Be Careful What You Wish for

Chapter 1

Abhijeet's House-

Tarika groaned as she stirred in the sleep. Her eyes half open, she saw light filtering through the purple drapes. Her head was pounding.

What happened to the alarm? Why didn't it go off? Damn! Aaj Salunkhe sir ne jaldi bulaya tha mujhe. I hope jyada late nahi hua hai.

She stretched and turned in her bed. Her bed? No, this wasn't her bed. Infact it wasn't her room at all. It was Abhijeet's house!

She faintly remembered going to Abhijeet's house for a party the night before. But then she had returned home by midnight. She was sure, she remembered well. How did she land up back inside Abhijeet's house?

She scanned the room which was a total mess. Half eaten chips packets, balloons, beer bottles littered the floor. She removed an orange coloured ribbon which was tied to her hair.

Her heart beating faster, she sat up suddenly to find Daya fast asleep in a bean bag.

Daya! What was she doing in the same room with Daya? Where was Abhijeet?

She was trying to remember what exactly had happened the night before when she noticed her hand. It looked manly and hairy. She looked down and herself and gasped. She was wearing men's shorts and - No! No! No! This wasn't real!'

The extremely odd circumstamces prompted her to pinch her… err.. no... his arm. But it hurt very much. No, she was not waking up in any way.

'Fuck! What the -?' she yelled in alarm.

She saw Daya stir in his sleep. 'Abhijeet yaar, chilla kyu rahe ho subah subah? Aur wo bhi ladki ki awaz me? Party ka hangover utra nahi kya abhi tak?' he murmured sleepily.

Tarika jumped to her feet and ran towards the mirror. She took one look at herself and let out a blood curling scream.

Tarika's house -

'Beep! Beep! Beep!'

'Yaar ye alarm kisne lagaya? Daya yaar tu pagal hai kya? Alarm kyu lagaya? Band kar wo please! Bohot irritate ho raha hai mujhe. Sone de yaar, please' said Abhijeet groggily, covering his head with a pillow.

'Beep! Beep! Beeeeep!'

'Daya yaar!' said Abhijeet angrily.

He sat up in the bed, eyes still closed. He finally caught his cellphone and he immediately turned off the alarm.

He scratched his forehead and pushed away the bangs of curly hair from his eyes.

Wait! Curly hair?!

'Daya ne shayad wig pehna diya mujhe' said Abhijeet.

He grasped the curly wig with both his hands and pulled.

'Owwww!' he howled in pain. It hurt! It hurt a lot.

'What the hell! Daya ne kya kiya pata nai' he mumbled opening his eyes.

They widened in surprise when they swept over his feet. They were waxed and the nails had a blood red nailpaint on them.

'Ye- ye kya...' he checked out his hands and then he touched his face.

'Wait a minute - how was it possible?' He looked around and realised that he was in Tarika's house.

'No... hahaha... I am dreaming' Abhijeet said aloud.

With baby steps, he walked inside her bathroom where a huge mirror was fitted.

He took one look at it and gasped. Tarika's reflection stared back at him.

Abhijeet let out a snort of laughter.

'Daya ne mere drink me kal kya mila diya pata nai. Main toh Tarika ki tarah dikh raha hoon' he said aloud watching himself in the mirror. He saw Tarika's mouth moving but the voice was his very own.

He turned the faucet and water gushed out. He splashed his face with cold water and checked the mirror one more time. But alas, nothing had changed.

'Ye... ye nahi ho sakta... no...nooooooooo!' Abhijeet wailed.

O-o-o-o

Abhijeet's house -

Daya woke up with a jolt as if someone had slapped him in the face.

He opened his eyes to trace the source of all the commotion and he saw Abhijeet standing in front of the mirror doing something strange.

He seemed to be tugging at his face as if trying to remove some invisible mask.

'Abhijeet kya kar rahe ho tum?' Daya asked him.

'Main Abhijeet nahi, Tarika hoon!' came Tarika's voice.

Daya snorted.

'Tum Tarika ki awaj me kyu bol rahe ho? I know tum usse pasand karte ho par iska matlab ye nai ki tum uski awaj me baat karo' said Daya.

'Shut up Daya! I don't ye kaise hua par ye sach hai. Main Tarika hi hu. I am trapped inside Abhijeet's body' she wailed.

'Dekho Abhijeet bakwaas band karo. Tumne shayad kal kuch jyada hi pi rakhi hai. Tum baitho aaram se main tumhare liye lemon water leke aata hoon. Wo pine ke baad saara nasha utar jayega' said Daya.

