Short Story from College – The Exam
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In an old 80s style classroom full of students (around 50) an exam is about to start. There is the usual hustle and bustle the noise of the pencil box opening and closing a bit of chatter amongst the students before the question papers are distributed. Present at the front are two teacher invigilators. They start to walk down the isles giving out the question papers.
Lady Invigilator 1: Do not open the seals till it is time. I will announce.
The two invigilators finish the distribution of the question papers fairly quickly and come back to the front of the classroom. One of them looks at her watch and then looks up. One student at the centre back half of the class has his hand raised. The teacher walks to him.
Student: Ma’am I didn’t get the question paper.
She looks at a note pad that she is carrying. “Wait”. She walks back to join the other lady invigilator and seemingly consults with her. Then she looks at her watch.
Invigilator 1: Ok you can open the question seals and start writing now. You have two hours.
The students open their papers accompanied by the usual noise of the question papers opening up. Also the opening of the pencil boxes with a nervous student dropping a metal sharpener. Same student has his hand raised. It seems the teachers have a short memory and had momentarily forgotten about him. The teacher gestures to him calling him upfront.
Invigilator 1: There is some problem. You need to go down to the faculty office and meet Mr. Kangan. He will tell you what to do.
Student: Problem!! Ma’am where is the faculty office?
Invigilator 1: On the 5th floor. Take the stairs in the corner not the central one. It is the corner office. Meet Mr. Kangan. Take your id card.
The student at first hesitates then walks out of the class tentatively at first and then with a sense of urgency. The other invigilator follows him. There is an open atrium at the corner. The student peeps down over the edge of short open wall before finding the door to take the stairs. The teacher following him, points in the direction of the stairs to take. He opens the door and finds the staircase and using as a support the railing goes down quickly. One flight down, he sees the marking 6th floor. Then he goes down another floor. He sees the 5th floor marking and enters the floor. He is right at the end of corridor like the location of the exam classroom on the 7th floor. A door is in-front of him. He opens it to find it completely abandoned and empty but then notices someone sitting in the chair almost in the middle of this empty hall. The student quickly runs to this person who an old person sitting almost in bliss is enjoying the sunlight coming through the windows.
Student: Excuse me Sir!!
Old Man: Yes
Student: Are you Mr Kangan.
Old Man: No. You must be looking for the local faculty office. You need to go down two stories down to the 3rd floor.
Student: Ok sir. Thank you.
Then he darts out of there back to the exit into the staircase. At almost lightning speed he darts down the steps, first to floor number 4 then to floor 3, both done in a span of a minute. He is in now in a state of panic for obvious reasons. On again entering the corridor, this time a distinct stench hits his senses immediately. With a similar kind of door in-front of him, this time he notices graffiti on the door. On it is written “Beware of Dog Will Bite”. On entering he finds the stench unbearable. This is no faculty office but a dirty toilet.
Exasperated, the student walks back to the stairs. He starts to walk down, slowly first and then picks up pace but not at the fast pace that he came down till here. On reaching the 2nd floor he again exits the staircase and into the corridor. There is a similar door. With a reflex action he enters.
There is a lot of activity going on with the clatter of typewriters. Piles of papers and files are stacked up, a narrow passage and people working in an open office on one side. Immediately on entering he notices a girl at a desk on the left.
Student: Where can I find Mr. Kangan?
Worker: Just follow the passage. You’ll find his office on the right.
The student quickly hurries down the passage and finds a room with stacks of paper and files all around and a middle aged man sitting at his work desk.
Student: Mr. Kangan. (man nodes). Sir, I haven’t got my question paper. I mean, sir the exam has started and ma’am didn’t give me the paper. She said I should meet you about some problem.
Kangan: Show me your id. (student hands it over). You are Casey Ram living in Sukhdev Vihar.
Student: No sir, Casey Ramses living in New Friends Colony.
Kangan: Ok ok. There has been some mistake. (scribbles something on a note). Give this to your teacher. She will let you write the exam.
Student takes the note and rushes out. Then gets to the staircase and starts running up. Is out of breath, starts panting but keeps going. Looks at his watch. The minute hand is past the 15 minute mark close to the 20 minute one. He keeps going up at full speed. Reaching the class room and hands over the note to the teacher. She gives him the question paper. He staggers towards his writing desk and then just collapses.
__END__
