Bangalore | 4:30 AM.

The hostel siren did not just ring.

It screamed.

Karishma's eyes snapped open in the dark.

She hadn't really slept anyway. Her mind was too loud. Too angry. Too hyperactive.

She sat up instantly.

Looked across the room.

Santosh was sleeping.

But not normal sleeping.

Dead-to-the-world sleeping.

Half her body was hanging off the mattress.

One leg resting on the open suitcase.

A pillow completely covering her face.

Outside, heavy boots were already stomping down the hallway.

An instructor was shouting orders.

Karishma stared at Santosh.

Karishma: "Uth ja."

No response.

Karishma picked up her own pillow.

Threw it directly at Santosh's head.

Nothing. Not even a flinch.

Karishma narrowed her eyes.

She picked up her thick military-issue blanket.

Threw it.

Still nothing.

The shouting outside got louder. A whistle blew sharply.

Karishma had zero patience left.

She grabbed her steel water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and splashed a handful of freezing cold water directly onto Santosh's face.

Santosh shot up like a spring.

Both hands flying in the air.

Eyes wide with absolute, unfiltered terror.

Santosh: "TSUNAMI AA GAYA KYA?!"

Karishma calmly screwed the cap back on her bottle.

Karishma: "Nahi. Tsunami nahi, academy shuru ho gayi hai. Uth ja warna tumhe pehle din hi utha ke bahar phek denge."

Santosh wiped her wet face, blinking rapidly.

Santosh: "Paani kyu feka? Normal awaaz se bhi toh uth sakte the!"

Karishma: "kumbhkaran ki tarah soyi ho teen baar awaj laga chuke hai ab utho 2 minute mein ground pe hona hai."

Santosh: "2 Minute mai tho maggie bhi nhi banti ab late ho he gaye hai tho thoda aur late sahi"

Karishma glared at her very hard. Santosh got up in one go.

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5:00 AM.

The ground was freezing.

The sky was still pitch black.

Running.

Pushups.

Sprints.

Obstacle course.

Karishma's muscles burned, but her jaw was locked. She was an emotional volcano. She used her internal anger to push through the physical pain. Every step was fueled by pure, stubborn willpower.

Santosh, however, was dying.

Dramatically.

Every five minutes.

She was currently attempting a pushup, but it looked more like a broken lizard trying to crawl across the dirt.

Santosh collapsed face-first into the mud.

Santosh: "Humse galti ho gayi."

The drill instructor walked past, blowing a sharp whistle right next to her ear.

Instructor: "Move, Cadet! I want ten more! Stop talking to the ground!"

Santosh immediately lifted her head, spitting out a grain of sand.

Santosh: "Ji sir! Abhi sir! Dharti mata se aashirwad le rahi thi sir!"

She pushed herself up.

Held the position for exactly five seconds.

Her arms shook violently, vibrating like a broken engine.

She collapsed into the dirt again.

Santosh: "Sir aashirwad thoda bhari pad gaya... ab sach mein galti ho rahi hai."

Karishma, doing her own flawless pushups beside her, closed her eyes tightly.

Karishma: "Amma yaar... tum 2 minute apna muh band rakh sakti ho kya? Wo target kar lega tumhe."

Santosh (muffled by the dirt): "Target karke kya karega? Already dead fewl karwa raha hai."

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7:30 AM. Mess Hall.

Ten minutes ago, Santosh was physically incapable of walking.

Karishma literally had to drag her by the collar all the way to the dining hall.

But then-

Santosh saw the food counter.

Poha.

Jalebi.

Chai.

Instantly, life returned to her body.

Her posture straightened.

Her eyes sparkled.

Full energy restored.

Karishma sat at the table with her plate, watching in pure disbelief as Santosh not only sprinted to the counter but actually started having a deep, intellectual conversation with the mess cook.

Santosh: "Bhaiya, jalebi ka base thoda aur crispy hona chahiye tha. Chashni theek hai, par crunch miss ho raha hai."

The cook nodded seriously, taking the feedback.

Santosh walked back and sat opposite Karishma with a literal mountain of food on her tray.

Karishma stared at her.

Karishma: "Tum paanch minute pehle marr rahi thi na? Pair ghasit ke aayi ho tum yahan tak."

Santosh took a huge bite of poha, chewing happily.

Santosh: "Wo mera physical form tha jo thak gaya tha. Ye meri aatma kha rahi hai. Aatma ko energy chahiye hoti hai."

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9:00 AM.

Fifty cadets standing in a perfect line.

The Drill Instructor was pacing up and down.

Testing their mental resolve.

Instructor: "Why do you want to serve the nation? What is your motivation?"

He stopped in front of Cadet 1.

Cadet 1: "Sir! Patriotism, sir! To protect my country!"

Instructor: "Good!"

He stopped in front of Karishma.

She stared straight ahead, eyes blazing.

Karishma: "Sir! To prove my worth, uphold the law, and crush those who break it, sir!"

Instructor: "Excellent. Channel that aggression."

Then he stopped in front of Santosh.

Santosh was staring directly at his forehead, completely relaxed.

Instructor: "You! Why are you here?"