'I am perfectly fine Daya! Mujhe kuch nahi chahiye!

Tum samajhne ki koshish karo. Main sach keh rahi hoon. Oh god! Ye... main wapas kaise jaun mere body me?' she said angrily.

Daya blinked.

'Kya?!' he said after a minute.

Tarika then launched into a story of what all happened after she woke up. Daya was finding it difficult to believe whatever was happening. It seemed so unreal yet everything was happening in front of his eyes...

'Kahi main khud hi daru ke nashe me toh nahi hu?' he said aloud.

'Kuch nahi hua hai Daya! Mujhe baat karni hai Abhijeet se abhi!' she said angrily.

Daya let out a snort of laughter.

'Has kyu rahe ho?' she asked through gritted teeth.

'Abhijeet hi bol raha hai ki use Abhijeet se baat karni hai aur woh bhi ladki ki awaj me! Kitna ajeeb lag raha hai' he said.

'Daya ab agar tumne aur bakwas ki na toh main abhi isi waqt tumhara khoon kar dungi!' Tarika yelled.

'Sorry, sorry' said Daya trying to keep a straight face.

'Phone band aa raha hai uska' said Daya.

Half an hour passed and Tarika was growing impatient by each passing minute.

'Mujhe lagta hai hume tumhare ghar jana chahiye' said Daya.

'Main Abhijeet banke kahi bahar nahi jaa rahi hu' said Tarika flatly.

'Arey yaar tum bhale hi Tarika ho par dikh toh Abhijeet ki tarah hi ho na? Logon ko kaise pata chala ki tum Tarika ho?' said Daya.

'Kuch der wait kar lete hai' said Tarika. 'Lekin tum phone try karte rehna'

Daya shrugged and sat down on the couch.

'Mujhe toh lagta hai ye utha bhi nahi hoga abhi tak! Sab din kharab kar diya mera. Mujhe aaj Salunkhe sir ne jaldi bulaya tha. Iss Abhijeet ki wajah se main jaa bhi nahi sakti' said Tarika.

'Toh abhi jao na! Tumhe mana kisne kiya hai? Main Abhijeet ko lekar aata hu. Phir tumhe jo bhi baat karni hai wo bureau me karo' said Daya.

'Daya, Dr salunkhe ne Tarika ko bulaya hai. Main Tarika hoon par bahar se toh Abhijeet dikhti hu hai na?' she said heatedly.

'Oh haan, sorry bhul gaya' said Daya.

'Najane ye Abhijeet kab uthega. Kal party me jyada pi rakhi hogi isliye ab neend nahi khul rahi...' Tarika kept muttering to herself.

'Tarika chill yaar itna tension...oops!' said Daya.

'Kya hua?' she asked.

'Please gussa mat hona par main pichle adhe ghante se Abhijeet ka number dial kar raha hoon. Actually agar hume asal me Abhijeet se baat karni hai to mujhe tumhara number dial karna chahiye tha na!' said Daya.

Tarika took a deep breath and then without warning, she hurled a pillow at his face which missed him by inches.

'You!' she screamed, pelting pillows, blankets at him.

'Arey yaar Tarika sorry bola na maine... maro mat yaar... ouch!'

Tarika's house -

'Please god keh do ki sab sirf ek sapna hai. Meri neend abhi khul jayegi aur main Abhijeet ki tarah hi dikhunga' Abhijeet murmured to himself. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes but unfortunately he was still trapped inside Tarika's body.

'Nooooo!' he wailed.

The phone began to ring and he saw Daya's name flashing on the screen. He answered it on the third ring hoping Daya would believe him.

'Daya... yaar... main...' was all Abhijeet could manage to speak.

'Haan, haan mujhe sab pata hai... yaha Tarika ka bhi wohi haal hai' said Daya in a calm voice.

Before Abhijeet could speak further he heard whispering from the other end.

'Tarika yaar ek minute -'

'No-'

'Ouch!'

'How dare you Abhijeet! Kaise kaise logo ko bulate ho tum party me? Kaise hua ye sab haan? Ab main kya karu? Mujhe tumhari uss party me aana hi nahi chahiye tha! Main-'

'Ek minute yaar Tarika tum mujhpe kyu chilla rahi ho? Maine kuch nai kiya. Mujhe nai pata ye sab kaise hua -'

'Tumhe nahi pata toh phir kise pata haan! Main kuch nahi jaanti. Tum dhoond ke nikalo ye sab kaise hua. Mujhe meri body me wapas jana hai abhi!' said Tarika angrily.

