The Green Room

by Nag Mani

  “Okay, everyone,” Anjali announced, “Act I, Scene I…”

  The lights went out. It was pitch dark. Someone hissed. There was a nervous laughter.

  “Do not meddle with the lights!” Anjali shouted at Ayush.

  The lights came back.

  “Get ready!” Anjali continued. “Take positions. Turn on the stage lights! Please!” The stage went blood red. “What is this?” The lights went off again; and then, she found herself in the centre of a spot-light. “Stop fooling around!” she screamed.

  A static filled the hall. Then a deep voice boomed through the speakers, “Sorry!”

  “Tell him I am going to boot him out!” Anjali climbed up the stage and started addressing the actors of Scene I.

  They had not made much of a progress when dinner arrived at nine. Everyone was flattered by the special treatment. The juniors were ordered to pull in a few tables from the balcony while Rohan paid a visit to the toilet in the Green Room.

  It was very cold beneath the stage, and extremely quiet. There was no trace of laughter that was ringing in the hall. He adjusted his blue tie in the mirror and headed upstairs, making a note to replace the red bulb at the bottom of the staircase with a brighter, less daunting colour. He was halfway up, and yet he could not hear anyone.

  Why has everyone gone quiet?

  He suddenly had this feeling that he was all alone in the Auditorium. For reasons that defied logic, everyone had left. He hurried upstairs. He had started to panic.

  And then he heard it.

  Screams.

  He froze. A girl was screaming. They were muffled, yet he heard them distinctly. Was it Surbhi again? But he hadn’t seen her when he came down. He ran downstairs. They were coming from the changing room. He stopped short. Someone was hurting a girl. For a brief moment, anger swept over him. He kicked open the door and barged inside, his fist clenched, ready to tackle anyone who…

  … the room was empty.

  He looked around. No one! No screams!

  What the hell!

  His mind began to race. He felt blood rush through his temples. He circled the room, breathing heavily. There was no window in this room. Old rags were lying on the floor. He continued to circle the room. It was empty, he kept reminding himself. Then why was he looking for a presence? As if he knew, someone was there. He stopped. The staircase was creaking. Someone was coming down. The person had almost reached the bottom.

  He marched out of the room. “I just heard some…” he broke off.

  Only an empty staircase listened to him.

  He looked upwards. No one!

  Twice! Twice he had been tricked. He might have misinterpreted the creaking of stairs, but the screams…

  A door creaked.

  The closet.

  It was ajar. Wasn’t it shut when he came down?

  There has to be someone else down here!

  He grabbed the handles and was opening the door when he felt a movement behind him. Something crossed the room. He turned around, half expecting someone to jump on him and shout “Gotcha!”

  No one!

  A cold breeze drifted in through the open window. He slowly let out his breath and turned back… but the closet wasn’t empty. He jumped backwards and fell.

  The doll fell over him, grinning as she did.

  He tried to crawl away. Years of dust and its associated foul smell filled his nostrils. Brushing her hair off his face, he threw her aside and sprang to his feet. Its sudden appearance had scared the hell out of him. He put his hands on his waist and waited for his heart to calm down.

  Why is it so cold here?

  He glanced back at the open window. The dark forest watched him. Something was wrong… out of place, but he couldn’t make out what. He put the doll in, closed the closet and just stood there. He had to get the doll removed. No matter Surbhi lost her mind. Was some junior up to some mischief again? But they were all upstairs. Moreover, they would never mess with a senior. Could it be someone from his class? Ayush?

  THUD.

  It came from the make-up room. He peeped.

  The chair had fallen over.

  He looked around, listening intently. It had to be a prank. He almost expected someone to giggle.

  Water was dripping from a tap in the toilet.

  No giggles.

  He listened.

  Water continued to drip.

  He picked up the chair.

  And as he did so, very slowly, another door creaked open.

