Unlock

Part 2

"Where have you been?" asked Reva, with the usual frown lines she seemed to carry on her forehead, as I dropped my bag on the desk and slid into the seat next to her.

"Was late for the 1st period, so went into hiding to avoid being punished," I shrugged, trying to avoid going into details. It was true that I was trying to avoid punishment, but I had left out the part about the key.

After I found that the key worked on the pantry door, I worked up the courage to walk over to the closet with cleaning supplies just outside the cafeteria. It was already open. So I used the key to lock it and unlock it. Slipping back into the cafeteria, I spent a long time thinking of all the locks I could try but was also aware that I was very likely in possession of something I shouldn't be.

Jo (short for Jyotsna), who was sitting behind me, poked me with the blunt end of the pencil to get my attention.

"Mr. Nath noticed that you missed his period. I'm sure that in his next class, you are going to be quizzed about Laws and applications of motion, the topic that you missed today," said Jo as I turned around to face her.

"Then I better prepare for that," I sighed. "But thanks for the heads up!" I gave her a closed-lipped smile, and she smiled back with a nod, feeling pleased with herself.

Reva and Jo were my only friends in school. We shared most of our classes and hung out after school sometimes. Having known each other for just over a month, I pondered if should tell them about the key. I did plan to return it to the school that evening and maybe try a few more doors before I turned it in, I debated. So, it didn't make any sense to tell my friends about the key.

"Do you have badminton practice today after school?" Reva asked, breaking my train of thoughts.

"Umm..." I stuttered, "Y...yes." I was lying. I had just thought of a way to try on a few more doors after school before returning the key. I figured that with less than ten percent of the school left behind, it would be easy to move around. Reva had just handed me a perfect reason to hang back without raising any suspicion.

After the period ended, we walked into the corridor to get to the next classroom, trying to make way quickly through the crowd. Reva and Jo walked a few steps ahead of me as I chatted up with a classmate. I heard a short and soft but not a very gentle whistle and instantly looked in Jo's direction. And as I had expected, Jo stood frozen on the spot with Reva equally paralyzed. The reason for this fear was Suraj. He was a senior who tormented Jo whenever we bumped into him. Sometimes I think he waited for us in the corridor. He would hoot, catcall, whistle, basically do anything to draw Jo's attention as soon as he spotted her. Initially, she ignored him, but soon he started bumping into her physically or dropping her books, accompanied by a burst of cackling laughter. Jo was shy and not someone who could stand up against him. Reva and I were not that brave either, but at least I had the guts to walk away from him while Jo froze on the spot. She couldn't talk, scream, or sometimes I think she couldn't breathe for a few seconds. 

I rushed to Jo's side just as Suraj approached her. Snatching a sheet kept at the top of the books she was holding, giving a crooked smile, he said, "Oh! a submission?"

Jo's eyes turned big, but she choked on words.

"Don't you want it back?" he asked, rolling up the paper in his hand.

"Give it back," Jo barely managed to squeak and then added, "Please."

I ground my teeth, and my fists tightened, with the nails digging as deep as they could.

"If you want it so badly, talk to me for 5 minutes without shivering or stuttering," he challenged, looking into her eyes.

Jo was barely breathing with him so close by. Waiting for a few seconds for her to speak up, he gave a mocking laugh and turned around on his heels, and left with his posse.

"That... that was my submission sheet!" Jo finally found her voice, tearfully.

"Don't worry. You have another day to do it, and we'll help you." Reva slid her arm around Jo and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

I was still fuming. Suraj was a snob and a bully. Being the captain of the school cricket team, he was a revered celebrity in our school. We did not stand a chance if it was our word against his. Looking over my shoulder at his gang laughing and giving high five's as they trotted up the stairs made my anger boil over. 

"That spoiled brat! Someone needs to teach him a lesson," I screamed, louder than I intended.

"Hmm... No one can stand up against him," Jo pursed her lips and gave out a defeated sigh.

We silently walked over to our lockers, all of us still plotting ways to get back at Suraj in our mind, although it did not seem doable.

I put my locker combination, and as the lock opened, I froze. Why hadn't I thought of this before? I facepalmed and immediately banged the locker door shut.

Fumbling out a weak apology that went something like, "Oh no! So sorry I forgot my... Umm...I need to grab my... umm... meet you in the class." I dashed out, leaving my confused friends to watch me disappear in the crowds.

I ran up the stairs where I had seen Suraj and his gang disappear. Reaching the corridor on the top floor, I spotted him about 50 feet ahead of me, his gait like that of a prince, confident, casual, and unhurried.  Just as we turned corners, I craned my neck above the crowd to keep track of his movements. He was tall and could be easily spotted. And my tiny stature of 5.3 could easily mix up with the crowd without getting caught. It did not take long before he stopped in front of lockers. I hesitated for a moment. Should I continue walking past him, or should I stop and watch him from afar.  The crowd was thinning out since it was nearly time for the next period. I decided to slowly walk past him. He opened his locker, second from the right, I noted, and just as I crossed him, he threw the rolled-up sheet, which he had snatched from Jo, into the locker. I got what I was looking for.

I walked to the end of the corridor, which led to the restrooms, and turned around. Suraj and his friends headed in the other direction to their classrooms. The corridor was almost empty. As soon I saw Suraj enter a classroom, I hurried over to his locker. With cold, shaky hands, I took the key from my pocket and tried it on the locker - Suraj's locker!  I held my breath until I heard the lock pop open. Opening it as fast as my icy hands worked, I grabbed a rolled-up sheet lying on the top without checking if it was Jo's paper. Shutting it close, not taking any more time than required, I pocketed the key and walked out of there, perspiration dripping from my forehead and my face burning up.  

I walked back to my class with what I had just done, sinking in. I had undertaken a daylight break-in. Wiping off sweat from my forehead and upper lip, I opened the rolled-up sheet, and to my relief, I had grabbed the right one. Placing the paper on Jo's desk, I said, "I got something for you."

Her nose scrunched up with disbelief, and then her eyes went wide with O formed on her lips as she realised what it was, "What? How?" she inquired.

At that moment, the teacher entered the class and to my relief saved me from getting into details. 

"Shh... We'll talk later," Giving her hand a gentle pat, I sat down, hoping the jitters would die down before I faced my friends in an hour.