LOOP (TS)

Part-1

Cheetah shifted uncomfortably, his heart hammering against his ribs. Billu swallowed hard, suddenly unable to meet anyone's eyes. Pushpa Ji's fingers twisted in the ends of her handkerchief, an unfamiliar feeling of regret pressing into her chest. Santu bit her lip, her hands curling into fists. They had let Karishma Walk away, and now, something told them they would regret it.

The woman smiled—a knowing, almost sorrowful smile.

"Aap logon ne bahut badi galti kar di hai," she said softly.

The words were simple, yet they carried the weight of something immense, something inevitable.

MPT members stiffened.

Pushpa Ji frowned, gathering the courage to speak. "Kaun ho aap?"

The woman's smile didn't waver.

"Main sirf ek darpan hoon. Aapko sach dikhane aayi hoon."

Before anyone could react, the room blurred.

The air thickened.

And the next thing they knew—

The world around them twisted. Colors bled into one another, the ground beneath their feet dissolved, and a deafening silence swallowed the Mahila Police Thana whole.

Then—darkness.

A moment later, they found themselves standing in a dimly lit space, neither past nor present. In front of them loomed an enormous screen, pulsing with an eerie glow. The air was thick, charged with something beyond their comprehension.

"Yeh sab kya ho raha hai?" Cheetah muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Main... sapna toh nahi dekh rahi na?" Santu clutched Pushpa Ji's arm, her face pale.

The Mysterious Woman stood ahead of them, watching impassively. "Sapna nahi hai. Yeh aapke faislon ka natija hai," she said. Then, with a wave of her hand, the screen came to life.

The alley appeared before them—dark, foreboding. Their own breath hitched as they saw Billu lying motionless on the cold ground, his face covered in bruises. Above him, a masked attacker loomed, gripping a thick iron rod, ready to strike the final, fatal blow.

Billu flinched as he saw himself on the screen. "Arre yaar, yeh main hoon?" he mumbled.

"Haan, aur yeh tu marne wala hai," Pushpa Ji said, her voice unusually grim.

The Mysterious Woman's voice echoed through the space, addressing the Karishma on-screen.

"Ek aur moka, Karishma Singh. Aap apni jaan bachane ka soch sakti hain, ya fir—"

Karishma didn't hesitate.

Like a bullet fired from a gun, she rushed forward. No second thoughts, no moment of fear—just instinct, just duty, just Karishma.

She threw herself between Billu and the attacker.

The rod came down.

A sickening crack split the air.

Karishma gasped. Her body jerked from the impact before her legs gave out. She crumpled beside Billu, blood spreading beneath her like ink spilling across a page.

Cheetah sucked in a sharp breath; his fists clenched at his sides. "Karishma madammmm..."

Santu covered her mouth, eyes wide with horror. "Yeh kya ho raha hai?!"

Pushpa Ji, for once, had no words. Her hands trembled as she watched Karishma struggle to breathe on the screen.

Billu took a step forward, his face unreadable. "Nahi... yeh toh..." His voice cracked. He had seen Karishma fight countless times, take risks, get injured—but this? This was different. This was final.