Jamais Vu

Prologue

Hari was a typical studious guy hailing from a strict Brahmin family. People could very well guess his nature by his selection of outfit consisting of a formal shirt and pleated trousers. His thick framed eyeglasses only added to his bookish looks. He was returning from the bookshop and when he opened the hostel gates he was shocked to see some guys in their underwear dancing onto a party song all around the place in a chilly monsoon night. He recognized some of the faces he had seen in college that very morning. This was the first day of college and their first ever ragging session had just begun.

One of the senior came near him and said: Welcome to YAIT. Remove your clothes and enjoy the party.

Hari: Ragging is banned; I read it on the notice board just today.

The senior smacks him on the head saying: First of all, refer your seniors as sir. And mind you, this is only a fresher’s party. You have to do this just today but if you don’t, we’ll make you do this everyday. Your choice!

Hari reluctantly agrees and does what they say but later when they make him eat raw eggs he resists again.

Hari: Sir, I can’t eat this. (Pulling out the sacred thread) I’m a pure Brahmin. I did what you told me to do up till now but I won’t eat this.

The senior persuades him: Listen, I know many Brahmins here who even eat chicken after they join us. So you just stop whining and do what we say..

Another senior comes in: Common guys, don’t pressurize him, he’s new and will take time to adjust to our ways. (Turns to Hari) You don’t want to eat this, it’s ok. We’ll move on to the next event.

Hari nods his head: Anything but this?

The senior (smiles): Man you are a true Brahmin. So double battery, what’s your name?

Hari: My name is Hari Prasad Sharma.

Loud single clap!

 

 

 

 

 

Anti-ragging Act

In view of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in SLP No. 24295 of 2006 dated 16-05-2007 and in Civil Appeal number 887 of 2009, dated 08-05-2009 to prohibit, prevent and eliminate the scourge of ragging including any conduct by any student or students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student, or indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities by any student or students which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any fresher or any other student or asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student, with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by a student over any fresher or any other student, in all higher education institutions in the country, and thereby, to provide for the healthy development, physically and psychologically, of all students, the All India Council for Technical Education,(AICTE) brings forth these Regulations.

 

 

 

 

1

(Distant distorted voice): Andrew! Andrew! Hey! Are you sleeping?

(Voice gets clearer): Andrew, wake up.

Andrew slowly opens his eyes. He finds himself lying on a lounger opposite to Mr. Xavier, who’s seated on an armchair. He stretches his hand to grab the glass of water placed on a table between them but then he doesn’t feel much thirsty so he pulls his hand back and sits on the sofa upright rubbing his eyes.

Mr. Xavier (smilingly): You cannot doze while I’m reciting you a story, that’s very disrespectful.

Andrew: I’m sorry. Something was on my mind and then my head got heavy.

Mr. Xavier: Tell me where you passed out, so I could continue the story from there.

Andrew: Let me remember. College, New Term, Big garden, Corridor, Watch, Oh yes 13:50, Lunch Time

Mr. Xavier: That means I have to start almost from the beginning.

Andrew smiles! One could tell looking at his tired eyes that he’s not interested.

Mr. Xavier continues: The new joiners looked excited but they had a little anxiety on their faces. On the other hand, the seniors looked more excited and energetic, waiting for their first chance on ragging some newbie. One such guy was Sam.

He catches hold of a guy by the collar saying: You think you are smart and we’re fools. We would never find it out.

He hits the guy on the head.

Andrew: Nobody hits a junior like that for no reason.

Mr. Xavier: You said you remember until the lunch part. Alright, this guy Krishna Kumar, the junior acted dumb when he was being ragged and Sam spared him from others thinking he was actually disabled.

Andrew: Ok. Continue.

Mr. Xavier: Sam then pulls out a compass and makes action that he’s going to puncture Krishna’s tongue.

Now enters a crippled guy and he catches Sam by his arms pulling him away. Sam gets angry and pushes him which makes the crippled guy lose his balance. He falls down on his back with his stick still in hand.

Sam shouts angrily: Who the hell is this guy!

The crippled guy was still lying on the floor and his eyes looking all around the place with a puzzled look on the face.

Sam in disgust: Is he some kind of nuts! Hey, are you counting stars in broad daylight!

Andrew: I’m not able to recognize the new guy. Was he there in the story earlier?

Mr. Xavier: No, he’s a new addition to the story.

