Chapter 4: DAZED AND CONFUSED
Moon woke up with a jolt as he felt something crawling up his right arm. It felt light and soft with small sticky paws. He narrowed his gaze, to see a brown gecko staring right into his eyes. He shook his arm furiously, and gave a loud scream, as it jumped off and darted behind the closet.
As usual, he was sleeping on the floor of his friend’s dormitory, still tired from the late night action on Marina Beach. The meeting ended at around 2 am, and he was exhausted.He looked around the room. It was 10 am already, and his friends had left for class.
Aigoo! Missed the first two classes.
He grabbed his shirt, closed the door and hurried to his own room down the corridor.
Surprisingly, the door to his room was slightly ajar. He peeked inside to find his roommate Vinay sitting on the bed, sweating profusely.
‘Hey, not well? Didn’t go to class?’
‘What do you mean? There won’t be any more classes. I saw you at Marina Beach with the other chinkies yesterday night. Don’t you know?’
‘Know what?’ Moon replied, not wanting to pick up a fight with him for using the derogatory word.
‘I told pitaji that I wanted to study in Delhi. Forced me to come here just because of that stupid scholarship, stingy old man. I hate these rakshash… dark low caste people,’ he mumbled to himself in Hindi.
‘Vinay. What should I know?’
‘You should pack your bags and go back to your country. That Anna fellow has asked everyone to boycott classes, both students and teachers. There will be violence, just like 4 months ago, the University will close.’
Moon was confused. He had heard of the violent agitation just before this term started, but everyone said it was resolved.
Last night, after Anna started speaking, he lost Professor Subbaiah in the surging crowds. No one was left to translate for him.
All he could make out was a lot shouting, jeering and whistling. Every time Anna spoke, the crowd hooted and raised their fists. It was as if they were hypnotized. MGR and the others spoke too, and got a similar reaction. Students burst crackers, played the drums and sang songs. A lot of policemen suddenly turned up and cordoned the area, but there was no violence. Moon imagined they were celebrating something. Maybe the new MGR movie that everyone on campus was talking about. He mentally made a note to watch it with his friends and left.
Have to find Professor Subbaiah now.
He got up and left a sobbing Vinay in the room without saying a word, darting towards the Economics Department on the University campus, unwashed and unbrushed, he had to find out what was happening.
It took him 20 minutes to finally reach. The hostel was situated in the new campus, while the Economics Department was in the old campus. The classrooms were empty and the staff room locked.
Where is everyone?
Spotting a few of his friends huddled together under a tree, he strode up to them and enquired, ‘What’s happening?’
‘No idea, no one is here. Even the professors are missing,’ Andy Varte replied.
‘Andy, here are your room keys. What do you mean missing?’
‘Everyone seems to have gone somewhere. We heard that there is a huge protest march. All the students and professors have gone to the fort.’
‘Then why are you sitting here? Let us go and find out.’
‘Why bother, enjoy the holiday man. Lets go to see a movie. I heard the new James Bond movie has just been released at Pilot Theatre,’ Andy said, as the others nodded in approval.
‘Goldfinger? I so want to see it. Sean Connery is my favorite actor. Can’t we go in the evening?’
‘No, the evening shows are always full. This is the best time.’
‘OK then, you guys go ahead. I have to find out what is happening here.’