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- 05/25/2013
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Murder At Lake Mohank - 2. Chapter 2. First Sight
It was a wet, overcast morning. It had rained all night long. Everything appeared wet. The roads, the trees, the mountain peaks, the houses and the streets. Though not really a romanticist at heart, I liked to savor the feeling of exquisite intoxication that such mornings always seemed to instill in me. Enthusiastically I walked. My steps, spirited. My eyes, exhilarated. The world, a wide variegated vista; the familiar old footpaths and the well trodden friendly avenues, appeared dreamy as though viewed through a large translucent bubble. A hazy foggy misty view on offer, transforming the surroundings; taking my imagination to those yet to be visited lands. Lands that were strangers to me, and yet beckoned me with the promise of rainbow filled eyes. Lands that held within them gently rolling hills, the warmth of a fireplace in chilly winter nights, and the intoxication of fragrant springs.
I walked past UparKot - literally meaning high castle - looking ominous with the deep mist clinging to its base; its ramparts and turrets rising high above, far into the sky. Shrouded perennially in an intrigue far more mysterious than the haze that now surrounded its stone walls, the fort was precinct with an evocative history and a source of many a myth and local folklore. Sprawling majestically over a hill rising more than a hundred feet, it was spread across an area of several hundred acres, and contained a series of palaces, temples, gates, towers and a number of water bodies. These water bodies, fed by natural catchment and rainfall, had been a useful source of water supply in times of siege.
Of the many legends that had developed over the ages around the castle and its long line of inhabitants, there was one that always intrigued me, for no apparent reason. It was disconcerting - to feel so strongly about something that seemingly had nothing to do with my life. Wrapped in such thoughts, I dint realize when I made it to the Old Bus Depot. I was just in time, as was usual for me, it was already crawling with students and other early commuters. I dint get any time to ponder upon - , the college bus arrived soon, and like usual, I had to unwillingly jostle my way in.
I made my way to the back of the bus, only to be disappointed to see my favorite seat already occupied. Not physically occupied, but reserved by one of the handkerchief-bookers. And if I was correct, the white hanky belonged to Harsh Raizaada, the professor who had joined our college just a few weeks ago. For some reason, I couldnt yet determine if it was deliberate, he seemed to prefer sitting at that particular seat. I would have dismissed it as just a coincidence if not for the bitter glares that he threw down at me every time I happened to look in the same general direction as him.
Not wanting to get into another squabble with him, I quickly looked around for another vacant seat. Alysaa, one of my friends was sitting alone but it was right across the aisle from my favorite spot. I didnt wish to spend the whole time trying to avoid the acidic glares that I was certain to get from the professor. Plus, I didnt wanna give her any wrong signals. Just as I was about to change my mind and go sit by her as a necessary compromise, I noticed Rahil waving at me from one of the front seats. I was glad to accept his offer; things were simple with him - no mindless talks, no invasive queries.
It was drizzling outside, all the windows pulled tightly shut, but I preferred scanning through the stained glass the streets and buildings that were flashing by, to engaging myself in some frivolous chatter with Rahil. We drove past the famous Darbar Hall Museum, already crawling with tourists even in the wet weather, the forbidding looking Public Library, and the enchanting gardens that lined the picturesque Pari Talao.
Soon, we were beyond the town limits, and moving past empty fields and the occasional farmhouses and other out-of-town constructions that had a sense of perpetual abandonment and isolation to them, looking even more morose beneath the grey skies and the swirling mist. Excellence College of Engineering, or ECE as it was better known, was located a dozen or so miles out of the town of Raigadh. It was just off the National Highway, route 8B, famous among tourists on their way to the Sasan Gir National Park. Funded by multiple sources, including the Central Government, the technical education department, not to mention, a board of patrons that included the erstwhile royalties of the region, you would think they could have afforded some location closer to town, or may be even within the town radius. But just like most other matters to do with us, we were supposed to not meddle in the reasoning of such decisions. In any case, I had to admit, it suited me rather well. I loved the sense of tranquility that it afforded, every time I heard the breeze blowing, or the occasional sandy gust that swirled in summer. the little hillocks nearby, that I could escape to when we had some drab dreary lectures on Chemical Thermodynamics or Mass Transfer Operations.
