After dinner they went to study for the next day’s test. Keerthi and Amrin
decided to study together. Keerthi felt quite happy because she has got a study
mate. They studied till eleven forty-five pm and slept later. Keerthi slept with a
great satisfaction because she has finished studying all the answers for tomorrow’s
test. In that school every day teachers would give certain questions for daily tests
and the students must read all those and write them, the next day.
That day was awesome for Keerthi. She felt that she has got a best friend.
Because that day for the first time in that new school she did her test successfully.
For her disappointment then came a big, sad news. “Adapter method” that is,
students who have scored above 95% in their secondary level board examinations
will have a separate tutor who would notice everything regarding their studies and
give them good training. Keerthi didn’t get an adapter as she got only 91% in her
secondary level board examinations. Keerthi became totally sad for the partiality
the institution was showing on its students. Keerthi cried in her room. It was Amrin
who convinced and took her to dinner. Keerthi was totally broken down, and she
couldn’t concentrate on her studies. She again began to cry after the study hours
thinking that she couldn’t perform well in the next day’s test. Amrin again
convinced her to sleep saying that they could study in the morning.
It was nearly midnight everybody in the room were fast asleep. Keerthi
heard some murmuring sound, but she refused it and turned thinking that it could
be a sound from her dream. Then after a few minutes the sound increased and she
could clearly hear a voice reciting the Ohm’s Law same as Bathu recited, a few
days before her death. That voice wasn’t new to her. But she knew it was neither of
her roommates’ voice. She began to sweat. She tried to turn and she spotted a
white figure sitting beside Amrin. Amrin was sleeping in a corner of her cot and
the other half of the cot was occupied by that white figure. It seemed like a human.
But it was not. There she also spotted the same physics book that she found on
Bathu’s cupboard. “Amrin, Amrin” shouted Keerthi in a loud voice. Everybody in
that room woke up. Monica put on the light and Shalini asked “what happened?”.
As soon as Keerthi shouted, the figure disappeared but before that it saw her and
smiled. Amrin asked “what happened Keerthi?”. “Nothing” replied Keerthi. She got up, took the physics book that was on Amrin’s cot, she said, “Please sleep I’m
sorry friends” as she switched off the light. Amrin didn’t lie down. She seemed to
be angry. “What’s the problem? Why did you call me?” asked Amrin. Meanwhile
before switching off the light Keerthi opened the first page of that book and saw
the name “Meera”. Keerthi kept the book under her pillow and said “Amrin lets go
to the washroom”.
They both went. “Hmm say why did you shout my name?” asked Amrin.
“Look Amrin what I’m going to say now will be funny but its true” said Keerthi.
“What, did you see any spirit or ghost sitting next to me?” replied Amrin. “yes,
how do you know that?” asked Keerthi with an astonishment. “You fool, I know
that a girl named Bathma has committed suicide in our room and our warden had
informed me that they have done some Pooja so that there won’t be any evil spirits
in our room. It may be your dream, idiot now don’t think of anything and sleep. If
you speak about this again to me I would never speak with you again.” Said Amrin
and she went to room. Keerthi began to cry. Then she too went and slept.
She slept because she was happy as she had evidence in her camera. The
next day she acted like having a stomach pain and her mother came to take her
home. Keerthi took along her camera. As soon as she reached the home, before
doing anything else she took her laptop and inserted the memory chip to see if
anything was recorded. This made her mother angrier and she began to shout at
her. So she shut her laptop and went to sleep as she was tired after the long travel.
“See, she has lost interest in her studies we have to advise her” said Shivani to
Kannah. “How do you say that?” asked Kannah. “She has got no stomach pain but
just to enjoy and skip studying she has come home acting like having a stomach
ache.” “How do you say? Did you go to hospital?” asked Kannah. “No, but as soon
as she came home she took her laptop. What does this say Kannah?” asked
Shivani. Keerthi came crying, from her room after hearing all these. “This says
nothing. I have a project. I thought of finishing that early and spend this weekend
with you. Was I wrong pa?”, asked Keerthi to her father. “No” replied Kannah and
asked, “Are you going back Sunday?”. “Yes dad”, replied Keerthi.
Keerthi felt bad for lying but she could not reveal anything without proof.
Her mother too became normal as Keerthi said “Mom, I didn’t lose interest in my
studies. I just wished to do my homework beforehand so I could spend some time with you rather than doing it at the last moment”. The next day when her parents
went to work, she again inserted the chip into the laptop to see if anything was
recorded. But that was empty nothing was recorded. Disappointed Keerthi left
home on Monday, early in the morning but it became late. She reached school a bit
late. “Excuse me ma’am”, asked Keerthi. “Yes, come in”, said her ma’am. Then
came their attendance register. Ma’am started the roll call “Abinaya, Ananya,
Arthi, Ashwini….” everybody was present.
“Bathma Priya… present ma’am”. Keerthi became sullen and numb on
hearing that. “Keerthi, Keerthi, Keeerrrthhhiii…. hmm, sorry ma’am, present
ma’am”. Keerthi turned back. She saw Bathu sitting at the last desk. “What?”
asked Bathu with a nodded head. “Nothing” replied Keerthi. Then came interval
after two hours of continuous lecture. Keerthi went to the rest room. She stood in a
queue for using the washroom. She saw Amrin and waved at her. Amrin gave a
strange look at her but smiled and went out. Keerthi became more and more
confused. That evening after school hours when she returned hostel she got a
strange sight. She saw herself. That is, she saw another Keerthi. Suddenly she hid
inside a bush as Keerthi-copy was coming by her side. Keerthi saw her. She was
going to the canteen and returned with a mango juice. Suddenly Keerthi
remembered that the incident has already happened in her life. She kept on
thinking but couldn’t get any idea. Then she followed her. Even the night study
hours were finished. The Keerthi-copy went to sleep. Suddenly she found Bathu
missing in her cot. She went in search of her and found her, writing a letter. She
was sitting in the staircase that lead to the terrace of their hostel. However, the
terrace was closed, the staircase leading that was regarded “The Scariest” by all the
students. But without fear Bathu was sitting there, writing. She stood up, folded the
letter and kept it in the last step that lead to the terrace and then she came down.
Keerthi hid herself downstairs. Bathu went to room, started to study. She was
reciting the Ohm’s Law. She then remembers that day. It was the day when Bathu
jumped out of the unbarred casement.
Keerthi turned and started to cry. Suddenly there was a heavy sound. She
peeped inside the room through the window. She saw the unbarred casement. She
suddenly ran upstairs to see what Bathu has written. She went near the letter. Her
heart was beating fast and she had a heavy breathing. She held out her hand to take
the letter. She neared it. Suddenly there was a loud sound, “Wake up Keerthi its already eleven am. You need to go to school. Today is Sunday. Already the train
will be too crowded. You must reach the railway station soon to get a seat. Come
on get up”. Suddenly she got up. “Oh! It was a dream!”, thought Keerthi.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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