Serendipity and After/30

a novel about publishing of a novel

Next morning the entire hall wakes up to the news that the Pakistan Army has landed at the town. They have taken position at all strategic points.

The news sends tremors in our hearts. Kshirod-da does not sit at his table with his math problem. I find him pacing inside our room with a worried face. Students from other rooms soon come in. It’s quite a crowd now. I sit at a corner of my bed, my whole body aching terribly from yesterday’s marathon race.

Einstein places his chair at a suitable point and sits up on it in a confident pose as if to preside over this impromptu meting.

Kshirod-da talks first. “I’m sure the army is going to hit the campus. This is the next logical step for it.”

Einstein blurts out, “I’ve devised a way to save the university from the army. Here’s my diagram.” He shows us a piece of paper studded with graphics.

“How?” One of us queries.

“I must not tell you the details now. But my central idea is, anyone who tries to enter the campus through any of its gates will be electrocuted then and there.”

There is some applause from the audience.

Kshirod-da responds, “I think you’re thinking of surrounding the campus with a live wire.”

“Not exactly. But it’s along that line.”

“This’s the reason I don’t like you physicists. Too much theory and without any practical sense. Einstein took help from his mathematician wife for his theory of relativity at every step. He was not that well in mathematics, you know. Susanta, would you please allow me a few words? I want to talk from a mathematician’s point of view.”

Einstein said,”Carry on.”

“First of all, it’s an absurd project. It’s not easy at least now to install a live wire fence. Who’ll operate it and how is that going to function? Anyway, even if you install it successfully, those of us inside the campus will be virtually seized for ever and if the army plays any sinister game, we’re going to be gutted.”

Einstein gets flushed in the face. “Well, I’ll take this into consideration.”

“Please do it,” Kshirod-da gets up from his seat. “I’m afraid they will be on us before you are even done with your fresh design.”

I confront Kshirod-da as the audience disperse and Einstein goes outside .

“Kshirod-da, are you sure the army will enter the campus?”

“Of course, I’m sure. They have actually come for us. We have challenged them. Now it’s their turn to respond.”

I get cold feet. “So what should we do now?”

“We should run. You have fresh experience of running for survival.”

We laugh out together.

Kshirod-da asks me, “Do you know that Bernard Shaw story?”

“Which one? In which he participated in a procession with his girl-friend?”

“Yes. What did he do? When the police began to beat the participants mercilessly, he fled leaving behind his girl-friend. A wise man always does a wise thing.”

“Kshirod-da, I feel nervous. I should not have joined this university!”

“I’m a mathematician. I know steps better than anybody here. I know what’s the next step for us.”

“What’s it?”

“To pack up and run.”

Through the rest of the day, we begin to be flooded with all kinds of bad news and rumor. None of us leave the hall. Einstein is now sitting at his table and now moving frantically about the room. He doesn’t look as much perturbed.

In the evening we get confirmed that the army has not only entered our campus, it is roaming around the campus with machine guns fully loaded.

At about eight pm, the army starts entering the different halls and begin to beat up the students.

At nine, they knock at the gate of our hall which the boarders at the ground floor kept locked from inside.

Two students are seen to talk with an army officer who we see ride in a jeep and leave.

We learn that the army has served a notice to vacate the hall in just one hour’s time. They will be coming back just after the elapse of that time.

We’re packing up frantically.

Kshirod-da comes to me and says, “Just that small bag and whatever you can fit into it. And that file of your certificates and marks sheet. Don’t try to take any other thing. Quick.”

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Tessa, many thanks for your comments.