Teri Lakeerein

18. The Formal(Tea)

Occasionally, there comes a day when you awaken with the feeling that all is right with the world, that you are invincible and destined to succeed in whatever you undertake. On such days, you feel incredibly energized and eager to socialize. It's a time to reconnect with old friends, reignite faded connections, exchange smiles with dear ones, and simply bask in happiness. You feel certain that no level of rudeness or rejection will dampen your spirits.

For Haseena Malik, today is that day.

She rose at 5 a.m. today and managed to run three miles in a record time. The egg cracked perfectly down the middle without spilling a single drop. The omelet was absolutely delicious. Her skin felt as smooth as butter, and her reflection in the uniform was selfie-worthy.

Santu's innocent updates about her flat's constantly leaking tap and squeaky furniture only made her laugh, and Cheetah's heartfelt rant of 'masoomiyat' only increased her fondness for his persistence.

Also, she wasn't bothered when DSP sir helped himself to her palak paneer at lunch and kept smiling through his lectures about MPT and the growing number of FIRs compared to other stations. In fact, when he turned to leave, she discreetly imitated his habit of pulling up his pants too.

Her actions left her juniors quite concerned, and Pushpa ji was compelled to openly question if the woman before them was an imposter, as such childish behavior was uncharacteristic of their usually composed and serious maddam sir.

Overall, Haseena seemed like a different person today.

After lunch, she even connected with a close friend from her police academy days, and they enjoyed an engaging conversation that lasted over an hour.

And typically, she would drink Badnaam's tea as if it were a bitter necessity, but today it surprisingly tasted quite pleasant. It's no wonder she was contemplating having another cup.

"Team, aaj aap sabko chai aur evening snacks hamari taraf se", Haseena declared stepping out of her cabin.

"Yay, free ka zeher!" Santosh's cheerful chime set off a wave of laughter among everyone.

Just as Haseena was about to invite her juniors outside, she recalled someone she had encountered a week ago.

Petite build. Charming face. Intense eyes.

Flawless Hindi. Haseena couldn't help but laugh.

Her Mukhiya Ji.

She contemplated inviting Karishma for tea to meet her colleagues. Would she enjoy it? Would she accept the invitation?

Her fingers paused over her phone's keypad, fraught with hesitation.

She had experienced this before: extending invitations only to face rejection. The people she considered bringing into her inner circle seemed disinterested. They had their own confidants, leaving her feelings to feel like a burden.

Thus, she ceased to heed her emotions. Ignoring them, she found, eventually led to their fading away.

Haseena exhaled, "The worst Ms. Singh can do is decline. It's not the end of the world."

Shaking her head, she finally made the call to her new friend. After two rings, she heard it—her sweet voice. Haseena briefly closed her eyes, finding comfort in the sound that was enough to soothe her.

"Inspector Sahiba, kese yaad kiya humein? Aap theek toh hain na?"

Haseena turned towards her cabin and enterred inside. "Hum theek hain, Ms. Singh. Bas socha ki aapse pooch lein agar aap chai peena pasand karti hain toh?"