Andrew: You didn’t tell his name.

Mr. Xavier: No, you are on track now. You’ll get to understand everything eventually.

Andrew nods.

Mr. Xavier: The bell rings and the lecturers came out of the staff room for lectures. Meanwhile, Krishna used the opportunity and ran away. Sam helps the crippled guy get up.

Crippled guy: You are a nice guy but you don’t actually understand the seriousness of what you were …

Sam (interrupts): A word of advice. Stay out of my way! I’ll get hold of that punk later.

Sam moves towards his class with his friends. The crippled guy stays there for a moment then walks away.

 

 

 

2

Krishna was a clever boy. Although he did not make many friends in his own class, he had made a good rapport with his lecturers and also some of the seniors especially from Sam’s batch. One among the seniors he had made contact was Sara. He was afraid of being harmed by Sam again. So whenever Sam and his friends found him, he would be accompanied by some teacher. One day a friend came running towards Sam saying: Hey Sam, we saw that dumbo with your girl in the canteen.

Krishna had somehow managed to find out that Sam had a crush on Sara. Krishna had no intention to make her his girlfriend. He was just trying to make his side strong.

Andrew: Indeed smart.

Sam (laughingly): You think he is capable of impressing her in any way? Look at him, he is a bloody nerd.

Friend: You can’t say that nerd looks quite sexy now-a-days.

Sam: Whatever! But we got to straighten this guy soon. He’s getting personal.

The next day, Sam sent two of his friends to Krishna’s classroom during lecture hours and they called him out with the lecturer’s consent saying that the HOD had summoned him. A puzzled Krishna moves out with them not knowing that he had been trapped. When he figured it out, it was too late, they had already tightened their hold on his arms and they happily handed over to Sam. Although Krishna was in panic, he reached his hand into his pocket, removed out his phone and dialed some numbers. Sam grabbed the phone from his hand forcefully and looked at Krishna with a sadistic smile.

Krishna: I apologize for everything. Please let me go. I won’t tell anything to anybody.

Sam: So you were planning tell all about this to somebody. Oh wait! Are you trying to threaten us!

Sam then pulls some strands of hair from Krishna’s sideburns. Krishna screams in pain. Sam slaps him hard hushing him up. The college bell rang. Krishna almost starts to cry.

Sam (to his friends):  So what do we do to him? First grade or second grade?

Sam’s friend: Hey Sam! Your chick is coming this way.

Sara comes close to Sam and says: Stop this right away. I need to talk to you.

Sara holds Sam’s hand and takes him away. Sam blushes and winks at his friends. Krishna feels relieved when she takes him away.

Sara: Why are you doing this? Just stop bothering those juniors.

Sam: This is a college custom …

Sara interrupts: Which is banned from a long time because of people like you who overdo it.

Sam: But it does help the juniors to bond with us and the college. It benefits them and we are just having our share of fun.

Sara (angrily): You are abusing them in the name of ragging both physically and mentally. Just stop it!

Sam: Ok, Ok. I hear you. I’ll let him go. But that guy’s super smart. He knew I would listen only to you.

Sara (surprised) : What! Why you’ll listen only to me? Listen to your own self and do the right thing.

Sam in a serious tone: There’s nothing to hide. Everybody knows.

Sara (furiously): Everybody knows what!

Sam looking straight into Sara’s eyes: That we’re in love.

Sara (with disgust): Who said that! Look at you. You are nothing more than a hoodlum. What kind of girl would like you!

By this time most of the students had come out of their classroom. The crippled guy came over to Krishna and asked him what had happened.

Sam staring on the floor says to Sara in anger: Yes you were right, why would I have to listen to you. I’ll do whatever I feel right.

Then he turns and moves towards Krishna.

Sara shouts: I know how to stop you Sam. Just wait.

She goes away.

The crippled guy tries to convince Sam’s friend to let Krishna go but all in vain.

Sam: Oh not again! Hey you handicap quota why do you have to keep poking your nose everywhere?

The crippled guy: You are doing wrong to him and also to yourself. You don’t know what you are doing. You are hammering his mind with fear. He’ll be afraid of every…

Sam: Save your lecture for somebody else. I exactly know what I am doing and he deserves this treatment. Now just piss off.

Sam signals his friends to get rid of him.

Friend to the crippled guy: Why do you worry so much? It happens everywhere. You are not going to make any difference by stopping just one such incident.

