25. The Return of Karishma Singh
The restaurant lights cast a golden shadow, a soft warmth easing the tension in the environment. Haseena stood, her mood thickened in anticipation, her mind unsettled with the brief meeting with Naina and the dire words of the commissioner. She carried a heart, lighting deep down that melted her worries, with the thought that KS would be returning to duty, to the MPT, to her family, where she'd always belong.
Naina finally arrived, breaking Haseena's shiftless wanderings, flashing her usual trademark smile. She pulled a chair and settled beside Haseena, the air between them gradually deepening, the pair engrossed in unspoken emotions, the weight of memories touched by the years past. The pair ordered food, the tension between them shifting to a deep silence, both engaged in watching the other.
As the steaming dishes arrived, their silence resolved, the pair digging into the food, touching on the memories of old days, reminiscenting on moments that they had spent together. Naina talked, her mouth choked full of food to a smiling Haseena as she recollected a moment in their academy when Haseena's eyes flashed down the past, a nostalgia humming through her heart strings.
Beneath the warmth and the cherishing embrace, Haseena couldn't help but feel a deep unease, spreading through her veins, attacking the very memories and the bond that she had with Naina.
She waited, bidding her time, smiling at Naina's recollections to unveil the truth which seemed to fall through as grains of sand.
"So Nain....where were you all these years?" Haseena asked suddenly, leaning back in her chair, her appetite appeased.
Naina stumbled, her eyes widening in shock, her hands reaching for the glass of water. She looked at Haseena, her eyebrows arched together, wondering for a faltering second to spill the truth. She waited, the cold water rushing down her throat, a minute Band-Aid to the fire raging across her heart.
"Hasiii....actually I was underground working on a confidential mission" Naina said, a slight tremor in her voice.
Haseena crossed her arms across her chest, directly glaring at Naina. "What was the mission?" she asked.
Naina shook her head and Haseena nodded in understanding. "So why return all of a sudden?"
Naina leaned closer edging forward in her chair, her eyes darting all around. Her hands clenched around her fists, her breathing labored and fast.
"I need to find some information about a person. I had to return Hasi. It was urgent."
Haseena's eyes glimmered in the dim light, her gaze piercing the depth in Naina's. She replayed Naina's words in her mind, her eyes focused on her body, the subtle emotions that she hid. Haseena knew that Naina was lying. She leaned forward, moving her face closer to Naina.
"You've changed Nain...." She commented.
Naina leaned back settling comfortably in her seat. "It's been five years Hasiii....people change" she said, a smirk in her face.
Haseena's expressions shifted as the words dawned on her. Naina seemed more comfortable, her body visibly relaxed. She was telling the truth. Haseena smiled, her emotions hidden behind her mask.
The night continued, filled with laughter and shared memories, but amidst the joy, there was an undercurrent of change. Could things really remain the same? She knew the answer, but her heart refused to accept it.
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The MPT team busied themselves in the decorations, hanging garlands of flowers and balloons to welcome Karishma Singh. Aliya and Jhaanvi rushed, their legs carrying themselves with an urgency that had never been seen before as they oversaw the arrangements, the decorations and the food.
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Madam Sirr 2
Fanfiction"Ab ek nai shuruaat shuru hui, Purane dost phir se mile, Parivaar ke dhaage bun rahe hain, Nyay ki raksha karne, vardi ka sammaan karne. " A story that imagines the second season of Madam Sirr where Haseena Malik is positioned as t...