STORY - BY HRIDAAN JAIN 01 CHAPTER ONE 02 ABOUT THE BOOK 03 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
01 THE NIGHT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
evening routine as nothing out of the ordinary happened. I was jumping and hopping on my bed as Mumma made a warm mug of milk for me and Daddu gave me a warm mug of milk mixed with love and affection for me. “Here you go, little champion!” Daddu said, his eyes twinkling with pride as if h o n o u r i n g m e w i t h a t r o p hy. I h o p p e d o n my bed, feeling invincible. “Thank you, Daddu! Just like the time I won three races in my school and came first!” I grinned, recalling the cheers from my teammates and the proud smile on Mumma's and Daddu’s face as I sprinted across the field, three victory medals shining around my neck.
cute and confident with them . I was just 3 years old. I laughed. She laughed. He laughed. Everything felt normal. Everything felt Safe. “Nothing can stop you when you put your mind to it, Hridaan!” Mumma added a warm smile on her face as she tucked me into bed with my teddy bear. “ S w e e t d r e a m s , m y l i t t l e C h a m p i o n .” s h e said in a deep affectionate voice. With a contented sigh, I drifted off to sleep, the warmth of my family's love wrapping around me like a cozy blanket. After getting tucked into bed with my teddy I fell peacefully asleep. The cosmos was planning something though something that would break even the hardest of rocks like Diamond into shambles and so cold that Antarctica would feel like a Beach. The Night was scheming and along with the cosmic interference when everything that happened that night was going to change the way I look at life and the way I live it. It would change me Forever. It was a night that would change the way I see life. The way I live it. It would change me.
Jain’s story. And everything changed that night. A different kind of suffering took hold of my body in my sleep. It was everywhere. The pain entered my body by moving through my limbs then seized a part of my core and I felt the rush of pain that grabbed my body and was crushing it but I could not do a thing about it. It was as if Spiders of pain bit me from within although I could only sense their presence but not see them directly. I shed tears that ran deep because I lacked words to describe my condition. This kind of pain which emerges from within your being – I cannot find any suitable words to describe itself. It pulled at something deep inside me. I cried, The deep kind. The kind that comes from something inside, you do not have words for. Mumma heard me. The sound cut through the silence like lightning. She rushed in along with Daddu. In an instant, Mumma enveloped me in her arms. “Shh, my love, I’m here. I’m right here,” she whispered, her voice steady, though I could feel the fear in it. I tried to explain, but all that came out were broken sobs. “My legs… my hands… it hurts so bad!” I screamed. “I can’t… I just can’t…” Mumma’s face softened, but I saw the concern in her eyes. “It’s okay, Hridaan. We’re going to help you,” she assured, rubbing my arms frantically.
this before,” he said, his voice tensed. “Why is he crying like that?” “What is wrong with him?” were some questions I could hear but what I could feel was the was the warm embrace of Mumma’s arms that wrapped my upper body like a cocoon and it almost felt like God’s touch. The family wondered why this behaviour stood in contradiction with the usual personality of Hridaan. Why is he crying in a manner we have never heard before. They rubbed my limbs, checking my temperature, which had skyrocketed to 103 degrees. “It’s just fever,” Daddu said, but his voice unsure “Let’s give him the medicine. It should help.” The inner alarm of both of my Parents was sending identical frantic signals. Their sixth sense was screaming just like I was screaming. I attempted to describe the strange pain which attacked my body by explaining "My legs and my hands hurt so bad that I can't." I can’t… I just can’t…” I was shaking. I could not stop. It remains unclear to me what should I say to explain the sensation because this invisible force attacks from within. I am afraid and tired and the anxiety engulfs my heart. But how do you explain to your Mumma that something invisible is attacking you from the inside? That you are scared in a way you have never been before? Although it is impossible to explain what is happening to me since I am only Four years old.
rubbed my limbs . They administered fever medication then conducted salt bath on my forehead switched on the air conditioner to reduce my environment temperature. Mumma cuddled me in the warm embrace of her arms and Daddu was giving me constant massages on my hands and legs. But the pain did not go. I could not sleep. It was pain or may be something else I just could not explain. I felt a tingling all over my legs as if something is eating them slow and steady and I could feel every inch of it. Then I said – “I needed to pee” Papa helped me up. But I could not stand. My body lost all strength and fell in a useless manner just like kite falling from t h e s k y. I w a s j u s t … f a l l i n g … i t w a s a s i f I am being thrown from a cliff to deep ocean. The strength in my body became zero as I just sank to the ground. The terrifying sensation of endless falling without any bungee harness became the worst part of all. The silence was deafening outside and I was screaming inside. “ I t m u s t b e w e a k n e s s ,” M a m a t r i e d t o pacify me and herself. “ S t a y s t r o n g , b u d d y ,” D a d d u whispered, but I could hear the tremor in his voice, some kind of fear in it.
words. Her sixth sense is one of her Superpowers and she knew then something is not right. We s o m e h o w m a d e i t t h r o u g h t h a t e n d l e s s night. Fever medicine helped break the heat, but I still could not drink water. Everything I swallowed, I spat right back out. I was feeling dizzy and exhausted by fighting a storm within. The Night broke into the dawn of Morning light and my parents took me to the hospital. Doctor's check-up took place. I was struck with Needles to get my blood for the report. They wanted to see what’s going on within. After the prick of the needles on my soft baby skin I had to wait. I was in my Mumma’s lap her grip tight but full of love and a determined look in her eyes. My father informed us that we ned to wait for the test results for half an hour. The waiting game began. I slept and woke up to some voices out of which one was of my Mumma. Mumma examined the blood report and a disturbing detail caught her attention. She said “His white blood cell count shows an abnormal high level. This d o e s n ’ t l o o k r i g h t .” The doctor said-“It was a viral fever, we need to start Antibiotics. “ “ I t ’ s t h e b o d y ’ s d e f e n c e m e c h a n i s m ,” t h e d o c t o r s a i d c a s u a l l y.
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