Crush - KarEena

Chapter 21

When Haseena arrived at her ranch, the first thing she did was saddle Zed and go for a long, galloping ride. Following that, she spent two hours in the barn grooming the horses. They didn't need grooming, but it was therapeutic for her.

Earlier in the day, Santosh Sharma had made a courtesy call informing her of Roy's imminent release from jail, "You're releasing him?"

"I have no choice, Santosh explained the district attorney and the court's decision, "I warned you that the charge might not stick. Karu claims it was Roy but without hard evidence"

"What about his breaking into my house?"

"There was no sign of forced entry, Dr Malik"

"But he broke in," she insisted

"If you wish, you could come down and file a complaint"

"What good would it do?"

What had become clear to her was that she couldn't rely on the judicial system to take care of Roy for her. The problem was hers and she must solve it. But how?

Then there was the matter of Karishma. She was still angry with Karishma the cop, who deserved her scorn. But Karishma, the lady was her patient who deserved the best medical care she could provide. How was she to reconcile the two?

Out of respect for Dr. Champat, the board had set a date two weeks hence for her formal assumption of the chief of surgery position. She wanted to move into that job with a clean slate, with her life in perfect order, free of problems. She needed time away to think things through and plot a course of action.

Her last-minute decision to take a few days off had required some skilful manoeuvring by her able office staff, but they juggled the schedule so that her patients were only moderately inconvenienced. Dr. Brij Sharma returned the favour she had done him a few months ago by agreeing to oversee the care of her post-op patients who were still in the hospital, Karishma among them.

She had packed in a hurry and made good time driving. The horseback ride had provided a temporary respite from her troubling thoughts. Mahipal Rathore arrived shortly after she returned to the house, "You didn't have to come right away, Chacha," she told him as soon as she answered the door. Earlier she had called him to report a loose board on the fence gate.

"I feel bad about overlooking it"

"It's no big deal. It'll keep"

"I'd just as soon get it fixed now. Unless this is a bad time for you"

"Now is fine"

He looked beyond her at the pieces of luggage still standing on her living room floor. "Staying for a while this time?"

"A few days. Let me show you that loose board," They went down the front steps together. On the way to the fence, he retrieved a metal toolbox from the bed of his truck, "How's Chachi?"

"Fine. She's giving the devotional at the Temple ladies' luncheon next Thursday. She's got butterflies"

"I'm sure she'll do fine"

He nodded, glanced at Haseena, and then said, "We read about you in the paper this week"

"Don't believe everything you read, Chacha"

"It was all good this time"

This time. She didn't know if the qualifier had been intentional. The old rancher remembered newspaper stories about her that hadn't been so flattering, the ones about the fatal shooting of Ranjan Chadha.