“THE UNBARRED CASEMENT” (Continuation)

It’s not the school’s fault for those uncounted souls. They themselves are the

reason for their failure. This school promises that it will try its level best in

bringing good marks in its students’ mark sheets so they get a huge amount of

money in the name of tuition fee and give a quality education. It is up to the

students to utilize it and get good marks. That’s where the business minds of the

school administrators are revealed they get money and in exchange to that they

give the so called “quality education” and send a group of toppers every year. A

good education center must strive hard for the success of every individual who

trust it. Here they run many miles only for money. Only students who were toppers

in their secondary schools are admitted in that school for continuing their higher

secondary studies and it is no wonder that they again get good marks in their

higher secondary board exams. They use that as their marketing tool.

Now a student committed suicide in their school they sent all its students

home for a one-week holiday. They wouldn’t have solved the problem instead they

would have tried hard for the closure of that problem. They don’t need their

reputation to be spoiled after this incident and hence they make sure that the news

doesn’t spread everywhere. Now a girl is no more in room number 619. Keerthi

knew that there will be a new roommate for her. Because they won’t close that

room after that incident. Instead they make one new girl admitted to that room. All

these incidents make more and more clear, for what that institution has got this

much reputation. “MONEY”, yes, money is the only sake. They never bother if

one dies or starves or kills. All they need is money. This is not the first suicide ever

happening in that institution. Keerthi knew that. She remembered what happened

on the very first day in that school.

June fifteenth was the school opening date for the eleventh grade students

but the hostellers were requested to come a day before. Keerthi came with a long

face carrying luggage into the hostel. The seniors were waiting to help their

juniors. Warden said Keerthi to go to room number 619. All the seniors together

shouted “ma’am”. “shh… help her carry her luggage, guide her. The corner room

in the fifth floor is your room already a girl has arrived there. You can go. And you

girls don’t say anything to her and frighten her. Understood!”. Replied the warden. “yes ma’am!” Said the seniors. “Give me your bag” said one of the seniors

grabbing the only bag that she was carrying. Her seniors helped her a lot in

reaching the fifth floor without struggle. As soon as they reached their room

Keerthi asked them the reason for shouting when they heard the room number.

“Nothing, nothing” everybody said nothing and went back down. “Kavya come!”

said one of the seniors. “Mmm you go I’ll come”, replied Kavya.

“Come on, will you promise me that you won’t say this to anyone else”

asked Kavya, holding Keerthi’s hand. “Yes”, replied Keerthi. “One of our seniors

committed suicide in this room. After that incident we were shifted to this room, as

the roommates of that deceased senior refused to stay in this room”. “Oh my god!

Then how you were staying?” asked Keerthi. “No, we too didn’t stay here. We

protested and they shifted us to the first floor and sealed this room. A year passed

and now they have opened this room. They told us that they did some Pooja to this

room and everything is normal. You don’t worry everything would have become

normal.” “Did you notice anything abnormal after that incident in this room?”

asked Keerthi. “Yes, and that’s why we refused to stay here” replied Kavya.

“kaaaaaavvvvvvyaaaaaa”, there came a call from the ground floor. “Okay bye”

said the senior and went down.

Keerthi kept on thinking about that. She was in a state of dilemma, thinking

what to do next. She wasn’t afraid that if she would die for being in that room. She

was worried for the crooked minds that the administrators had. “They wanted more

money and that’s why they have unlocked that room” thought Keerthi. She decided

to take a camera with her and record abnormal activities if anything happens as she

could have proof and make that room locked again.

“Why is she behaving like this?”, interrogated Shivani, Keerthi’s mom. “I

don’t know. May be she’s not willing to study there. She may have become more

frustrated on seeing her friend dead” replied Kannah, Keerthi’s dad. “You just shut

up. That girl would have died due to any other reason, but our daughter has a great

capability. She would have a bright future if she continues her studies there.” Said

Shivani. “So what to do then?”. “Let she continue her studies there, if she asks

again for a transfer lets convince her by saying to adjust for just two years and you

please don’t encourage her. Say her that leaving the school is a bad idea.”

Keerthi didn’t have time to discuss with her parents about what’s happening

in her life since they both left for work early and returned late. A week passed by.

She arrived at the railway station with her father to board a train to her school.

“Papu, can’t you just adjust for two years and study there because your future lies

there. Shall I come with you and request your warden for a change in room?”,

Kannah asked Keerthi. “Thanks dad, but I’ll manage it, you take care of mom.

And dad I understand, I’ll study here. Ok bye dad the train has arrived. Bye dad!”

replied Keerthi.

She reached the hostel, already her warden called her roommates who had

arrived earlier, for a meeting and they were waiting for her. “See children Bathma

Priya has committed suicide for her own reasons and that does not have anything

to do with the management so you can peacefully be in that room. And don’t trust

the rumors of your seniors. They many say many things. Nothing bad is going to

happen. Go”, said their warden. Keerthi thought that the incident would have

disturbed everybody’s mind as it disturbed her’s. But that was not so. Everybody

enjoyed the holiday. She felt very sad for that. Suddenly she remembered the

camera that she brought with her. She inserted a memory chip, connected and fixed

the camera in the top corner of a cupboard that faced Bathma Priya’s cot.

Suddenly Keerthi noticed that all luggage of Bathu was taken away and

instead there were folded bed and unpacked luggage on that cot. she saw a physics

book in Bathu’s cupboard. She searched if anything else was there but the

cupboard was empty. Keerthi opened the book and for her astonishment “Meera”

was the name written on that book. She had an idea about that name. She had

known it before. She was thinking harder and suddenly someone opened the door.

Keerthi quickly kept that book in her suitcase and turned back it was Amrin, her

new roommate. She was in tears. She came and sat on her cot which was Bathu’s

earlier. “Don’t cry” said Keerthi. “Hmm” said Amrin nodding her head. Keerthi

helped her in arranging things. “I’m Keerthi” she introduced herself to Amrin.

“Amrin Banu” she replied with a smile. As they were talking came Monica and

Shalini their other two roommates. They four were talking and came the dinner

time. They all went to the refectory. While eating Keerthi suddenly remembered the name Meera and had a jerk in her body. “What happened?” asked Amrin.

“Nothing” she replied and continued eating.

(TO BE CONTINUED)