"I'll be waiting for you by the mess. Come soon,"Naveen said to Payal as they reached the girls hostel.
Ms . Evangeline's English class had been thoroughly enjoyed by all the students. When the bell had rung for lunch, Naveen and Payal had walked out together talking about how their English professor was supposedly the best teacher they had had. Then ,Naveen had offered Payal to walk her to her hostel ,which she had reluctantly accepted.
Payal nodded at Naveen with a smile and made her way to the 4th floor,where her room was located. She was a bit nervous about joining Naveen for lunch with Rashi ,given how her roommate seemed to hate the guy. But she decided to give it a try.
When she reached her dorm room Rashi was already sitting on her bed,waiting for her.
"When did you get here?" Payal questiond as she kept her backpack on the table.
"A while ago. My class was just across this building.Shall we go for lunch ,now?"
"Sure, umm...Actually ,Naveen is going to joing us. It's okay with you ,right?"Payal asked nervously.
Rashi's expression soured and she replied,"I'm okay with it as long as he doesn't pull anything like last time ."
"Of course .I'll make sure he won't",Payal smiled widely and took Rashi's hand in hers,"Let's go, then".
************
As soon as they neared the mess ,Naveen waved vigorously at them.
"Hey ,Rashi!How was your first day?"Naveen asked smiling brightly.
Rashi smiled back a bit and replied,"It was good. How's yours?"
"Oh ! Don't even get me started . It was amazing. Our English professor is the best. Ask Payal!" Naveen exclaimed as they walked through the door and stood in the line.
"Yeah. It was really good ",Payal said smiling awkwardly, not knowing how to respond to Naveen's level of excitement.
Rashi just smiled and the rest of the lunch hour was uneventful.
**********
As it was their first day ,freshers did not have classes anymore for the rest of the day. So Payal and Rashi decided to take a walk in the garden in front of their hostel building.It was five o'clock in the evening and some other girls were sitting around in the lawn, as were Payal and Rashi.
They both were just talking about random things, when they were interrupted by a low voice,"Hello freshers, May I sit with with you?"
Payal and Rashi looked at the owner of the voice and saw a girl their age standing next to them with a sweet smile on her face. She was wearing a black T-shirt and track pants.
"Of course.Please come," Payal said ,smiling back.
The girl sat down,"I'm Bhoomika. Botany, second year".
Payal and Rashi introduced themselves to Bhoomika.
"So, how has your first day been?"
"So far ,so good," Payal said sighing, with content.
"It's been good", Rashi replied timidly.
"I remember my first day here was a disaster . I had the deadliest roommate ever . She took forever in the bathroom ,so I asked her to hurry up. And when I was using the bathroom she locked the door from outside. I was so late on my very first day ."
"Oh dear!" Payal chuckled.
"Then I'd to run to the warden and get my room changed,"She said ,laughing.
"Good thing that I've the best roommate in the world, then", Payal said ,looking sideways at Rashi with a cheeky smile, making Bhoomika chuckle.
Rashi smiled and looked down, picking at her nails.
Then ,Bhoomika asked ,"So, have you made friends?"
Payal nodded,"Yeah, a few".
A few? More like only one.
"And I assume you've already met the President...."
Payal just nodded her head, warily.
"I heard you talking to him this morning , in front of A24."
Payal gave her a sheepish smile and said,"He was just threatening me like he did yesterday".
Bhoomika furrowed her eyebrows ,"You have already met him yestersday?"
"Yeah. What's wrong?"
Bhoomika looked like she was trying hard to understand something. Then, she murmured ," That's odd".
"What are yo.....",
Bhoomika cut Payal off,"Listen, just do as he says ,okay? You wouldn't want him as your enemy. Trust me, he has never ragged the same person twice. So, be careful with what you say in front of him."
Payal gulped blinked her eyes ,"What's the big deal with him? He is just the President of students' union. And if anything it gives him the more reasons not to trouble us. And now you are talking about him as if he is a gangster or something. "
"Believe me, if he is anything like his father, which I'm sure he is, it's a very bad idea to even cross his path",Bhoomika said with a distant look in his eyes.
"Why? Who is his father? What's so dangerous about him?"Rashi ,who had been silently listening to Bhoomika ,asked aloud, curiosity laced with fear in her voice.
