Unspoken Words

Are you OK?

She didn't try to move. Or to be more precise, nobody moved. Because the door was still locked. Some girls walked out with one of them muttering, "We gotta freshen up in washroom before the lecture". All of them were in tensed mood.

Three girls stood beside Ala who seemed to be frozen in place.

"Hey! What have you done?" I thought it was Sama.

"He seems to be frozen in place". Was it Shaan speaking?

I turned my head slowly in his direction. "What?"

"We will talk about this later", Shaan replied. But I noticed something odd in his eyes.

"What about?"

He laughed lightly. "Professor is coming, let's wait".

Two minutes passed...

Three more minutes passed...

It felt like eternity.

Some one behind me muttered, "Was that a lie?"

"Who shouted it in the first place?"

"Who knows?"

Ala came towards us with her friends. Hopefully, they were her friends.

Sana asked, "Are you OK?"

"I will be answering this question the whole day".

"What?" Sama asked clearly not hearing what she whispered.

But I heard her.

"No. Nothing. I was saying I am fine". Ala elaborated.

"So, your real name is Eleanor Shah?" Shaan wanted to be sure.

Eleanor nodded once.

"Some one is coming". Swapnil announced.

"Janitor", Mohsin added.

All of us laughed.

As he walked, he fished out a set of keys. Some of us greeted him to which he replied. He went forward to open the door.

"Hey", Eleanor waved her hand in front of me and Shaan.

I narrowed my eyes. She narrowed her eyes too, but she relaxed after that. "Umm.. Thanks for that".

Before we could answer, she turned and walked inside the hall. Her friends following suit.

"Let's go", I muttered.

The classes went by like a blur. My mind was somewhere else. I have known many brave girls. I have read articles stating the brave efforts accomplished by women. But experiencing it with my eyes was different.

There was definite vulnerability in her eyes, but she resisted. She even gone as far as slapping our senior. I suddenly felt the desire to clap for her, but I knew she didn't want it as well.

Shaan was sitting beside me taking notes. I sighed. I hated making notes. Shaan knew it and never forced me to do it anyway.

"That was intense", he murmured.

"It's not over".

He nodded, "Yet".

Last period was proxy and no teacher bothered to come. Some batchmates gathered around Eleanor. She remained seated in her seat. It was easier to recognise them with identity cards hanging down their necks.

"What happened last night?", Puja looked very concerned for her.

Last night!?

"We heard they cornered you in your room!".