'Madam Sir... hum aapse kuch kehna chahte hain aaj...... humein yeh kehna hain ki.. hum aapse........ nahi matlab humare kehne ka matlab yeh hain ki... aap humare liye..... aapse hum yeh kehna chaha reh hain ki aap......

......AARRRGGHHH!!!'

Karishma Singh growled in frustration and banged her fists on the dresser where she was practising in front of the mirror, exactly how she was going to supposedly propose to Haseena Mallik. Supposedly... because apparently she couldn't get one sensible word out.

'BOL NA!!! Kaahe nahi bol rahi hain Karishma Singh?' she rebuked herself. 'Bol de, jo mann mein hain, woh Madam Sir ko bol de!'

She held her head in her hands and paced around the room while muttering, 'Chalo chalo Karishma Singh, ho sakta hain, kar sakti ho tum... kar sakti ho! Bas Madam Sir ke aankhon mein dekhna hain aur bata dena hain ki tum unse bhayankar wala prem kar baithi ho.....
.

.
.
'Ay ek minute! Ka bakwas hain yeh? Aise koi bolta hain ka? "Bhayankar prem"... bandi ko pataa rahi ho ki bhagaa rahi ho? Nahi kuch aur socho...'

She took several deep breaths and came back to stand in front of the mirror. Her reflection nervously blinked back at her.

'Kaise order mein sajaye hum baat ko? Pehle dil ka baat bole ya pehle humare past ke baare mein bataye unko?' Karishma asked her reflection.

At first, her reflection looked back at her blankly; but after a few seconds, a tiny smile appeared on her face. The reflection stood with her shoulders straightened and her hands clasped behind her. 'Tajurba kehta hain humara Karishma Singh...' Her reflection told her... 'ki manzil milegi zarur, chahe bhatak kar hi sahi.... gumrah toh woh hain, jo ghar se nikle hi nahi! Toh behichak kahe dijiye apni dil ki baat. Dil se kahi gayi toh dil tak pohoch jayegi.'

Karishma glanced at the photo frame on the bureau. And the moment she focused solely on Haseena's face, the words flowed out from deep inside her heart.

'Madam Sir, aapse milne ke pehle na hum ekdum thik the. Bilkul thik. Apni marji ki maalkin, jindagi ko apne hisab se jee rahe the. Humara dil normal rate par dhadak ta tha, saanse normal speed se entry-exit leti thi, fefre damdaar chal rahe the... Biryani pel rahe the, golgappe pel rahe the, bhaukaal macha rahe the.... Haan bohot akele the, lekin phir bhi hum thik hi the. Arrey humne toh socha tha khud par ek kitaab likh daale jiska naam hota "Jindagi Bhaukaal Hain"..................... (sigh)

'... aur phir aap humari jindagi mein transfer huyi. Aur humari puri duniya palat gayi.

'Humein pata chala ki hum thik se jyada ho sakte hain... hum khush ho sakte hain. Isliye ab sirf thik rehna kaafi nahi raha...

'Jab pehli baar aapse nazre mili, uss din pata chala bina koi bhaag daur kiye bhi dil ki dhadkan kitni tej ho sakti hain. Jab duty karte karte aap corona warrior ban gayi, aapki ek jhalak ke liye humara na kaleja aisa phat jata tha. Aur humko samajh nahi aata tha ki yeh sab kya kyun kaise ho raha tha...

'Aur phir woh din aya jab humne aapko dulhan ke getup mein dekha... haan case ke liye hi sahi... par jab aap jeep se utarkar humari taraf chal kar aa rahi thi na.. Uss pal mein humko pata chala ki jinda insaan ki bhi saanse ruk jati hain kabhi kabhi... honth toh sil gaye the lekin dil ne kaha diya... Qubool hain!

'Aajkal aapke bina kuch bhi achha nahi lagta. Chahe biryani chaat khaye, ya koi nayi jagah jaye, ya phir internet par kuch dekh le... har cheez aapke saath share karne ka mann karta hain.