  It was the door to the spiral staircase. Rohan looked at the open doorway. It was pitch black beyond. And now he knew what was wrong, the something that did not fit in the picture. He was sure he had seen a crescent moon back in the balcony, then why was the forest so dark? The door revealed nothing but gaping darkness, as if it opened into a different world.

  He moved closer. Cold air hit his face. He dug his hands into his pockets. He was nervous, but there was a strange curiosity to determine what lay ahead. He stopped at the doorway. The light from the room ran into the forest ahead, but never returned. He could only see three steps of the staircase before it was swallowed by darkness. He was standing at the edge on a vast void.

  Everything was still. Everything was dead.

  And suddenly, he was drowning. He heard her voice, coming from a world far, far away… and there she was, standing on the pool floor, coming closer… closer… he felt something, he didn’t know what, chasing after him. He felt fear… immense fear. He wanted to run… to find someone, someone who was alive. But he was alone, in a different world. He was sure something lurked in the darkness. He panicked. The stage was miles above him. He would never make it. His knees felt weak. His arms felt weak. He could not run. And she was coming…

  “Rohan?”

  He spun around.

  Anjali was standing in the make-up room. “What are you doing here?”

  Rohan looked back. The darkness had disappeared. He saw vague shapes of trees and their silvery foliage swaying under the crescent moon. A gentle breeze brought along a sweet smell. A dog barked somewhere.

  “Nothing,” he replied. “I was washing up.”

  “Are you sure?” Anjali came closer, studying him. “You look white!”

  “No. Nothing…” he tried to get out of it.

  “It’s very cold here…” Anjali crossed him and closed the door. “What’s wrong, Rohan?” she pressed.

  He saw concern in her eyes. But he didn’t know how to say it. Maybe she would understand. “I heard something and I came down…” he paused to think for the right words.

  “Where? Where did you hear it?”

  “In the changing room. I heard a girl screaming and when I…”

  Wait!

  ‘Where?’

  Shouldn’t she have asked what had he heard? “Anjali, what is happening here?”

  She too had realised where she went wrong. She looked at him for a moment. “I didn’t want to talk about this, but… I think, now I have to.” She sat on the chair. Rohan waited for her to continue. “Do you believe in spirits, Rohan?” she asked.

  “No. Why?”

  “I don’t believe in them either. But I don’t know what to make out of this.”

  “Of what?”

  “Did you know that this play had been proposed on two occasions before this, and each time it was cancelled?”

  “Cancelled? Why?”

  “There is something… some sort of evil associated with this play. I don’t know how to put it. Last time, it was proposed around 1993. But it was never put up on stage. They had to cancel it. Something weird was happening in the Green Room.”

  “What thing?”

  “Students heard voices…” she looked at him, “… screams…”

  Rohan gulped. “How do you know about all this?”

  “I did my homework before coming here.”

  “Then why did you accept this job?”

  “I didn’t know!” Anjali raised her voice in defence. “I
didn’t know if all that was true. And I am not saying that this room is haunted. I was just telling you what I know. It is a bit spooky, though.”

  Rohan thought about what she said. Now that he had company, he felt calm. He was no longer scared. The Green Room seemed brighter now. The creaking of stairs and the opening of doors now seemed justified. It was an old building. The stairs rattled even if someone ran on the stage. And the soft breeze outside could have opened the back door, which could have then created pressure variations to open the closet. After all, it was only slightly open. As for the screams, he knew he would soon figure it out too.

  “Yes. This is all nonsense,” he said at last. He felt hungry now.

  Anjali smiled. She studied him for a moment and then said, “You actually came here at night, didn’t you?”

  “What?”

  “I know, you did! You people were talking about a dare the first time I came here.”

  So, she had heard it. “Yes, that dare. But I didn’t accept it.” He could not just tell a staff member about the dare, even if it was Anjali.

  “But Chandni told me otherwise!”

  Chandni knew!

