Water Works

On a perfectly bright late summer afternoon, Rakesh struggled to get his focus onto memorizing the chapter on induction motor and its associated mathematical equations. Exams were approaching and the heat was unrelenting. The hostel rooms were no better than a furnace, which made them all head out to the college and study. His body quivered and his mind kept bringing him visions of the previous night fireworks that Ganguly had displayed. Restlessness was now in full swing and he couldn’t control himself. He looked around and found his friend Ramesh too sulking in the corner of the college library. He closed the book with a loud thud disturbing a few studious ones and awakening the rest from their slumber. Ramesh grinned at him and that was it. Throwing their books aside both ran outside and stretched as the evening breeze blew across their face.

Rakesh started, “I wonder if I am doing a course on Engineering history or Electronics. I mean, I don’t understand why I must memorize the drawing of a drum printer let alone it’s working when they have commercially available laser printers.” Ramesh couldn’t agree better and said, “Let’s get back to it in a couple hours. How about get a few shots into the basket?” Rakesh’s mood changed instantaneously and both ran back to their rooms to get the basketball.

Fortunately for them, the basketball court was fairly cool as the adjacent hostel building blocked the sun and engulfed its rays. “We just got a week more and I haven’t crammed 1/10^th of the portions,” said Ramesh releasing the ball that traced a beautiful parabola and soundlessly landed inside the basket. “A silencer, you noticed that?” Rakesh, staring at Asha who just slipped into the ladies hostel, asked bemused “I wonder what she eats man!” Ramesh, ignoring his question started, “I am bored dude! We need a break and there has not been any activity recently.”

Rakesh taking a deep breath added pensively, “Life would have been better if our campus was out on the mountains surrounded by woods, into which we can venture when bored and perhaps dive into a pond and you never know, there may be a cascade emptying itself into the pond.”

“You forgot to mention babes and beer,” Rakesh completed.

Ramesh said, “All I care is a swimming pool where I can laze around in the afternoon. There are enough trees in our campus to protect us from this scorching heat.” Soon, Avinash and Ravi joined them and after a few minutes of relaxing they decided to go and have tea at super tea café. Ravi started, “If only it rained now, I want to get completely wet and yet not take a bath.” Ramesh spotted Rakesh’s smile, who said, “Hey guys, how about some fun at the hostel, shall we get everyone wet?” Everyone brightened immediately, “Excellent and that way we deodorize the whole place as with the exams nearing many aren’t going near the shower,” said Ravi

Avinash said, “Now how do we do it? Hmm!! I remember my cousin mentioning about a water world show at the Universal studios LA. It seems the people who sit on the first few rows close to a pool of water get smashed with buckets and jet skis by the performers.”

Ravi interrupted, “Well, I wouldn’t try to mess with Ashish. Especially, grabbing a mug full of water and knock knock! When he opens, splashhhhhhh!” Ravi said, “Haha!!! And you won’t know if he is angry for making him wet or giving his “Principles of Electrical Machines” a bath.”

Ramesh crunching on his samosas started seriously, “Let us fill up buckets and pour from the terrace water on anyone who enters or leaves enters the hostel. In addition, we’ll also wet ourselves so that no one can confront us”

Armed with five buckets full of cold water, the four marched onto the terrace towards a section just ahead of the door where the parapet walls folded inwards creating an opening, peering over which you could see the entrance to the hostel’s ground floor. The sun was down and the darkness would enable them an easy get away in case the warden came on rounds. The watchman fortunately was off somewhere leaving the entrance unguarded and deserted. Chuckling, Ravi added, “I wish shinde was on duty below now” referring to the watchman.

Nobody appeared for the first five minutes and the four began to wonder if they were the only ones whiling away their time. Ravi grinned, “Guess who’s approaching pointing to a silhouette barely discernible with the hostel lights,” as Pankaj clad on pajamas with his heavy school bag hanging on his shoulders, and a drafter on his right hand, tottered towards the door ruminating what he had swallowed a few hours before. Taking careful aim, Ramesh lowered angling the bucked and when Rakesh signaled emptied the contents. Falling two floors down, the cold water hit Pankaj with tremendous force stunning him. When he regained his poise, Pankaj ran upstairs and outpoured a string of Gujarati expletives that didn’t make any sense to the rest.

