'The Other Night'

The Nights

Chapter 2: The Other Night

DAY2 7.45 PM The following night
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The basketball players were still at the Basketball Court, couple of them were at the coffee corner grabbing a sprite. K was here too grabbing a bite. Suddenly he finds P & M walking in this direction. K begins to wonder if both P & M were still in the same mood of yesterday.

K could hear a few words here and there..

P: "Stupid.........that was.....like......robbb.."
M:" Oh, Noooo! but, I thought it .....".
P: "Shhhhh....keep it low!"

But now K could hear clearly as they were in his hearing range.

P: "Did you see how he reacted today? I told you he has to change."
M: "Hmmm... What exactly bothered you there ? I thought he was perfectly alright."
P: "You are too biased towards him. You don't want anyone to point at him, isn't it ? But how will he learn in life ?"
M: "Sometimes it is us that need to change not him."
P: "So many of us want him to improve, doesn't that mean he needs to change and not us ?"
M: "Who many? How many? Are there significant any? I don't think he needs improvement. He is just alright as he is."
P: "You know sometimes I begin to wonder if you like him too much. But I hope it is just because you have been so close for so long."
M: "hmmm...actually..."
P: "But, if it is something else. Meaning something that could bug me, you know what I will do."
M: "I understand. You both love each other so much. You make a good pair too."
M: "Just that your are a bit too fair and he's dark, you talk so much and he doesn't at all, you don't agree to anything he says while he agrees to everything you do...... Just that."
P: "Exactly! See how perfect we are. Opposite poles attract each other, right ?"
M: "In theory, yes."
P: "Hmm.... So, what are you coming at? Put it straight." Now worried.
M: "See yaar. It is a little difficult to understand but...." She tries to explain.
P: "Just come at it!" she fumed.
M: "Okay... It is simple, you both are not for each other! He is not happy with you, can't you see? Every single day he has the same dull expression. He is tired of your lessons, it is visible on his face. Unfortunately, he isn't able to talk to you about this."
P: "So, you want us to break up ? Why? So you could be with him? If you were so interested in him. You should have talked to him before. Too late now, and we are together forever."
M: "Don't get me wrong, it has got nothing to do with me. I don't want you two to be in a situation where he would be forced to throw you away."
P: "Why? Why would he do that?"
M: "Okay, it is complicated than I thought. Not possible this way...."

silence.

M:"hmm......Leave it yaar. Lets see how life goes. Forget it."
P: "Oh, come on... Not like this. Why did you start this in first place?"
M: "I am sorry. I thought you should know...."
P: "Know what ?"
M: "I think it is better you talk to him, not me."

K was confused but couldn't leave the place for he wanted to find the truth.

P: "I will call him, now!"
M: "Noooo.... Not now! Keep me away from this. I promised him I won't let you know!"
P: "Oh secrets from me, isn't it? It is okay, nothing will happen to you. Don't worry."

For some reason the phone was put in speakerphone, may be she wanted M to listen to the conversation. K could hear the phone ringing... J takes the call.

J: "Hey Hi.. I am a bit busy can I call later ?"
P: "You don't have time for me tonight, right ?"

"Ooops!" K bit his tongue in haste listening to Bollywood style dialogue.

J: "Ah, its not that. Tell me."
P: "Come over to Coffee corner."
J: "What, now ?"
P: "Come fast, I am choking here..."
J: "What happened? Are you alright..." in a worried tone.
P: "Just come...." The phone hung!

10 secs later. The other phone (M's mobile) rings. "Nice ringtone" K thought...

P: "I know it is him. Don't touch your mobile till we are done with this!"
M: "hmm... but it could be my mom."
P: "Another day, yes. Not today."
M: "What!!"

5 minutes pass and J comes over there running.

J: "What happened? You said its urgent."
P: "You wouldn't have come if I hadn't said that, right ?"
J: "Arey nothing like that...Somebody got hurt in the hostel and we were getting him some first aid. Tell me what happened? What are you both doing here?"
P: "I think we have some problem here, between the three of us..." She gets it straight.

J now stares at M. Calms himself down and moves towards K.

J: "Hi K".

K is puzzled. He felt as if he got caught listening to them. So much that he forgot that J had just come and wouldn't know how long he has been here.

K: "Hi.. I donno your name though..." He smirked.
J: "Yeah, But I know you. You research guys are famous these days. Thanks to you, we get to laugh a lot nowadays. Can I take this chair ? Thanks!"

And before K could answer J gets back to P and places himself on the chair.

J: "Yes, tell me, what is it ?"

K felt a bit stupid. He was still wondering at the remark made by the otherwise silent J. The trio were still talking (even shouting) but he couldn't concentrate on one word!

K said to himself "Alright enough is enough. I better leave. Let them have their private life." And left.



The next Morning 9.10 AM.

breakfast bench
K was having his breakfast after 10 hr sound sleep. But he wasn't yet feeling fresh.

He could see a few guys running here and there. Managed to hold one guy.

K:"Hey what is it ? Where are you running ?"
Guy: "Something happened at the other hostel!"
K: "Oh, need some help ? Shall I come."
Guy: "No. Help yourself."

K was puzzled. "Why is everyone talking to me like this" he asked himself.
Finished his breakfast, skipped the milk and was walking away to the lab.

As he stepped out of the hostel. He could see scores of students running to and from the hostel.

K: "Is something very wrong?" He asked John.
John: "I don't know. Ask someone else."

K ran towards the direction in which most guys were running and was now sensing something terribly wrong must have happened.
He goes towards the football ground near Girls hostel and finds hundreds of students and faculty around there. Silence and murmur go hand in hand.
He clears people around him and has a peek at the scene.
"Ahh!!" He mildly screamed as he stared at the body lying there. The person was murdered. Brutally attacked. Face covered.
K shied away from the site and sat around the benches arranged near the hostel.

C finds K from some distance and comes over to him.
C: "Hey man, sad isn't it?"
K: "First of its kind in the campus. Sad, of course."
C: "Yeah, especially to see someone we know, and that too only recently."
K: "What? You know him? Who was it?"
C: "hmm... you didn't recognize? He is the guy we saw with those 2 girls two nights back!"
K: "What J?"
K: "Oh, nooo...Noooooooooooooo!"
C: "What happened?"
K: "No man...this can't happen."
C: "hmm...it is done now. Forget it, lets go. I'd buy you Tea today." He manages a smile while K is more upset.
K: "Noooooooooooooooooooooo" he screams.
C: "Why are you so upset man? You hardly know him. Why bother so much?" Now worried at K's behavior.
K: "There are reasons...but no answers!". He runs away from the place. Crumbles halfway through, fell on his knees, gets up and walks away confused.




UPDATE: This is the second chapter of the short-story series "The Nights". The follow-up in the series is here which is the third chapter of the series.