Chapter: 5 - First Class

Juwan was surprised by the unexpected call. How did Mary know his number? Well, it could have been the lawyer who gave her that. But it was not the call that troubled him.

Mary's call reminded Juwan of all the things he had felt the previous night. Guilt was strangling his heart. Juwan didn't know how to answer himself. 'Should he stay out of it? Won't it betray the trust that Ms. Susan had on me?' Juwan thought.

"Where have you been, man!!" It was Jana. Ever since Juwan had shown his outbreak, Jana had looked up to him as a fighter. Jana was Juwan's closest buddy. Juwan did have other friends, but none knew him like Jana did.

"Hi.." Juwan greeted Jana.

They walked together to their class. It was friday and the first class was physics. No one can ever stand Mr. Chand's views on quantum physics for more than 10 minutes and so listening to his 1 hour lecture was an impossible task without dozing for a few minutes every then and now.

As they neared the class room, Jana offered Juwan a chewing-gum. Juwan accepted his offer cheerfully and entered the class.

Jana had his responsibilities in the class. Even though Juwan was his best friend, Jana couldn't sit near him during the lecture. Jana's girlfriend had always thought Juwan was a creep and didn't like Jana and Juwan's friendship.

Riya's possessive feelings towards her boyfriend wanted him all for herself. Juwan knew what was on Riya's mind and always encouraged Jana to sit with Riya during the lectures so that he could pay her more attention. Jana had always felt guilty for being in a relationship and letting Juwan stand alone.

Juwan on the other hand was happy for Jana. He didn't want Jana to hold back in his relationship because of him. During the lecture, when Jana was thinking of a way to find his friend a girl, Juwan was thinking about Ms. Susan's death and the things that he had hallucinated.

"According to... Oops. Seems like you guys have fallen asleep. Well, then I shall rejuvenate you guys with some fun facts from quantum physics." Mr. Chand gave a scary nerdy look at the students. As expected the half-asleep students all completely fell asleep...

Riya was sleeping silently resting her head on Jana. They were hidden from the professor's view by Luke who was sitting before them. Since both Juwan and Jana were not listening, the were wide awake in their own thoughts.

"Energy is life and life is a solidified form of pure energy. As we are all aware, a conversion always leaves byproducts. What ever way it may be in. For example in your generation, signals are connected together to form internet that helps you to download and upload data as you wish. But if there is very less signal, you will only be able to download little out of wasting a lot of cellular data. The same rule is applied when energy is more, life is more solid and made of particles. But when there is less energy the life force is merely solid and is full of waves. Troughs and crusts."

Amidst the silent sleepy atmosphere, a girl rose her hand.

A doubt...

Mr. Chand's heart elevated with joy.

'All these years in this forsaken college and finally there is someone with a doubt.' Mr. Chand thought.

It was Jenny Lind. A girl overlooked by everyone. She had joined late and had a very low profile. Her only friend was Riya. When Riya was deep asleep on Jana's shoulders, Jenny was listening carefully to Mr. Chand's lecture.

"Yes, what's your doubt??" Mr. Chand spoke excitedly.

"Sir, when you were talking about life solidifying and waving according to its energy, wasn't it taken from the dual nature of light." Juwan suddenly came out of his thoughts and heard the professor's answer.

"Yes indeed it is the same as light's dual nature. Energy not only gives light but it also gives heat. Living creatures are a form of light with rich source of energy and so we are made of particles. But when we die we are no longer made of solid material. The life force in us can provide very little energy and so we depend on a wave like formation."

"You mean, like ghost??" Jenny asked again.

Juwan was dumb struck at how wonderfully Jenny was able to interpret Mr. Chand's 'greek and latin'.

"Yes, yes, absolutely correct." Mr. Chand appreciated Jenny, while Juwan started pondering his head on a question. Are ghosts real? Can there be a scientific explanation for the existence for ghosts? Are they just light with less energy? Are we just a mass of energy? What Mr. Chand told them was just an philosophical assumption with a scientific base, yet it scared Juwan. 'Could the bungalow be haunted?' He thought as Mr. Chand continued his lecture with a pinch of his own experience.

"It may sound very sceptical but I have personally experienced the life force. It was on a trip to an old temple that I felt. Well, I assume it won't be too personal to comment that in that very trip I found the love of my life." Mr. Chand laughed shamelessly at his own words.

'He nailed it!!!' Jane was suddenly enlightened by Mr. Chand's word. He got an idea to get his friend a girlfriend.

'We could go on a trip. Maybe, Riya could bring few of her friends with her.' Jana smiled at his own little plan and chuckled lightly.

"What was that for?" Riya murmured. Jana froze. Riya had woken up.

"Nothing...." Jana blurted out. Riya went back to sleep...

As the class was coming to an end both the friends had a plan of their own. Juwan was going to check for anything paranormal in his house and Jana was going to plan a trip.

"I will leave you guys to that for today." Saying so Mr. Chand left the class with a polite smile. For the next few minutes the class was being sprinkled water to wake up from the sleep. It was the class rep's doing. Lucy the class rep. is a little nerddy but a very polite person

But when it comes to academics, she never compromises.

After everyone of Mr. Chand's classes she would pour water on all students asleep to wake them up for their next classes. Jana stopped her before she could pour on Riya. Lucy and Riya had bad blood between them and Riya needs very little push to pick up a fight with Lucy. Jana didn't want to see any fight that day and was cunning enough to stop Lucy. He gently woke Riya and soon the Class was dispersing. When Lucy came near Juwan she blushed and skipped to the next person.

It was not like Juwan was asleep, but he did need a bit of a push to get up from his thoughts. He was totally lost in his thoughts when Jana taped him lightly on his head.

"Its time man. The class is over." Juwan's head fell to desk flat on his face. Jana was shocked. Juwan was not drowned in his thoughts.

Juwan was unconscious...