“Have you seen Cassandra- Ah there you are.” It was almost dusk when Ravine tried to find Cassandra to go home together. She was in the library, looking up on some spiritual and philosophical books. The locomotives will stop for the day in this area within a few minutes. Cassandra is aware, yet she wants to read more and more about these things.
“Cassie? Ugh, girl! Lets go! You wanna walk yourself home or what?” Ravine pats Cassandra, making noise in the silence filled library. The librarian was way off to even give a damn about them. However, she wanted to leave too. If I wasn’t for the curious Cassie. Shutting the fat book with a sound, she sighs while smiling.
“Huh! Did you know that souls can reincarnate themselves?” Ravine jumps her eyebrow big and up. Of course a sane person wouldn’t believe in rebirth or such nonsense.
“You’re crazy. Those things are not real.” Says Ravine, putting all the boxes and pens inside Cassie’s bag to leave quicker. Cassandra shakes her head, sighing while smiling. “You dont understand the essence of spirituality, Ravine. If rebirth and reincarnations really exist, then I would definitely try to understand my past and fix it.”
“Fix what?” Ravine questions.
For a moment, both the girls go blank as they try to process the information. Fix … what exactly?
“Ravine, lets just go home.”
“You gave up on that topic early. Thank you.” Ravine felt grateful because Cassandra could go on and on about her researches and lame stories of ones who claim to be reincarnated. Both station at the bus stop when they realise someone else in a trench coat was waiting for their royal car to arrive.
“Psst, psst. Its Mr Johnson.” Says Ravine, checking out the male sitting quietly at the other end of the long bench. It was thundering, slight drops of rain drowning upon the skin of earth. Cassandra takes a deep breath of the petrichor.
“You two seem to enjoy nature as I do too.” The professor initiates a small talk. Ravine jumps as she realises their professor was talking to them. There was no one else around either.
“Y-yes, professor. I quite like the fragrance. Makes me shift my mind from… things.” Cassandra saves the conversation with a reply. The man smiles, adjusting his spectacles.
“Me too.” Ravine shifts her gaze between the two of them.
“Well, sir. We aren’t in school anymore. C-can we talk about something?” Cassandra says, shifting her positing to sit near him until either of their transports arrived. Ravine slaps Cassandra’s thigh, warning her not to speak about boring topics like rebirth again.
Professor Zayn welcomes the girl warmly to sit beside him. He was quietly anticipating the topic for discussion. Upon the mention of rebirth, he smiles and says, “I am quite intrigued with that topic too. Research is still going on, yet I believe rebirth exists. It’s the transfer of souls anyhow. Matter can neither be create nor destroyed.”
Cassandra gives a smug smile to Ravine who rolls her eyes. The girl too joins the conversation with her own view point.
“But sir, I strictly believe one’s soul is one’s body and their lifespan. Upon death, both perish.” Ravine says, Mr Johnson giving her an appreciative nod. Her English was way too smooth and as per his liking of conversation.
“That is entirely true, dear one. But a soul’s journey is predestined within its creation and I strictly believe it’s everlasting.” He says, Ravine and Cassandra taking a moment to comprehend his English.
“That was too hard for you to assimilate, right?” He laughs. “Sorry. Its become a ghastly habit of mine.” He apologizes. Many of his colleagues do not talk to him much. Even his parallel professors in the English department are afraid they don’t have enough diction for his conversation. Hence, he always thought he is good for nothing.
“Actually, I speak intellectual gibberish when I’m excited.” He apologises again.
“No, professor. That is quite alright. It is very attractive to me.” She says, not knowing Zayn’s thoughts on her for now. He was aware of the two girls and their situations. Especially Ravine who he knows is trying to get in his pants.
Suddenly, there is a notification and a call simultaneously received by Zayn. He excuses himself to talk to his driver.
“What? The roads have been closed? Oh, its really hailing real bad as you said.” He steps forward to assess the thick drops of ice fall and hurt his hand a bit.
“It’s hailing!” The girls whisper shout amongst themselves. The weather in this condition demanded care and shelter. Hailstorms of this era were capable of piercing holes through a ceiling even.
“Thats okay. You get home safely.” He instructs his driver who replies, “But sir its going to rain until tomorrow morning. The meteorological department already announced a holiday for tomorrow.” Says the driver as Zayn looks at the public announcement SMS.
“Oh. Thats okay. I’ll… get to a nearby shelter until tomorrow.” Says Zayn as he cuts the call.
“Um… sir. The nearest location from here is my house. Even we are somewhat going to my house and staying there until morning. It’s pretty bad.” Says Cassandra.
“So… if you don’t mind sir. We can go to her house and spend the night. Tomorrow is a holiday anyway.” Says Ravine, backing up her friend.
“Are you two sure?” He says, speculative of them.
“Y-yes sir. We can run to my house in like two minutes.” She says, knowing the short cut to her house.
He looks at the two and couldn’t decide if he wanted to go or not. Perhaps, Cassandra’s mother might not accept a male in the household either. It shall turn worse if she isn’t in the house too.
“Alright then,” he folds his spectacles and keeps it inside his pocket. Placing his laptop bag atop his head, he smiles at two who copy his gesture.
“Lead the way please.”