THE UNBARRED CASEMENT

Confused Keerthi ran to the second floor

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 heavy breathing. She held out her hand to take the letter. She neared it. Suddenly there was a loud sound, “Wake up Keerthi it's 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.

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 in that letter. For her excitement, there was a folded paper at the last step that leads to the terrace of that building. She went near the letter. Her heart was beating fast and she had 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 the 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. Let's go out and speak about this” said Kavya. They both went out. “Hmm do you remember on the first day, I said to 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 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.