Snippets of Madam Sirr (S1)

Chapter 9

"Ji Haseena Ji."

Haseena relaxed herself letting the tension back down. She was relieved. She saluted him and turned to leave, a bitter pang of sadness lurking in her heart. Hesitation rose in her. She wanted to stay. Just near the doorway, she heard his voice call out again. She turned, her heart echoing "what now?"

"Take care of yourself, Ms. Malik. That's an order."

She nodded, stomped her feet hard that the pain vibrated in her feet. She quickly left before her heart gave in completely.

Outside the hallway, Haseena trembled in her steps, her heart shattered into pieces. She had to brace herself against the wall to keep herself from succumbing to the pain. There was no going back, no rewriting the past. She knew that. Why couldn't she accept that then? She took a minute and rushed out, her legs faltering in each step as her heart skipped most of its beats. Haseena touched the handle of the jeep, quickly pulling herself inside. She closed the door, a resounding slam that awakened her. How could Anubhav expect her to be better, she wondered in contempt. As the jeep roared to life, Haseena knew that whatever happened, they could never go back. She would never go back.

Anubhav balled a glass weight in his palm letting the cool surface brush against his ripped skin. He banged his hand on his desk spilling the papers on to the floor. He closed his eyes hoping for a moment of calmness but all he could see was Haseena. His eyes fixed on Haseena and how she reacted, her expressions breathing alive before him. There was a time when Anubhav could read Haseena like an open book but now he had nothing. He had lost her. He knew as he saw Haseena leave without so much a second thought that he could never fix things this time. Not now. Not ever.

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Haseena zoomed through the lanes of traffic, her frustration and anger seeping through her. She sped almost oblivious at her speed only stopping as she reached the MPT. She was jerked forward by sudden lurching on the breaks. She got down and headed her, her mind still relaying the incident at HQ.

She heard the sound of her team. She stopped near the entrance to listen. They were talking about Anubhav and her.

"Anubhav Sir was wrong in doing this to Madam Sir" Pushpa Ji said.

"Haan", SS's voice agreed,

"I told you before that my brother is not interested in her."

A sudden vicious anger overwhelmed her. She stormed inside. The members got up and stood to attention, their hearts beating as one noting her anger.

"Don't you have work to do?" she yelled, her breathing uneven. She rushed inside her cabin and closed the door.

She knew she lashed out at the wrong people. Haseena could never be angry at her team but her unresolved emotions got the better of her. She felt sorry for them and reminded herself to apologize to them later. She sat down burying her head in her hands. She had a migraine attack, her head throbbing in pain that it almost blinked her to unconsciousness.

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Haseena woke up in her bedroom with a killer headache. She got up with difficulty holding her head. She had no recollection of what happened after her meeting with Anubhav. She saw KS sitting near the edge of her bed.

"KS...." She called.

"Madam Sir, are you awake?" she asked, her eyes squinting back tears.

"What happened?" Haseena asked. Her head drummed in pain, screaming as if being burned alive.

"Madam Sir you were unconscious at the cabin. I took you to the doctor and then I brought you home."

KS came near her with a bowl of soup. Haseena refused to eat but something about KS's face stopped her. She quietly gulped down the soup, her energy returning after days. Haseena's mind pieced together her missing memory. How she had stormed into the MPT, yelled at her own team and then locked herself in her cabin.

"Madam Sir..." she started holding out another spoonful. "I'm sorry for what I said...back at MPT."

KS averted her gaze. She was ashamed at herself, embarrassed at what she did. Haseena shook her head, wiping her mouth with her palm.

"No, KS, I'm sorry. I yelled at you for no reason."

"You had a reason madam sir....we were talking nonsense...."

Haseena took the soup bowl from her hand and placed it on the bedside drawer, edging KS closer to her. KS looked at her and Haseena saw the red lines draped across her eyes. She had been crying.

"Maybe..." Haseena smirked. "But it was not right of me to yell at you like that."

KS handed her some tablets and a glass of water. She stayed silent still cursing herself for what she said.

"Madam Sir....I don't know what happened with you and my brother but..."

"KS..." Haseena interrupted, pleading her to stop.

"Forgive me madam sir but...I have to say this", she said and looked at Haseena who nodded her head. "Madam Sir no matter what face you wear....I know you loved him", she paused to look at Haseena.

Haseena blinked back tears, her throat swelling. She looked away, biting down hard on her lower lip.

"I also know that you are punishing yourself for what he did but madam sir....you did nothing wrong" she edged closer and took Haseena's hand. "Madam Sir please don't do this to yourself. I know you are strong to rise above this. I know you are. So please stop, scaring us like this."

She stopped and looked down, tears escaping her eyes. Haseena edged forward and wrapped herself around KS.

"KS, thank you....." she whispered patting her back.

Through the tears and the sting of betrayal, Haseena unlocked a new hope in the gleams of family. She knew that she had one family waiting for her. They depended on her as much as Haseena depended on them. For the first time, Haseena felt a ray of light shining through her, giving her the strength to rise. She knew that she'd be okay. She knew that she's survive for the scars. She had something important in her corner. The love and trust of a family. She sighed, recoiling in KS's warmth, the promise of eternal friendship constantly hovering around her, like a shadow.

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