Adaptation

 

Mansi’s sleep interrupted as Dhruv, her four months old son wailed at 2 a.m.

“What the hell is this? I don’t understand this habit of children. Can’t they sleep at night?  From 15 days, in the chilly winter of January, he is not letting me sleep at
night.” She mumbled irritably as she changed the wet diaper of her baby.

She tried to sleep but again her slumber trashed by a loud wail. She checked her baby who made her diaper dirty with his feces.

 Saurabh got disturbed as she switched on the light. He did not bother to ask anything and turned another side to sleep again. She could not say anything to him as he had to go to the office next morning. But she too has to do lots of household chores along with taking care of her husband and children. But who cares?

She cleaned and breast fed Dhruv. The clock showed 3:30 am. She switched off the lights and tried to collect her tainted sleep but this time Dhruv was not in a mood to sleep. He started to moan after ten minutes. Many children have a habit of clinging in the standing and moving lap and Dhruv was not an exception. Moan was turning to wails so Mansi cosseted him in her lap and roamed around the room. Dhruv slept at 4.15 am.

At 6 am her alarm clock started to blare. She unwillingly got up and woke her daughter Riya up for her school. Anyhow she managed to dress Riya up, make breakfast and her Tiffin and take her to the bus stop.

At 7:30 she returned from the bus stop. Frosty gush of wind made her shiver. She looked at the warm and cozy bed with tantalizing eyes. She desperately wanted to nestle in the quilt, and her desire was completely plausible. Suddenly, the doorbell announced. Her maid servant looked like an enemy to her. Possibilities of sleeping again vanished. Saurabh got up and she got busy in the kitchen.

At 9:30 am. Saurabh set off for his office. She cleaned and arranged the kitchen. Meanwhile, she put the dirty clothes in the washing machine and allowed it to spin. After that, she took a tepid shower, had her breakfast. It was 11.00. No matter, how much she try to finish her chores putting the clock on her head, she was never sorted before this time. She stretched herself with a magazine. She got irritated as the door bell announced. She did not want any visitor in this personal time. Mrs. Archana was smiling at the door. Mansi wore a smile. Archana started rambling about the people of neighborhood, in which Mansi was not a bit interested.

Within half an hour dhruv again started to cry. Archana left spoiling her precious time. She changed his wet diapers, fed him, and he again slept. After that she started preparations of lunch as she had to go to the bus stop to receive Riya at 12:30. After lunch she headed to embrace the slumber with her kids, but it was not that easy. Suddenly, the telephone rang. It was Saurabh that side.

“Mansi, today some of my senior executives will be coming for dinner. So, prepare something special.” He said.

Pause…

“Hello”

“Yeah Okay, but I’ll need some stuff. Do bring that while returning from your office. I’ll SMS you the list.”

“No darling, I’ll be late tonight. You go and bring whatever is needed.” Saurabh said and hung up.

“Huh!” she sat on the chair nearby. She is a wife, a mother of two (specially a mother of four months old baby) and above all she is a woman and this is life for her. “She must learn to adapt.” She thought.


Prompt @: Three Word Wednesday (Plausible, Taint, Willingly) & Thursday Tales