Chapter 08

My room-mates pulled my leg over my ‘conspicuously silly act’, as they called it, of

spending half-an-hour with Priya in the canteen during dissection hours. They did not tire

narrating all that was being said about us while we were away. Even Jivani sir, they said,

ridiculed my impudence. I, on my part, failed to understand the reason behind the

superfluous hullabaloo and told my friends as much.

“Can’t a girl and a boy spend some time together, for God’s sake, without being branded

as a pair?” I protested, “And Priya’s a decent girl, please don’t tarnish her name.”

“But the way you two rushed out of the dissection hall, everyone was left wondering. If

you care so much about what is being talked about you, you must act sensibly,” said

Achal. “And by the way, things were being said about you and not Priya. Everyone

knows she’s a decent girl.”

Suddenly, I did not know what to say. Was he right in what he said? Was I trying to

impose myself on Priya? But God, I like her so much.

That night, while Achal and Sunil broke their heads with BD Chaurasia’s anatomy, in

preparations for the upcoming viva, I lay in bed thinking about Priya.

I can’t say whose idea it was, but at the fag end of a boring day at the dissections, I

overheard Achal, Murli, Rekha and Priya talking about visiting the dissection room at

midnight. At midnight? Are they crazy? I sat up and lent my ears to the discussion while

pretending to be drowned in my Cunningham’s manual. In fact, they were challenging

each other to traverse the entire dissection hall at midnight with all the corpses lying on

the tables.

“I don’t think any mortal can do this. No sir, I don’t think,” declared Murli

prophetically.

“That’s not true, I can do it,” said Achal, “but why should I perform the feat unless

there’s something for me in it?”

“What do you mean something for you?” queried Priya.

“I mean, there should be a reward of sorts, otherwise where’s the motivation?”

“Fair enough, we’ll pool in money to treat you with a movie and a dinner at Kalyan,”

announced Murli.

Kalyan was one of the favorite restaurants frequented by us medicos.

“But will it be ok for you girls? It’ll be midnight. Will your parents allow you out?”

“Sure!” Priya winked, “I’ll tell my folks that I’d be at Rekha’s place for studies and

Rekha will tell the same to her parents.”

“I’m ready,” he said. “It’s decided then, I’ll pinch the keys to the hall from the Anatomy

dept and all four of us will meet on the college porch at 11.55 PM. Thereafter, we’ll

ascend to the second floor together.” He then whispered to Manoj, “Why don’t we ask

Ajay and Sunil to join in? They can contribute to my treat too.”

“You know Ajay’s a sissy and Sunil’s no good either. They won’t get to the second floor

of the college building after six in the evening, let alone entering the dissection hall at

midnight,” whispered back Manoj, much to my annoyance. I didn’t see it but I bet Priya

glanced at me and gave a knowing smile to Achal. I closed my manual with a loud snap

and stood up to leave. On my way out, I saw Sunil talking to Manoj, and instinctively I

held him by the arm and dragged him out of the hall.

“Where’s the fire, man?” he asked as soon as we were out of the hall.

“Here,” I said, indicating to the left side of my chest.

“What do you mean?” he was perplexed.

“Let’s go to the canteen and I’ll tell you everything over a cup of tea.” We started down

the stairs.

“So that’s what the smart-ass is up to,” said Sunil after hearing me out. “And he’s

keeping even me out of this, the son of a @#$%!”

I was more worried about Achal impressing Priya with the whole act and hence I

suggested an idea to Sunil, which, under normal circumstances, I’d not have even dreamt

of. I couldn’t lose Priya so easily.

By dusk, the college building became completely vacant save for the lovebirds,

who often found the isolated porch a convenient spot for a romantic tête-à-tête.

Sometimes even more than that. The main door, though, was never closed; perhaps it had

to do with the old philosophy of the doors to education being perpetually open or some

similar shit. As per our plan, Sunil had got the impression of the key to the dissection hall

on a piece of soap and had even promptly got a duplicate made. At 11.30 sharp, we went

up the stairs to the second floor. A few tubelights on the stairway and the lobby fought

the darkness and they helped us find our way, though we had our flashlights handy. The

college building that otherwise appeared so lively during the day seemed eerie in the dead

of the night. Even though we tiptoed, our footsteps echoed so loudly across the building

that we feared they might attract someone’s attention.

