Bloom into YOU

CH:15- Mein hai, Urmila Mahadev Mathre!

"I can't believe, I lost her," Karishma looked at her hands which were resting on the desk in front of her. "How can I shoot her?" She murmured under her breath as a lone tear made its way to her cheek.

"You should forgive yourself," Pushpa Ji who had just arrived at the station and was standing opposite Karishma's desk looked at her, "It wasn't your fault."

"I can't Puhspa Ji," She said as her voice started breaking up, "whenever I remember that day, my whole body shakes up," she stared at Pushpa Ji blankly.

Pushpa Ji looked at Karishma whose entire being has been carrying the melancholic vibe since Haseena's death. It's been over a month; she has forgotten to smile, she doesn't argue, and once she is done with her shift—-she sits all alone. "You are still mourning Maddam Sir," Pushpa Ji said, "You know that travelers of other realms don't come back."

"She is not dead," Karishma's nostrils flared up as she uttered those words, "They haven't found her body," She looked at Pushpa Ji angrily, "YET."

Pushpa Ji nodded her head dismissively and after glancing at Karishma empathically, she was about to turn when Karishma's voice stopped her.

"We have to go to Mumbai tomorrow, again," Karishma got up from her chair, "I have to record my statement," She came and stood beside Pushpa Ji, "whatever transpired that fateful night, I have to tell everything all over," she sighed exasperatedly, "I don't how long I have to relive the memory of that night over and over."

"I'll come with you," Pushpa responded, calmly.

"You don't...," Karishma didn't even complete her sentence when Pushpa Ji intervened.

"I haven't seen Mumbai, please, please, take me there with you," She pleaded not wanting to tell Karishma that Karishma's current state was worrying her extra much.

Karishma glanced at her momentarily and after taking a deep breath, she uttered, "Fine. But don't expect me to take you on a tour," She raised her finger in the air to warn her, "We will drop off the files and take the next train back. Do you understand that?" She warned her.

Pushpa Ji nodded her head and as soon as Karishma moved out of the station, she murmured, "Woh toh hum wahan ja kar hi dekhe gaye." A mischievous grin appeared on her face.

______________________________

As the train was in continuous motion; Karishma stared outside for a brief moment—the scenery was not enchanting enough to captivate her mind. There was this lingering sadness that loomed over her heart twenty-four-seven since the past month. At the station, everyone has believed that Haseena has lost her life in that incident but not her—she believes that Haseena is still alive. Nonetheless, her brain started to get tired after all that thinking, so, to quiet it down, she closed her eyes. But, her mind anyhow, ended up traveling back to that night again.

It was after a few hours of the incident when Karishma opened her eyes in the hospital and the first thing she asked was, "did they find Maddam Sir?"

Pushpa Ji, Santosh, Cheetah, and Billu who were waiting for Karishma to gain her consciousness were at ease after seeing her awake but her question put them in a quandary.

"You are very well aware of that, she is no more," Pushpa spoke first while trying to keep her tone firm and holding her tears.

"You are lying," Karishma removed the sheets from herself in distress, "they should be sending a search team to look for Maddam Sir, shouldn't they?" She glanced at all of them.

None of them spoke, they stood still because all of them could understand Karishma's pain and what she was going through because, at that moment, they were feeling the same. They were unable to comprehend the loss they have just had and on top of that Karishma's deteriorating condition was worrisome.