In June 1994, the footprints changed. The documents vanished and the Parliament House, burnt to ashes.
I went over the papers again. After long hours of twirling my pen, I stuck a note on the bulletin board, 'Fuckface', right on the case.
The next day wasn't charming either. It was a hassle. Classes after classes after classes. By the end of the day, I couldn't even lift a finger to help myself. I half laid limp on the cafeteria table where a circle of my friends sat. They were all from different departments.
"That fucking shithead will get it tonight"
It was an everyday silly feud between Raiten and Sobul. Good for them madam Maileonie moved their desks together. It served the purpose for gossipers like Enin. She had been fawning over it since like the past few hours now.
Ilira looked so done with life and I agreed with her. The only one who seemed to be in his right mind was Abhay, typing on that computer of his. After a few sips of the energy drinks, I cleared my throat and put a hold to their conversation, or argument.
"Tonight, I am going to ambush the library. Who's with me?"
I was just so sick and tired of their secrecy. They just wouldn't let me have those documents. The transcripts that were said to have the full truth. They stared at me for a good half minute.
"You sure Samantha won't rip us to shreds"
I looked at Ilira. She was right. Samantha was vicious, but, where's the gold if not under the paws of the lion.
Once they all agreed, we planned for tonight. They all came wearing ski masks. I sighed.
"Bless you all"
We made it to the back of the library and looked up. We had to climb up the pipes and toe-sized ledges to get to the third floor, where the library was. Ilira made a run for it, reaching the window like a spiderman. Apart from her degree in physical science, she knew probs and boxing as well. Then went Sobul. Abhay and I went next. Oh! They made it look easy. The longest was taken by Enin. She kept on slipping.
Ilira used a pin to open the window, and we climbed in. Immediately, the smell of books and dust clogged our nostrils. Some of us sneezed hard. I hushed them. Abhay was there to hack into the cameras and check for the warden parading in the hallways. The rest of them looked for artifacts they could pocket.
I left them to their devices and went to do my job. Fifth shelve, after the twenty third book, I finally found the transcripts.
The old spirits
Va -zu ali huar es
Galin nos ali huar es
The first page of the book read. I fished for more and a stack of them landed on my hands. My heart fastened from the adrenaline rush I got from every book, every transcript I collected.
"Help me carry these down"
Enin sighed but she helped, nonetheless.
But of course, the warden had to patrol right then. We paused on our places, but before the warden could open the door, Ilira's hands moved and hit the head of the warden, rendering her unconscious.
"Ooo"
That's what Sobul had to say to the situation at hand.
"Fuck!!"
Normally, I don't hear Abhay use colourful words like right then. I too cursed myself.
"Had she seen our faces?"
Enin asked. Ilira with the book still in her shaky hands replied.
"I have no idea. Fuck!"
"What are we going to do?"
I resumed taking the books down and answered.
"Let's just let her be. If we got caught, we got caught"
"Easy for you to say, genius"
Enin rolled her eyes and helped anyway. We left the crime scene as soon as possible. We parted ways at the junction between boy's dormitory and girl's dormitory.
Abhay and I added to the pile of books on my table, throwing the mountain of papers to make space. Sometimes I took pity for Abhay, he had to put up a lot of shits because of me.
"Thanks man, I owe you"
He shook his head and went back to his bed, calling a night. For me, there was no sleep.
I started going through the documents.
First was a book by Michael Ventour, who was a philosopher during the 1800s. His works were recorded prior to his mysterious death. He died foaming at his mouth but there was no sign of poison whatsoever. Rumours had it that he was a part of the Serebanas- a cult.
I opened his book and read it the entire night. According to him, there were objects in our lives that linked with our lives on another world. His theories were made famous when Afroditi from the 1900s, Greek, wrote similar things about it.
Then came the Historian, Jules Baucher. I have noticed a pattern, a common thing between all these books. It was the talk about souls.
I pasted a note on my bulletin board, 'Soulstar'. That was the end of my work when the sun started peeking up. I was going to have a long day today. Luckily, the warden couldn't see our faces clearly, notice had been pasted about burglary throughout the university and attempted assault.
"We're famous. Yay"
Enin clapped her hands sarcastically. I looked at her and smiled.
"Welcome, sweety"
She gagged and I had a laugh. Sobul was still hung up on Raiten. Technically, they were the best basketball players in their team and the coach chose Raiten as the leader over him. Most of the girls were crazy for Barney. He was the popular kid.
I banged my head at the table in the cafeteria. I needed a good night's sleep asap.
Abhay stroked the back of my head, lulling me to nearly asleep. I jolted when the bell rung.
"Fuck, no!"
"Just take a break"
He suggested.
I nodded my head and yawned. There was no one in the halls when I went back to the dormitories after skipping the last class. I squinted when my vision blurred suddenly, returning to normal in an instant. What the fuck was that?
The next day, I went back to my research.
In 1925, when the Britishers had colonised India, King Artaxerxes, send a stack of documents along with others from England to India. The only problem was that the documents never reached to its place as planned which led to the execution of the carriers by cutting their hands and throwing it in the lake.
Later, it was found out that the documents were stolen by Governor Ram Singh. He was hanged to death.
The governor was my grandfather, who had married a lady from England and bore a son, my father, who then married an American.
"I'm going to India"
My grandfather was a supervisor of the freedom movement as well and had a hidden library somewhere in the village where he kept the documents. If only I could get my hands on them.
"Really?"
Abhay looked triumphant at the news; he had been wanting us all to visit India since we met each other three years ago. I nodded my head.
"Please say the rest of you are coming too. We can live in my bungalow"
He offered with a big smile on his face. They thought for a second and shrugged.
"If I get to eat your handmade food"
Abhay smiled at Enin. It was set then; we were all going to India.