In a short while, the four pacified him and prepared themselves to attack the next victim. Samir approached the entrance and observing the floor full of water paused and looked around suspiciously. Famous for his reasoning capabilities and ratiocination, Samir concluded the water had to come from above as it hadn’t rained and there wasn’t water anywhere around. No sooner he turned his face upwards than five gallons of a jet stream smashed his nose as Ravi squealed from the top, “That was a perfect hit dude.” Over the next hour, the terrace was flooded with inmates all drenched and the hostel floor was so inundated that they had to close the entrance and use the back door. The excitement would have continued for the next hour but for the unexpected whistle that Shinde shrieked and everyone had to make a mad rush to his room.

That night and the following day went uneventful and no one was caught for violating hostel rules but the entrance was still like a swamp inviting mosquitoes and other insects. In the library, the whole afternoon Ramesh and Rakesh were full of smiles and their CPUs were fully being utilized while only an iota of Machine theory seeped into their cerebral cortex. Most of their cognitive abilities were aimed at constructing other hydrophilic schemes to invigorate the hostel atmosphere that night. Although their engineering minds conceived a plethora or brilliant ideas, they had to keep it quiet today as they were nearly caught by the warden the previous night.

In the evening they re-gathered and Avinash started, “Hey look what I got,” grinning as he pointed to 5-dozen balloons bags he procured from the bazaar that afternoon. Ramesh retorted, “Wonderful, if only I had the arm of Chris Cairns, taking a good aim from my window, I can get every tooth out of Asha’s.” Ravi said, “I wonder why it never devolved upon us to implement these ingenious techniques last Holi.” Rakesh said, “Gentleman, I would still play it safe tonight, so let us use traditional ideas and for starters, do you guys remember from books where they set up a sack full of flour on top of the door? In a similar way, we could load the four rest room doors with mugs full of water on the second floor.”

With their set up ready, no sooner had the four taken their position behind the stairs than they saw the image of Amit rapidly increasing in size approaching them. Apparently very urgent to relieve himself, Amit made a wild rush and give a strong kick to the rest room door, the impact causing the mug to fly, travel across, and crash onto the opposite wall. Due to the momentum, the mug ricocheted off the wall causing water to ricochet on all sides giving Amit a grand shower. Soon, Amar, Nikhil, and Saurabh were all drenched and the same tactics were employed on all but 1^st floor right side lobby.

“We got to get Varun this time,” said Ravi. Ramesh replied, “But he seldom goes to school and prefers studying in his room despite the intolerable heat.” Ravi replied, “Amit was saying because of last night’s ruckus this afternoon he went off to the library. Of course, unless you go that side how’ll you know,” and grinned at Avinash who had been shopping earlier that day. “Let us guard our set up and wait until he returns as I am sure he’ll come back to his room before dinner.” Avinash taking watch guarded Varun’s room not allowing anyone to enter, the mug sitting on the door. In the interim, Ravi was at the door yapping with the juniors asking how they were preparing for the first semester exams.”

Roughly around 7.45 p.m., Ravi whistled waking up Avinash and the other three watched Varun silently walk back to the hostel after a hard day of tirelessly solving logic design equations, and nodding their heads the three thought in unison – no wonder he is the topper. Taking cover behind the stairs as before, they heard the sounds of his slippers grinding on the cement floor. The sounds slowly grew and along with the slapping noises, there was also a low volume screech caused by his dragging feet and they began wondering if Varun was tired. Ravi counting his steps, knew Varun would cross him any minute and as the figure slowly loomed and he could distinctly spot him from his hideout. Dressed on loose pajamas with a red shirt, Ravi spotted a pod-bellied structure with a cane on his hand. From the size of his hands, Ravi instantly knew he was looking at a different personality and it wasn’t Varun.

