SS - Switched - Completed on 16th April - Page 12

Chapter 5

For a long time the only sound one could hear was the others breathing, one's breathing was more erratic than the other. Then suddenly Madhu heard Rishab say in a weak voice, "Cannn't breathe..."

Oh my God!! Rishab is having a panic attack. He is hyperventilating. He needs to get his breathing under control or he might feel light-headed and may even faint. Okay time to take charge of the situation.

"Rishab" Madhu shouted to get his attention. Then in a calming voice she gave him simple instructions, "Now listen to what I say and do exactly that. First put the phone on speaker..." She gave him a few seconds to do just that. "Now put one hand on your stomach below your ribs and the other on your chest. Take in a deep breadth and hold it. Feel the air pushing your stomach out but remember to keep your chest still... Now exhale through pursed lips and use the hand on your stomach to help push the air out slowly... Now again breadth in slowly and wait... Now breathe out slowly..." She kept repeating this until she was sure that Rishab had calmed down. "Do you feel better now?" She asked him, her voice laced with concern.

"Pregnant... what do you mean pregnant?" Damn everything else, he needed answers and now. "I.. I mean you cannot be pregnant. To be pregnant one has to your know... And it has been over 3 months since we last..."

"Yes, honey!! I know... I was there. And this thing called pregnancy was a result of that little display of passion. For the record I or rather you are currently transitioning from your first to your second trimester. So... I know this is pretty late but Congratulations, your going to be a Daddy... Oh wait... what I meant to say was... Congratulations Mommie to be!!!!" Now that Rishab was fine and had gotten over the panic attack, she was beginning to enjoy the situation.

"No...no...no...NO... This is not happening!! I know you are just trying to teach me a lesson for what I did to you. Tell me you are joking.. just pulling my leg... I cannot be pregnant. I am not sure I even like kids."

Rishab was finding it difficult to accept the situation. And Madhu was only glad to burst his bubble. "Okay fine Rishab. You want proof. I will give you proof. I don't have a home pregnancy kit there. Only if I did that would have made it so much more easier. But I will ask you some questions to which you have to answer either Yes or No. And at the end of it you will have your proof. Okay?"

Rishab didn't answer, so Madhu took his silence as a Yes.

"When you woke up this morning, did you rush into the wash-room to throw up?"

"Yes... but that doesn't mean I am..."

"Do not interrupt. That feeling of throwing up is what we call morning sickness. Now take a look at your hands and feet, are they swollen?"

Rishab slowly lifted the salwar he wore and checked his feet first and then his hands. Right enough they looked double the size, as if they grew overnight.

"Yes.." he said cautiously. Maybe he was having an allergic reaction to something he or rather she ate.

"Excess fluid is generated in the body of a pregnant woman which gets collected in the tissues. As the body tends to retain more water her hands and feet swell. Now for the next question, are you having weird cravings to eat something that you would normally never eat otherwise?"

Rishab's mind immediately went to the scene which took place just a few minutes ago, where he asked for tuna fish and apricot jam sandwiches. And he was overcome by a sunken feeling that maybe she was telling the truth. And if she was... Oh God have mercy on him... What was he going to do?

"Yes... I asked for tuna fish and apricot jam sandwiches." he said sullenly.

Madhu smiled. So he was finally beginning to believe the fact that he was actually pregnant. Oh this is totally fun.

"Yes that is part of being pregnant. You will crave this for a while until one day you will not be able to stand even the smell of it. Last week all I ate was mashed potatoes and olives and the week before that I ate bacon and apple sandwiches. Well onto the next question... Are you having mood swings?"

Rishab breathe a sigh of relief. He didn't have mood swings. With full confidence he said, "No.. No mood swings for me. Ha!! See I told you I wasn't pregnant."

"On the contrary sweetheart, you just experienced one at the beginning of our call. Tell me when was the last time you ever cried?" Madhu said victoriously.

Madhu waited for him to acknowledge the fact that he was indeed pregnant, but Rishab being Rishab, would not acknowledge defeat so easily.

"Well I am sure there could be some other medical reasons for all of the above. For all you know I could be dying from some terminal illness and here you are distributing ladoos because you think I am pregnant."

Madhu shook her head. God he was impossible. "Rishab, the last time I had a period was a little over a week before that day you got creative and decided to join me in the shower. And if you still don't believe me, I can make an appointment with my OBG and do a sonography. Then you will have your definite proof." Madhu said exasperated.

"uhh... Trishna said she made an appointment with your OBG for late this morning." Rishab replied in a small voice.

"Good... Now you don't have to believe me. You can believe the doctor." She said frustratingly.