The crippled guy (raising his voice) : Listen to me. Don’t do this!

Friend (angrily): Bloody Hell! You listen. I tried to talk politely to you until now. You open your mouth one more time I’ll break your other leg with your own stick. Get lost.

The crippled guy feels exhausted and disheartened and walks away.

Sam to his friend: You brought the present we bought for him last week?

Sam opens the package while his friends forcefully undress Krishna publicly. Krishna tries to run away but he couldn’t. He weeps but Sam comes near him with the petticoat he had unpacked.

Then they put the petticoat over him and Krishna cries in shame.

The crippled guy on the way to the classroom thinks to himself: But I can make a difference to at least that one guy.

He then moves back to where Krishna was being assaulted.

Meanwhile Sara brings along the Principal and shows him the situation. Sam’s friends see the principal coming towards them from a distance and run away calling out the others. Krishna too avoids the chaos and runs picking his clothes on the way. Sam tries to flee but runs over the crippled guy who was coming towards him and they both fall down. The principal by the time reaches and catches hold of Sam and helps the crippled guy get up. Then he takes Sam to his office. On the way Sam pleads that he hadn’t done anything but the principal keeps tightlipped. The crippled guy stands at his place not knowing what to do.

 

 

 

 

 

3

At the office, the principal writes an expulsion letter while tears roll down Sam’s eyes. Out of a sudden, the crippled guy opens up the door.

The crippled guy to the principal: I’m sorry sir. Sam was just an onlooker, I was the one who misbehaved with the junior. I won’t repeat this again. Please let us go sir.

 Andrew: What!

Andrew: But Why?

Mr. Xavier: You’ll understand the reason why he’s taking responsibility of Sam’s doing eventually. Keep patience.

Sam was surprised but he keeps mum and keeps his head low.

Andrew: Wait. You can at least explain why Sam remains quiet.

Mr. Xavier: You see Andrew, bullying and abusing is a vicious cycle wherein a person who is a victim now becomes an abuser later in his life. Sam has been abused and beaten by his father throughout childhood. He finds solace in his college. He’s a prominent although a little notorious but a well known person in college. Outside college he’s just nothing. He hated going back to his home as much as he hates his father. Now we can continue I guess.

Hearing the crippled guy, the principal was enraged.

Principal: You are the new guy who joined this year from the other university, right?

The crippled guy nods affirmatively.

Principal: What do you think! Your father will throw some bundle of cash on my table and I will blindly accept you into my college? Then you are wrong. I enquired. I know everything you did in your previous college. And mind you when I say I know everything. I thought you must have been reformed.

Crippled guy says nothing. Sam was relieved and also shocked at the same time.

Principal: This time you won’t be spared. I’ll make sure you don’t get admission to any college. Even your parent’s pleas won’t work anymore. You’ll have to pay for what you have done.

The principal throws away the expulsion letter supposed for Sam and writes a new one for the crippled guy. He hands it and asks him to never return. The crippled guy walks out disheartedly.

Principal in a warning tone to Sam: If I find you in situations like this again, you’ll be walking out of the college like him. Now go to your class.

Sam nods and runs out of the office towards the crippled guy.

Sam: I didn’t understand what happened back there but I thank you for saving my…

Crippled guy (sarcastically): Yeah, Yeah I did all this for your gratitude and vote of thanks. You think so? No. There’s more to this generous act. Think hard and with your heart.

Sam (frustrated): I don’t know. What do you want in return?

Crippled guy (in softer tone): I didn’t mean I wanted something from you. You are arrogant and adamant just like I was once. An incident just changed me and my life completely.

Sam: What I have to do then?

Crippled guy: Ok! Do this. In return of my favor, I would just want you to think back and reflect what happened there in the office, only for yourself, for your own good. I think I lost my whole career for saving you. Change your ways. Be a nice person. Make my loss worthwhile. You understand?

Sam looked confused.

Crippled guy patting Sam's cheek: Just think about it.

He goes away while Sam was depressed and sorry for the crippled guy. He repented on his wrong doings.

Mr. Xavier pauses for sometime.

Andrew: What? Over?

Mr. Xavier (smilingly): The incident did change Sam for good. He became an active member of the Anti-ragging Committee. He managed to convince his friends too and they found out new measures to bring the juniors close to the college campus instead of the age old custom of ragging.