'Toh humko na haq chahiye Madam Sir... haq chahiye ki hum apni jindagi ke chhote bade pal aapke saath share kar sake, bina kisi sawal jawab ke, bina koi justification ke...

'Humko haq chahiye Madam Sir... aapke sang ek aisa rishta banane ka jisme humein apna emergency contact banane ke liye aapko kisise safai dene ki jarurat na padhe.

'Hum jindagi mein sirf thik nahi rehna chahte hain Madam Sir. Ab hum thik se jyada rehna chahte hain aur woh hum sirf aapke saath hi hote hain. Toh ka aap humein yeh haq dengi?

'Haq dengi ki humara bagal wala chair hamesha aapke liye reserved ho? Aapki aadhi pee huyi chai hum bina permission liye khatam kar de? Aapko bematlab ke messages bhej sake din mein kabhi bhi? Haq dengi na??'

A single tear fell, which Karishma quickly brushed away annoyedly. 'Bhavuk nahi hona hain Karishma Singh! Bhavuk bilkul nahi hona hain. Bas bol dena hain!'

Boosting herself up with this pep talk, Karishma took out her phone.

...

Haseena sat in her room, quietly contemplating everything, processing the little tidbits of information slipped here and there.

'Aapko apni jaan ki parwa nahin hain lekin humko aapki—'

'Tera himmat kaise hua Madam Sir ko seeti maarne ka? Madam Sir ko kuch bhi hota hain na toh hum bohot personally le lete hain. Beta tu gaya. Aaj ke baad tu bheek bhi isharon mein maangega.'

'Haath pakadne ka ka jarurat tha? Bina haath pakde bhi toh acting ho sakti thi...'

'... Haseena ji, mata-pita humari woh durbal sthaan hain jiske saamne usool, niyam, duniyadaari sab phiki padh jati hain...... Agar aapko aage chal kar Karishma Singh ke baare mein aisa kuch pata chale jo shayad aapke liye vishwas karna kathin ho... toh koi bhi faisla lene se purv humari in baaton par gaur kijiyega...'

Haseena scrolled through her contact list and after a slight hesitation, dialled a particular number.

'Hello Aadil? Haseena Aapa bol rahe hain.'

..........................

'— haan woh ek favour chahiye thi.. umm ek secret case ke silsile mein.. Please help karoge?'

........................

'Ek shaadi ki registration details chahiye thi. Exact date nahi pata but abhi se 3 saal pehle hua tha shaadi. Kanpur mein. Dates April se August ke beech ka hona chahiye kyunki AC na chalne ki wajah se ladkewale aaj bhi complain karte hain. Dulhe ka naam nahi pata lekin surname "Singh" hain.

.............

'Haan humko pata hain Singh UP ka sabse common title hain. Puri baat toh sunlo! Humein dulhan ka naam pata chala hain.... unh.. ahemmmm... Karishma Singh.... Zara apna database check karke dekho kuch information milti hain kya.'

...........................

'KYA? NAHI NAHI! Yeh SI Karishma Singh nahi hain.... Heh heh heh... Yeh... Yeh dusri Karishma Singh hain! Arrey bhala hum apni hi SI ke personal details aise khufiyan tareeqe se kyun nikaalenge? *cough cough* Tum bhi na Aadil kuch bhi bolte ho! Heh heh humne kaha na yeh ek secret case ke silsile mein hain.. aur Karishma Singh toh kitna common naam hain UP mein! Gali gali mein Karishma Singh hain... Anyway yeh info nikaalna tumhare bas ki baat hain ya nahi yeh batao?'

...........................

'Thank you mere bhai! Thoda urgent hain toh jitni jaldi ho sake please pata karke batao.'

Haseena disconnected the call and bit her lip, feeling extremely anxious and extremely guilty. But what could she do if nobody was giving any direct answers to her questions?

Her solo guilt trip was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Haseena jumped a little when she saw the name being flashed on the screen —

Karishma Singh Calling

Instinctively Haseena looked around the room for hidden cameras before remembering its her own house!

She wondered why Karishma was calling her at this odd hour... in answer her brain flooded with memories from earlier that day. The feeling of Karishma's warm hand sliding up her leg... Her cheeks warmed.

