I Hear You by Nidhi Upadhyay

Author:Nidhi Upadhyay [Upadhyay, Nidhi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789357080507
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2023-04-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Week Twenty-Four

Warning: You have accidentally landed on the wrong page. According to the last menstrual period date you fed, you are twelve weeks pregnant. So, you should be reading your baby’s development at week twelve!

New and exciting changes are happening for your baby at week twenty-four! Your baby is the size of a rock melon and is considered ‘viable’ now, which means your baby can survive outside your womb, if given proper support.

His nervous system is developed enough to detect loud noises. A clap of thunder can startle him now. He can also identify the sound of your voice, and may turn his head towards a sound from you or your partner.

He’s experiencing sleep cycles, including REM sleep, where dreams occur.

Sixteen weeks to go!

Mahika Rathod

March 20, 2003

Goodman Road, Singapore

Shivam was gone by the time Mahika woke up. The kitchen was clean—Shivam-clean. She checked the bedroom, which was as clean as the entire house. Shivam had had a meltdown. A silent one.

Or had she slept through it because he’d again added sleeping pills to her milk?

Mahika felt rage building up in her. She got the ladder from the backyard and was about to go upstairs when the phone rang. She let it ring and brought the ladder in, but then it rang again, startling Rudra. She lifted the phone from its cradle and answered it, expecting it to be Shivam.

‘Mahika, Neil here. Are you okay? I had no way to contact you, so I got your number from the Yellow Pages. Sorry if I crossed a line calling you like this, but I was worried.’

Mahika was shocked, but she was relieved, too.

At least someone would care if she died or went missing.

‘Are you feeling okay now? Did you see a doctor? What did he say?’

‘Must be some gastric issue. Thanks for thinking of me—’

Neil had stopped her mid-sentence. His voice bubbled with excitement.

‘Can I come and pick you up? I need to talk to you.’ She heard his breathing as if he was waiting in anticipation.

Mahika looked at the ladder. ‘I can’t come to work today, Neil.’

‘Oh. Why? Are you not feeling well? Can I show you to the doctor? You take rest. I reached out to you because it’s Papa’s birthday today and I wanted to throw a surprise birthday party. I thought you could help with your special touch, but you take rest,’ he said.

The sadness in his voice got caught in Mahika’s throat, and she felt herself wavering.

‘I was hoping you could help me surprise him by making his favourite dish my mother used to make for him on his birthday. But you rest. I will manage.’

Mahika wanted to get over with her search for the passport. But it could wait one more day. Mr Mehta had done so much for her.

‘I’ll be there at eleven,’ she said.

‘I’ll come and get you. I’ll wait at the end of the road,’ Neil said cheerfully.

‘Can you wait on the opposite road instead?’

Mahika didn’t want to put Neil in danger. The further he stayed, the better.

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