BLUE EYES
College reopened after a month’s vacation.
Friends hugged each other as if its been years having seen each other.
I
jumped out of my bike and was greeted by my friends who were eagerly waiting
for me.
“We have planned to go out for a movie as
we are meeting after a month”, said my dear friend Robin, “darn we have missed
the 9:30 show.”
“Why were you waiting for me? You guys
could have gone. Iam sorry I made you miss the first show”, said I.
“Well how could we have gone without our
group leader?” said Robin.
They were really making me blush.
“I don’t know why you are behaving so
differently. You’ve completely transformed in these vacations,” said Robin.
Indeed I had. I used to be such a rough
guy before the vacations, but grandma’s demise had completely transformed me. I
myself could see the changes. The dressing style, the attitude. My grandma was
too close to me, always getting me things I asked for and very caring. She
loved me more than her son, my dad.
When I told my friends the reason for the
change in me, they felt sorry for me.
“Well I don’t want to spoil the mood. So
let’s party”.
We were having a nice party and all of a
sudden my mood changed. So I went out of the room and my girl friend ‘Veronica’
followed me to console me.
After that, when it was time for the
movies, I backed off and my friends did not force me.
The next day at the college, the classes
started. During our psychology class, a new boy entered the class asking
permission from the ma’am. Well that was a rare seen. This rule had been rubbed
off the rulebook years before.
Then our teacher introduced him to the
whole class. “Well here is your new class mate ‘Andrew’”. She said it as if she
was giving us a new baby brother. He looked liked a geek with specs having lens
of a telescope and freckles all over his face. The whole class started
whispering this and that about him. He went to his seat like an earthworm,
slowly and afraid who would smash him under his foot.
The class started and while teaching,
Mrs.Hunt, our teacher asked a question that no one could answer. She made each
and every student stand up on their bench as she asked them. She skipped Andrew
and went on asking others. But, when no one came with the answer, she had no
other option left but to ask Andrew.
She asked Andrew the same question and he
gave the correct answer. Our teacher was full of praises for him. We turned
back, like a fleet that had been ordered to turn back, and stared at him as if
he were a sinister. He did not dare to look at us.
The bell rang. It was the lunch break. We
all headed for the canteen. Andrew was having his lunch sitting alone. So I
went to accompany him. Every one was astonished to see that. Well, I felt sorry
for him. No one would want such a rough first day in the college. I asked him
to come with me.
“Where?” he asked.
“You can join my group”.
I introduced all my group’s members to
him. Well, they had to do whatever I wanted. After all I was the group leader
and they did it with a grin on the face.
Later on, in the day, I got some words
from veronica to hear. I told her that it was all right to have Andrew in the
group. After about an hour’s talking, I convinced her.
Day by day we started getting along well
with each other and we started sharing our thoughts and even the whole group
started accepting him. He would help us in the exams, as he was brilliant in
studies. So our group slowly started concentrating on studies because of him
and his help. He would sometimes sleep at my place after a whole day of work.
He would teach me how to concentrate on studies and I would teach him how to
improve his personality. So gradually we came close.
Days went by and it was exam time now. We
went to our respective classes wishing each other luck. This time the exams
went by without any tension in the air. Thanks to Andrew.
A month after the exams, one could see
the tension in every body’s face. Results will be displayed any time on the
notice board. The whole college was gathered near the board.
At 5 the results were displayed. It took
almost half an hour to check our results.
Every one in our group had passed with
good marks. The highlight of our group was Andrew. He stood second in the
examination.
But when I told him, his face all of a
sudden changed. He seemed to be dejected and he ran out of that place to the
lawn. I went behind him to console him.
“Hey buddy! Don’t worry there is always a
next time”.
“I can’t wait for the next time to come,”
shouted Andrew, pushing me behind, in a very different tone.
I had seen that anger in him for the
first time. ‘Never underestimate or judge a person unless you’ve seen all forms
of him’, is what my dear grandma used to tell me.
“Mike, I am going to Gabrielle to congratulate her for standing
first”, said Andrew.
“That would be a nice gesture”, said I.
“But I wanted the scholarship badly”, said Andrew before keeping
the receiver down.
Night went by and I slept like a rocked baby. The next day morning
when I got up I noticed drops of blood on the floor. I had a cut in my finger.
