Teri Lakeerein

19. The Hiccup

No matter the quality of the tea, certain issues cannot be overlooked for the sake of taste.

A similar situation occurred with Karishma Singh. After recovering from Karishma's outburst, Haseena regained her composure and reprimanded her impulsive friend for having struck Badnaam. Regardless of her anger, Haseena believed there was no justification for violating someone's respect. Karishma attempted to justify her actions but was unsuccessful, especially after Haseena disclosed that she had witnessed Karishma slapping the man in her village that day.

Although aware that the slap was unjustified, Haseena remained silent because she did not want to overstep Karishma's authority or tarnish the image Karishma maintained in front of her village. She chose to overlook the incident that day.

However, it was a mistake. Possessing power did not grant Karishma the right to flaunt it.

In silence, with her head bowed, she listened to Haseena, but only for the first five minutes. After that, she was too sleepy to recall what was said in the last ten minutes.

Fortunately, she remembered something just in time and managed to divert Haseena's attention before her lecture on Temper Control could send Karishma into slumber.

"Inspector Sahiba, hum keh rahe thhe ki...ahh...Sitapur mein na kucch hi dinon main ek vikhyat mele ka aayojan hoga. Toh kya aap hamare sath aaengi?"

Haseena halted her sermon, casting a brief, sharp glance at Karishma before releasing a breath of frustration and considering Karishma's question.

"Aur kab hoga ye mela?"

Karishma looked at her phone and then turned to Haseena, "Agle ravivar se".

"Hum koi vaada nahi kar sakte kyunki bewaqt hamari duty humein bula leti hai".

"Ek saptah lagega woh, kuch kshann ka samay toh aap apne mitra ko arjit kar hi sakti hain?" Karishma asked with expecting big golden retriever eyes, making Haseena laugh.

"Aap mela shuru hone ke baad humein yaad kijiyega, phir dekhenge".

"Ji! Hum vaada karte hain, aapko bahot anand aayega", Karishma celebrated, while Haseena nodded with affection, her defenses falling away.

.

.

And then she disappeared.

Karishma Singh didn't vanish in the literal sense; rather, she became deeply engrossed in organizing a gram sabha meeting as requested by the community. Additionally, she was responsible for accommodating the Social Audit Units for MGNREGA during this time.

Two weeks flew by swiftly. And in the midst of her busy schedule, Karishma neglected the fair, she had promised to remember. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, however a reminder came when Usha asked for a day off on Saturday to attend the fair on its final day, Sunday.

And that's when realization struck Karishma.

She had been immensely annoyed when Haseena was on the verge of breaking her promise. Yet, Haseena had kept that promise.

Karishma had braced herself to beg for Haseena's forgiveness, anticipating the scolding she would receive for being inconsiderate and disappearing after promising to take Haseena to the fair.

But, contrary to her expectations, none of that occurred.

Haseena was as serene as a still ocean, and her voice on the phone did not reveal any disappointment as she easily grasped Karishma's predicament.

Karishma was at a loss for words.

Haseena's "Hum samajhte hain. It's alright" felt like ice water had been poured over her.

Understanding came to Karishma unbidden.

But at what cost?

Yet, there wasn't much time for Karishma to ponder as the Gram Sabha meeting began.

The focus of the meeting was on education and digitization, with young adults who had finished their secondary education and were aspiring for higher studies actively participating.

Numerous questions were deliberated, among which Karishma's proposal to develop a computer lab in the village school was key. The majority of the village council voted in favor, leading to the approval of the project.

Each member reviewed the questions related to their welfare. Following the conclusion of the voting, the recorded details and discussions were dispatched to higher authorities to prompt action on the matters.

Finally having some free time, Karishma decided to invite Haseena to view the Rumi Darwaza, having learned from a certain innocent chatterer that their madam sir was interested in art and architecture. Haseena had agreed to meet after her duty, and Karishma was ready to address any of Haseena's potential complaints.

However, Haseena did not show up.

She reneged on her promise at the last minute, leaving Karishma with no choice but to exhibit the same excessive understanding that had been bestowed upon her.

It seemed as though something was amiss, and everything was spiraling downward.

They continued their conversations over calls, but the topics had reverted to the mundane: work, daily routines, even politics.

The Haseena ji who had introduced her to colleagues had vanished.

The Haseena ji who had reprimanded her was also gone.

And the distance between them was growing by the minute.

Karishma found the whole situation exasperating. Was maintaining a friendship always this exhausting?

She had exerted so much effort to bridge the gap with Haseena, yet an invisible barrier remained, barely yielding to her attempts.

She resolved to give this friendship one final opportunity.

Or she was going to take back her affections.

Well, does anyone of my readers happen to hazard a guess as to what has gone so awry that this friendship seems to have gone back to square one?