1.1 | Under The Clear Summer Sky | ✓

3 | improved impressions

Anu leaned on one foot while tapping the other, waiting for the elevator to pick her up from her floor and deliver her to the ground floor. Her laziness had prompted an unwarranted hate towards trudging to the grocery store simply to buy milk and tomatoes. The irritation only seemed to intensify when the elevator did not come to her floor quickly enough.

When she heard the sound of a door closing and the lock clicking, she glanced to her right and noticed Nina hurriedly draping a bag over her shoulder. Anu quickly switched her position to standing straight, her body language polite. 

Nina smiled when their eyes met. "Anu! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great, auntie. How are you?" was the polite reply. She intentionally lowered her tone to a deliberate softness. It was all a matter of etiquette that she had unintentionally adopted without her parents ever teaching her.

"I'm just as usual, child." Nina let out a tired sigh. She rubbed her eyes, dark circles decorating it.

The elevator finally arrived, as if it seemed to understand the awkward silence that had settled in the atmosphere and wanted to rescue Anu from it. The two quickly entered and Anu pressed on the button to the ground floor.

During the elevator ride downwards, Nina swayed precariously. Anu turned back to face the auntie, feeling sudden motion behind her. "Is everything ok, Auntie?"

"Yes, yes, child. I'm fine." Nina waved her hand, hoping to dispel the worry. Anu's eyebrows creased. Nina Gupta looked unnaturally exhausted.

Anu let Nina pass and followed behind her. It so happened that both of them were headed to the same grocery store within the apartment complex.

Anu picked up a basket and stood outside the store, examining the basket of tomatoes and grimacing when she found weird ones. Nina stepped inside, pulling open the refrigerator and taking out two packet of milk. Her vision blacked out for a second before restoring a blurry version of itself. 

"What's happening?" Nina mumbled, unable to hear herself. She glanced to her right, watching as Anu ran towards her. Her eyes rolled to a close and she fell to the floor, losing consciousness.

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When Nina's eyes opened nearly three hours later, the first thing she registered was the horrid stench of medicines and sickness. She flinched as she opened her eyes a little too quickly, not yet adjusted to the light. 

"Auntie, are you ok?" The sound of rustle from beside her had her turning towards it. She let her sight fall on her neighbor's child.

"I don't feel too good but I've had worse. Did I faint?"

"Yes, auntie. I called the ambulance from the store owner's phone and came here with you."

Nina bent up slightly and saw that she was on one of the temporary beds the hospital had on the first floor.

"Th doctor said you had low blood pressure. Did you not eat properly?" Anu asked, handing over the prescription to her.

"These past few days, I couldn't eat properly. I was a little busy." was the brief explanation offered. It was all Nina could manage before she choked on her dry throat. Anu handed her a glass of water.

"I've called your husband from your phone." Anu said. "I found that he was on your emergency contact. I'll wait here until he comes."

Nina felt touched. Lately, she had found herself more alone than ever, with her first son hunched over his books and the second one always playing somewhere outside. Her husband left early in the morning and returned home late at night. She hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone, in a long while. But her reasoning and logic were never far behind her emotional feelings.

"Child, it's already pretty late, judging by how dark it is outside. You should get back home. Your parents will be worried. Besides, I'm sure Bharat will come here soon."

Just as Anu was considering that, Bharat came rushing in. "Nina, what in the world happened? This child said you had fainted"

Anu explained everything that happened on behalf of Nina, who was still suffering from the effects of a rather dry throat.

"You've done us a great favor. Thank you so much." Bharat said, his breath fast and hurried.

"It's no problem." Anu hopped off her chair. "I'll get going now. Take care of yourself, auntie."

A familiar boy ran into the hospital, his face dripping with sweat and worry. On his side, was a child, who looked like he had no idea how to make sense of the situation. As soon as they caught sight of their mother, they rushed towards her. Anu allowed herself one more glance at the family before leaving the hospital.

The hospital was only a few minutes away from the apartment complex. It didn't take too long for her to run back home. 

After receiving a scolding from her mother for disappearing for hours together and a hurried explanation on what happened, she was allowed to quietly retreat to her room and reflect on everything that had happened.

What she didn't know was that this was starting point of a chain of events that would transform her life for the better.

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[behind the scenes]

Nina Gupta was so impressed with Anuradha that from then, Anu had practically become her daughter from another mother.