First thing I remember was a huge 'Khaai' or canyon. It was deep and beautiful. It was vast and covered with vegetation. I saw it while safely standing on top.
Next thing I remember is our professor coming up with a crazy but interesting idea for a project. It involved the whole batch. It was a big project and had a lot of scope but he asked us to start our work one week before the end semester exams. And no one was in a mood to work for the project as we had other deadlines to meet. I took a part of the project that I would be doing, after few of my batchmates planned and discussed the division of the work of project amongst us. My mind raced through the schedule for coming week and allotted time for the project in that schedule.
Last week of semester proved to be disastrous. After missing two English classes because of staying at home during that week sometime earlier in the semester, this week I missed one class and was late for one, after I overslept due to fatigue. I reached the class half an hour late and sat beside Bhanukiran. He asked me where had I been in all previous English classes. Of course he knew the reasons.
One should never lie in life. I had not good reason to lie but I did the same. I stood at the first floor corridor of school building, looking into my notebook at a half torn page in the bottom half of which I had written a few things that could help me conveniently prepare for exams. I looked at it, both in amazement that I have a shortcut now, and in disbelief that, will this really help me?
I would never have thought this in my worst nightmares, but I sensed it now. I felt that the headmistress was standing behind me, looking at what I was looking at. I turned slowly, cautiously and found a couple of students walk past me. I turned to my notebook, closed it and as I turned to leave, I saw the headmistress standing in front of me.
"I would like to look at the page you were looking at, in your notebook!"
I sensed danger!
I turned the pages of my notebook back and forth in an attempt to find a similar half torn page at the top. I found a close replica scribbled in same way, which I showed her. She asked for my notebook and asked me to leave. I saw myself walking away from her and she looking at that page when I heard her call me from behind, with the notebook in her hand, "It is not a good thing to lie."
I froze at my place. How could she know of the shortcut?!
I always thought she had some magical powers. I saw myself sitting in front of her, in her office. She seemed furious. After few seconds she spoke, "you wanted to take the shortcut, isn't it?"
I couldn't say anything to that.
"Let me make it easier for you", she said. She handed me my notebook open at that page. I did what she wanted me to do. As I read the contents of the page, I saw myself looking at a street junction. I saw the headmistress standing on it, in front of an antique shop I think. I saw a man of almost her age walking towards her. She slapped him or something and he was hurt. A few seconds later, I saw them kissing passionately and that man apologizing.
No comments:
Post a Comment