"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you."

Karishma greets once Alice gets the door. It is almost 7 o'clock and Alice can't bring herself to fully awake although she got a phone call from Karishma half an hour ago.

"It's okay. Come on in." Alice tries to tie her robe but eventually gives up because her brain can't really process anything right now. "Haseena's just called me."

"I called her too. She sounded weird though. She has been weird; like something is bothering her but she won't say anything." Karishma says as she follows Alice inside. She has noticed but it is not the kind of weirdness that gets her concerned. It's just a kind of weirdness that is noticeable.

"That sounds like Haseena in general?" Alice stops at the kitchen counter and takes a seat there. She needs some time to reboot her system before activating the coffee machine that is in sight. "Don't worry. She is just like that. By the way, do you need a lift to the airport? I can call Ben."

"No. That's fine. My friend from the hospital is also heading to the airport so she'll pick me up from my place."

"Have a safe flight, Karishma." Alice gives Karishma a hug. "Everyone is going somewhere and I'm stuck here."

"You don't want to get on a plane during holidays. Trust me." Karishma walks towards Haseena's bedroom where she will start a search for her sweaters that she has left here. Her last-minute packing was stopped when she realized that a lot of her warm clothes are at Haseena's.

"That's exactly what I was trying to tell Haseena."

Karishma who has already opened the door steps back a bit while she tries to process the statement that has just been told. "Where is Haseena taking a plane to? Didn't she take a train to Tarrytown?"

Alice who has already had coffee in her mug and realized she slipped something she shouldn't. She tries to hide herself in one corner of the kitchen. "I mean travelling in general. You get the shirts and would you mind locking the door on your way out? Thank you."

"Okay." Karishma looks at Alice getting away into her room. She is being suspicious but that seems to be normal among this group of friends.

Karishma gets into Haseena's bedroom and takes a minute to look around. Haseena manages to get her things up in place. Her books are on a new bookshelf. A couple of her scarfs are hanging on a coat rack by the door along with Haseena's Mets cap. Things are in place and this makes her comfortable as if this is also her place.

Karishma's target is at a Chelsea drawer. She doesn't want to be picky but the sweaters are comfortable, warm and just perfect for days in Maine. In the top drawer, there are plenty of miscellaneous: sewing tools, stationaries, Haseena's spare glasses, keys, etc. They are very organized in Haseena's way. From here, she grabs one of Haseena's spare Airpods. She has too many and she has lost too many. In the middle one, clothes. She reaches her destination. Haseena has her sweatshirts on one half and hers on another. Karishma quickly takes a couple of hers and decides to sneakily steal some of Haseena's. As she reaches for the one in the deepest end of the drawer, something comes out with it; a small box that is more than obvious of what could be inside.

Karishma looks at the box lying on the floor without moving one bit of her body. It is a ring box and there will be a ring inside. Haseena doesn't even keep empty shoes boxes lying around. This box definitely has a ring in it. Her choice is down to two; either she opens to confirm her thought or she puts it back in the deepest corner of the second row of the drawer and forget about it.

"I'm just being crazy if this is just a box." Karishma says quietly to herself before sitting on the floor in front of the mysterious black little box. She opens it and gasps. A simple yet delicate diamond ring. "Holy shit."

Karishma quickly puts the box back to its place, grabs what she came here for and leaves.

"I'm leaving, Alice." She yells while her feet keep pace with her mind. "See you later."

Alice pokes out of her room. "Have a safe flight." Once Karishma gets to her apartment, her mind is all over the place and Kat is waiting for her by the steps in front of her apartment entrance. They are going to the airport flying to the different destinations; Kat's is to Chicago. In her hand, a cup of warm coffee blows white streams to fight cool breeze of Autumn. She greets Karishma and gets confused by her expression. Something happened.

"Haseena has an engagement ring hidden in her drawer." Karishma greets Kat with a statement that has been repeating in her head all the way to her apartment.

"Isn't that a bit too soon?" Kat tries to make a remark without offending Karishma who seems to be worried about millions of things. "I mean do you want to get married now?"

"I'm not a lunatic who gets married after being with someone for like two seconds. I was crazy enough saying 'I love you' after a second. We haven't talked about any of this. I still have to knock to get into her apartment." Karishma bursts half of her thoughts out while pressing the combination for the entrance. Every beeping sounds seem to be so low comparing to the sound of the pressure she puts on pressing.

"Maybe it is on sale and she just... got it." Kat makes a nonsense excuse for Haseena to give Karishma a peace of mind. "Maybe she is holding on for someone? Her roommate?"

Karishma holds the door open and stuns for a second. "I also hate that it's possible."

"I'm glad I could solve your mystery." Kat shrugs. "Call her."

"I can't. She went for a walk in a forest with Kevin." Karishma steps into the elevator with Kat following her.

"Hmm." Kat hums. She doesn't know what to say to that. Haseena and Karishma just fit together in their very own way. Haseena goes on walks in a forest and Karishma goes nuts in New York city.

"I don't even think they are going in an actual forest. It's probably just some video games."

Haseena strolls around the corner to the first two-story house on Bernard street; a half of mile away from Tarrytown lake park where she went on a walk with Kevin. Karishma called her earlier about a couple of her sweaters that she wanted to bring home and that was that. She hasn't called again or even texted. It is not weird but it is concerning. She is busy checking her phone when a familiar sound calls out from her mother's driveway. Looking up, Mira and her husband, Amar, stand there loading some groceries off their trunk.

