Teri Lakeerein

1. Her

Rogues run rampant, while justice suffocates on its last legs.

Petty crimes, minor incidents of harassment often go unreported for the citizen fears the law enforcers.

No one wants to get entangled with the people, unless and until they are studying to become one.

True.

But not for everyone.

Not for Lucknow.

Because they have a saviour.

A saviour with deep thoughts and clinical understanding.

A woman of grace and infinite finese.

An officer who barely brandishes her baton, for her words are more than enough to vanquish all that is bad in this world.

Lucknow ka guroor, with a Chand sa noor.

Haseena malik

SHO, Mahila police thana, janpad Lucknow.'

As the narration finished, deep brown eyes sparkled while pink lips stretched into a smile.

And as the newspaper was folded shut, the inspiration of many, the SHO of the honor, Haseena Malik leaned back in her chair, crossing her right leg over left.

"I must say Sunny, aapne bahot khub likha hai. Humein khushi hui jaankar, ki aapko, hamare shehar ko humpar faqra hai".

Sunny bowed, humbled. "That's my duty, maddam sir. Afterall, you have completed one year in this thana. Itna toh banta hai!", with that said, he drew his right to his forehead and saluted, as she smiled and acknowledged him.

"Well, I shall get going then, maddam sir".

Haseena nodded and went back to the files in her hand, while sunny walked out of the cabin.

Five minutes later, as Haseena placed the file shut, her phone started to ring and quickly, she picked it up.

"Jai Hind, maddam sir!" A voice greeted from the other side, and then continued, "Vo log yahan aa chuke hain".

"Same behavior?" Haseena asked, slightly hopeful but a sigh from the other end dashed her hopes.

"Theek hai Santosh, hum aa rahe hain. Aur aapko dhyaan hai na ki aapko kya karna hai?"

"Ji madam. We are all set!" Santosh echoed from the other end and then the call was cut, while Haseena stepped out of her cabin.

"Pushpa ji, hum zara aate hain", Haseena spoke, pausing by the desk on her left, where a mid aged woman was writing something down in a register.

"Ji, maddam sir", Pushpa ji stood up and saw her senior walk out, shaking her head.Those fools should have listened while their SHO was being her nice law-abiding self. Tch. Tch. Tch.

Some distance away from IT chauraha :

"I can't believe these a**holes!" A woman in constable dress cussed, while glaring daggers at the scene going on, a few metres away from her.

"Mann toh hamara bhi ho raha hai ki do chaar rakh dein, santu ji!" The man sitting by her side in the police jeep, nodded. His eyes were peeled to the scene for they had a plan to follow. And then they will have that chance.

And a few minutes later, Santosh sharma smiled, as she noticed the signal.

'Here we go'.

Some distance away from the main entrance of IT college, a group of miscreants seated on 4-5 bikes were catcalling and teasing the girl students who were on their way home.

"Darling, humein bhi dekh lo!"

"Jannat dikhaenge!"

The women passing by, had their faces scrunched in disgust and fear. They could do nothing but bear the demeaning remarks and walk away, for the head of this group of miscreants was the son of college trustee, Prashant Dhingra. Their protest with the college had fallen on deaf ears and the thana where they had shared their issue with, had simply warned these men to behave, and left.

Prashant, who was till now leaning back on his bike, jumped forward as his eyes fell on the girl coming next. The girl he had been trying to woo.

"Shruti, aao tumhe ghar chod du".

"No", the girl replied curtly and tried to move on, but could not for her hand was in his grip.

"Leave me!"

"Make me, darling", the man pulled her closer by her wrist, and it was then, he found his own hand being gripped by another and trailed the foreign arm to see it belonging to another woman.

"Haath chodo inka", The woman wearing pink suit warned.

And the guy had the audacity to laugh as he let go of Shruti's hand and held her's instead.

"Buri toh tum bhi nhi ho. Thodi badi lagti ho, par merko chalega", He leered, but in the next second, found his ears ringing and cheek stinging, as a tight slap echoed across, silencing his group of eve teasers.

"Par humko nahi chalega", the woman replied coolly as she watched the man stumble a step and shake his head.He looked up next, his ego inflamed and rushed forward taking the woman by neck, his fingers tightening around it.

"You B*tch!"

"It's done, maddam!", a voice echoed in the earpiece inside the woman's ear just then and she smirked. Show time!

The woman, who was none other than Haseena Malik, quickly grasped the wrist holding her neck, and dug her nails into where she knew was the artery.

Wincing from the pain, as the man's hold loosened, Haseena quickly moved in, and holding him by shoulders, raised her right knee and kicked him straight in crotch, full throttle.

"oOMppphhhh!!" Groaning from pain, while Prashant fell back, holding his hurting crotch, his guys jumped to attack Haseena. But they could not, as Santosh and Cheeta joined the scene and started discharging batons on them.

The trustee's son, found himself kneeling along with his friends, in a matter of few minutes.

"My father will not leave you!" He snarled at Haseena.

In response, the woman smiled,  crouched to his level, and in the next second, another resounding slap echoed, disbalancing him.

"Pyaar se samjhaya aapko humare thane walon ne, par aap interested nhi thhe. Khair..." Haseena stood up and continued, "You have assaulted a police officer, manhandled her even. I wonder how your father will save you now".

"Policewale naak ragadte hain daddy ke saamne!" He butted.

Cheeta laughed at that, "Arre babua, ye koi aisi waisi afsar nahi hain. SHO Haseena malik hain! Department toh chodo, inke saath hui kisi bhi badtameezi ka jawab tumhe poore Lucknow se milega".

Santosh spoke up next, "Tumhare father kuch nahi kar payenge ab. Too bad!"

"Chaliye, bahot hui baat cheet, lekar chaliye inhe thane, kyunki aaj hum khatirdari karne ke mood main hai", Haseena smiled slightly, and Cheeta and Santosh beamed too.

"Maddam sir, mujhe bhi thoda chance doge na?" Santosh asked while taking the driver's seat.

"Beshaq, Santosh sharma. Aap dono ne inn jese logon ke sath put up kiya, koshish ki samjhane ki aur aapne wo proof ke liye video bhi viral kar diya. Toh ofcourse, aapko poora mauqa milega".

And with that the jeep started, towards its way to Mahila Police Thana.

Haseena rolled down the glass and looked out the window, lost in thoughts.

She believed in reforming people. She believed in the goodness, yes. But sometimes, punishment was imperative. Not everyone could change for the better. And for those people, she would wield her khaki and put them in their place.

This was her city.

And she would do anything, and everything to keep it's people safe.