The Enemy

4

How do you face the person who destroyed your life? Abhiram's, mind was smouldering with the anger bottled from decades of hatred towards the girl. Now she was right in front of him, living her life, unaware of the damages she made. All he could think of was revenge. How to hurt her, to make her feel at least a particle of the pain that he had felt for so many years?

Varsha, who was done scolding the bratty Manu, crossed in front of him to get to the students on the other end of the room. She was dressed in a cotton saree, looking very beautiful, drawing looks from most students. How soon she had become the talk of the department. The other single male members of the faculty could not help gushing about how beautiful she was, even giving snide comments about her figure. There she was, like a spider making a treacherous web to trap some new fellows, thought Abhiram.

"OWWWW," a scream rent the air and Abhiram jumped from his chair and ran in the direction of the sound, and found a group of boys huddled around an injured looking Manu.

Varsha and Rajesh too came running to the them.

"What happened?" asked Abhiram.

"Sir, Manu's hand got burnt," said Subair, one of the students.

"Show me," said Abhiram pulling Manu out of the huddle of the boys to get his hand in the light of the window. His palm and wrist were burnt to an ashy colour.

"Get the first aid kit," Abhiram ordered Rajesh.

He then took Manu to the nearest wash basin and helped wash and sooth the burn, but blisters started appearing in his hand and Abhiram immediately knew that it was serious. So he got back to the lab and gave him first aid and instructed a few of the boys and Rajesh to take him to the health center. After the students became calm, he turned to Varsha.

"What the hell are you doing in this lab?" shouted Abhiram, stunning Varsha.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You are responsible for teaching the student to safely handle things in here. What were you doing?" shouted Abhiram.

"Sir, I was..." Varsha was not able to complete the sentence because Abhiram interjected.

"How can an educated person be so dumb and irresponsible?" he said to her, not too loud, but enough for the students to hear.

"Excuse me!" she looked at him in shock.

"Forget it, this work is besides you. You are probably better sitting at home doing nothing, that can't hurt anyone else," said Abhiram with a sneer.

"Dr Abhiram, mind what you say in front of the students!" she looked around at the curious students who were listening in. Her anger, barely contained, eyes sharp and directly boring into his.

"Ms Varsha, one student got hurt in your watch. You are responsible for it," said Abhiram.

"If you were paying attention you would have seen and heard me scold him for playing around with the soldering iron," said Varsha.

"And what did you do about it?" asked Abhiram.

"He is not a child, I can't force him to listen to me. When I realized he wasn't listening I was coming to get you, but one of the students called me, by then he injured himself," said Varsha.

"Still its your fault, I can't believe you are trying to wrangle your way out of it," said Abhiram.

"You were also here," she pointed out.

"Leave, RIGHT NOW!" Abhiram was looking livid.

Varsha walked out in a huff and Abhiram looked at the students, "Its still your lab hours, get back to your practicals." The student quickly went back to their places and Abhiram was left fuming.