Pratima's Forbidden Book

Chapter 3 - Leaving School

Chapter 3 - Leaving School

William heads up the cracking cement steps to the entrance, it’s aged, from before the Collapse. Moving between its columns across the front steps, above the entrance, he reads BITS LIBRARY in English. This Birla Institute was begun as an intermediate college one hundred years pre-Collapse. Afterwards, the Birla, as a respected university, continued to exist on the same grounds, with many less faculty and students.

William admires the portico's ceiling murals, portraying scenes from old Rajputana history, all the way up the steps. Walking through the glass-door entrance, he approaches a chubby older man wearing a rumpled uniform who’s sitting in the lobby's front entry space.

“I have been sent to find Pratima Patel,” William addresses him. “She studies here—languages and history of technology.”

“Yes.” The attendant indicates. “She’s working in the Central Atrium.” With a nod. “Straight ahead.”

William follows directions, walking past ornate curved staircases on each side of the passage. Overhead, a huge skylight stretches in the ceiling, two floors above. The room’s shine, bright from the many windows and the full skylight, seems to merge the floors into one space in his view. He thinks, not often I see these old buildings so bright. Designed for electrical use, as they were.

Straight ahead in the large open area, he sees a woman standing next to a tall table. She is about 170 cm tall, eyes on a book. “Pratima Patel?”

William greets her. Standing tall, thinking how he represents the libraries. She’s dressed in something dark, in the European fashion. It makes her stand out. William tries puffing himself up, reacting to her attractiveness.

The bottom of her dark dress reaches to within a few centimeters of the floor, and she wears a beaded belt.

“I am Pratima,” the young woman responds, looking at him with a curiosity if not boldness.

“I have a message for you.” William stands with a smile, waiting patiently until she looks at his face. He hands her the folded note.

“This is from the Librarian of Rajasthan.” With the wax seal binding the touching edges of the paper, her expression shows she understands its import.

William watches Pratima, who’s moved to a nearby desk to retrieve a letter opener. She moves with an elegance as though she’s studied dance. But she’s also deliberate in her concentration in breaking the seal. As she reads the letter, William feels he’s not even in the room. He cannot tell her age. He thinks, older than twenty. She impresses him. While William waits he thinks back on how the brigands fled from the inspection site. And how he might tell Pratima that story of daring later.

“You know what this says?” Pratima asks after reading the page. Now she’s looking back at him.

“Yes,” William answers. “I have been instructed to give you a Document of Interest to the Librarian, if you choose to accept the invitation.” He explains, “I know you applied to join the Libraries of Rajasthan more than a year ago… We had no openings at the time. But now our Librarian has a special need for your knowledge.”

“When must I start?” she watches as William looks thoughtfully around the Institute’s library room.

“Our Librarian hopes you’ll begin work today.” William smiles. “Or within the next few.” This request does not seem to shock. William takes that as a good sign.

“Must I travel to Jaipur?”

“No, The Librarian’s on his way to Pilani, as we speak.”

At this, Pratima looks impressed. He waits, as she thinks, neither speaks for almost a minute. William watches this slim, cool creature, wondering what her decision will be.

“Tell me—William—about your experiences working for the Librarian.”

Wanting to convince, but truthfully, William answers. “I’ve lived almost my whole life in libraries. Working there does not make us rich,” William explains. “Sometimes the rewards can be—intangible.”

Pratima looks directly at him as he speaks. No sign of emotion, so he continues.

“For me, it’s been the best possible job,” William stares around at this open room, and wonders what else to add to move her. “I love to learn. Most people respect the libraries. I’m helping people—live better lives.”

Her eyes haven’t left his face. William says with a c**k of his head, “Not everyone’s had my experience with Librarians,” She’ll probably appreciate the same things. “I’ve known others who didn’t have the passion, started with a library, but soon wanted to leave.”

“What do they do? Those people who want to leave?” There in her eyes, he realizes, Is this her trying to discern if I’m telling the truth.

“The libraries don’t—they’re not interested in making people stay—if they want to leave.” William’s rewarded with a slight grin for this. “If you change your mind, you can leave anytime you want.”

“In that case, I will accept the offer,” Pratima sounds cautious, but decisive.

“The Librarian wants you to tell her everything you can find out about this.” William pulls out a second envelope from his pack, handing it over. “Meet us at the local Pilani library at one hour after dawn tomorrow. And congratulations, Pratima Patel.”