Complete silence in the line.

Santosh blinked.

She actually thought about it for a second.

Santosh: "Honestly sir... ghar pe bohot bore ho raha tha."

The entire batch stopped breathing.

The birds stopped chirping.

Even the wind seemed to pause.

The Instructor stared at her. His face turned completely red.

Santosh stared back, completely innocent.

Santosh: "Matlab, mummy roz subah daant rahi thi, toh socha desh ke liye kuch kar lete hain. Routine ban jayega."

Karishma slowly, very slowly, brought a hand up and covered her face.

She was going to die here.

And Santosh was going to be the reason.
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Mumbai

After the flashback.

After the first genuine laugh.

Haseena was visibly better.

Not fully healed. But the heavy, suffocating cloud in the room had lifted slightly.

Kridha was sitting on her bed, going through her syllabus, when her phone buzzed.

A WhatsApp message.

From: Major (Monika)

She opened it.

It wasn't a "Hello."

It wasn't "How is she?"

It was just one word.

> Update.

Kridha stared at the screen.

Kridha: "Ye insaan message bhi firing order ki tarah bhejti hai."

She typed back a quick:

> Ate dinner. Better than before. Will manage.

But as Kridha looked at the contact name, a highly practical, very dangerous idea formed in her head.

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Breakfast | Next morning.

Haseena was sitting by the window.

Staring blankly at the street below.

A plate of poha untouched on her desk.

Kridha walked in, drying her hair with a towel.

Kridha: "Khana kha lo. Thanda ho raha hai."

Haseena didn't look back.

Haseena: "Nahi. Bhook nahi hai."

Normally, someone would try to persuade her emotionally.

Please kha lo, tabiyat kharab ho jayegi.

Not Kridha.

Kridha quietly picked up her phone from the bed.

Opened WhatsApp.

Opened Monika's chat.

Started typing.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of the keyboard was loud in the quiet room.

Haseena: "..."

Kridha: "..."

Haseena slowly turned her head.

She looked at Kridha.

Then she looked at the phone.

Haseena: "Hum... kha rahe hain."

Kridha immediately deleted the text and put the phone face down on the bed.

Kridha: "Good. Poha waise bhi garam achha lagta hai."

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Evening.

Haseena was sitting silently again.

The grief wasn't gone. It came in waves. Right now, she was drowning in one.

Lost in her thoughts. Her eyes fixed on a completely blank page of her notebook.

Kridha closed her own book and stood up.

Kridha: "Niche colony mein walk pe chalo. Hawa achhi chal rahi hai, thoda dimag clear hoga."

Haseena shook her head slightly, retreating further into herself.

Haseena: "Nahi. Mann nahi hai. Tum ho aao."

Kridha didn't argue.

She just opened her phone contacts.

She held the screen up, perfectly angled so Haseena could see it from the corner of her eye.

The search bar read:

Major

Haseena's eyes snapped to the screen.

She instantly stood up, pushing her chair back with a loud screech.

Haseena: "Jacket pehen lete hain. Thand lagegi bahar."

Kridha locked her phone and slipped it into her pocket with a satisfied nod.

Kridha: "Smart choice."

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Late night.

Haseena was actually studying.

She was solving a complex law case study, her focus finally sharp.

Kridha was lying on her stomach on the bed, reading Literature.

Kridha: "Chai bana do. Padhai ho nahi rahi bina caffeine ke."

Haseena didn't stop writing.

Haseena: "Nahi. Meri padhai disturb mat karo, tumhari baari hai."

Kridha simply nodded.

Kridha: "Thik hai."

She reached for her phone.

The screen lit up.

Haseena stopped writing.

She slowly placed her pen down.

She looked at Kridha with genuine, quiet disbelief.

Haseena: "Ye galat use hai power ka."

Kridha didn't even look up from her screen.

Kridha: "arrey isko mauke pe chauka marna kehte hai."

Haseena stared at her for five full seconds.

Then, she shook her head, pushed her chair back, and walked toward the small electric kettle in the corner of the room.

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As Haseena stood by the kettle, waiting for the water to boil, she poured the tea leaves into the cups.

Her back was turned to Kridha.

But as the steam rose, wrapping around her face...

Haseena smiled.

Voluntarily.

Just a small, tiny curve of her lips.

Not because of a joke.

Not because of a funny memory.

But because for the first time, she felt normal.

Like she was just a regular college girl arguing with her roommate over tea.

From the bed, Kridha saw the reflection of that smile in the dark window pane.

Kridha caught it.

But she pretended not to.

She just turned the page of her book.

Because Kridha had learned the most important rule of dealing with Haseena:

If she pushed too hard, Haseena closed up.

But if she just stayed beside her quietly, and treated her normally... Haseena came back on her own.

Monika was the weapon.

But Kridha was the safe space.
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11:30 PM | Bangalore

Karishma sat on her bunk, the rest of the dorm fast asleep. Her muscles ached, but she pulled out a secure tablet from her bag.

Mumbai: Haseena handed Kridha her tea, sat at her desk, and opened her laptop.

Both sisters, hundreds of miles apart, logged into the same private, encrypted server.