Andrew: Just that! There’s no particular reason for the generous, or rather I would term as foolish, act of that crippled guy? There’s no back story?

Mr. Xavier: Yeah there is one more thing. But to get a clearer picture, you’ll have to tell me your story?

Andrew: What about my story? I didn’t understand. Why do you want to know about me?

Mr. Xavier: Ok. Tell me what happened to you.

Andrew gets a little uncomfortable.

Mr. Xavier (a little louder): Why are you here Andrew? Don’t you remember?

Andrew looks at Mr. Xavier but he can barely maintain eye contact.

Mr. Xavier (shouts with a smile): Look at me Andrew. Do you even remember from which door you came in?

Andrew confused, looks around and to his surprise he could neither find doors nor windows to the room they were sitting in. He panics and runs around the room with a perplexed look. Mr. Xavier on the other hand was calm cool and collected. Andrew touches every wall to make sure what he sees is true. He then points his finger towards Mr. Xavier.

Andrew (horrifyingly): Who are you?

Mr. Xavier: All this might be a little difficult to grasp. Be calm and sit down. I’m here to help you. Have faith in me. All you have to do is try to remember what happened, and then we can sort things up.

Andrew disregards Mr. Xavier’s words and moves towards him kicking away the table. Then he holds Mr. Xavier by the collar and takes him off his chair and then pushes him against the wall. He tries to strangle Mr. Xavier.

Andrew: Let me go and I’ll let you live.

A choking Mr. Xavier claps with his hand twice which causes Andrew to black out and he falls flat on his back.

 

 

 

4

When Andrew saw Hari for the first time entering through the hostel gates, he reminded him of someone he wasn’t very fond of. And when Hari was arguing with one of the seniors, he went in to see what the matter was. After sorting things up, Andrew asked Hari his name.

Hari: My name is Hari Prasad Sharma.

Andrew: Are you by any chance related to RPS a.k.a Ram Prasad Sharma?

Hari in a joyful tone: Yes he is my elder brother. He’s working in U.K now. You know him well I guess.

Andrew: Yes, very well. Hey guys listen up. Meet Hari, he’s RPS’s brother. Treat him well. Yes, the same way he treated us.

Ram was a notorious gang leader in college. Although he was a crook, he scored well and got into a world renowned MNC.

All the seniors howl in joy since they found a way to vent their anger on Ram through Hari.

Andrew: You cannot eat eggs, that’s fine. But you got to show some skills. For example, pick a needle with your tongue. Can you do it?

Hari with twitchiness in his voice : Ok

Andrew takes him to a public lavatory and drops a needle near the closet.

Andrew smiles: Now pick it up with your tongue.

Hari in shock: No way I’m gonna do that.

When Andrew forces him, Hari pushes him away and runs out of the hostel as fast as he could.

Andrew still on the floor giggling and laughing hysterically shouts aloud: You have to pay for this too!

The next day Andrew was called to the HOD’s office on receiving Hari’s complaint about the previous night’s assault. The HOD knew Andrew and hence left him with a warning.

Coming out of the office, Andrew says to his friends: That bugger is so dead now!

Later that day Andrew meets up Hari and apologizes for what he had done.

Andrew in a soft voice says: Just forget what happened. It was because of your brother that we treated you that way. But you are different than your brother, you were not supposed to be treated that way and we won’t from now on. So, don’t keep any of those things in mind. Be our friend. Why don’t you join us in the evening for dinner?

Hari forgives them but tries to avoid joining them for dinner but after a lot of convincing Hari agrees.

At dinner, Andrew offers Hari a glass of vodka in which he had mixed sedatives to put him unconscious. Shortly as Andrew had planned, Hari accepts the drink and falls asleep. Andrew and his friends then drag him to their bedroom where he had kept a prostitute waiting for sometime. Andrew gives her some money and photographs Hari with the woman picturising him in a vulgar manner. Later, they pick him and drop him in his room.

The next day Hari comes near Andrew in the college corridor and asks: How many shots of vodka did I drink yesterday? I do not remember a thing from last night.

Andrew looks at him in the face, smiles and then slaps hard on his cheeks. Andrew’s friends start hitting him on his head while Hari remains silent and only stares at them.

Andrew: Now go complain to whoever you want to.

When Hari goes back with a surprise, Andrew calls him back and shows him last night’s pictures in his phone. Hari in a shock sits down on the floor and tears roll down from his eyes.

