Snippets of Madam Sirr (S1)

Chapter 2

KS's training kicked in. she remembered what happened. Madam Sir, Puspha Ji, Cheetah, where were they.

She got up with utmost difficulty squinting through the ashes to locate her team. Her heart volleyed and thundered, a distraught singing of despair echoing throughout. She heard the sound of boots thumping and she saw several figures emerging from the dark, their faces covered with gas masks.

One came near KS and Billu giving them each a pair of masks. KS gladly took it, breathed a few breaths and before anyone could stop her she ran into the chaos, her eyes scavenging for her family.

She saw madam sir crawled under a pillar, her mind glued to the floor. KS ran towards her but she couldn't drag her out. The forces arrived and advised KS to stay away while they carefully lifted the pillar and took Haseena out. Minutes later, she was carried outside on a stretcher.

It took only a few hours to discover the team where they were all loaded onto stretchers and whisked away to the City Hospital. The DSP rode behind the ambulances, his thoughts praying for the well-being of every member of the MPT.

The emergency room of the City Hospital was littered with a crowd, each concerned about their friends. Iqbaal, Badhnam, Shivani and the Commissioner himself was among the crowd. It was a fatal moment for them.

The doctor arrived at last and the DSP sir went towards him. He couldn't find his voice to speak.

"Woh theek hain. Badi choton ke saath lekin zinda hain." The doctor reported.

All of them heaved a collective sigh of relief. It was then that everyone gathered had the heart to live again.

"Kya hum unse milne ja sakte hain?" DSP asked.

"Haaan. Lekin unhe pareshan mat karo. Ek waqt mein ek aadmi ja sakta hai."

The DSP and Commissioner went first, checking on each member. They were badly bruised and injured but thank the heavens they were all in one piece. As the two higher officers left, the Commissioner turned to the DSP and said "Humein yeh pata karna hoga ki aisa bhayanak kaam kisne kiya, aur jaldi."

Shivani, Iqbaal and Badhnam went next, their faces somehow hiding the pain they felt. KS had her head wrapped in bandages and her body covered in bruises and cuts. Haseena Malik had her left leg and her hand wrapped, blood already seeping through the bandages. Cheetah seemed to be better than the rest with minor abrasions on his hands. Pushpa Ji was still unconscious with minor wounds but the doctor insisted that she'd make a full recovery.

The MPT members were starting to wake but they were still faint and weak. Iqbal, Badhnam and Shivani left them silently to rest, their eyes met with unwavering dedication to uncover the criminal who destroyed their family.

Three months later, the members of the MPT had all but recovered. They still showed the signs, both emotionally and physically but they swore that they had all recovered.

Their journey to recovery was not easy. KS and Pushpa Ji had to take care of each other. KS had breathing difficulties with her asthma and Pushpa Ji had recurring pains and aches over her body. They relied and depended on each other, recovering slowly but steadily.

Haseena had a hard time dealing with her injuries. Her leg flared in pain every minute. It throbbed constantly making her life a living hell.

More than everything, she tumbled emotionally after the blast. Every time, she closed her eyes, she would see nothing but smoke and ashes. Her team buried under the rubble. The only indication that she was alive was her leg, groaning in pain even in the deepest of nights where she only had to rely on her mental resilience to not falter.

Cheetah had recovered well before the others. He was lucky to escape with minor bruises. Apart from a gash that spread through his cheek where a piece of debris had hit him, he had recovered to perfect health. Cheetah visited Haseena and KS's houses every day and helped them on their paths to recovery.

Each member was astonished at how the community had united to help them recover. Every morning, Haseena found baskets of fruits, medicines and essential supplies on her doorstep with a heartfelt handwritten note which said "Lucknow ki hamari super cop ke naam. Humein aapki zaroorat hai."

As they had healed to some extent, they decided to pay a visit to where their station had once been.

KS, Cheetah and Pushpa Ji were seated around Badhnam's tea stall talking and laughing as usual. The only thing missing were their uniforms and their MPT.

KS saw Haseena coming towards them, her eyes warming. Haseena still limped, wincing with each step she took. KS stood up and motioned for the others too. Everyone saluted her and Haseena greeted them back.

Haseena knew that it was good to be alive but with the constant grueling pain in her leg, she almost felt ready to die. She looked around at the MPT, the place full of smoldered ruins and ashes. Her heart sank at the sight. Construction was underway, she knew but it broke her heart to see her home crumbling and biting the dust.

They all sat together enjoying the silence that stretched across them. No one wanted to break the grim reality. It was better to enjoy each other's company and believe in the hope that they would always be there for each other. And when the time was right, they would step back into their duty and into their home.

As they enjoyed their tea, they saw that a small crowd had gathered in front of MPT, each holding banners and posters. Haseena with her team headed towards the crowd, their hearts soaring in melancholy and delight at the sight.

The community had got together to celebrate the MPT, the team which had saved the city of Lucknow on multiple occasions. The city of Lucknow was indebted to such a dedicated police force. Amongst the crowd, Haseena saw Shazia, the girl from Devalpar, Binni, Zoya and her father and countless others whom they had saved in the past three years. Iqbal and Badhnam too joined the crowd.

"Madam Sir, aaj hum sab yahan aapki wajah se hain." Shazia said, her voice, an emotional tank.

Everyone echoed their sentiments, showering them praise and acknowledgement.

KS looked at the crowd, her thoughts racing a hundred miles per second. It was wonderful to be recognized for their actions but at the same time, a dark feeling hovered around her, which warned her that MPT will never stand once again. She didn't want to believe it but her heart kept reminding her.

As the throng of well-wishes left, the team stood and stared at the rubble which was once their home. It was now no more than an empty lot of discarded ash.

Puspha Ji, the senior officer in the MPT had tears crawling around her eyes. She was one of the first members to be recruited to MPT. She recalled every moment as it was yesterday. She remembered how the MPT was built, day by day and bit by bit. She marveled at how it had grown from a MPT to her home. She knew that she couldn't live without her home. To see her lovely home in this condition hurt her like any other.

Cheetah walked around the rubble, glinting at the glistening pieces left. His eye caught one particular item. He bent and picked it up. It was his constable cap.

Tears stoked his heart as the guilt leapt around him, roaring at the sight of his cap. He was a dedicated officer who had dedicated every inch of his life to his duty and nation. He had upheld the law and swore to protect his country at all times. That was the reminder that his cap carried. He wasn't a mere constable but a protector of the law and the nation. He was proud of himself and his team that made him a better officer.

The four officers stared at the rubble, their gazes lingering on waves of nostalgia and memory. As the sun shifted down the Zenith, they knew that their MPT would soon be rebuilt and that they would soon be enrolled in their duty, as always.