishma dragged her out to an alley through the back entry. Once Karishma closed the door shut behind her, she turned to face the gangster and finally spoke up.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Uh,” Haseena gulped. “Hi?”
“Hi? Hi!?” Karishma raised her voice, undoubtedly furious at the woman who seemed utterly clueless about the severity of her actions. “What are you doing here, Haseena? How did you even find me?”
“I’m not stalking you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Haseena clarified with a slight frown. “I may be a criminal but I’m not that kind of a person. I do know my boundaries.”
“Boun- You broke into my home!” Karishma exclaimed, in disbelief of Haseena’s audacity to talk about boundaries when she had already invaded all of her the moment she stepped inside her apartment. “You threatened to kill me if I called the police! And now you show up where I work? What the hell do you want from me?”
“I wouldn’t have actually shot you,” Haseena mumbled, folding her arms in front of her chest as she looked at the young chef. Karishma took off her hat, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.
Huh, she looks cute even when she’s pissed. Her cheeks are all red and flustered and her-
“I’m going to ask you one last time what you’re doing here, Haseena,” Karishma repeated, her voice eerily calm this time. So much so that even the crime boss had chills. “It’s one thing to- to break into my house. Not like that was okay either but fine. Whatever. But showing up here...this is how I pay for the roof over my head. How I survive. I’m not going to let you threaten that too. It may be some sick, twisted game for you but it’s my livelihood at stake here. There’s no way I’ll allow you to fuck with that.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” Haseena spoke softly. She was beginning to feel guilty, and also sad that Karishma assumed she was there to bully the chef again. “I swear on Fried Rice that I was just here to eat with my friends and then I saw you and...and I just had to make sure whether it really was you or not. I’m not here to threaten your job or play games at all. I know I haven’t exactly given you any reason to trust me but...I really am saying the truth.”
“You swear on...fried rice?”
“Fried Rice. My cat,” Haseena stated. Karishma stared at the woman, her expression completely blank as she parted her lips to speak something, before closing them again as she couldn’t comprehend what to say.
“You named your cat Fried Rice?” Karishma asked.
Haseena nodded eagerly, taking her phone out of her pocket to show Karishma her lockscreen, which was a picture of her jet black cat sleeping with a penguin soft toy. She was adorable, and a complete opposite compared to Haseena’s golden retriever personality.
“But...why? Why Fried Rice out of all the names in the world?”
“I found her in a dumpster outside of a Chinese restaurant. She was trying to eat from a fried rice container,” Haseena explained. “She was just a kitten back then. The smallest little thing ever.”
“That’s... actually kind of cute,” Karishma whispered. Haseena smiled brightly at the compliment, making the chef look at her weirdly. “So you’re really not stalking me? And seeing me here was just a coincidence?”
“Yep! My friends even thought that I was hallucinating when I said that I saw you through the kitchen door window!” Haseena said. Karishma frowned once again, scratching the top of her head in bewilderment.
“You told your friends about me?”
“Of course, I had to tell them where I spent the night,” Haseena stated. “Don’t worry, they’re all totally chill. Do you want to meet them? I’m sure you will get along! Especially with Esteban. He’s kind of like you, quiet and reserved but really smart and witty at the same time. He mostly speaks in Hindi though. Do you know Hindi? Oh, didn’t you say you moved here six months ago? Where are you from originally? Did you-“
“Okay, just pause now,” Karishma interrupted, keeping a hand on Haseena’s bicep to make her stop her rambling. The crime boss looked at where Karishma was holding her, the smile still on her face as Karishma snatched her hand back, making Haseena pout dramatically at the loss of physical contact. “I’m not meeting your buddies, and I’m not giving you any more personal information about me.”
“Oh.”
“You know that we’re not friends, right sis?”
“Hey, don’t sis-zone me,” Haseena muttered. She looked like a kicked puppy, confusing Karishma all the more.
“What?” Karishma blinked.
