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<\/a><\/p>\nAbdulla was silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay. You can tell me. This is not an examination.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSir, there is Navarang Theater, Chandini Talkies, Emperor Air-conditioned Theater. There are many more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbdulla, you forgot Anatomy Theater. Now, get to work, don\u2019t gossip.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, at the dorm in my room, Abdulla, Gopal and myself talked about Dr. Ramesh\u2019s teasing habits and how to curb it. The conversation spilled over to Anatomy dissection, dead bodies and ghosts.<\/p>\n
Gopal was vehement. \u201cPeople who die before their time because of an accident, suicide or murder become ghosts. I\u2019m sure they haunt our Anatomy Theater at nights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNonsense. I don\u2019t believe in ghosts. There are no such things,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince you don\u2019t believe in them, you shouldn\u2019t be afraid of them. I dare you to sleep in the Anatomy hall with the cadavers for one night. If you don\u2019t see them or change your opinion, I\u2019ll take you for dinner. This is my challenge,\u201d said Abdulla.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, it\u2019s a deal,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
The news that I planned to spend a night at the Anatomy Theater spread like wild fire. Quite a few classmates visited me. A few admired my valor and others advised me to come out of the challenge. Girls looked at me with interest and smiled, probably thinking that I was crazy.<\/p>\n
Abdulla tipped the night-watchman to let us in the Anatomy Theater under the pretext for studying the cranial nerves. It was 8 PM. The watchman advised us to close the front door and leave when we were done.<\/p>\n
I occupied a small area adjacent to Dr. Ramesh\u2019s room and settled down for the night, on a table. Abdulla had brought a small pillow, a blanket and a glass of water for my comfort.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you get scared, just run out. Don\u2019t give away the water to the ghosts and don\u2019t talk to them. If you do so, they may entice you to join them, beware,\u201d he advised unasked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbdulla, get out of here.\u201d He turned off the lights and left.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t sleep. As the night advanced, somewhere in the distance a dog started to bark. Abdulla had told me that dogs could see the ghosts. A couple of rats scuttled across the hall and started to nibble at something.<\/p>\n
Then I heard an indistinct noise. First it was faint, and then turned loud. I could discern the sounds of shoes and slippers. Do ghosts wear them? I should ask Abdulla about it later, I thought.<\/p>\n
Soon a man and a woman entered Dr. Ramesh\u2019s room. I could hear their whispers and gentle kissing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t carry on like this anymore, Ramesh. You got to commit now. Already, my friends suspect our affair. If all others come to know about this, my future will be ruined. Think about it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know. Please, Anika, you were patient all these days. I am trying to convince my parents about you. They\u2019re orthodox Brahmins. When I told them you\u2019re Christian, they hit the roof. My mother cried. Eventually, I\u2019ll convince them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen? When I\u2019m sixty?\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cNo, No. Soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just then, I felt a funny sensation inside my nostrils. I tried to suppress a sneeze by pinching my nose shut but a muffled sound like a misfired July fourth cracker came out.<\/p>\n
\u201cO, my god, someone is here. My life will be a mess now,\u201d said Anika. \u201cGoodbye, Ramesh. When you\u2019re so much dependent on your parents and can\u2019t decide for yourself, it\u2019s time for me to quit.\u201d Closing the door with a bang, I heard her leave.<\/p>\n
If Dr. Ramesh came out to check, I will be in a big trouble. Gathering my pillow and blanket, I silently slipped out of the Anatomy Theater and went to my dorm.<\/p>\n
The next day, Dr. Ramesh made rounds as usual, teasing and quizzing students. Gopal and I were dissecting the superficial palmar arch when Dr. Ramesh approached us. After helping to identify the blood vessels, he said, \u201cGopal and Ramachandra, listen. The watchman told me some nights he hears strange noises here. Do you believe in ghosts? I plan to install night vision cameras here. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood idea, Sir. I believe in ghosts. Please make sure you install one in your room too,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ramesh silently looked at me and moved to another table.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dr. Ramesh, a tutor, daily made rounds in the Anatomy Theater. He always dressed tiptop in a suit and a tie. He polished his shoes daily, and it wouldn\u2019t be an exaggeration if I said that I could comb my hair glancing at his shoes. He went to the States for a year, I don\u2019t…<\/p>\n
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