It was there, sitting in the bus, on a rainy wet morning, looking out the glass window, that I first saw him. Twenty or so yards down the road. Draped in a black hooded jacket, a dark shape in the swirling rain, standing at the edge of the road, with his arm stretched out, obviously wishing for the bus to stop for him. Not a chance in hell ! I thought. Outside the town, in the middle of nowhere, in the rain. And sure enough the driver dint hit the brake pedal or decelerate the bus at all. It was entirely possible that the driver may not even have noticed him, the visibility was so poor. We had almost reached him, and I wondered what he could be doing here in such weather. It was too dangerous to be standing out there like that.
Perhaps the driver noticed him at the last moment, as we passed him, hitting the brakes, the bus sliding to a stop a dozen or so yards further down the road. He dint seem the least bothered about getting on the bus as fast as he could, walking up at a leisurely pace. Almost everyone was staring at him as he finally entered the front entrance. He seemed entirely oblivious to it all, it was tough to gauge for sure, his face almost entirely hidden behind the hood that was lowered too far down.
He didnt look like a student at all, though he was in fact carrying a back pack which he seemed to have kept concealed earlier while he was standing on the road. The driver muttered something, perhaps to himself, I couldnt judge, as he finally got the bus moving again.
I didnt get the chance to see his face or notice too many details, as I was sitting on one of the front rows, and the wet stranger had quickly moved further down the aisle. After a few seconds, just out of curiosity, I turned my head back to see if he had found a vacant seat, and to my dismay, found that not only was he standing, but standing right behind my row. He didnt seem to have noticed that I was looking at him, or perhaps he just didnt care.
He appeared to be wearing a white shirt or a tshirt underneath the black jacket, tucked inside his dark navy jeans. He was very tall, and seemed quite lean but muscular. My cell beeped at that instant, and I reluctantly turned back to my normal position to avoid being noticed gawking at the stranger.
"See you at the canteen. If you dont end up being zombie breakfast, that is ;-)"
It was a message from Alyssa, my friend from the back of the bus, apparently having already noticed me staring at the stranger.
"Sure. I will try. I mean I know you are safe, if the zombies only feast upon people's brains." I replied.
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Duh, it was Tuesday again. Lectures on 'Strength of Materials' and 'Fluid Flow Operations' to begin the day. Time to bunk the classes and head straight to the cafe.
As I crossed the lobby, I noticed the cafe crawling with people. Almost the entire college was at the cafe. The rainy weather seemed more suited to sipping a cup of coffee with friends and classmates. I tried to do a quick scan with my eyes as I made my way into the cafe entrance. I saw no signs of Alyssa; or of the mysterious stranger for that matter.
I got myself a cup of coffee and found a quite little corner to stand in. All the chairs were occupied; there were more people standing than the number of people who were seated in the crowded cafe.
"Where the hell is she !", I wondered. "Perhaps, she does have some brains after all, and the zombie is feasting upon her right now in some secluded area of the college premises." I tried to hold a neutral expression on my face.
I waited alone for a while. Finally, just as I was thinking about texting her, I saw her entering the cafe with a group of her friends. The 'We-were-born-to-gossip' girls. Alyssa noticed me, and as soon as she did, the other girls noticed that she had noticed someone. And they all ended up looking at me, all at the same time. I gave them my usual "contemptuous wide smile" reply, and they all quickly started looking away in different directions. She quickly bade them goodbye and made her way to where I was standing.
"Poor girls ! if only you had even an iota of interest in any of them." I saw that coming.
"But then, we would never have been such good friends." I reasoned, "Anyways so whats the story on that guy who boarded the bus?"
"I thought you liked to stay miles away from all this girly stuff. gossiping etc." She raised her eye brows as she spoke. But of course, she couldnt wait for long before she continued.
"The girls say he has been transferred to ECE from some other engineering college, from some other state. And -"
"Can that be done?", I interrupted her.
"Well, I dont know", she replied, "I guess it can be done in some special cases. And let me tell you, this sure is one. A very tragic story actually." She paused.
"Oh! Why? How is that so?"
