Freaked like hell! This used to be the permanent expression on the faces of the “I HAVE NOT STUDIED ANYTHING” type people and believe me I was one of them. Six subjects, three monstrous modules each, numerous different color pens for thousand headings, markers, dog-ears and still then “AM GONNA SCREW THIS PAPER!!”.
It was going to be the fifth paper of our first semester examination and I, Rimy and Liz were way too serious about it. Well, we were missing the fourth idiot because she was home. Three of us decided to put up in my room. We had three beds, an attached bathroom and most importantly it was least scary among all other rooms on that floor.
Everything was organised. One bed was completely dedicated to books. Sometimes we had three books from the same author being stacked up. The rest two were solely meant for naps which mostly turned out to be hours long! All those three were laid side by side so that it would be easier for us to crawl to our books and be back to our slumber area. Alarm clocks, water bottles, notes; everything available and because we had no laptops and internet connections at that time, for some refreshment-adult sms-joke subscription! Yeah! We find ways!
Like rats and bats, engineering students are most active at night. We too were not spared of the credits.12 o’clock and we were boosted up with some unknown juice, ready to battle our books. Some night it was, we were completely sucked up, completely exhausted and had no clue of what was about to happen. It scared the shit out of us but is definitely a memorable one.
Everything was happening as it used to happen. Three books, three cell phones being disturbed periodically and three rascals crouched with their materials in their respective arenas. It was around 1:30 at night and suddenly Rimy came up with the idea of story- telling. It was not any bedtime story, it was her famous “the story”. When I heard it first time, my immediate response was a “big bang” explosion to her; God knows how she is alive. Actually, I survived a heart attack! Well, to see how Liz responds, I insisted her to listen.
Three of us made a quick look around the room to make sure that every door and window was closed; we didn’t want anything creepy to crawl in! All set and Liz was sitting with a spooky face. To comfort her I sat beside her and put my arm around her neck. Rimy sat right in-front of us with her glistening eyes and an evil smile. Don’t know whether it was the night or her but even have heard the story before I was a bit scared.
It was time and she came closer. Here goes the mystery-
“It’s a true story. Every character is real and belongs to a place you must have heard about…..”
And so the story continued… Like any other ghost story it had a dead college girl, wandering, knocking doors, making girls scream (female ghosts are not allowed in boys hostels) and blah blah…All I was waiting for was the climax. It did arrive…
“She was alone in her room when she heard the knock. It was 2:00 am”.
We checked our watches, it was indeed 2 am!
“She opened the door slowly and the girl in the obituary was standing right in-front of her.”“You are dead!!”“Would you not care to listen how I died???”(Who won’t?)“Hhhaahhh…How???”
There was silence. Rimy wasn’t speaking, Liz was gawking and I was waiting…And then bam! In a second Rimy flung herself on Liz with hands around her neck posed about to strangle and uttering the answering words – “like this!!!” Liz was so scared that she tossed herself, at least a foot, screamed at that height and then landed on me with a thud! This is exactly what I was waiting for! I and Rimy were rolling with laughter and Liz was in awe.
Enough of it! Time to sleep-study! As the room was already full we had neatly placed our blankets in other room. Three of us moved there, grabbed our blankets and as usual they ran away leaving me to switch off the lights. Morons!
I was switching off everything on in that room and Liz had finally placed herself comfortably on the bed staring at the half-open window.
“We had the windows closed. How the hell’s that open?”
Rimy who was standing with her back facing the window thought it to be a revenge plan!
“Don’t you try to play me girl!!”
I had finally arrived crossing (for the time being) haunted-dark hall and was just about to close the door when Rimy shrieked so loud that was enough to wake people in 100 meter radius and so horrible that I felt something followed me to the room. Now it was time for my reflexes that kick opened the door! Liz who actually made this up was now sure Rimy saw something from that open window and its only Miss Shriek who knows what was in the thin air that scared her!
That’s it! We pulled up our blankets, covered our faces and slept under the bright tube-light lit room. Hell with the studies! And the paper next day…What else??? SCREWED!
Originally posted on Blogger on Aug 16, 2011.