Haseena was not ready to address that matter yet but she couldn't ignore the call either. So with a trembling heart, she received her SI's call.

'Ji kahiye...'

'Madam Sir... hum bolrahe hain'

Haseena couldn't help but smile at the nervous cuteness from her otherwise loaded rifle. Well that meant they had both been equally affected. Small relief.

'Hum jaante hain Karishma Singh. Naam likha aata hain phone par,' said Haseena with an affectionate smile.

'Ohh. Haan.'

Silence.

'Kuch kehna tha aapko?'

'Nahi'

'Nahi kehna tha? Phir phone kyun kiya?'

'NAHI matlab kehna tha... hain... sirf kehna nahi hain... milkar kehna hain... woh milna tha aapse.'

'Abhi?'

'Nahi abhi nahi. Kal.'

'Haan toh kal thaane mein milenge na...'

'Thaane mein nahi. Baat personal hain... agar aapko aitraaz na ho toh... co-ff-ee pe chal sakte hain ka?'

Haseena raised her eyebrows, partly excited, partly terrified, overall blushing. She cleared her throat.

'Ahem... haan zarur kyun nahi. Kal duty ke baad chalein?'

'Ji bilkul. Dhanyavaad Madam Sir. Aapka bohot bohot dhanyavaad.'

'Shukriya kehne ki koi zarurat nahi hain Karishma Singh. Humko aapke saath rehna acchha lagta hain..... errr matlab aapke saath waqt bitana acchha lagta hain..... humara matlab... matlab haan chalte hain coffee peene.'

'Achha'

'Achha'

'Toh thik hain.'

'Haan thik hain.'

Silence...

'Phone rakhiye.'

'Aap pehle rakhiye.'

'Aap senior hain. Protocol hain ki aap call end karengi.'

'Aapne phone kiya tha... toh etiquette hain ki aap phone kaatengi.'

Neither of them disconnected. Instead they just stayed quietly smiling. And they knew the other was smiling too. They could feel it.

Haseena finally relented. 'Ek saath? On the countdown of three?' She offered.

'Okay,' Karishma agreed.

'Three... two... one!'

They both disconnected the call. Haseena sat there for a bit, continuing to smile peacefully. Just talking to Karishma made everything feel better. And making Karishma smile was the best feeling in the world. She held her phone to her heart.

'Ya Allah, Karishma Singh ki muskaan humare har dard ki dawa hain. Unki muskaan ko kabhi khone mat dena. Bas itni rehmat kar dena.' Haseena Mallik silently prayed.

...

On the other side, Karishma stared at the phone screen grinning impishly. She had done it! She had asked Haseena out. And she had made her smile! Best feeling in the world!!

'Hey Shivji, Madam Sir jab muskurati hain toh sab kuch thik lagne lagta hain. Bas itni kripa kar dijiye ki hum hamesha Madam Sir ko muskurata hua dekh sake.' Karishma Singh silently prayed.

Tomorrow would hopefully be the beginning of a new part of their lives...

...

As they were having dinner, Haseena noticed her mother glance at her meaningfully several times, a teasing smile on her face.

'Ammi aap humein itni ajeeb tareeke se kyun dekh rahi hain?'

'Humne bhi jawani mein aise roothne manane ka khel bohot khela hain beta!' said Ammi playfully.

'Hum kuch samjhe nahi,' said Haseena.
Sab humein confuse karne mein lage huye hain. Humne kisika kya bigada hain? She thought morosely.

'Aaj teri aur Anubhav ki ladai dekhkar main thodi si darr gayi thi. Phir jab tum dono ko itni der tak gate pe khade ghuftgoo karte dekha tab samajh ayi baat! Sach bata... tu Anubhav ke liye itna saj dhaj kar taiyyar hokar ayi aur usne shayad khaas taarif nahi ki.. isi liye rooth kar baithi thi na tu?'

