SS - Switched - Completed on 16th April - Page 4

Chapter 2

As the sun streamed through the curtains shining its bright light on his face, cajoling him to wake up and start off his day, he turned his back to the light and hoped it would just go away. But the sounds outside wouldn't stop. Sounds of people talking, going about their daily routines. And soon he slowly started rousing, as he slowly moved from the REM stage of sleep to consciousness. He shouted out, "Chai" and stretched out his hand awaiting the morning cup of tea to be handed to him. He did not like to be kept waiting, "Chai", he shouted louder. He smiled when he felt a cup of tea being placed in the palm of his hand. He arose slowly, muttering about the sounds and light and took a sip of his tea, only to feel something rising up in his stomach. He placed the tea on the bedside table and got up to run to the wash-room, only to be left confused. "Where the hell is the god damn wash-room?" He yelled and immediately regretted it as he felt even more sick than before. He felt someone holding his hand and taking him to the wash-room, he felt someone patting him on the back constantly whispering, 'Its ok. You will feel better soon.' As he was heaving into the toilet bowl he wondered about the reasons this was happening to him. Hangover, yeah that was it. That could be the only reason behind it or maybe he is dying of some dreadful disease. He hoped not for the latter. He would kick death's ass if it was the case.

He took the cool wash cloth and wiped his face. " Thank you Maa." he said as he handed the wash cloth back, only to be face to face with his Sasumaa. "What? What are you doing...". He looked at her shocked, ready to scream for his life, as if he were in a horror movie. He looked all around, taking in his surroundings. If falling asleep in his bedroom, in his RK Mansion, and waking up in his Sasumaa's house wasn't enough to deal with, the next words from his Sasumaa's mouth drove him to unconsciousness. "Madhu beta, you know that chai hasn't been agreeing with you, yet you insist on it every morning, only to throw up yet again. Madhu... Madhuuu."

Padmini was worried about her daughter. It was tough to deal with her depression and add to that the pregnancy and all the trimmings that come with it and now this.

*******

Madhu stretched as she stirred in her sleep. She inhaled the sweet smell of tea. Wow morning chai smeels sooo good. Wait a minute, she stopped moving and inhaled the sweet smell of chai yet again, only to literally jump out of bed excited. She no longer wants to throw up at the smell of tea. Yay!!! She jumped at the cup of tea kept on the bedside table and took in a long sip, actually tasting it, letting the tea roll around in her mouth as she took in its taste and relished it. As she went in for another sip, she looked around as she felt something amiss, there was no sound, it was just too quiet. The chawl, even in the night is never this quiet. You always find people up and about, someone leaving for a night shift or someone returning home from one, someone coming home all drunk only to be yelled at by his wife or mother, some youngster making mid-night calls to his or her girlfriend/boyfriend. She realised that she was laying on RK's bed in RK's room which meant she was in RK's house. Her cup of tea fell from her hand and she shouted out in pain as the tea spilled and fell partly on the quilt and partly on her clothes. She panicked as she pulled her top away from her body and moved her hand across her stomach trying to feel her child, only to feel something weird. Instead of a slight bump she felt taut muscles and abs. She lifted her shirt up a bit and realised that this is not her body. Fear rose in her for the loss of her child and she screamed.

Maa came rushing to the room as she screamed and screamed and screamed. She was petrified, confused and thought that she was going insane. Was going insane one of the symptoms of pregnancy? None of the books said that. Maa sat down next to her gently patting her head trying to calm her down. "Rishu beta, its ok. It must have just been a bad dream." Rishu? Rishu!! Oh God it can't be... Rishu!! That was the last thing that floated through her head as everything went dark before her eyes and she went into a state of unconsciousness, a place where her mind could switch off, a place where she didn't have to deal with the current situation.