I then applied ointment. I wondered how I could have cut my finger. While I was
having my breakfast, my parents came and gifted me for passing. It was a watch.
I hugged and thanked them. Then I started off for my college.
On the college notice board was pinned a notice asking all students
to gather in the auditorium. No one knew what it was all about.
In the auditorium we all gathered to hear the tragic news of
Gabrielle’s death and adding to the horror our principal said it was a murder.
Principal also announced that the college is giving 1000 dollars as scholarship
for standing first. The whole college observed two minute’s silence in grief.
Then after the classes, when it was time for lunch, our group sat
together around a table and started talking about the tragic incident. Andrew
looked a bit troubled right from the time he heard the news.
“Is everything all right?” asked I, “Something seems to be
bothering you”.
“Ya! I am all right. I am just shocked by this news.”
“Andrew, didn’t you go and meet Gabrielle yesterday?”
“No. I didn’t.” said Andrew. He stood up all of a sudden and went
back leaving his lunch half-finished.
Something was fishy about his behaviour. The whole day Andrew did not talk to me and ignored me.
Next day, at the college Andrew was missing at lunch. He was having
his lunch sitting all alone. Veronica and I decided to go and talk to him.
“Andrew, why are you behaving like this? What’s the matter with
you? Share it with us.”
said Veronica.
“Don’t lie.” Said I.
“O.K. I’ll tell you but you have to promise you won’t let this out
to any one.”
“Yes we promise.”
“Two days before, I did go and meet Gabrielle.”
“So, you lied to me,” said I.
“Listen to me, Mike,” shouted Andrew. But I did not sit there and
listen to even a single word he uttered.
But Veronica sat there and listened to him.
Later at night Veronica came to mike’s place. Mike’s mother told her that Mike was in bed early and she could go up and wake him up. When Veronica opened the door, she saw Mike get out of his bed and go to the toilet. He did not even look at her. He then returned to bed unaware of Veronica’s presence. She kept on calling Mike but he did not respond. Her heart skipped a beat. She immediately ran down and told Mike’s mother. His parents could not believe Veronica’s words.
The next day
morning, I got up at ten, as it was the weekend. I went down and to my surprise
saw Veronica with my mother.
“What’s up
Veronica?” I asked.
“Veronica saw
you sleep walking last night,” said my mother.
“Sleep
walking? It’s impossible. Mama, have you ever seen me sleep walking for the
past 17 years?” asked I.
“I swear I
saw you jump out of the bed and go to toilet without even noticing me,” said
Veronica.
Then after a
lot of argument, they took me to a clinic.
There the
doctor said that I was suffering from somnambulism ‘sleep walking’.
“What could
be the cause for it and its occurring so suddenly?”Asked my mother.
“Well, it is
generally due to overstress or tension.”
Then he asked
my mother to take me to a psychiatrist not because he felt I was mentally ill
but to know the cause. First of all my mother refused to take me to the
psychiatrist but after my father and Veronica convinced her that it was for my
own good, I was taken to a psychiatrist.
At the psychiatrist’s place, Mike’s parents and Veronica were asked to wait outside while Mike was questioned. Then the doctor came out saying that he needs Mike to be hypnotized. Mike’s parents let him continue. After an hour or so, the doctor brought Mike back into consciousness and asked him and his parents to wait in his cabin. They waited impatiently, their heart pounding, until the doctor came back.
I did not
know anything that happened in the room. So, I was eager to hear the doctor. He
said that I was murmuring the same sentence again and again. ‘I’ll never let
anything happen to someone very close to me ever after’. This was the sentence.
No one could
make any sense out of it.
“Has anyone
close been parted from him?” asked the doctor.
“Yes…,” said
my father giving a long pause, “his grandmother passed away just last month.
She was very close to him.”
“Well, that
is the reason why he has this problem. If he overcomes that he’d be all right.”
My mother was
happy to hear that. I’d be all right.
On reaching
home Veronica said that she should be leaving for home. My parents thanked her.
She was a perfect girlfriend.
Then on
Sunday I went to veronica’s place. There she told me what talk she and Andrew
had on Saturday at lunch. She told me that he visited Gabrielle’s place on
Friday and he knew nothing related to her death.
“He lied to
you because he was very afraid we would relate him to that incident.” Said
Veronica.
“So foolish
of me. I should call him and regret,” said I and I did so.