Haseena looked stunned at her mother entirely misreading the situation. 'AMMI! Aap kaise mann hi mann puri film bana leti hain? Khud hi bina humko inform kiye DSP- matlab Anubhav ko invite kar diya toh hum kyun aur kaise "saj dhaj kar" aye? Aap bhi na! Humne woh getup ek case ke liye liya tha. Aur hume change karne ka time nahi mila aapki iss bin mausam ke surprise tea party ke chalte!'

'Oh!' Ammi looked a little disappointed before smiling again. 'Phir toh meri timing ekdum perfect thi! Mere plan ke chalte Anubhav ne tujhe dekha toh sahi aaj. Bohot khoobsurat lag rahi thi tu meri bacchi. Kahin tujhe meri nazar na lag jaye!'

Instead of brightening up at her mother's appreciation, Haseena slumped and looked down at her plate, playing with her food.

'Kya ho gaya Haseena? Tera mood itna off kyun hain? Puri shaam muh fulaakar baithi rahi. Thik se kisise baat bhi nahi kiya...'

'Ammi aapko DSP... matlab Anubhav, humare liye sahi kyun lage the?'

'Humein sahi laga matlab? Tune hi toh usse pasand kiya hain na? Puri duniya ke saamne usko prem prastav diya, Mahipal Bhaisaab se milwane lekar gayi... phir?'

'Haan lekin aapne aaj dekha na humare khayalat kitne alag hain? Hum dono ki shaqsiyat bhi bohot alag hain Ammi. Humein lagta hain ki aage chal kar yeh bohot badi problem ho jayegi.

'Ammi... humein nahi lagta hain ki hum Anubhav se pyar karte hain,' Haseena admitted carefully. 'Humne shayad jaldbaazi kar di. Kuch paalon ke attraction ko pyar samajh liya. Aur aap sab bhi hum par itna pressure daal rahe the ki...' She shrugged and trailed off.

Ammi looked concerned and chose her words carefully. 'Dekh beta pyar koi ek ehsaas ka naam nahi hain. Pyar ehsaason ka ek guldasta hain. Koi ek ehsaas thodi phiki padh jaye iska matlab yeh nahi ki pura guldasta hi utha kar phenk do!

'Aur rishton ko mazboot banne mein waqt lagta hain. Thoda waqt, thodi sabr, thodi mehnat zaroori hoti hain.'

Haseena realised her mother was misunderstanding her words, thinking that Haseena was giving up too easily. She didn't know how to tell her mother that there was nothing really to give up on. There never was anything to give up on.

Haseena really wanted to confide everything in her Ammi — the betrayal, the humiliation, the near-death experience... and her new heartache over a completely different person who she had no right to desire.

She wanted to tell Ammi how bone-tired she was, pretending to be strong all the time. She wanted Ammi to know that when Haseena thought she was dying, she wanted to see her one last time but couldn't even express her death wish due to her condition.

She wanted to reveal how Ammi's favourite human Karishma, had brought her daughter back from the jaws of death...

But she couldn't. The doctor's warning sealed her lips. Ammi had to be gradually eased into accepting the truth. As much as Haseena wanted to, she couldn't land the barrage of information on her all at once. So instead she just leaned in and hugged her mother, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek, hand still covered in food, remnants of gravy still on her lips. Ammi screamed in horror.

'Arrey arrey paagal ladki!! Khaana khate waqt... haath hataa... mere kapde gande kar rahi hain! Chehra bhi ganda kar diya!! Hatt!'

But Haseena didn't let go. She tightened her hold. She couldn't say it out loud but she really wanted to hide in her mother's lap - that one place that had been her refuge from the moment of her birth. Ammi sensed the shift in mood because she stopped trying to push Haseena away and let her daughter tuck her face into her neck.

'Ammi humein aapke paas hi rehna hain. Humein kahin nahi jaana. Koi shaadi-vaadi nahi karni,' mumbled Haseena, her voice tiny and muffled.

Ammi chuckled sadly and held Haseena protectively. 'Lo kar lo baat. Ammi Abbu hamesha thodi saath rehte hain! Yeh toh zamaane ka dastoor hain beta. Zindagi mein naye rishte bhi banane padhte hain...'