Andrew says cheekily: Looks like you had a real great time.

Hari: Andrew! Please!

Andrew stares him back.

Hari: Sorry Sir I won’t complain or say anything to anybody. Please delete these pictures.

Andrew: Let me think.

Hari falls on Andrew’s feet crying.

Andrew: Ok, Ok. Yes I’ll delete but only on one condition. You’ll have to do everything we ask you.

Hari: I’ll do whatever you ask for sir. Please delete those pictures.

Andrew: But I won’t delete right away. I’ll see your behavior in the coming days and only then I will delete them.

Andrew drops a needle on the floor and signals Hari down.

Hari wipes tears on his face and picks the needle with his tongue, while Andrew and his friends giggle and laugh aloud.

From that day onwards, Andrew would never let Hari attend any lectures. Instead they would make him do mischievous things apart from writing their assignments. By the end of semester, they made him ring the lecture bell before time, pull down a professors pants, fight with unknown people on behalf of them; for which he got beaten badly, break the principal’s door, urinate on library books, throw firecrackers in the staff’s urinal. Once Andrew asked him to steal a professor’s laptop but he was caught in action. Resultantly, he was suspended from college for a week. He was totally broken, while Andrew with his friends laughed at his situation.

The day Hari returned to college after suspension, Andrew asked him to bring a girl, he wooed on. By now Hari had lost all patience.

Hari in anger: You made me do all sorts of nonsense and I did it without complaint. But now you ask me to pimp for you. No way. Go to hell.

Hari then pushes Andrew aside and walks away.

Andrew: I think you forgot that I still have those pictures.

Hari stops and looks back at Andrew: You cannot blackmail me anymore. Do whatever you want to.

Hari continues to walk. Andrew revengefully pulls out his phone while his friends try to dissuade him.

Some days later, while Andrew was sitting in room fiddling with his laptop, he hears a loud sound of the door to his room flung open.

Single loud clap.

 

 

 

5

(Distance distorted voice): Hey Andrew! Andrew!

(Voice get clearer): Wake up buddy.

Andrew opens his eyes and sees Mr.Xavier calling him seated on an armchair opposite to him.

He sits upright and looks around.

Mr. Xavier: Tell me until where were you listening to the story before you slept away?

Andrew rubs his eyes saying: Let me think. The door flings open and someone came in.

Mr. Xavier: You are talking about the crippled guy, am I right?

Andrew (staring at the wall behind Mr. Xavier): Yes.

Mr. Xavier: Oh great! You are doing well. You’ve started to remember things.

Andrew gives a light smile. Mr. Xavier continues.

Mr. Xavier: The crippled guy comes into the principal’s office where Sam was being scolded.

Crippled guy: I’m sorry sir, Sam was just an onlooker, I was the one who misbehaved with the junior. I won’t repeat it. Please let us go.

Mr. Xavier pauses and looks at Andrew, he was staring at the floor, lost in thoughts.

Mr. Xavier: Principal and Sam both were stunned but Sam keeps mum.

Mr. Xavier pauses again to look at Andrew and then continues.

Principal to Andrew: If I’m not wrong, you are the guy who joined this year from the other university.

Andrew: Why!

Mr. Xavier: I was thinking why haven’t you asked the question until now. This guy Sam had a bad childhood. His father was a…

Andrew still looking down on the floor: Why are you doing this?

Mr. Xavier stares at him; Andrew raises his eyes and stares him back.

Andrew: Why are you trying to help me? I just want to be alone. So just let me be.

Mr. Xavier sighs: It’s my job to help people like you. Just try to do once what I say and if you are not comfortable, I’ll leave you on your own.

Andrew thinks for sometime: Only once.

Mr. Xavier: Lie on your seat, close your eyes  and try to remember whatever you can.

Andrew does what he says.

Andrew remains silent the whole time and tries to focus.

After sometime, Andrew: I still can’t remember how I came in here.

Mr Xavier: Ok. Try to visualize the last thing before you came in here.

Andrew keeping his eyes closed visualizes for a few minutes.

Andrew: I’m riding a motorcycle at night on the highway. I see headlights of vehicles passing by too quickly. I’m probably riding at more than a km/h. I think I got hit by something. I don’t remember anything else.

Mr. Xavier: A little backward. Try harder. You remember anything?

