Poison

'Reporters and police should be hushed. Students must be barred to know the truth. This is what our school staff must have thought. Our teachers were tensed and horror-struck, but they acted like novices. The principal of our school must be busy calling 'this thing' a false allegation or making a false story. But I know what would have happened. I know secrets about the toilet where a twelfth-class boy was found dead this morning!

In the recess, it was, that the news spread like a forest fire. As soon as I got the news, I headed for the toilet. It was believed that there was a ghost in this toilet. No student ever went to this 'haunted toilet', not even sweepers or plumbers. The corridors I walked in were less crowded. Most students talked about the incident with horrified faces. Most would have conjectured a horror story to explain death, some would say it a suicide but I know there is a mystery which could only be discovered by me.

There were two policemen talking when I reached the toilet, beside them were two teachers, seriously listening to the policemen. I passed the toilet and looked inside it. It was dull and empty, the body was taken and the area around it was barricaded. I looked around for some witness which could help me. I again crossed the toilet in a similar way, trying to sense something weird. Got it! The toilet pipes and basin pipes of PVC were broken in a few places. It was an old toilet, it must be usual to see broken things but around them were faint stains of blood. There was no more evidence possible to gather and loitering across the toilet would draw attention so I advanced from there.

I sat in my class, repeatedly revising the image of the toilet, the faint blood and broken pipes. There must have been some fight. A fight that might have ended in murder. But nothing could be decided. However, I know one thing, the 'one secret' about the toilet. For the best I know, at least seven boys visited the toilet occasionally to abuse drugs. They used the 'ghost' place to fulfil their addiction. Out of these seven one is the dead boy, Vishal. This implies the left six might be involved in it. I needed more evidence.

At the end of our school, I reached Vishal's classroom. It was empty. I entered the room and moved around to search for something valuable for mystery. The next day is declared a holiday, so I have to get maximum evidence today. The boy went out of the class between the third and fourth periods to the washroom. Interestingly he was not noticed in the CCTV camera, as one of my reliable sources told me. He must have taken the way without cameras. This concludes, there was someone with him, who took him on the camera-less path, that was longer than the frequently used one. This could be an important assumption. I checked things around, got a clue I was looking for, and went out of the school. My loitering may attract the attention of some staff members.

The next day in my study room, I scribbled three names with a black ball pen on a white blank paper- two boys and one girl. The first two were among the seven drug addicts. In our school, to manage discipline the names of students who go outside the classroom in the absence of the teacher are noted in the log book by the monitor. They are also given a card called 'class pass'. No student is allowed to roam in corridors without a class pass. I encircled the first name, Karim. He was from another class but from log book records he was out of the class. He might be the culprit but I could not get any other evidence. I encircled the second name, Mike. He was from the same class. The logbook mentions that he was out of the class between the third and fourth periods. Surprisingly, Vishal's name was not in the logbook. Mike might be the one who guided the victim on CCTV free path. The two boys, Karim and Mike, might have met in the toilet and murdered the victim. A feeling of slight satisfaction descended. The mystery is nearly solved.

"Beta…" my mom shouted from another room. I covered the paper with a book and went to my mom. "See.." she pointed at a newspaper column with a gloomy gesture. The news was about Vishal. 'Student suicides by eating poison' was the headline. I read the report earnestly and handed back the newspaper to mummy. Without saying anything I headed for my room. Now I know the cause of death.

I encircled the third name. She was the class monitor, who sent the two boys together. She might be innocent, but she did a thing that led to someone's death. Those two boys might have easily blackmailed her. She cannot be the murderer, so I thought of talking to her.

In the days my goal was to get this girl alone in the school. I tried to follow her, but most of the time she was in the company of girls. But on an eventful day, she was alone in the classroom, looking out of the window. I won't get a chance like this. I didn't want to talk of 'good things' and persuade her that she can believe me. I wanted to be straightforward and direct. Her facial movements would confirm my suspicion.

"Why did you send two boys together to the toilet on 20th March between the third and fourth period?" I asked confidently. Her expression submerged like a punctured balloon. There was a horror, a fear of being caught in a fatal act.

"I… don't know…" she replied with broken nervous words. Next, I asked with a gritty smile "Is he the murderer, the other boy whom you sent to the toilet." She fell silent. She might cry soon. I got my answer, Mike is the murderer along with the boy from another class, Karim. They took him through a CCTV-free path and then into the toilet and killed him by forcibly giving him poison, as the laboratory report from the newspaper says. There must have been a fight, which explains the blood stains and broken pipes. The mystery is solved.

The following days were restless. I have solved a mystery. Now I must tell someone, or punish the culprits or should I tell to the police? Thoughts lingered in my mind. They infuriated me. With these thoughts when I was walking, I saw Mike. The murderer. I made a gritty smile. I walked to him and sat beside him on the bench, at the corner of the park. I didn't want any pointless conversations.

"You were the one in the toilet who did…" I said with credence and paused knowingly.

He looked into my eyes. "The name in a log book, you noticed, haa.." he said with vexation. Yes, I did that, I spotted that clue. "Why would I let monitor write my name, I would have made her write the name of that boy, Vishal. Do you think I am that idiot?" He made a disgusting face. I looked down, yes how could she write his name when she was with him? He continued with a bold non-pausing voice "This was all planned.…planned by someone who controls us, watches us, can kill us whenever he wants…aah" Mike raised his voice and fell silent for a moment. There was vexation, and agitation on his face. "I know he would have managed to get that girl and compelled her to trap me. She didn't write either my or Vishal's name that day, only later I came to know that my name was written, I have been targeted by BIG BRO." Mike paused and gave a sigh, I looked contentedly at his face. "I would die soon, I know, they would kill me. The BIG BRO will do it. For once, only for once if you dare to escape vicious drug addiction, you are trapped, killed by those above." I could sense despondency in his words. I didn't feel like being here anymore. I must go. I stood up and advanced. But wait, should I believe him? What if he is wrong? After all, he is a murderer. Should a murderer be trusted? What if the girl wanted to do justice? Should I threaten him, blackmail him or complain to the authorities? I lowered my pace and looked around. Mike was wildly running towards me with a boulder in his hand. He wanted to smash my head. His face looked ruffian and wild. Reflexes…yes, reflexes they were. I took out a pocket knife, that I keep for safety and stabbed him on arm. Not out of unbearable pain but because of unwillingness he didn't hit me and lowered the rock. He then looked into my eyes and said with painful words"You think you are smart…you know too many secrets..aah…BIG BRO has an eye on you. This is all planned. BIG BRO trapped me and soon would kill me, now it's your time, now you would be trapped and killed!… Beware don't leave witnesses…haa…haa" He laughed and cried in pain together like a maniac. "BIG BRO does whatever he wants." After this, I ran from there. I don't know what he meant. He is foolish, yet I felt fear. If this is a cycle where the death of one person leads to the death of another then… I am terrified.

Later, the next day I came to know Mike was found dead in the park. The newspaper headline said 'Suicide by taking poison in Shri Ganesh park'.