“Nothing,” Haseena shook her head. “Don’t you think it’s kind of fate that we ran into each other again? Maybe it’s the universe’s way of saying that we should be-“
“Haseena,” Karishma sighed, pointing between them. “You and I? Two very different people, okay? We come from different worlds and we...we cannot be friends. I’m sorry, but there’s just no way that’s happening.”
“I have to get back to work now,” Karishma stated, looking at Haseena for one last time before leaving. “Hope you enjoy your food. The dessert is on the house.”
With that, Karishma went back inside, leaving Haseena out in the alley all alone. Haseena exhaled deeply as she leant back on the wall, she was kind of bummed after the conversation, unable to figure out how to get close to the chef.
Maybe Ava was right, maybe she really did not stand a chance with Karishma. She didn’t even know whether the chef was into women or not, and even if she was, would she ever agree to go out with someone like Haseena?
Feeling dejected, Haseena decided to go back into the restaurant. She passed through the kitchen, keeping her head low to avoid running into Karishma. She had never been good with rejection, a con of always getting what she wanted. She exited through the same door that she had entered through, coming face to face with the manager once again.
“Hello!” The woman spoke excitedly. “So what did you think, ma'am? Are you interested?”
“I don’t think-“
“I know it’s a bit of a risk, but the restaurant is actually doing quite well. If it wasn’t for the owner’s lawsuit and him going bankrupt, he wouldn’t have to sell so I’m sure you’ll get a great deal as well,” the manager stated.
“Huh?”
“It’ll be a bummer if we don’t find a buyer in time. Everyone will lose their jobs...”
“Oh,” Haseena frowned. Was the restaurant at risk of closing? That would mean Karishma wouldn’t have a living anymore... No. Haseena couldn’t let that happen. “You know what?”
“Hm?”
“Here’s my card,” Haseena said, taking out her wallet to give the manager one of her cards. Despite her criminal background, she did have a couple legitimate businesses as well. “Give me a call, all right? And get me in touch with the owner. I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“That...that’s great! I will!” The woman perked up.
Don’t worry about the bill, either. It’s on us!”
With a nod, Haseena went back to her table. Her friends were looking at her expectantly, clearly wanting to know what went down. They had figured that since Haseena was gone for so long, there was a good chance that she did end up meeting Karishma.
“So? Was it her?” Ava asked.
“Yeah,” Haseena answered as she took a seat.
“Come on! Give us more than that!” Ava urged. Haseena sighed as she shrugged, not wanting to disclose how the chef shot her down.
“I’m thinking of buying the restaurant,” Haseena said instead.
“Excuse me, what?” Ava blinked. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
“Apparently it’ll get shut down if they don’t find a buyer, so...”
“Look, Haseena, it’s one thing to have a crush on a girl. But another to buy a whole bloody restaurant for her! Are you insane?” Ava shook her head in disbelief.
“Weren’t you the one that said we need to shift out focus on more legit businesses now? This is the perfect opportunity! The manager said the owner is in some kind of legal trouble and that would help us get a great deal too. Just think about this, Ava, the restaurant is completely packed. This could be a golden egg,” Haseena elaborated.
Ava frowned, her expression thoughtful as she looked around at the crowd. They, too, had to book a few days in advance and there were people outside waiting in line to get a table. If they were to get the restaurant at a cheaper rate due to whatever issues...then it actually could be a good idea to invest.
“And that’s it? It’s just a business decision? It has nothing to do with your personal feelings about Karishma?” Ava questioned.
“Why can’t it be a bit of both?” Haseena retorted.
“Uh huh,” Ava sighed. “We can talk more about this when we get back, I guess. I ordered the cheesecake for you.”
“You know me so well,” Haseena grinned, the tension dissipated for now as Ava smiled back.
Haseena knew that Karishma was definitely not going to be happy when she finds out what Haseena was planning to do. The gangster didn’t know whether Karishma was aware that her job was at risk or not...but whatever the case may be, Haseena had already made up her mind.
She was doing to buy the restaurant. And she was going to find a way to get through to the chef. One way or another.