'Tum Daya ko phone do. Mujhe usse baat karni hai' said Abhijeet.

'Nahi main -'

'Tarika ek minute -'

'Hello Abhijeet main Daya bol raha hoon. Accha ab meri baat dhuan se suno. Tum dono aise ladhte rahoge toh kuch nahi hoga. Tarika ko Salunkhe sir ne aaj bureau jaldi bulaya hai. Toh tum ab fauran bureau chale jao' said Daya.

'Main waha jake kya karunga yaar. Mujhe foresic ka kuch nahi aata.' said Abhijeet.

'Are yaar hum bas aa rahe hai bureau tab tak tum kaam karne ki acting toh karo kam se kam. Main ek kaam karta hoon... humne sabko party invitation ke cards bheje the na wo check karta hoon... sabko call karke puchta hoon... shayad koi clue mile ki ye sab exactly hua kaise' said Daya.

'Yaar Daya mujhe aaj ACP sir ne half day diya tha. Kal hi toh case solve hui hai. Main nahi jaunga bureau' said Abhijeet stubbornly.

'Dekho Abhijeet main jaise bol raha hoon waise karo chup chap. Nahin toh sabko shak ho jayega' said Daya. 'Aur haan sabse important baat... bureau me apna muh mat kholna. Kisise baat mat karna. Yaad rakho tum Abhijeet ho par Tarika ki tarah dikhte ho' said Daya.

'Aur kisi ne pucha toh kya karu phir?' said Abhijeet angrily.

'Paper pe likhke baat karna sabse. Kehna ki tumhe throat infection hua hai aur isliye tum baat nahi kar sakte' said Daya.

'Daya usse kaho dhang ke kapde pehenke jaan' Tarika yelled.

'Tell her to shut up Daya! Already mera dimag kharab ho chuka hai' said Abhijeet in an equally loud voice.

'Phirse shuru ho gaye tum dono? Jaldi bureau jaao Abhijeet. Hum thodi der me aate hai' said Daya and disconnected the call.

'Dekho Tarika ab mujhe tumhari help chahiye. Abhijeet ki fikr chodo... wo bureau me sab manage kar lega' said Daya.

'Okay. Bolo kya karna hai ab?' asked Tarika.

'Kal party ke liye humne sab guests ko invitation cards bheje the. Uski copy hai yaha par computer me. Wo guest list check karte hai. Dekhte hai kisika naam sunke kuch odd strike hota hai kya ya phir kuch ajeeb yaad ata hai kya. Kyuki ye sab jo kuch bhi hua hai wo kal party me hi hua hai' said Daya.

'Okay... chalo phir dekte hai' she said.

O-o-o-o

He climbed the bureau steps walking very slowly. 'Ye ladkiya skirts me chal kaise sakti hai pata nahi' he murmured.

As soon as he entered the bureau, Shreya and Purvi who were chatting nearby threw a look at him. There was a moment's pause as they surveyed her attire and then they burst out laughing.

His opened his mouth to speak but then he remembered Daya's warning. He looked like Tarika but he was actually Abhijeet. He wasn't supposed to speak.

'Ta - tarika ye kya pehen rakha hai tune aaj?' Purvi choked.

Taking a swift look at his attire, he saw nothing wrong.

'Grey skirt, pink top aur sports shoes?' said Shreya and both of them dissolved into hysterical laughter.

Abhijeet was fuming with anger. If he could only speak... He pulled out a notepad from his pocket and wrote hastily. He shoved the paper towards the giggling girls.

It read - It's mix and match! How dare you make fun of me! I am not going to speak today as I have a bad throat infection.

Trying hard not to laugh, Shreya said, 'okay sorry yaar. Par tu yaha kya kar rahi hai bureau me? Salunkhe sir kabse wait kar rahe hai tera lab me. Bohot gussa ho gayr wo tu late hai isliye. Jaldi jaa. Aur medecine lele. Jaldi thik ho jayegi'

Abhijeet suddenly remembered that considering his outward appearance he should be in forensic lab and not in the bureau. He threw both the girls a weak smile and ambled out of the bureau ready to face Dr Salunkhe's wrath.

A/N - Felt like writing this fic after listening to Katy Perry's song "Last Friday Night" :p