  He shrugged and smiled. But Anjali was looking over his shoulders, her eyes wide in alarm. He turned around. The closet had opened again. The doll was peeping at them.

  “Sorry! I forgot to get it removed,” Rohan said and kicked the door shut.

  “Never mind.” Anjali quickly stood up and wrapped her arms around his. “Come, dinner is getting cold.”

  Rohan was thinking about Chandni.

  She knew!

  He did not notice Anjali. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, not daring to look at the closet, her hands firmly around his, as she hurriedly pulled him out of the room. It was not the doll she had been looking at.

  She nervously glanced back as they left.

  The girl was still standing by the closet.

  5. THE BLAZER

  Rohan knew his face had turned red like a tomato, and in any moment, it would be ripe and ready to harvest. He was standing on the stage while everyone giggled at him. He tried his best to appear casual, but the problem was that Chandni was standing next to him… holding his hand.

  “You may go now,” said Anjali, after explaining the scene to Varun and Mohit.

  Rohan jumped off the stage and took a seat next to Ayush, who was entertaining a group of junior girls. Almost a week had passed since he heard the screams in the Green Room. He had not told anyone about it. It was very puerile of him to be even thinking about it. After all he had spent nine years in this school and never heard of any play being cancelled. The incident with Surbhi had sent rumours rippling across the school and Rohan didn’t want to frighten the juniors with a fresh wave.

  He went out into the balcony to escape Ayush’s stupid jokes. Few students had lined up in front of the Infirmary. Dinner was over. He heard faint music coming from the Chapel. The choir practice had begun. What about the girl he saw in the pool? He had seen her through a mist, yet, she somehow seemed familiar. He stared at the darkness hovering over the Field.

  Rohan looked up again. The Infirmary was now deserted. A junior poked his head through the door, “Is Chandni here?”

  Rohan didn’t respond.

  “I think she is in the Green Room then,” the junior looked around and concluded. “Can you please call her?”

  Rohan knew the junior was scared to go down. He saw a few waiters bringing dinner near the lamp-post. He wanted to be left alone in the balcony. He liked it there. But he had something to prove to himself. “Dinner is here,” he said, “arrange the tables. I’ll call her.”

  Rohan cautiously went down the creaking stairs. The lights in the Green Room had not been switched on. Only a faint light came from the toilet. Chandni could not be here. He turned around to leave, but a small part of him wanted to go forward and switch on all the lights, to prove to himself that he was not scared. He entered the waiting room and looked for the switch-board. It was across the room. His eyes automatically fell on the closet. The doll was still in there. He crossed the room, his eyes fixed on the switch-board, ignoring the invisible shapes that thrived in the darkness. All he had to do was switch on the lights, and they would disappear.

  He stopped dead.

  Did he just see something?

  The make-up room! His peripheral vision had caught a glimpse of something. He retreated a few steps, and looked again.

  What was that thing sitting all alone on that wooden chair in front of the mirror?

  A girl.

  Why was a girl sitting all alone on that wooden chair in front of the mirror?

  His staggered back, terrorised, till he was pinned against a wall, his temples pulsating.

  It has to be the doll.

  He stood still, staring at the dark figure. It sat motionless, its hair covering its face. He noticed its chest heave and fall. It was breathing!

  His head jerked back in fright and hit the wall. But his instinct to run overcame the pain. Before he knew, he was galloping for the staircase, his body burning with fear. He caught the railing for support and was about to hop up the stairs when the scene of the make-up room came back in his mind. The dark figure was breathing. And he knew why…

  Shaking, he went back inside. “Chandni?” he whispered.

  The figure didn’t respond. It was staring at itself in the dark mirror.

  “Chandni?” Rohan stepped closer.

  No reply.

  He switched on a light. Chandni was sitting on the chair, her eyes fixed on the mirror. She had not noticed him.

  What is wrong with her!

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She slowly turned towards him, her face white and devoid of expression.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, frightened by her behaviour.