"His parents got killed in an automobile accident a few months ago. He was also present in the car, at the time of the accident, and although he did survive the crash, he lost his memory. He doesnt have any living relatives except a distant elderly aunt, who happens to be living here in Rajgadh. Thats why they got him transferred here. So that he can pursue his studies while living with his aunt." She finished.
"Thats so sad." I felt bad for having joked about him earlier. "What about his studies? Can he keep up with the classes? Does he remember how to read and write?"
"Why dont you try and find that out by your self?" she seemed irritated by my inquiries, "Its his first day here. Hope people accept him in."
Yes I hope so too, I wished.
The next day, once again he boarded the bus from the same spot as the day before. The bus was full as usual. I thought about offering him my seat, but then decided not to make him feel like a victim or a subject of sympathy. But Rahil, my nice and naive friend, offered him his seat, which the stranger seemed to reluctantly accept, and so I ended up sitting along side him for the first time.
"Hi !" I greeted him, told him my name and extended my hand.
"Hi,-" after a deliberate pause - "my name is Balbhadra." he said, and shook hands.
I felt really sorry for him. I wondered how it must feel to not even remember ones own name, and having to rely on strangers to know that.
There were so many things that I wanted to ask him, but I was also aware of the plight of the poor guy. Probably everyone in town must be asking him all the same questions again and again. I decided to remain silent after the initial introduction.
He didnt seem to be too interested in chatting up either. There was a pleasant yet blank sort of an expression on his face all the time.
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Balbhadra started boarding the bus from a regular bus stop. I didnt have much interaction with him at all. I came to know through Rahil, and Alyssa, and some other friends, that he was getting along well, and enjoying being in the town of Rajgadh. He seemed to have found a nice group of guys and girls to be friends with. I felt happy for him. Once or twice, I spotted him hanging out with one or the other of the pretty girls at the cafe.
Classes were boring as usual, the only thing remotely interesting happening in college, were the talks going around of a hiking trip to Lake Mohank that some of the guys were planning. Of course, I would need to get approval from my dad for that.
Saturday Afternoon
It had been another dull rainy day at college. I was in no mood to attend the last class, especially after we came to know that the scheduled class had been cancelled, owing to the regular professor being on leave; and that Mr. Harsh was going to lecture instead. I didnt mind the subject enough, 'Humanities', but he was the last guy that I expected to learn it from.
So it was, that I hurriedly packed all my stuff, and exited the class room on the first floor, before the professor would arrive and notice me leaving. I made my way across the lobby, luckily he was no where in sight. I had originally planned to descend the stairs to the ground floor, but at the last moment, I saw him coming across from the far lobby. He wasnt close enough, but it would be difficult to reach the stairs, without him noticing. So, I quickly turned back and walked to the far end, and started climbing the steps to the terrace. I intended to wait there a few moments, until the professor would move past. As I reached the intermediate landing, I heard murmurs from somewhere up above.
"Yes. Of course, I know that. Look. I have already told you, dont call me while I am at the college." After a brief pause "No, no. Everything is on schedule. Just let me do things my way, ok?"
It took me a moment to recognize, it was Balbhadra's voice; and as I moved forward, I saw him talking on his cell. He seemed to be quite agitated, making little gestures with his hand as he talked. He didnt seem to have noticed me.
"Listen, you dont need to tell me who to talk to and when. I will - " He suddenly paused as he turned, and found me looking at him. He appeared flustered for an instant.
"I will talk to you later." He announced on the cell, and immediately ended the call, without even waiting for a reply from the other end.
He smiled at me, as he started descending the steps towards me.
"Its my aunt, worried about my studies and stuff. She wants me to talk to the HOD."
I nodded my head ambiguously.
"So what are you doing here?", He inquired.
"Nothing." I replied "Just was about to go to the terrace."
"Lets do that. It will be fun." He invited.
"Well actually, I think I need to go home. See you later." I declined.
I didnt see him around much after that, until the day that we had all gathered at the cafe, to finalize the details of the hiking trip, scheduled for the next day. Quite miraculously, my dad had given his approval for the trip without much fuss. Of course, the proposal had needed some precise timing on my part.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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