START AFTER THE END (Shuruaat ant ke baad)

Chapter 1: Start of the Day

This is a very special day for Adhy for four reasons. First today is her 18th birthday. Second is the first day of class. Finally Adhy is now on her first day in college. And like any other first time, she’s so excited, curious and tremulous on what is in stored for her as a freshman. Third, the excitement and gladness had been tripled as fortunately today is also the start of the one week annual exhibit of the master piece made by the students from the College of Arts. She came first at the location before everything at the exhibit had been completed. Fourth, secret?????? Just read the story.

She can’t help to gape seeing people were just about to revamp everything when it’s only 30 minutes left before the scheduled time of the event is about to approach.

In Adhy’s mind “The golden rule of Filipinos: Always late, I mean Time is Gold. Hehehe ...” (peace)

Another gape happened, she couldn’t stop staring from one of the masterpiece hanging 10 steps away from the entrance. It was a portrait of a young girl. Like any other child at the age of six, the girl looks like an angel with such innocence in her eyes. She was stucked and amazed not because it was the most marvelous painting she has ever seen but because she thinks she know the young girl on that portrait. She felt so strange that time. Because of that matter she forgot to go around and see the entire exhibit as she planned a while ago. She’s walking unconsciously and contemplating deeply when suddenly someone hit her accidentally that brought her back to her senses.

“Kyaa...” she lour as she saw the guy passed through without apologizing to her. “Would you mind saying sorry?” she said with quite annoyance on her face.

She departed from the exhibit room still curious on the painting. Going to the dean’s office suddenly crossed her mind as she wanted to clarify something. Upon approaching the office, the door was nearly opened and for that view Adhy saw someone setting at the dean’s chair. “Kaun hai?” she wondered as she already meet the Dean in the College of Arts which she met last enrollment. “Is it possible to replace a dean at a small span of time? Hmm . . .” she smirked. She was about to enter the office when . . .

KRINGGGGG... the loud ring of the bell goes throughout the campus, that was the cue that her first class will about to start. And because the place where she was is quite far from her class room she comes running and panting at the end.

“Good morning Miss. Sorry I’m late.” She said as she reached the door of the classroom. The professor just smiled. She got conscious as she can’t speak without an accent. She was just recently returned to the Philippines from India. She was in her primary school days when her father decided to pursue their family business in Mumbai, India. At first it was really hard for her to cope with her new environment as a child but because she’s flexible and a fast learner she was able to adjust with just a small span of time. As a student, she was always at the pilot section and graduated with honors in elementary and high school. She wrote a quotation all over her room to remind her all the time “Accha Adhy, Rule #1: Pahalā adhyayana. Rule #2: Śāsana nambara ēka dōharānē.”

Our 18 year old protagonist listens very carefully to the orientation of their first professor. It feels great to be back on your mother land. As looking around, she notice something that made her think for a while. It seems like everything is new but then she did not pay longer attention to it as she’s currently busy listening to her professor that is never stop from talking even when nobody is listening. “After 12 years, surely everything will seem so new” she told herself. And when the ceasefire came, everybody feels at ease “Yes” the students told themselves. The period ended up without something new to add in her vocabulary.

She glanced side by side, she’s wondering why her new acquaintance haven’t attended their first class. “I thought Irene, Tin and French will have the same schedule as mine.” The wondering girl is about to stand and search for them when suddenly her new second professor come along the way. The professor looks at he’s in 30’s and quite good looking that made all the students stares at him all the time. Adhy decided to take a sit and try to hold her laugh while seeing the reactions of her new classmate. “Wow... the sun goes down and gives light to everyone’s eyes.” She tells herself sarcastically.

“What is humanities?” suddenly asked by the sun, I mean by the good looking professor.

Every student went back to their senses. “Grrr... the fight starts again.” She commented while contemplating if she made her duty of reading her subjects in advance but she really can’t remember. Poor girl, Alzheimer’s at the young age. ”Kyon, kyon, kyon?” she frowned as she was wondering why there’s nothing comes to her mind. That time, she felt like she’s not been exercising her brain cells for quite sometimes. This situation causes her to look down to hide herself while praying for her name not to be called in the recitation.

Third and fourth subjects passed by. There were times that she did raised her hand to recite but even how hard she tried to get the attention of her professors, it just doesn’t work that made her disappointed. A heavy lour was the only thing she can do that moment. She’s now wondering why she hasn’t got the chance to exercise her rights to express her thoughts.”Where is justice?”