"Whose jacket is that?" Mira makes a remark on the leather jacket Haseena is wearing. "Doesn't look like yours."

Haseena stops at the mailbox and looks at the jacket that is on her. "It's Karishma's."

"Where have you been?" Mira asks as Haseena steps closer as slow as she can do for Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving.

"Camping with Kev." Haseena answers and pokes at their trunk to see if there is anything she can help with. It is almost empty after bags are carried inside by a tall-built man.

"In the morning?"

"Last night and went on a walk at the lake this morning."

"So you've just come home now?"

"No. I came home yesterday."

"I mean..." Mira sighs. She knows Haseena understands what she was trying to say but her inner stupid child occasionally shows. "Have you talked to mom?"

Haseena leans against the back of Mira's SUV and sighs. "Maybe I'm not telling her. I don't know. I mean things with Karishma are great without mom knowing any of it."

"Is that what you want?"

"I want it to be normal, Mira. I don't want to have to talk about this. You didn't have to make a big speech when you were out with Amar."

"It is normal." Mira is confused by Haseena's definition of normal. For her, it's normal for Haseena to date whoever she really likes.

"Yeah. Tell mom that." Haseena leaves to get inside of the house.

Inside of the two-story house, it is a typical suburban house with the smell of great food. Haseena walks past the hall with pictures on the wall to the kitchen that is near the porch door. Her steps are silent since shoes were taken off by the front door. It is still an Asian household after all.

"Mom." Haseena approaches the lady in the apron who is cooking something on the stove. She pokes and smells and it smells like heaven. Her arm wraps around her mother's shoulder and a look is given by the small lady in her arm. She takes a second one to be sure. "What?"

"How are Kevin and Maggie?" Noor Jahan stirs some sauce in the pan while handing a spatula for Haseena to stir-fry the vegetables in another pan.

"Kevin is good. Maggie is good." Haseena does the pan flip technique like a pro but her mom constantly tries to stop her. She needs all the veggies in the pan, not all over the counter.

"Hi, mom." Mira finally reaches the kitchen with a couple more bags from the car. She piles them up on the dining table along with those that were carried in by Amar. Then, she gives her mother a hug before poking out to see her husband outside on the porch, starting the grill. "Huh, grill master."

Haseena's phone rings and immediately she drops everything to answer the call. The spatula is handed to Mira. She doesn't even care that Mira can't cook. This is an important call and she needs to answer it away from everyone. She excuses herself to the backyard and makes sure that she is alone before answering it.

"Hey." Haseena greets and takes a sit on the yellow grass facing the wooden fence. "How was your flight?"

"Are you coming over... like soon? By soon, I mean tomorrow." Karishma responds with something entire unrelated to the question. She sounds like she is in a car or some sort of space that provide quietness.

"What do you mean?"

"There are new toiletries, towels and a box of wine in my parents' trunk right now. Alice kind of slipped. My little brother asked about you. My mom acted weird. My dad confessed. Now it's your turn."

"You don't want me to come?" Haseena asks slowly with hesitation. Her surprise might not be a good one although Karishma's mother convinced her otherwise.

"Of course, I want you to come." Karishma whispers to her phone. "I just don't want you to do something weird."

"What is something weird?" Haseena chuckles. The grass in front of her is being picked and a dirt hole is created.

"I don't know. Something weird." Karishma sounds mumbling. "How is everything at home?"

"Mira's just arrived with Amar. He is trying to cook something on the grill." Haseena tells a story without looking back to see if the situation has progressed.

"They are okay with you coming over here on Thanksgiving?" Karishma asks what seems to be the easiest yes or no question but it makes Haseena feel uncomfortable all of a sudden. A lump randomly appears in her throat and she has two choices; they are not really a yes or a no but they are to tell the truth or get away with a lie.

"I haven't told them." Haseena chooses the best way for everything. "But my mom knows I'm leaving tomorrow. I've been here since yesterday anyway."

"You should tell them." Her voice sounds like it is breaking up but the closing door sound that follows suggests that she is getting off the car to go somewhere. "At least, they know that you're over at your girlfriend's; not some random mysterious place for Thanksgiving."

"Yeah. I'll tell them." Haseena agrees with her girlfriend although she doesn't think it's the best idea.

"Good girl." Karishma's laughter comes into the line. My mom is buying you a souvenir but I'll try my very best to stop her."

"Okay."

"Hey." Karishma sounds serious again. "Can you not do something... like out of ordinary?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Karishma." Haseena responds with a serious tone as well. "I mean... should I know?"

"See you tomorrow, okay? I love you."

"I love you too."

Once Haseena hangs up the phone, she stays seated for a little longer; looking at the grass and a fresh new hole. She combs her hair back with her fingers. It's getting longer and maybe she needs a haircut. There are plenty of things for her to handle and she has been procrastinating them all. She gradually leaves things as they are. The only accomplishment for this week is putting up a shelf for Karishma's books in her room...
..........

Zoe & Haseena as lovers are over now but Zoe & Haseena as friends will be there is some parts. Zoe is a special character and will stay a part of my story. This story is of two independent mature people in their late 20s, where they believe in giving space to their partner & partner can have separate individual life apart from life as couple. It's different type of story so try to accept this concept.
Plus thanks to you'll for your kind words & yes you'll can give positive or negative reviews I have no problem but I'll not tolerate abuse. Thanks.