Bhoomika sighed, looking at her hands on her lap and said," Rajshekhar Mehra, a Member of Legislative Assembly of Malath ,Mumbai."
Payal and Rashi nodded in understanding.
"So, his father is a politician", Payal said slowly looking at Rashi , who was already freaking out.
Payal had now gotten a hunch about Siddharth's father. All Politicians weren't righteous. She had known a politician in her own locality, who had bought votes during last elections. Yet people had mindlessly voted for that power hungry man for some mere thousands and liquor.
"And? What's so dangerous about him that his son is feared too?"Payal asked Bhoomika.
Bhoomika sighed and closed her eyes,"Twenty years ago, he lived in a small city in Madhya Pradesh, with his wife and son ,Siddharth. He worked in a general store to earn food. Though he was poor ,his greed had no limit. He used to gamble half of what he earned. Once while gambling he lost all the money he had earned that day and took a huge debt from the MLA of that area, Pratap Singh . When he lost that money as well and couldn't repay the debt, the MLA was kind enough to offer him a job as his party worker. Everything went well after that, Rajshekhar continued to work for Pratap Singh . He soon became the MLA's right hand man. But his greed.....It wasn't satisfied. It wanted more than Pratap Singh could offer. So he joined hands with the opposite party behind the back of Pratap Singh. He secretly devised a plan. Then seven years ago ,he got Pratap Singh killed, mercilessly. They stabbed him fifteen times. And they did not stop there. When his wife came to rescue him, they dragged her away and hanged her in front of their twelve year old daughter. His wife was pregnant, for god sake. Then he was elected as an MLA in the same area where Pratap Singh once was. Two years ago he was elected as the MLA of Malath. Since then, he is responsible for the deaths of more than hundreds of people. He is the cruelest man I know. Behind the mask of a politician ,he has committed sins that don't have punishment except for burning in hell for years. Yet, these people stupidly give him the power that he is desperate for. " Bhoomika wiped her tears and finally looked up at Payal. There was pain in her eyes. But there was also something dark- anger , vengeance and hatred. And that dark blended dangerously with the dark surrounding them. The sun had set in ,and the lights were yet to be switched on.
"That's so horrible", Payal whispered loud enough for the other two to hear . Rashi had gone completely still ,burning holes in the dark sky. Bhoomika nodded slowly at Payal.
She then cleared her throat and continued," Siddharth is no different .By the way he has been these two months ,he sure has learnt well from his father. They share the same blood ,after all." Her face scrunched with disgust as she uttered the last line.
"That's truly unimaginable. How can someone be so heartless just for power and money?"Payal muttered softly.
Bhoomika chuckled humorlessly and said,"That's the harsh reality of Politics. No one can be honest and sincere here, because straight trees are always cut first. That's what happened to Pratap Singh. And some other honest police officers who met the same fate. So, listen to me and save yourself. I've seen it in you . The fire behind that smile and those shining eyes. These bastards are not worth that fire. Stay away."
Payal smiled and replied,"You just said people stupidly give them the power that they desperately want. Our fears give them that power. They feed off of our fears like monsters. Fear is a greater evil than evil itself. They are nothing if we deny them that fear . Someone has to fight back . Now that I know everything, my heart is only encouraging me more to fight back. I won't give in just because he is the son of a murderer ,or a murderer himself. And listening to whatever he says is never an option anyway."She paused for a little and her smile dropped as her eyebrows furrowed,"Wait...How do you know this?"
At this, Rashi's eyes found Bhoomika's too. Rashi had zoned out soon after Bhoomika had finished telling them about Siddharth's father deeds. But her ears had perked up when Payal questioned Bhoomika.
Bhoomika narrowed her dark eyes at Payal . Her eyes glinted mysteriously as she stood up and dusted her pants. Payal waited patiently for her to answer as she followed her every move. Bhoomika then looked around . They were the only people in the lawn and now the lights were on. She sighed and looked back at Rashi and then, back at Payal ,who raised her eyebrows questioningly.
"I'm Bhoomika Singh , daughter of Pratap Singh. I'm that twelve year old daughter who witnessed her own mother dying."
Rashi gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. While Payal just sat there ,looking up at Bhoomika with wide eyes.
Bhoomika blinked her tears away and said softly",Don't let the cat out of the bag".And then she was gone.