It was 6 am when Asha got out of bed to relieve herself from an exploding bladder. With her eyes half-closed, she stumbled upon her bedroom slippers and somehow made her way to the bathroom. Asha was shivering, and her teeth chattered. She sighed and looked down as she saw blood-stained panties.
"Shit!" she said as she cleaned herself up and wore a sanitary pad. "What a way to start your morning."
She got back into her bed and cursed. Her comfy bed was warm no more as it was a bitterly cold winter morning.
Luckily it was Sunday, a no school day. She could hear the hustle and bustle had already started in the kitchen. Her mother delegated the morning chores to the maid.
Asha groaned in pain as the cramping started. She curled up like a cat under her blanket and closed her eyes, trying hard to get some sleep. But her mind started to wander. For a moment, all she could think about was Akbar, who was the third Mughal Empire and how he conquered most of India.
Asha had her 12th standard board exams nearing. She tried to turn her brain off and divert her thoughts, but it was pointless. She dragged herself out of bed and freshened up and headed to the kitchen to get something to eat.
"Good morning Asha!" chirped Mumma. "You're up early on a Sunday.
"Morning!" she mumbled. "I'm down!"
"Awww!! Are you in pain?" questioned Mumma.
"Yes! It’s the first day of my period ever easy?" snapped Asha.
"Ok! I'll organize breakfast, and I'll give you a pain killer. Then you can head straight back to bed," suggested Mumma.
Asha nodded as she looked irritated and felt miserable.
Asha was soon back in her warm bed; her mother walked into her room, holding a blue rubber hot water bottle with a white knob that closed it tight. It was the perfect temperature as Mumma lovingly placed it on Asha's tummy and kissed her on the forehead.
Asha let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Mumma," expressed Asha smiling.
"It always does the trick," said Mumma and turned the lights off and left the room.
As time went by, Asha finished school and got admission to a well-reputed institution in Hyderabad. She got in with a scholarship and left her family behind in Delhi to start a new chapter in life.
She stayed in the hostel and studied hard as she was ambitious and wanted to make her parents proud. She had big dreams and aspirations and wanted to make a difference in the world. Asha was one of a kind. She always wanted to help people and somehow never expected anything in return.
One warm summer evening, Asha was on her way back to her room from the library. The students had back to back submissions and final exams to prepare for. They were overloaded and stressed out. Asha entered her room and turned on the light.
"Turn off the lights!" cribbed her roommate, Rupa, with her head buried under her pillow.
"Oh! I didn't realize you were here," said Asha. "Are you ok? How come you in bed?"
"I've got a horrible migraine attack," said Rupa. "I wanted to finish off the assignment, tomorrow is the submission, but I just couldn't look at the screen of my laptop any longer."
"Oh, dear! Have you taken any medicine?" Asha asked with concern.
"Oh! Yes, I did, but nothing seems to work," complained Rupa with her eyes squinting.
Asha sighed, standing in the dark and thought for a moment how to make her roommate feel better.
After a couple of minutes, Asha moved Rupa's pillow and gently placed a hot water bottle wrapped in a hand towel on her head. "This should help," suggested Asha. "It worked wonders for my mom."
"I'm in the next room if you need me," said Asha and headed out. "Try to get some sleep."
Two hours later, Rupa was feeling much better. "The hot water bottle did wonders!" expressed Rupa and gave Asha a tight squeeze from behind. Asha was glued to her laptop screen, finishing off her assignment.
"How come you got a hot water bottle in the hostel?" questioned Rupa and sat herself down next to her.
"It's always to my rescue! I can't do without it," said Asha. "Initially, I was hesitant to bring it along with me, but my mom insisted, she said," You're going to regret it if you aren't going to take along your hot buddy with you."
"Hot buddy?" laughed Rupa.
"Yes!" giggled Asha. "I can't do without my hot buddy. Especially when I'm chumming."
"Get your laptop; let's finish off your assignment together," suggested Asha.
Asha and Rupa were not only roommates but were more like sisters. They shared a special bond. Being in their final year of college, they both knew that a time would come when they both would have to go their separate ways. Asha would head back home to Delhi and Rupa to Jaipur.
It was not long before the so-called sisters ventured back to their hometown but stayed in touch and spoke over the phone every second day.
"So, you know what happened today?" Asha said excitedly over the phone.
"What?" Asked Rupa curiously.
"My hot buddy came to the rescue again," giggled Asha.
"Really?" Said Rupa. "How?"
"Well, long story short, my boss has also become a huge fan of the hot buddy," said Asha.
"Your boss?" Questioned Rupa. "I thought you said you weren't in her good books since you showed the wrong slides in the presentation?"
"Yes. I did. And believe me. That was a huge blunder! But…., she had severe cramps and called it a day. I suggested the hot buddy, and she used it when she went back home,"
"Then?" Rupa questioned impatiently.
"It worked! She came to work smiling ear to ear the following day," laughed Asha.
"You and your hot buddy!" chuckled Rupa.
"So, there is something I need to talk about. I need your advice. Since it's already been three years since I've been working, my dad suggested I do further studies," said Asha. "I think he is right. I do want to pursue an MBA, but I'm not sure where."
"Oh, wow! That's a great idea. Plus, you have the work experience already to add on to your profile," said Rupa.
"Are you planning to look for a university in India or abroad?" questioned Rupa.
"I have no idea where to start from," replied Asha.
"Well, I have a good friend at work. He has completed his Masters. Let me speak to him and get back to you," suggested Rupa.
"Sounds great!" agreed Asha as she let out a sigh of relief.
After a lot of mind-boggling research and gathering first-hand information, Asha took a student loan and got admission to the University of Auckland to pursue her Masters. She was ecstatic with the idea of living abroad for the first time all by herself, although deep down, she knew she would miss her family tremendously. But doing a Master's was like a family tradition. Having an extensive education was mandatory that went on for generations.
Her hot buddy pulled her through the long night of staying up late and studying. She would place the hot buddy under her feet to keep her warm. She didn't much care for the cold weather. Looking at how useful the hot buddy turned out to be, her friends also bought hot buddies for themselves.
After a specific timespan, Asha finished her course and got a job in Delhi at an excellent pay packet in one of the best corporate companies. Her proud parents were more than happy to have her back home. The house was filled with cheer and laughter again.
Asha fell in love with her colleague, Rohan. They worked on the same projects and gradually became terrific friends. Their colleagues felt they were made for each other. Rightfully predicted, soon enough, they fell in love. When the time was right, Asha introduced Rohan to her parents. He blended in with the close-knit family, and it wasn't long before the twosome got hitched.
Within their first month of marriage, Rohan saw Asha heat water for her hot buddy.
"Where did you get a hot water bottle from?" He questioned.
"Ummm, Rohan, meet my hot buddy," she grinned. "I brought it along with me from home."
Rohan raised his eyebrows and muttered to himself, 'Hot Buddy! You are one of a kind Asha.’ and gave her a tight hug and a kiss.