The Science teacher

The next few days, students were escorted to their classes and a strict vigilance was maintained in the school. Fire sir could be found standing beside the assembly hall staring menacingly at students roaming around the front door. The corridors went deserted except for the file of students being escorted to science labs or library. Any laughter in the school stifled soon and sounded unnatural. Jyotsna, Anwar, Etan and Brojen found themselves sticking together, like sort of a team. The three boys endlessly discussed the ghost legend and kept asking Anwar to recount his experience. Meanwhile, Mahadev had gathered a gang around himself. Ruben and Bani, thick necked and curly haired, roared with laughter whenever he did a ridiculous impression of Anwar trapped in the jungle with the ‘bhulo’.

“Hey, Anwar!” shirked Piu, a slim little brown girl, “I’ve heard you are friends with the floating heads?”

“Ignore them” hissed Jyotsna as they jumped down the tables and sat on their benches.

The science teacher entered briskly. “Hello everyone” she said brightly. She was tall and Jyotsna saw that she was very thin; her eyes were small but full and thin lips. She draped a saree coloured like vermillion in milk. Her arms were encrusted with several thin bangles.

“Sit down” she said waving her hand and everyone sank onto their benches.  

“Turn to page two forty nine – The Phosphorus Cycle”

Everyone rummaged in their bags and pulled out a large volume, turning its pages furiously. When everyone settled, she began reading a passage from the book but stopped immediately. Etan had shot his hand up.

“Yes, Etan?”

“Ma’am do you believe in ghosts?” he said.

The teacher, Ms. Jenny, stared at him and said, “Any scientific mind rejects the idea of supernatural. I suggest you do too”

“Then why is there a night curfew imposed?” Brojen asked.

“Raise your hand before speaking in my class, Brojen. The curfew is imposed for your own good.”

“If there are no ghost’s then why is the curfew…”

Ms. Jenny interjected impatiently, “Ghosts are nothing more than a figment of imagination. Its history that makes us see ghosts. You see when humans were still jungle dwellers, their instincts were heightened to survive against monstrous predators. An odd smell, a sudden movement, a flickering light, everything frightened him. And he fled to safety. We still have this trait even after thirteen thousand years”

Jyotsna wished she could note all this down, but she wasn’t fast enough. Anwar was fidgeting with his slate and Etan and Brojen were looking at the teacher in rapt attention. 

Ms. Jenny continued to read out the movement of phosphorus through nature. She stopped suddenly and, watching over her round spectacles she asked, “Children! Do you know why phosphorus glows in the dark?”

Anwar muttered under his breath “because it reacts with oxygen”. Hearing this Jyotsna shot her hand up in the air.

“Yes, Jyotsna!”

“Phosphorus reacts with the oxygen in the air”

“That’s right” Said Ms. Jenny and continued with the lesson.

Jyotsna sat back down. An incredible thought had struck her.

                                                                ***

“What if it is?” Jyotsna argued with Etan and Brojen. “If ghost doesn’t exist then explain floating lights on a craggy moor”

“Fireflies?” Anwar said timidly. Etan and Brojen nodded. “Or it can be the GHOST” Anwar raised his voice. “I don’t know if you remember but they were nothing like phosphorus oxidizing in open air”

“People are not fools, Jyotsna. There is something sinister there in that forest. It gives me the creeps every time I think about it” Said Etan.

“Ugh!” Exclaimed Brojen.

“Can’t we just investigate once?”

“Investigate what?” came the dull voice of Mahadev. He was ambling towards the four of them, Ruben, Bani, Piu and Moni- a huge girl with a face that looked like stuck in anger.

“Mind your own business, Mahadev” said Anwar.

“I wonder, Anwar, did you really visit the jungle or did you lie to your girlfriend?”

Jyotsna’s face went pink, “I’m not his girlfriend” she said.

“You think you are so brave? Lying around the school, showing off as if you faced the ‘bhulo’? When the real ‘bhulo’ comes I bet you’ll shit your pants” Mahadev and Anwar were standing toe to toe, their nostrils flaring. Etan came in between and separated the two while Ruben and Bani cracked their knuckles menacingly.

“What happened? Did your balls drop off?” Mahadev yelled as he turned around and started to walk, the two girls sniggering.

“You think you are brave? Nav race. Tonight at two, I’ll be waiting for you at dhoopghati lake.” Anwar said.

“Don’t be a fool” cried Jyotsna. Nav race were dangerous boat race, an ancient tradition of Kaligram village. The navik, or the racer had to complete two rounds, in complete darkness, around a small island in the middle of the lake.

“What happened? Did your balls drop off?” Anwar yelled with a grin.

“You are on!” said Mahadev.

Etan and Brojen started to march up and down the corridor pretending to blow trumpets.

“Are you insane?” shriked Jyotsna once Mahadev had disappeared.

“What if you are caught? You’ll be expelled”

“Relax, Jyotsna” said Etan.

“He’ll probably won’t come” said Brojen.

“He doesn’t have the guts” spat Anwar.

“You were bluffing, then?” Jyotsna asked.

“Of course! Don’t you know what his father’s like?” He said winking at Etan and Brojen.

They started to walk out of the school. Once Jyotsna was out of earshot, Anwar pulled the twins to his side and whispered, “Get the boats ready. I’ll teach that nutter a lesson tonight.”