There was a single unread video file waiting for them.

Sender: Monika

Karishma put her earphones in.

Haseena plugged hers in.

They hit play at the exact same time.

The screen flickered, and Monika's face appeared. She looked tired but sharp, sitting in a dimly lit field tent. The commanding 'Major' aura was there, but her eyes were remarkably soft.

Monika (on screen): "Hey kiddos. Mere pyaare bachho."

Karishma swallowed hard. Haseena's hand instinctively tightened around her teacup.

Monika: "See, I know tum log abhi kin chizon se aur kin emotions se deal kar rahe ho. And it's definitely not easy. Jab hum academy mein the, tab hum bhi tum dono ko yaad karte the... aur humare liye bhi asaan nahi tha. Par tumhare paas toh abhi emotions ka pura pahad hai. Waqt ekdum se badal gaya hai humhare liye."

Monika leaned forward slightly.

Monika: "Uss time pe, I had Mumma-Papa. Jinpe hum depend ho sakte the. Main soch sakti thi ki agar aaj mujhse nahi hua, toh main papa se keh dungi, aur wo maan jayenge. I had you both waiting for me. But tum dono... itni choti age mein, akele alag-alag sheher mein reh rahe ho. Aur uske bawajood, apne life goals pe iss moment pe bhi work kar rahe ho. Which is not at all easy. And I respect that."

Haseena's eyes watered slightly, but she didn't look away.

Monika: "Let me share something with you. Academy mein, humari ek dost thi. Ekdum best friend. Uske karan hum wo worst days of academy survive kar paye."

Monika smiled a small, knowing smile.

Monika: "Santosh aur Kridha ko dekh ke mujhe wahi feeling aayi. Meri wo dost jo thi, wo bhi inki tarah nautanki aur samajhdar dono thi. So listen to me carefully... unke sath move on karo. Kyunki sach ye hai, hume aage badhna hoga. Koi insaan hamesha ke liye sath nahi hota. It's always you who is there for yourself."

Karishma's jaw clenched. The harsh truth stung, but it grounded her.

Monika: "And also, keep this in mind. Hum bhale hi discipline ke pyaare ho, strict ho... but you always have me to hear you out. You always have my shoulder when you wish to cry. Jab bhi aisa lage ki nahi ho raha hai, server join karo ya hum milte rahenge na see I promise aise har 3 month mai kuch plan karenge kahi jayenge sath ok. And we will deal with this together. Par please..."

Her tone shifted. The elder sister turned back into the protector. The order was absolute.

Monika: "Koi bhi galat kadam uthane ka sochega bhi nahi. Hum teeno ki jaan ek dusre mein basti hai, haina?"

Both Karishma and Haseena, in their separate rooms, gave a tiny, involuntary nod to the screen.

Monika: "See I told you, Keep these four things in your mind. Ye baatein Mumma ne mujhe kahi thi jab randomly train mein baith kar maine unse pucha tha ki aisi konsi baatein hain jo main karungi toh unhe dukh hoga."

Monika held up her fingers, counting them off.

Monika: "Pehla... Haar nahi manna. Kuch bhi ho jaye, haar kabhi nahi manni hai. Dusra... Khud pe bharosa kabhi nahi chhorna hai. Humesha khud pe trust karna hai. Teesra... Emotions ko control karo. Ek ka gussa dusre pe nahi nikalna hai, aur kya bol rahe ho, wo humesha soch samajh kar bolna."

Monika pointed directly at the camera, her eyes piercing.

Monika: "Tum dono police aur force ki training kar rahe ho, toh emotions ko ground pe side mein rakho. Nazar sab jagah honi chahiye. Khatra abhi tala nahi hai. Wo log ab bhi jante hain ki hum kahan hain. Stay in a group always. Akele nahi ghumna hai."

Monika took a deep breath, her expression softening again.

Monika: "Aur akhri baat. Jo tumhe apna time deta hai na, uski humesha kadar karna, Time is very preciousthing in the world, also apne emotions ki key kisi ke hath mat dena, itne weak emotional kabhi mat hona that you are easy to target, lets stay strong together."

(In Mumbai, Haseena slowly looked over at Kridha, who was quietly reading her book, giving Haseena her space).

(In Bangalore, Karishma glanced at Santosh, who was somehow snoring in a perfect military plank position in her sleep).

Monika: "I am always proud of you, baccha. Keep it up."

The video ended.

The screen went black.

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For a long moment, there was just silence.

Then, the shift happened.

In Bangalore, Karishma wiped a single tear from her cheek aggressively. She didn't stay stuck in her thoughts. She put the tablet away, pulled out her muddy combat boots from under the bed, grabbed a brush, and started polishing them. Her movements were sharp. Focused. Ready for the next day.

In Mumbai, Haseena closed the server. She took a sip of the tea she had made. She pulled her heavy law textbook toward her, picked up her pen, and began writing notes. Her back was straight. The fog in her eyes was completely gone.

Monika's words had done exactly what they were supposed to do.

They weren't just sisters anymore.

They were soldiers preparing for their own wars.
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✍️ - 2573 Words

That's it for today's chapter! ✨
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