The girls in the room got settled. Already one month had passed since the classes began. The staff members had begun full-fledged teaching and Rithanya was trying to concentrate on her studies. All the girls, the seniors and juniors had started studying so much that Rithanya began to feel the pressure of studies through her peers. If she planned to become a doctor or rather get into a medical college, she had to study so extensively that she had to forego sleep, comforts and many more things. She had to prepare herself; she had to be competent enough to survive among a bunch of nerds. All these years, Rithanya had never realized the pressure of studies or felt the urge to score more and more. But she had always loved the learning process by acquiring wider knowledge of her subjects and formally approached her school education. To be a part of the community she lived in now, Rithanya had to get herself fully engrossed in her studies.
"Rithu, we haven't seen you in the dining hallThe girls got busy packing their dirty clothes. They locked their suitcases and trunk boxes with big locks. Excitement reached its peak as they quickly freshened up and were all set to escape the hostel after finishing their morning classes.Rithanya felt odd seeing the excitement all around. She would not say that she was not at all eager to meet her family but she could not feel so much excited. She felt the hostel was all of a sudden transformed into an asylum and the girls had undergone some multiple personality disorder. The girls at the hostel, the seniors and juniors alike, who behaved like score- generating robots all these days, always focussed too much on studies and scoring high marks, started behaving like normal humans with emotions. It was too much to digest for Rithanya. She didn‟t pack her dirty clothes. She didn‟t dress up to look pretty. She didn‟t scream and yell in the rooms. She never planned to bunk the classes. She had never failed to pay attention in the class.
"Rithu, have you eaten anything? I brought some roti and sabji for you. Would you like to have some?" Amma's voice carried a tone of concern as she addressed her daughter, Rithanya.Rithanya's reaction, however, was far from appreciative. Her voice carried a sharp edge as she screeched, "Where is the roti? Why are you telling me this so late?" Impatience and frustration laced her words, the toll of her experiences evident in her tone.Before Amma could offer an explanation, Rithanya cut her off abruptly, demanding, "Give me the food." The packet was handed over in silence, a stark contrast to the motherly warmth that Amma had intended to convey. A sense of disappointment clouded Amma's features, her efforts to provide care and nourishment met with a wall of discontent.As Rithanya dug into the food with newfound vigor, her actions seemed to mirror her voracious appetite for something beyond the meal itself. Every morsel was consumed with determination, leaving no trace of the sustenanc
Satvik was eagerly waiting for his sister's arrival. As soon as she stepped out of the car, Satvik came running to her, "Rithu...!" Both hugged each other as if they had not met for aeons.“Whoa, Whoa! What a drama!” Aunt came out teasing the siblings.“ Hello, Aunt. How are you?” Rithanya touched her aunt‟s feet in respect.“So how is your health? And, drama? As if I am doing more than what you and Dadda have been doing all these years!” She teased back. “By the way, Aunt, where is your loving, caring brother?” Rithanya looked around for her father."My brother and your uncle have gone to the playground," Aunty replied.Satvik whispered to the aunt, "We will ask Dadda and uncle if we can plan for an outing. Something like a picnic and it will also be a surprise for Rithanya."“That is fine, dear. I have no problem. I am sure your uncle also will agree,” aunty supported him. She then turned to Amma and said, “Come Geetha, let‟s prepare dinner.”“Yeah sister, let‟s go.” Amma followed
The following morning, the soft rays of dawn gently filtered through the curtains, awakening Rithanya from her slumber at the familiar hour of 5 am. She instinctively anticipated the piercing sound of the hostel alarms, often accompanied by the thunderous voice of the warden, that she had grown accustomed to. However, as her eyes fluttered open, she found herself surrounded by the comforting embrace of her auntie's house, enveloped by the warm presence of her loving family. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as the realization settled in—she was far from the confines of her school. Grinning at the thought, she shifted onto her side, succumbing to the allure of sleep once again.An hour drifted by, and the world of dreams reluctantly released its hold on Rithanya once more. This time, it was a tender kiss planted on her forehead that stirred her from her slumber. Blinking her eyes open, she was met with Dadda's affectionate smile as he leaned over her. "Come on, get up and get ready righ
The early morning hours painted the school campus in a serene calmness that was rarely witnessed during the bustling school days. Rithanya and her father arrived at the school fifteen minutes before five, greeted by the stillness that enveloped the surroundings. Their footsteps echoed softly as they made their way to the front desk of the hostel, where Dadda initiated the custodian drop-off formalities.Ms Roopa, the warden, welcomed them with a warm smile. "Hello, Sir. How are you? What does your daughter say? Did she enjoy the holidays?" Her questions carried a genuine interest as she engaged in small talk with Dadda."Hello, Ma'am! I am fine. Thanks for asking. Yeah, Rithu enjoyed her holidays. She says she likes her school," Dadda responded, conveying Rithanya's contentment. Intrigued about the upcoming academic schedule, he inquired about the commencement of the first cycle of exams."From Thursday, sir. The students will be notified in the classrooms today," Ms Roopa informed, he
The night enveloped the hostel room in a heavy silence, the weight of darkness matching the stillness of slumbering bodies. But for Rithanya, sleep remained elusive, as her mind was entangled in the clutches of her recent nightmare. The tormenting memories of that fateful night persisted, refusing to release their grip on her consciousness.Restlessness gnawed at her, each passing moment punctuating the minutes she could have spent studying. Every heartbeat echoed with the weight of the upcoming exam, a reminder of the challenges that loomed on the horizon. Her roommates seemed to have found refuge in the embrace of dreams, their rhythmic breathing contrasting sharply with her own persistent wakefulness.With a sigh, she shifted her gaze toward the window, where the moonlight poured in with an almost ethereal radiance. Tonight, the moon seemed to shine brighter, casting a silver glow that painted the room in subtle shades of gray. It was as if the moon itself was a
The pre-dawn hours painted the sky with a gentle hue of pink as the sun's first rays kissed the clouds. The tranquil beauty of the morning was juxtaposed against Rithanya's weary demeanor as she finally settled into bed. Her stifled yawn punctuated the quiet of the room, a testament to the long night she had spent wrestling with her thoughts.The weight of silence was both calming and unnerving. A maze of emotions coursed through Rithanya's veins, intertwining with the urgency of the upcoming exam. She couldn't help but marvel at how effortlessly her roommates surrendered to slumber while she waged an internal battle against her own anxieties.With a quiet determination, she eased herself out of bed, her movements cautious as she navigated the creaky floorboards. The others were oblivious to her nocturnal endeavors, ensconced in dreams that seemed far from her grasp. The impending exam loomed large, a challenge that she was committed to conquering.
It was already Tuesday. The girls rushed to the restrooms before the warden‟s wake up call. There were long queues outside them.“I had put my dresses on the door. How could you get in by pushing my dress aside?” someone yelled at a girl bathing inside. There came a fierce reply, “The room was vacant and so I grabbed the chance to have my bath.”Rithanya did not know whether to laugh at these girls or get irritated by the way they behaved. Diva and Fowzia came in at the same time. They saw Rithanya with her bucket and clothes, standing without any clue about what to do. Fowzia asked, “What are you doing here, Rithu?”Rithanya replied, “Well, I am researching how to build a rocket and land on Mars.”“Relax. What Fowzia meant was, if you cannot find a bathroom, why are you standing here and wasting time. You should probably go to the study session.” Diva pacified Rithanya.So Rithanya went to the study room, found that already many other girls from her class and the neighbouring classe