[Madam Sir] Zindagi Ke Jazbaat - Stories of Life and Love

#1.1 Reunited.?

"On the edge of town, where the highway curves into the unknown, three friends made a promise that would change everything — though none of them knew it yet."

It was a warm summer evening, and the echoes of laughter filled the air. They had discussed their plans, mapped out the itinerary, and even settled on the menu. Now, all that was left was to pick the perfect date.

No, no—don't get me wrong, everyone! I'm not planning a date with a boy. This is something much more meaningful, something that touches the soul.

It might seem odd to some of the older folks, but I'm planning a day with my bestest friends. And yes, I know "bestest" isn't a real word, but that's exactly what this bond feels like—too special for ordinary words.

These idiots are the ones who keep me sane. Right now, I'm chatting with one of them, but soon we'll loop in the other. She's stuck in a meeting, as usual. That busy bee and her endless work stories! So, we ditched her for now and started planning our itinerary. Don't worry, we'll definitely fit her in later. But for now, it's just me and Karishma.

Oh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot to introduce myself. Hi, I'm Haseena Malik—a software engineer by profession and a travel enthusiast at heart. And the person I'm chatting with right now is Karishma Singh. She always dreamed of being a doctor, but due to some challenges, she started her research work at IIT Delhi instead.

I'm based in the IT hub down in the southern part of the country, while she's up in Delhi, close to our hometown. Karishma has always loved Delhi, but I've never been a fan. To me, it always feels like a city constantly on the move, crowded and polluted.

She was always the hardworking one among the three of us, but then life happened. I remember a time when Karishma was full of life, never stressing too much, just taking things as they came. Meanwhile, I was the planner, always mapping out my days—or my life, really. I wasn't so boring as to keep an achievement list for each age milestone, but I definitely had a few plans. I'm sure she had some, too, but her biggest goal was always to become a doctor.

While she focused on that dream, I was busy searching for my own path. At one point, I considered becoming a fashion designer, then an animator, and even an interior designer. But, like 70% of people these days, I eventually landed in IT.

That never really stopped me, though, since I was also a computer enthusiast, and eventually, that passion found its way to me. As for Karishma, she wasn't exactly thrilled about letting go of her dream, but even she was learning to adjust to what life had in store for her.

She was like the kid of the group, while I always played the role of the mother. I never quite understood why, but that seemed to be the pattern in every trio I was a part of. Somehow, in every group, I ended up being the "mom" figure.

I tend to get sidetracked when I start talking—where was I? Oh yes! Karishma and I were planning what we'd do and what we wouldn't after all this time. We're finally meeting after two years! Yeah, yeah, I know—best friends with a two-year gap in between. But hey, we've had our ups and downs, just like any relationship.

So, everything was laid out for the day I was visiting my parents for Diwali. I was taking a two-week holiday from work, and we planned to spend a whole day with Karishma. In the evening, we'd call in the busy bee of the group, Naina Mathur, to join us for an outing. Afterward, we'd have a fun night at Naina's place.

So, everything was set—from our morning breakfast plans to the late-night snacks. We had the whole day figured out! Naina insisted we stay over at her place, and Karishma seemed okay with it at first. But then, I got a separate call from her later.