The Wrong Woman

21. Mouna

That feeling of disappointment that settled within my belly whenever I woke up was something I would never get used to.

Every time, I would expect grandma to call my name or complain about her knee, an act of getting me to massage it. Instead, I was in the body of a supermodel and a house that looked like it possibly cost the same as my whole apartment block.

The room was enveloped with darkness. There was no sound, no smell of anything cooking from downstairs. Staggering over to the curtains, I pulled it to the side to see the sky melding in a slew of purple and orange. I didn't know where Dhruv was but it was a beautiful sight, one that I couldn't truly enjoy because of the reality of my situation that I still was not used to.

With a sigh, I let go of the silky covers of the curtain and snuck out downstairs. The light was on but very dim. The TV was turned off. The bathroom door was open, indicating that there was no one inside.

There was no one in the house beside me.

A part of me wanted to know where Dhruv was, but most of me just wanted to go back home. This was the perfect opportunity to go see what was happening back home. What's Mohi doing? I thought as I slowly snuck out of the house. I made sure to take some money from my purse, after whispering a silent apology to Rani for doing so, and kept the front door unlocked in case I had to come back. I prayed, however, that things would be solved once I was able to get there. There had to be some clue or a way to get back. Maybe the person in my body—it had to be Rani— would have the answers.

Getting there, however, I realised I didn't have a plan. I slowly walked up the dark brown stairs with the familiar railing with paint that looked like it had been clawed off by a vicious animal.

I was about to bound toward my apartment door, make some kind of excuse just to see my grandma again when the door opened and Dr Arshan made his way out of it. The corners of his lips were tilted up in a ghost of a smile. The nurse that was always with him was beside him and...the person that was in my body was standing in the doorway, waving her fingers at him and smiling in a way I had never done before. She was wearing the same clothes I did; ratty pair of loose jeans and a faded maroon Kurti top with long sleeves.

But the way she carried herself was very different. It gave off an aura that I had only seen one woman do and immediately I knew.

It really was Rani in my body.