Proxy (Redux)

I wrote this story three years ago. Something I read in the papers this morning, made me re-post it. A couple of you have read it from back then...

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It was almost 5.30pm when Sakshi walked across to the staff room, clutching her test paper. The college was empty, save a couple of peons who sauntered around majestically. After-college hours was the time they turned into lions in a national reserve. Rajshekhar, the economics lecturer, was poring over some notes. He'd asked her to stay back, said he wanted to talk to her about her test. She'd requested to meet him the next day, just before college began, but he had refused, feigning some excuse.

Sakshi stepped into the staff room and looked around. She spotted him sitting by the window, on the far left. He looked up at the same time and smiled. There was nobody else in the room.

She pursed her lips and looked in his direction.

"Sakshi. Come." He said, beckoning her with his hand.

"So? How was your day?" He smiled again, asking her to sit.

"Was ok, sir," Sakshi said.

He looked at her and smiled. She didn't. It was apparent she didn't like him much. And he knew that.

"Nervous?" He asked, wrapping up his work.

"No. Why should I be?"

"Good."

He bundled the papers into a stack and pushed them aside.

"Now then. Got your test paper?"

She nodded and handed it to him.

He took it and flipped through it, his brow tightened. He took a few moments. Then he folded the booklet at a page, and placed it on the table between them, where she could see it.

"See, Sakshi. Here, questions 10 and 11. Don't you think I had in particular asked all of you guys to pay special attention to?"

Sakshi looked at the questions blankly, and turned to him.

"Uhh..sir, actually..."

"See Sakshi. Let me be very frank with you. You are one of my brighter students. And I want to see you pursuing nothing less than an MBA from one of the IIMs. And this..this has got to stop."

"What sir?" She half frowned.

He looked over at the door. She turned too, and saw it closing gently. From the outside. She swung back, her jaw clenched. He was smiling at her.

You Jerk. I know you all too well...

She breathed a bit heavily now.

"Sakshi. You are intelligent. And you know how important these marks are for you. Don't you?"

Sakshi nodded, swallowing hard. But her face remained cold.

He smiled knowingly, his eyes doing most of the talking now.

He rose and walked over to her side. Her breathing got heavier. But she didn't take her eyes off the table. She could feel him standing close to her now. He was about to put his hand on her head. She brushed it aside and rose, pushing back the chair, which fell with a thud.

"Sir..no."

"Arre, what happened? I didn't even do anything." He had a puzzled look. But the smile hadn't gone.

Stop smiling, you animal.

"Sir. You know what I meant. And you also know I can scream. Right? You can't do this.."

"What am I doing, child?" He inched closer now. She stepped back till her back was pushed against the window.

"Sakshi. Child. I just wanted to make you understand, that...that I want the best for you. And you can be the best. Trust me."

He was standing in front of her, close enough for her to feel his animal breath on her. She closed her eyes for a split second, and then looked at him, her stare piercing him.

"Just like how Disha trusted you, ten years ago?"

The smile evaporated from Rajshekhar's face with the mention of that name. He stepped back.

"What...who?"

"Yes. Disha. Remember her? You raped her, and even disposed her body in a way that nobody knew. Not even the cops could sniff you out. Smug about it, huh, Mr. Perverted Asshole? Oh..I'm sorry - Mr. murderer?"

Rajshekhar stepped back now, horror spreading across his face.

"I...I don't know what you're saying..I, you...who the hell are you?"

A deep throated laugh escaped Sakshi's lips. She stepped forward and slowly held his face in her hands, her eyes dancing all over his horrified expression, and her lips quivering with a manic excitement.

"You know me, don't you....professor?"

****

Dayal laughed out loud at another of Gopal's jokes. They sat on the steps, a few feet away from the staff room. Just then they saw the door opening.

"What the hell, I thought I closed the door from the outside," Dayal said, looking back and rising.

As he approached the door, the girl stepped out. He stopped in his tracks. This wasn't the girl who had walked in. He turned to Gopal who shrugged, equally puzzled. Dayal turned back at the girl. There was something familiar about her. She wasn't the same girl, but she looked damn familiar. He opened his mouth to say something, but her piercing eyes drilled into his, forcing him to silence, and he turned away for a moment. When he turned back, he saw her slowly walking across the corridor and out the exit.

He then stepped into the staff-room. Rajshekhar was sitting and looking at the window, his back to the door. Dayal walked over to him.

"Sir, who was that...?"

He never completed the question.

Instead, he let out a muffled scream, his eyes wide with horror and repulsion.

*******