Monday
morning, I started off for my college. I met Andrew and hugged him. We sat
together in the class as usual. Andrew still looked a little worried. May be he
was still shaken, I thought. In the second period, that of history, the teacher
asked Andrew a question for which he did not respond. The teacher asked him
again. I gently shook him. He then stood up surprised and started blabbering.
“No ma’am I
didn’t do it. I swear it. I didn’t do it.” Andrew started shouting.
Our teacher
grabbed hold of his wrist and took him to the principal’s room. What did he
mean by ‘I did not do it’, was what kept on questioning my mind. What had he
done that he wasn’t talking about? He came back with the teacher after about 15
minutes.
“This is what
I’d do if I catch anybody not concentrating in my class.” Said the teacher.
How could the teacher have been so rude to
him? This is the first time he wasn’t concentrating. She could have asked him
what the matter was. After all he is the next best student of the college.
Suddenly, something struck me: the line ‘next best student of the college’. Has
he really done it? Was he meaning the same when he said ‘I didn’t do it’?
We did not
talk to Andrew anymore about it as it bothered Andrew a lot.
I had my
dinner at 21 o’clock and then went to bed.
At around 22:00, Veronica parked her car near Mike’s house. She had come to see him, as she could not meet him at college. When she made her way to the door, she saw someone climb down the ladder near Mike’s bedroom window. She went to have a closer look. To her surprise it was Mike. He was again sleepwalking. She did not say anything to him. Mike got into his car and drove away. Veronica followed him. He stopped in front of a house and rang the doorbell. Veronica did not go inside and was watching from a safe distance. She saw someone open the door. After an hour or so Mike came out leaving the door wide open, got inside his car and came back home. Veronica saw him climb up the ladder into his room through the window.
The next day, at the college there was another notice asking students to gather in the auditorium. This time it was a news that more shocking to Veronica than to any other person. ‘Miss. Rocche, their history teacher had been murdered’.
‘Was Mike involved in this? Had he gone to Miss. Rocche’s house yesterday or somewhere else?’ Veronica kept on thinking.
I waved at
Veronica. She passed a smile and came towards me.
“Mike, where
were you yesterday night?” she asked.
“Why? I was
at home. I didn’t go anywhere.”
“Yesterday I was
going to my dad’s office and on the way I decided to drop by at your house but
I did not find your car in the garage. So I thought you must have gone out.”
Said Veronica.
“Well, I went
to bed early yesterday. My dad might have taken the car,” said I.
“Veronica, I
wanted to talk about something I have a strange feeling about. It is about
Andrew and the two murders”.
Veronica
stood frozen.
“What is it
Veronica? I know I shouldn’t have told you this. If you are feeling uneasy, I
won’t.” said I.
“No. Speak
out. I want to hear it.” Said Veronica.
“See, I don’t know whether it is just a
mere coincidence or not but it sure will make you curious. First, Gabrielle
topped and got the scholarship, which Andrew badly wanted. The next day she
dies. Secondly, our history teacher took him to the principal’s room, one of
Andrew’s most embarrassing moments and she also dies next day.”
Veronica stood there speechless and
suddenly spoke out, “Do you know Mrs.Rocche’s address?”
“Ya! I’ve been to her place twice. But
why do you want it?” asked it.
She just went away without replying. That
was strange.
Later that day, after the college was
over, Andrew offered to drop Veronica and me, as I had not brought my car.
While taking his car out of the parking
area, he hit Kevin’s car breaking one of his headlights. Kevin was one of the
meanest boys of the college. Veronica was watching as he started bashing Andrew
right away. I also watched helplessly. The fight ended with the principal’s
interference. Andrew had a swollen cheek and a dark eye.
Then I left him home and explained
everything to his mother.
Veronica
knew something was going to happen tonight. At night, she waited patiently
outside Mike’s house.
At
22:30 Mike came out of his room’s window the same he did a day before and drove
off in his car. Veronica followed him. He screeched to a halt and went inside
the house and this time Veronica wanted to clear her doubts. So she peeked
through the window. It was Kevin's house. What she saw stunned her. Mike stabbed
Kevin and left him crying for help. Mike made his way out of Kevin’s house.
When he got out of Kevin’s house, he saw Veronica hiding behind the door. But
he went as if he did not care.