Haseena lifted her face from her mother's shoulder and smiled at her sadly. 'Tajurba kehta hain humara... ki sacche rishtein banane nahi padhte hain, woh khud hi bann jaate hain. Haan unhe nibhana zarur humari zimmedari hoti hain! Toh my dear Ammi, agar rishta banna hoga woh bann jayega... aur agar nahi banna hoga toh zabardasti ke rishton ki umar bohot chhoti hoti hain, hain na?'

Ammi smiled back and hit her daughter lightly on the head. 'Tu humein apne tajurbo se baksh de begairat insaan! Teri umar se zyada zindagi ka tajurba hain humara!'

Haseena grinned sheepishly. 'Achha Ammi... waise aapko uss dress up ke peechhe ki kahaani sunni hain? Hans hans ke haalat kharab ho jayegi aapki! Suniye, Billu ne ek film script likhi hain..................'

Ammi watched her daughter tactfully change the topic and chuckled as she listened to the antics of the MPT family. But she was not fooled. Haseena only acted clingy and childish when she was trying to cover her real feelings. Asking Haseena outright would be pointless. So it was upto her to do something about the pain in Haseena's eyes, that her daughter was trying so hard to hide.

Haseena's tale was interrupted when her phone suddenly buzzed with a new message. As Haseena glanced at it, Ammi watched how the melancholic air around her daughter lifted immediately like magic. Haseena's entire demeanour brightened. A small smile played on her face as she typed out a reply.

Ammi wondered if it was Anubhav's text, but hiding her eagerness, she casually asked, 'Sab thik hain baccha?'

'Hmm? Haan... bas Karishma Singh hain...' answered Haseena distractedly.

Ammi was slightly surprised but as they continued with their dinner, she thought to herself, 'Karishma se baat karni padhegi. Ek wohi meri iss beakkal beti ko samjha sakti hain.'

...

The next morning, Karishma Singh was feeling both super excited and super nervous. A secret part of her had waited long for this day, so she took extra care to get ready today. Even though she planned to change into casuals before going on their coffee date. Because she had seen how Haseena had ogled her in that jeans and tank-shirt combo.

And she was planning to make Haseena change too. Karishma didn't think she could talk as freely if Haseena sat in front of her in her uniform and SHO avatar. Karishma needed Her Haseena — her friend, her confidante — in front of her to be able to confess her truth.

However, in the midst of all this nervous excitement, a thorn of worry was prickling at her. And this involved Pushpa Ji. Pushpa ji had been behaving very strangely since the time she got home the last evening.

Karishma had been slouching on the bed, scrolling on her phone, looking up the internet for some non-topa proposal ideas (now that she had sorted out the matter of informing Lalla). When she heard the jingling of keys, she realised Pushpa ji was home. Karishma shut down the tabs on her phone after bookmarking a couple of pages for later. Then she went to open the door and greet her Amma. The moment she yanked the door open however, Pushpa Ji who had stood right outside, nearly fell inside. Karishma demanded to know exactly what Amma was doing there? Checking for oiling on the door?

Pushpa ji had coughed and overacted and tried to make it look like she was actually going to knock on the door. But Karishma was not fooled. Pushpa ji NEVER knocked. She always barged in. So obviously Pushpa ji was trying to eavesdrop. But why? What was she hoping to hear from Karishma, who was alone in the room.

Then Pushpa ji had taken a look at Karishma from head to toe and the colour had drained from her face. She looked shocked. Baffled at the reaction, Karishma looked down at herself. And found nothing to trigger that kind of reaction.

Yes, her shirt was untucked and partially unbuttoned, because she had been halfway through changing out of her uniform when she had gotten distracted. Her hair was open and slightly messed up due to lazing on the bed. Her lipstick was smudged and her lips were chapped because she had been biting them in nervousness all afternoon. So? That still didn't explain Pushpa ji's extra dramatic reaction.

It also didn't explain why Pushpa ji had begun to strain her neck right and left and stood on her tiptoes trying to look over Karishma's shoulders, inside the room. What was she hoping to