Snippets of Madam Sirr (S1)

Chapter 30

As evening descended, Haseena left the station barely acknowledging her team or KS. She hastened down the steps, her eyes resting on the vermillion sky, her heart banging in tremor, the past rising before her.

KS lost her patience swatting away the files in a frenzy as she tossed her desk apart. She stood up, clutching the ends, her knuckles whitening as she huffed her breath. Aroused Pushpa Ji walked towards her, keeping a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ks resisted yet calmed down as Pushpa Ji's maternal warmth coursed through her.

"What's wrong? Whose anger are you venting out?" Pushpa Ji asked.

"Nothing..." She spoke, her voice trembling as she bent down, picked the files and busied herself.

"Aren't you going home today?" Pushpa Ji asked again.

"No Pushpa Ji I was ordered to complete night duty..." Pushpa Ji nodded barely, tears glistening in her eyes as she turned to leave.

"Pushpa Ji' KS called out..."What happened to madam sir after the enquiry?"

Ks had asked, dreading the answer as she tightened her grip around a pen. She glanced at Pushpa Ji who stared at her, her eyes devoid of emotion.

Pushpa Ji stood still, her eyes darkening as KS's q fell on her ears. Her heart trembled, each beat pounding in intensity as her strength betrayed her. She glanced at KS absentmindedly as she trailed to the past. She recalled the moment when Haseena had taken to punching, knocking the sand out from the gym bag. Haseena's eyes had turned a darker shade ever since the enquiry and Pushpa Ji knew and understood the reason behind it. She closed her eyes warding off the past, her mind roused with haunting images.

Ks immediately stood, leading Pushpa Ji gently to a chair. She offered her a glass of water as Ks knelt in front of her. "Pushpa Ji...."

"Nothing beta... I'm just tired ...."

"Pushpa Ji, I know that you are lying. What happened Pushpa Ji?" Ks prompted her, her voice rising.

Pushpa Ji glanced at KS, her eyes turning crimson. She laughed huskily as she looked at her daughter-in law. How could she casually ask about the past when it was her actions that caused them... Pushpa Ji echoed internally. She sighed, massaging her temples, caught between tempests. She loved both Haseena and KS as her own daughters and couldn't bear to see them in pain. She knew that Ks was at fault, yet Pushpa Ji knew that her short-tempered daughter in law would never see reason.

She crossed her arms violently pushing Ks's hand away as she stood. Ks stared at her, dumbfounded. She hadn't expected such harsh behavior from her mother.

"What do you think would happen?" Pushpa Ji yelled, her voice echoing across the empty station. "After all the drama you created?"

"Drama?" Ks asked, taken aback. "Pushpa Ji, I just held a routine inquiry..."

"Achcha? What part of a routine inquiry requires you to stage your own death?" Pushpa Ji glared at her, her eyes turning a dangerous shade of red. "Did you even think about what would happen to everyone else? Did you think about me- your mother-in-law when I saw you lying there in a pool of blood? I lost my life, Karishma...." She shouted, tears spilling off her eyes.

"And madam sir ...did you even consider how much she loves you? How could you make her chose between her duty and you Karishma?" Pushpa Ji broke down stumbling upon the chair, her cheeks trailing streams of tears. Ks stared at her, taken aback, her mind churning the words.

"You accused madam sir of choosing emotions over her duty.... you know how duty conscious she is Karishma... How could you falsely accuse her that too by faking your own death? Do you really think madam sir would hesitate before saving your life? Do you think any of us would?"