Next
day upon reaching the college, Mike, Andrew and Veronica learnt that the
college had been called off and that too for two days. The gatekeeper told that
there had been another murder that of Kevin and there were cops and
investigators investigating on the successive murders.
“What happened top your arm Andrew?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just fell off the bike.”
“You don’t have a bike, Andrew. Don’t lie.”
“I am not lying, Mike. I think you are suspicious about me. Aren't
you?” asked Andrew.
“Yes, I am. You had had a fight with all these people a day before
they died. I am not able to think of any thing else.”
“Fine. You keep your thoughts with yourself. This puts an end to
our friendship.” Shouted Andrew.
“No. Listen I just want to help you.” I shouted but he won’t
listen. Andrew just walked away.
Her mother told me that she was in her bedroom. I knocked the door before entering.
“Come on in Mike”, called Veronica.
“How did you know it was me?” I asked.
“I saw your car pass by”.
“Veronica, I am here to talk about something.”
“I know what it is. It is about Andrew isn't it?”
“Yes. So what do you think? I just wanted to help him.”
“But Mike. Don’t you believe Andrew? Is this what is called
friendship? Just a mere coincidence has broken your friendship.” Said Veronica.
“ So, even you think it is coincidence.”
“No. But it might be.”
“I now feel really guilty for what I’ve done. I feel like killing
myself. I’ll call Andrew and regret.”
Then I went back home.
As soon as Mike left, Veronica called Andrew and asked him to come home as quickly as he can. He was there after two hours. It was 10. Veronica told him everything about Mike’s disorder. He was stunned. Veronica also told him that Mike was feeling very guilty and might even make an attempt to kill himself. They at once rushed to his house.
He had gone to bed. Both of them went to his bedroom fearing the worst.
Mike wasn’t there. Suddenly the closet room opened. Mike came out with a rope in his hand.
Mike started shouting in a very
different tone, “Mike, I have been with you for nearly two months. You needed
me because you could not see anyone close to you being parted. I cleared the
way whenever someone harmed Andrew just for you. But now, since you’ve broken
the friendship yourself, you don’t deserve to be alive.”
Both Veronica stood dumbstruck listening to the conversation.
“Who is he talking to?” asked Andrew.
“He is talking to himself.” Said Veronica.
Mike continued unaware of their presence. “Please… please save me Andrew please”.
Andrew was chilled. “Who is this now?” asked Andrew trembling.
“This is Mike I think.” Replied Veronica.
“Veronica, Andrew do something. Else Dave will kill me.” screamed Mike.
“I am coming Mike.” Said Andrew hesitantly and a bit confused.
“No…” shouted Mike in a hoarse
voice.
“What’s the matter Mike?” asked Andrew.
“Quiet. I am not Mike. I am
Dave. I am going to kill Mike. No one lives who troubles you.”
Just then Veronica spoke, “But Dave Mike would never harm Andrew.”
“You shut up”, screamed Mike
and held Veronica by her throat.
“No don’t do anything to her.” Pleaded Mike.
Andrew and Veronica knew Mike was talking to his other personality.
Mike let Veronica loose. She gasped for breadth.
Suddenly Mike put the rope around his own neck and tried to strangle himself.
“Please don’t do this. I am sorry. I am sorry.” Cried Mike. “Please Andrew do something”.
Andrew ran towards him and hit him. Mike stood up and gave a nasty blow on Andrew’s chin.
Mike started shouting and hearing this his parents too came upstairs to see the horrifying scene.
His mother almost fainted.
“Andrew, you too have no right
to live. I tried to punish everyone who troubled you and you went against me.”
Mike took a knife with his right hand and went for Andrew.
But just then his left hand grabbed hold of his right and stabbed himself.
Mike shouted, “this is for you Dave”.
Mike changing the tone cried with pain as he went down.
Everyone watched with horror. Ambulance was called at once. Mike fell unconscious. Then a psychiatrist was called. He told his parents that Mike had developed double personality. Dave was the pseudoform of him. He was created such that Mike never loses anybody close to him ever again. Later it turned against him because he was the cause of the fight with Andrew to whom he was very close.
Two weeks later, Mike fully recovered but he wasn’t let to go home as he was charged with the murder of three people.
His parents and his friends knowing he was innocent took the case to the court and won it. He was not kept in the cell but was in custody and arranged a house for him. His parents were allowed to visit him daily. He was also allowed to go to the college.