She reached the railway station, boarded the train and reached her school.
She remained sullen throughout the journey. She went to her room. She lied down
for some time. Amrin came in. “How are you?”, she asked. “Hmm good” replied
Keerthi. Suddenly she remembered the letter scene of her dream. She ran upstairs
to see what was written on that letter. For her excitement there was a folded paper
at the last step that lead to the terrace of that building. 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. This time she took the letter. But unfortunately she found
only a blank paper, not a letter. It was just an empty paper, folded.
Confused Keerthi ran to second floor to Kavya’s room, her senior. “Kavya”
called Keerthi. “Hmm Keerthi, what’s the matter?” asked Kavya. “Do you know
anybody named Meera?” asked Keerthi. “Oh come out. Lets go out and speak
about this” said Kavya. They both went out. “Hmm do you remember on the first
day, I said you about our senior who committed suicide?” asked Kavya. “Yes”
replied Keerthi. “Hmm, her name is Meera. Hey, how do you know that name?”
asked Kavya again. “I found a physics book with her name.” replied Keerthi. “Oh
no! throw that book away. It is said that she died because she got poor marks only
in physics. She was actually a topper and she even got centum. But she felt physics
hard, it seems. So she committed suicide. Throw it away” said Kavya. “Will you
please tell me how she died?” asked Keerthi. “The same way as your friend
Bathma Priya died. Look I have promised my friends that I would not tell all these
to my juniors. But I’ve told you, trusting that you won’t tell anybody. Okay now I
must go and study bye” said Kavya. “Bye and thanks” replied Keerthi. Kavya
smiled and went inside the hostel.
There was a well beside their refectory. It was covered with a mesh. That
was a deep well. She peeped inside for some time thinking of what would have
made Bathu die. Then she went to her room. The dinner bell rang and Keerthi went
with Amrin. Later the study hours also got over. Keerthi prepared for the first
weekly test which she was going to face on the next day. She studied thoroughly
and slept with a satisfied heart. She was deep asleep.
“Ohm’s Law states that the potential difference across an ideal conductor…”
came a feeble voice. It didn’t seem to be Amrin’s voice. “Oh my God! Not again”
thought Keerthi and Suddenly woke up. It was Amrin bending her head deeply,
sitting on her cot with folded legs and she had a physics book, she was reciting the
Ohm’s Law. Keerthi went near and sat beside her. But Amrin continued studying.
Keerthi touched Amrin’s shoulder and called her name “Amrin…”. Her head rose
up. It was not Amrin. Keerthi got up as she screamed. Suddenly she saw Amrin’s
figure. “Amrin” she said again. “Hmm” she said. “What happened?” asked Keerthi
as she grabbed the book from her. As soon as she grabbed the book from her she
fell down asleep.
Keerthi couldn’t sleep. She sat on the corner of her cot with folded legs.
There were tears in her eyes. Suddenly she saw Amrin waking up and getting out
of the cot. “What?” asked Keerthi. But there was no response. She held Amrin who
was standing with her head down and closed eyes. First her head became upright.
Keerthi recognized something abnormal is happening and decided to be brave,
fearless and strong. She didn’t leave Amrin. Suddenly she opened her eyes. Her
eye balls were white and bright like a fluorescent bulb. Even seeing that terrific
sight, she didn’t leave her. Amrin threw her and she fell down and was hurt heavily
and she couldn’t get up. She saw Monica and Shalini. They were deep asleep not
knowing what was happening. Keerthi however managed to get up since she need
to stop Amrin from committing suicide as she stood over the casement, ready to
jump.
Keerthi suddenly stood and held her arms. “Meera” said Keerthi. Suddenly
Amrin turned to her. That was not Amrin now. It was Meera. “Meera, you died
because of your ignorance. Why are you killing my friends due to your
ignorance?” asked Keerthi. “Am I ignorant? No. I died not because I couldn’t
study. I died because I was insulted.” Replied Meera who was inside Amrin.
“Let’s sit and speak, please?” asked Keerthi. “Hmm” said Meera and got
down. They both sat together. “Why did you die?” asked Keerthi. “I died because I
was insulted by my physics ma’am.” Replied Meera. “Will you say me that in
detail?” asked Keerthi. “I don’t remember much. But I knew that I was a good
student. But I was poor in physics. My physics ma’am insulted me every day. I
reported to the principal. But I was again insulted. I was only insulted” said Meera.
“Stop it. Insult, insult, insult. Where did your brain go when you were insulted?
Was committing suicide a better plan to repair your insult?” asked Keerthi. “I
thought so but it didn’t work out and that’s why I’m doing all these.” Said Meera.
Suddenly she stood up and again climbed up the casement to jump. Keerthi
grabbed Meera’s hand and told “look you died due to your ignorance. Now you
don’t even remember fully about yourself. Why are you killing these innocent
people for that?”. “I thought this school will be sealed after my death but it didn’t
happen so I planned to kill all those who come to my place. That is if so many
deaths occur the government will close this school. Now leave me I have to prove
this to the world”, Said the spirit. “You stupid, idiot why don’t you understand?
Once you become dead all your belongings go away with you and you don’t own a
right over it again. And how come you say this as your place. And how dare you
kill my friends saying that they came to your place when it’s no more yours?”
asked Keerthi. Her face turned sympathetic. “You are an ignorant fool! Killing
neither finds a solution for all your problems nor this school will be sealed. This
business won’t get corrupted just because of the death of some students. Instead
their business will spread, that is, this school will develop by constructing many
schools as its branches and only get many more students admitted to this
institution. In the matter of money and the world of business your sacrifices and
murders won’t get accounted. You are just an ignorant fool!” continued Keerthi.
“Stop it. I’m not a fool. I was brave. I wanted to be wise” replied Meera. “If
you are brave leave my friend” said Keerthi. Meera faced Keerthi and gave a smile.
Suddenly Amrin fell unconscious and something seemed to Keerthi, like flying out
of the casement. She hoped that it was Meera’s spirit that just liberated from
Amrin’s body. Later Keerthi made Amrin lie on her cot and sprinkled some water
over her face to make her recover from her unconsciousness. She slowly opened
her eyes and asked in a very feeble voice “what happened?”. “Nothing” replied
Keerthi and she made her to sleep. Keerthi smiled at Amrin. She won’t believe if
Keerthi say what had happened to her, so she decided that it was better not to say
her what had happened.
-Gayathri Krithika,
Penned On,
05/06/2018.
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