Somewhere in Between

Barely Functioning

KS nods in gratitude and starts to walk away before she stops and turns once more.

"Aur joote?" she asks, just in case.

Suddenly, HM grins like she has found something incredibly endearing about her.

KS glares. Why did she look so good while being so annoyingly smug all the time?!

HM keeps smiling.

KS huffs in impatience.

Urmi shakes her head.

"Zara neeche toh dekh, meri jadbudhi janeman," she answers simply, pointing to where KS was actually wearing her polished leather shoes, with trademark khaki socks, under a shocking pink sari of all things.

KS cheeks turn red.

No wonder people were staring at her weirdly all morning and DB asked her to change before she left.

This is what she gets for getting ready while half asleep.

HM resists the urge to coo at her adorable dummy.

KS looks up and glares at her.

Urmi laughs and gives her a teasing wink.

Like a saint, Santu walks by and pinches her sharply on her elbow.

Urmi yelps.

KS nods in satisfaction.

"Dhanyvaad, Santu," KS exclaims in gratitude before storming out of the hall, already wishing this exasperating day would end so she could go home and sleep.

Preferably with her infuriatingly smug girlfriend by her side.

_

To think that KS was the only one suffering from the lack of sleep would be an understatement. Because while their resident Bhaukal queen at least had a case to keep her busy for the day, HM was going stir-crazy all the more without having something to do.

Cheeta and Santu bore witness as their SHO's look-alike downed her sixth cup of chai from Badnaam's stall, barely even registering the horrible taste anymore.

It was fascinating (as much as concerning) to see the usual chatterbox being unusually quiet and yet practically buzzing in her seat from the amount of caffeine had consumed.

"Santu ji, santu ji, inka toh over bhi pura hogaya, yeh ruk hi nahi rahi!" Cheeta whispers in panic as Badnaam places her seventh cup of zeher for the day.

"Wahi toh, Cheete. Itne cup toh mene pure hafte mein nahi piye jitne yeh ek din mein pi rahi hain!" Santu exclaims, equally amazed and worried.

There is a vibration near the table when Urmi's phone rings and she growls in rage. The two constables watch in mild horror as their normally composed senior practically chugs her steaming cup of chai and slams it on the table before furiously tapping on the 'end call' button again and again.

Frankly, this display of anger was something they didn't even expect from their Karishma Madam, let alone from the senior who was always the calmest of them all.

Even if it was technically Urmi and not Haseena, Cheetosh had never seen the usually brash girl ever be this... mad.

Lucky for them, they don't have to face her fire, however, because it is Badnaam who dares to commit suicide and ask, "Yeh kon chapad ganju aapko baar baar tang kar raha, Maddam."