2.1.53

Chapter Ten : Changes

There was a loud banging on the door. Someone was knocking at the door, each thud felt like a nail being pushed against my skull. I covered my ears with the pillow but the knocks continued.

"Its fucking 1pm in the afternoon, how long are you going to sleep hippo?" It was a female voice.

I wasn't awake enough to recognize from the voice but I knew there was only one person in the whole world who called me hippo. It was Shruti. For a moment, I thought of sleep through her constant banging on the door but she was home after 10 months and I was going to see her after so long.

So, I lazily got up from the bed. The medicines failed to cure my headache because there was the persistent pain in the back of my head. I was at the door, about to unlock it when I noticed the used injection and the vial on my bedside table. I hurriedly put them in my drawer.

"Will you open or should I knock the door over?" Shruti shouted from the other side.

"You? With your lanky arms? Don't start your poor comedy session in the morning" I shouted back and then opened the door.

"For your kind information Mr. Hippo, its afternoon" she said and entered my room.

And as soon as she did, she let out a sigh of disappointment by looking at the state of my room. She quickly got to work- making my bed, picking up the clothes from the floor, folding them neatly and stacking them on top of each other. I stood in the corner, looking at her. She has changed a bit from the last time I saw her, she gained a little bit of weight on her otherwise skeleton body, she was wearing makeup, she looked happy. She deserved that after what she went through daily in our household. Being one year older than me, she used to take care of me, she helped mom in the kitchen, helped me with my chores and school stuff. Since mom was always busy taking care of the needs of Dad, Shruti was like a mother to me, even though she was just a year older. She loved to play football at school but Dad refused to let her go to trainings. She was good at art and crafts but dad never let her buy anything for her projects. She was always oppressed by the dictator of our house, but I was glad she broke free from his clutches. I wished I could do the same and take mom as well.

"Go brush idiot, and why do you sleep till its afternoon?" She said, while keeping the folded clothes neatly in the closet.

"Its Sunday" I replied and went to the bathroom.

"Come downstairs after you freshen up. We are waiting" she shouted.

I brushed my teeth and decided to take a cold shower. The drug still had its effect on me. And I thought of at least not looking like a complete drug addict.

I stood there on the shower, the cold water hitting sharply against my body but all of a sudden it hit me. The message last night, from Prinita. I turned off the water, wrapped a towel and ran into my room. The phone was kept on the table, I tapped on it and unlocked it. The chat was already opened, she did send a message but I was too late, again. She had removed the message.

I cursed myself under the breath and threw my phone on the bed. But then immediately retrieved it and typed a message to her.

"Hey I am sorry, I fell asleep last night. What were you saying"

I sent the message but it remained undelivered. She was not connected to the internet. It wasn't normal considering she spent most of the time online, even her job demands so. I thought of calling her, but then decided against it. Maybe the message last night was a mistake, maybe she regretted sending it.

I put on a pajama and a t-shirt and made my way downstairs. Dad was not home, as he informed us and I couldn't be happier. I peeped into the living room and found no one there. So, I proceeded towards the kitchen. A familiar aroma of our childhood favorites hit me, Mom was cooking Shahi Paneer. I don't remember when she made that last, probably before Shruti left. I entered our small kitchen to find it packed with people. Mom was cooking, Shruti and Samuel sitting over at the dining table.