On reaching the hall, we first peeked inside. It was pitch dark and we pointed our

flashlights through the glass pane on the door. Fourteen dead bodies lay motionless on

dissection tables covered with sheets to prevent flies and other insects from damaging

them. For a moment I thought of backing out but Priya’s smiling face flashed in front of

me to give strength. I looked at Sunil and nodded. He pushed the newly made key into

the keyhole and turned. The lock squeaked and then opened with a click and soon we

were inside, fighting the pungent smell of formalin. As planned, we quickly removed the

cadaver from the second table from the door and placed it on the floor beyond the forth

table, hidden from the eyes of anyone standing at the door. Sunil removed a rag from a

small bag he carried and wiped off the tabletop before handing me a white sheet to spread

on the table. I did so and Sunil gave me a thumbs-up indicating that I lie down on the

table. I hesitated for a moment but then, bowing to the larger interest, climbed on the

table and lay perfectly still while Sunil covered me from head to toe with another sheet. I

can’t describe how I felt at that instance. I was almost trembling with fear at the thought

that soon Sunil would leave, and worse, lock the door from outside! At that moment I got

up and grabbed Sunil’s arm. “Hey I can’t do this, it’s too scary.” Sunil tried to comfort

me, “C’mon, Ajay, nothing will happen. We have to teach those smart guys a lesson,

remember? And I’ll be right outside, hiding behind those lockers. I’d love to see those

bastards getting a shock of their lives.” I visualized the fright on their faces and I

regained my strength. I slowly let go of Sunil’s arm and since it was almost 11.55, he left,

closing and locking the door behind him. It would be an understatement if I said that I

was terrified. I was literally trembling under that sheet and I thought my tremors would

probably frighten the gang even before I sat up like a ghost. Those five minutes were

going to be the longest in my life. What if they failed to turn up? I had not discussed this

possibility with Sunil and I wondered how long he’d wait for them before deciding to

open the door himself. Minutes ticked by and I got tensed, frightened and extremely angry

with myself for this stupid idea. With the fans off and the windows closed, I soon felt hot

and suffocated. The formalin was killing too. If I lay there for ten more minutes, some

student would be dissecting my brachial plexus on the morrow, I thought. I wore a watch

but it was so dark that I couldn’t read the time. I knew time passed very slowly with me

on the altar but when I was doubly sure that it must now be at least ten minutes past

midnight, I threw off the sheet, jumped off the table and rushed to the door. I looked at

my watch with the help of feeble light that emanated from a far off tube. It was twelve

minutes past midnight. I pressed my face on the glass pane of the door to see outside. Faint light

illuminated the hallway but there was no one in sight. I wondered where Sunil was.

Where are you, idiot? Where the hell are you? I was getting more and more panicky and I

suddenly realized that I was drenched in perspiration. I thought I heard something move

behind me but I was too afraid to turn and look behind. I was just about to bang on the

door when I froze. The figure that I saw must have been at least ten feet tall, fully

covered with a white sheet that gently quivered with the mild breeze that blew across the

hallway. It had suddenly appeared from nowhere and stood about four feet from the door.

I trembled like a leaf. I wanted to scream but my voice failed me. In fact, my senses

failed me when the monster started moving towards the door with four arms swaying,

two on either side of the body. I fainted and slouched on the floor, knocked out clean.

It was full ten minutes before I was fully conscious. I lay on the hallway and five

worried faces hovered over me when I came to. They had sprinkled some water on my

face while fanning it with a sheet. The back of my head hurt because of the fall and I felt

dizzy. They were all there. As soon as I saw Sunil among them I realized that I had been

taken for a long ride. So it was all a big plan to outdo me. Me? What pleasure could

anyone possibly get from ambushing me?

I was devastated to know that Priya was involved in the whole thing, too. I felt so

miserable that I almost cried.

“Be a sport, man, it was just a joke!” said Achal when we were back in the room.

“What joke?” I shouted back, “I could have died for all you know! And you Sunil,” I

tried to sound hurt, “I thought at least you were with me.”

Sunil didn’t say anything but Achal was still on the offensive. “Oh yeah?” he said, “What

if your plan had clicked? What if someone from us had got killed by your prank?”

“But my plan was never there with this traitor being on your side all the time.” I said,

pointing at Sunil. I had not looked at Sunil in the eyes yet. There was silence for a minute

and then Achal said, “forget it Ajay, it was just meant to be a benign joke. Ok, I’m sorry,

I mean, we’re sorry.” He nudged at Sunil who mumbled out incoherent apologies too.

Go to sleep you skunks, it’s not you imbeciles that I’m disappointed with.

The next day was a physiology day and I noticed Priya on the front benches in the

lecture hall, as usual. I did not make an eye contact with her though I could make out that

she stared straight at me. I avoided even Sunil and Achal in the mid-rows and climbed

back to join Brij who chatted with me nonstop through the lecture. Makan sir’s lectures

on hypnosis were not exactly hypnotic and Brij’s chatter helped me keep awake. We

skipped the biochemistry lecture and went for tea to the canteen. There I told Brij about

the previous night’s misadventure.

He was appalled. “How could you be such a sucker? Can’t you see how selfish, arrogant,

highhanded and thoughtless your roommates are? You better stay away from them.” He

declared in a no-nonsense manner.

I considered the plethora of adjectives he’d heaped on them. Though I couldn’t agree

more, I said, “How can I stay away from them? They are my room-mates.” There was

helplessness in my voice.

“Then get your room changed, you’re not married to them; or, if that’s not possible, you

mind your own business and let them mind theirs.” He stood up, paid the bill and

gestured at me to get up and leave. I had not finished my tea but I couldn’t disobey Brij.

Hell, I’ve not been able to disobey anyone in this college. Or, for that matter, in the

hostel.

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