“Oh may god!! They all screamed silently in unison. The figure in sight was the warden and for some reason he was walking towards Varun’s room. We watched open-mouthed sensing disaster as the Warden paused momentarily outside his room. Shifting his cane onto his left hands he slowly thrust open the door with his right. We closed our eyes expecting to hear a delchhhhh!! However, our ears failing to perceive any such shrillness caused us to open our eyes and look at what happened. Not believing our eyes, we saw what could be called providence as when the door slowly opened, the mug traveled along with it still perched atop in perfect equilibrium, the horizontal forces canceling each other. Seeing the empty room, the warden crept back unnoticed and headed towards his office. Immediately, Ravi ran and grabbed the mug shoving it beneath Varun’s bed exclaiming, “That was a close call man!”

Later, Ramesh and Rakesh after dinner walked back recounting the events when Rakesh said gloomily, “Man! I guess we have to head back now and start cramming.” Both were silent for a few minutes, perhaps planning what they could do the following day. Maybe they won’t try anything after the fright they had encountered earlier in the day. Parting near the water cooler, Ramesh said, “I got meet Rajesh and get a few of my questions cleared, so you go ahead and I’ll join you in 10 minutes.”

However, despite the pranks they had played the last two days Rakesh wasn’t satisfied and began to smile slyly. He devilishly connived with his inner mind on ways to trap Ramesh. Entering Ramesh’s room, Rakesh silently picked up a mug of water and standing on a chair, he carefully angled the mug atop the door and evilly gloated. Acting as though nothing happened, he sat on Shinde’s chair waiting for Ramesh’s return. Fifteen minutes had passed and there was no sign of him. Where is he? Did he get back to studying by any chance? And the thought of exams momentarily fluttered Rakesh’s heart. From a distance he figured the arrival of Amit, his face showing signs of panic. “Hey, get out of here quickly,” said Amit muttering between breaths. Somehow word has reached the warden about the incidents and Ashish, and Ramesh are currently being grilled at his office. Ravi has managed to escape and perhaps is now in college. I hope word doesn’t travel to the staff as who knows; perhaps the principal would terminate them from the hostel or not make them write exams. Best, hide in Dilip’s room in hostel 1 as being a good student, no one will think of coming there.

Rakesh was shocked and became speechless. Panicking, his face contorted as bile rushed into his mouth. He didn’t dare get to hostel 1 the normal way and dashing right, he ran at top speed and approached the hostel walls near the basketball court. The fear causing the adrenaline rush enabled him to jump a little higher than usual and grabbing on to the top he somehow scaled the wall tearing his shirt in that process. Walking southward, he slowly approached the shed beneath the gulmohar tree and dropped onto the asbestos roof, the sound coming off the surface deafening. He skulked on the roof towards hostel 1 and as he neared, he saw a branch come of the gulmohar tree curve and angle downwards a feet off the asbestos roof. Grabbing the branch, he hoisted and carefully lowered himself onto the sunshade beneath the first floor window and above the drainpipes. Traveling all along the width of the hostel, Ramesh peered over the corner and saw Shinde guarding the entrance. Darn!!! He exclaimed and approached the window under the first floor bathroom. Removing the panes with ease, he pulled out his pocketknife and slowly took out the windowsills. Concentrating, with one last heave, he dropped into the second floor and sat on the corridor heavily breathing as an owl shrieked on the full moon night.

Collecting himself, Rakesh quickly made way towards the row of stairs and ran up. Entering second floor, he hid behind the stairs and peered over the corridor that was deserted, as the inmates were either at school or in the mess having their dinner. Tiptoeing his way across the lobby, he found room number 219, Dilip’s hostel room. The lights were off and the door was unbolted and didn’t have a paddle lock indicating Dilip was not inside. Gripping onto the bolt and getting a firm purchase, shivering, Rakesh slowly turned and leaned back onto the door relieving his tension and glanced one last time through the corridor for any unexpected visitors. Finding no one Ramesh slowly let himself into the room thinking of ways to hide inside when delchhhhh! A thunderous splash echoed through the room for the last time that year. Lights went on, both in Dilip’s room and on other rooms as students burst out laughing into the corridor staring at Ramesh as he wiped his specs, his hair dripping. Different kinds of laughter could be heard; some were high pitched, a few were low pitched, and most were artificial but even amidst the cacophony of sounds, Rakesh distinctly located the voices of Ravi, Ramesh, and Avinash.