16. Running Away

In Search of Swami series. Semi-autobiographical work about my school days. Sri Vidya Mandir, Salem.

Once in a while there were stories circulated about students running away from the hostel. This was my second year in the hostel and I had never witnessed someone running away. So the stories were legends to us. Most of the students felt the hostel as their house, but some became fed-up with the daily chores and felt to escape from the hostel, but they never did.

We never had roll calls. It was easy to slip, there were no barbed wires or any constant vigil, but since the students were closely knit, we can identify if someone goes missing. Ideally the missing student will be sleeping in the first floor study!

The distance between the hostel and school was around hundred meters only, but a public road and street separated both. So there was an ample opportunity for someone to escape.

One night, after we went to bed, suddenly warden along with some staff visited the hall. They turned on the lights and counted the boys. They made sure all were there as per the attendance register. I was in half sleep and didn’t realize what was happening. 

In the morning, news broke out. Prabhu and Vijay, who were one year senior to me, who were housed in the next hall had ran away or escaped the hostel. They were not seen since yesterday dinner. Vijay’s father was some kind of big politician. That afternoon, when we come to the hostel to have lunch, we saw so many cars parked and he was shouting at the warden.

Invariably, the escaped students didn’t go to their hometown. By now it was almost a week. Rumor spread that they might have been kidnapped like in the movies. Some said they were planning this escape for long time. Their cupboards and suitcases were examined. We became scared as we never knew what had happened to them.

We thought due to Vijay’s father influence, the police might arrest our warden. Then after seven days the escaped were found working in a hotel at Yercaud. Vijay discontinued his studies and went back to his hometown. Prabhu stayed back to lose his vital body part in coming months.

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