Andrew takes his time and after a while: I am in a house. The place is crowded. I see a woman crying. Probably someone died. Women near her are trying to console her. I see a corpse.

Mr. Xavier: Do you see the face?

Andrew: No. Its covered. A 50 something aged man is near me talking.

Mr. Xavier: Do you remember what he said?

Andrew: Let me try. Yeah I recall. I guess the man was the dead guy’s father. He says “My son was always a nice kid, better than most of the kids these days. He never gave any trouble to anybody. He was helpful by nature. He was in an organization that helped street children. People say he is God sent; was God sent” He breaks into tears but calms himself down and continues “You know, I won’t do anything to the person in the note; not even a police case. But the pain comes out of the woman’s eyes, that won’t be overlooked by God. He’ll be punished by his own deeds. The guilt won’t let him live in peace. I don’t have to curse him. He cursed himself by harming the child whom God loved. My forgiveness will be his punishment. I just pray to God to be less harsh.” That’s it. Nothing more I remember.

Mr. Xavier: Any events earlier to this. Try to recall.

Andrew opens his eyes: No. I don’t. I think I should go now. This is going nowhere. I don’t understand anything.

Mr. Xavier: You are doing alright. You have done better than before. Don’t lose hope. Trust me. You’ll be good.

Andrew reluctantly closes his eyes again and tries to recall.

Andrew: I’m sitting in my room working on my laptop. Out of a sudden I hear the sound of the door flung open. I see my friend sweating and breathing heavily. He’s trying to say that somebody wrote a note with my name in it.

Andrew sits up straight and exclaims: Oh no! What have I done! That man was talking about me. The guilt, yes the guilt. I tried to kill myself.

Mr. Xavier: Calm down and tell me why.

Andrew looks at Mr. Xavier, tears roll down his eyes and he cries out: Because Hari committed suicide because of me. I made his life hell. I made a corpse out of a noble person. I don’t deserve to live.

Mr. Xavier: Cool down Andrew. Take deep breath, that’ll help you.

Andrew: Nothing can help me. Why did you save me!

Mr. Xavier: Because I want you to live and help others like Hari would if he were alive.

Andrew (calms down a bit): But the guilt, it won’t let me live.

Mr. Xavier: Don’t worry. I’ll help you. You will live and help others live.

Mr. Xavier hands him the glass of water. Andrew drinks it.

Mr. Xavier: Rest your eyes now.

Andrew closes his eyes and lies on his lounger.

Mr. Xavier: You’ll sleep in sometime and when you wake up you might not remember this conversation but you will know exactly what you have to do right. You’ll arise as a completely new man.

Double clap.

 

 

 

6

Andrew wakes up with a start. He finds himself lying on a bed and his eyes wide open tries to figure out where he is. He looks at his hand and he sees a pipe attached to it and its other end to a glucose bottle. He learns that he is in a hospital. He feels an excruciating pain running through his body from head to toe. He stares at the ceiling for sometime and then tries to scream but he couldn’t. Sometime later, the door to the hospital room opens and he sees his mother. All of a sudden, he recalls about Hari like a bolt of thunder on his head and he screams on top of his voice in pain; more from mental than physical. His mother throws away her carry bags and speeds towards him calling out his name. Tears roll down her cheeks while she tries to calm Andrew. Unable to control him, she presses the bell near the bed calling the doctor for help.

Andrew unable to bear the pain ceases to scream and asks her in a low voice: Hari! Hari!

His mother places her hand over his mouth and says: We have suffered and repented for months. Now God has shown mercy and brought you back to life. Everything will be alright now.

Andrew starts weeping with heavy breaths; while the doctor comes in and checks him.

 

Some months later.

Andrew is sitting on a bench in a garden, lost in thoughts. His eyes desperate to find meaning to his life. Although he does not feel like killing himself but deep inside he feels empty. He checks his watch. It displays 13:50. Just then he hears shouts, he sees commotion in the college corridor, some meters away from the college garden.

Andrew says to himself: Not any of my business.

After thinking for a while: I think I should check what the matter is.

He gets up from the bench with the help of the walking stick resting besides the bench. He’s been using the stick ever since he had been recovered from the accident. On going closer, Andrew sees a guy pulling out a guy’s tongue, probably a junior’s, and a compass in his other hand, posturing like he’s going to harm him.

Andrew stands at his place and says to himself: Should I intervene or not?