  She just looked back, her eyes unfocused. Her lips were dry.

  “Is everything all right?” Though he knew something was seriously wrong.

  “Water…” she whispered, barely audible.

  Rohan took a moment to decipher what she said. He looked around. “Wait, I’ll get it!” He ran upstairs. She must be ill. But illness too didn’t seem a valid excuse for her behaviour.

  “Is Chandni there?” Surbhi was standing at the landing, “Ma'am is…”

  “Yes. She is… not feeling well. Just be with her. I’ll get water.”

  Surbhi sensed the urgency and ran down. And no sooner had he stepped on the stage than he heard Surbhi scream for help. Others heard it too. Silence fell across the hall. Then there were shifting of chairs and scuffling of feet. Rohan hurried downstairs again.

  Surbhi stood transfixed at the door to the make-up room, hands over her mouth. Chandni was lying on the ground. The chair lay toppled beside her.

  “I am fine…” Chandni said as Rohan squeezed past Surbhi and entered the room. She brushed some hair off her face as she tried to sit up. Her voice was weak and her hands were shaking.

  “What happened?” Ayush poked his head through the entrance.

  “Nothing,” said Chandni. “I am sorry, I fell.”

  Anjali rushed in after Ayush. “What is going on here?”

  “I fell. I panicked and screamed. I am sorry.”

  More students came running down the stairs. Anjali looked at Rohan for explanation but he looked equally confused. She studied the room and knelt beside her. “Are you all right?”

  Chandni nodded.

  “Everyone! Upstairs!” Anjali ordered. There were murmurs and curious talks as Manav drove the juniors upstairs.

  Chandni stood up and settled her dress. Rohan kicked the chair to a side. He wanted to ask what she was doing all alone in the dark, but that would have caused her more embarrassment. Anjali didn’t ask any question but observed Chandni with interest. She gave her ample time to regain her composure before taking her upstairs for dinner. Everyone had their eyes on Chandni. She had made quite a scene out of her fall. Food was laid out an
d soon their thoughts wandered away in different directions.

  Chandni left immediately after dinner. A guard was called to escort her back to the Girls’ Hostel. Surbhi found herself swarmed the moment Chandni left. And no sooner, Rohan found himself in the spotlight. After all, it was he who had sent Surbhi to the Green Room. “Chandni was sick!” he told everyone.

  “She was perfectly fine before she went down,” Anjali said.

  “She wasn’t well when I saw her. She hadn’t even switched on any light. She asked me for water and…”

  “Why? How come she got sick?” Ayush grinned. “What were the two of you doing downstairs, pretty boy, with all the lights off?”

  A few juniors sniggered.

  “It’s not funny!” Rohan snapped.

  “Oh yes, it is!” It was Nipurn

  “You!” Rohan barked at him. “Settle the chairs after the practice and put all the tables back onto the balcony.” Nipurn’s grin vanished immediately.

  “Why so irritated?” Ayush taunted. “Periods?”

  The hall rang with laughter as Rohan pounced on Ayush and grabbed his collar.

  “And Surbhi,” Anjali asked while the two boys wrestled on the sofa beside her, “did you see something again?”

  “What!” Surbhi was taken by surprise.

  “You were there when Chandni fell, right?”

  “Yes…”

  “Then why didn’t you help her up? You seemed scared to death!” Anjali came straight to the point.

  “Yeah!” Rohan croaked as Ayush tried to strangle him. “You va jus standee de…”

  Surbhi went pale, her eyes widened. “I… I…” she stammered. She looked around. Girls and boys had broken into smaller groups, each centred on its own gossip.

  “Come here,” Anjali put an arm around her, “and tell me what happened.”

  “Ma'am, Chandni was lying there,” she whispered. Rohan let go of Ayush and listened. “She was lying there exactly the same way, like that dead girl I saw, and for a moment, I thought…” she paused, “I thought Chandni was dead!”