Ave and the curly-haired boy, head towards the class of 13. I do what I’ve done since I reached the rooftop, keeping to their trail once more. Ave is a senior as I suspected. He goes to the class and sits on the rightmost desk in the middle of the column.

  The curly-haired boy follows him and takes the empty desk at the very back of the class. I stay outside, staring in through the window.

  I do not know them or what they are doing. They are not even paying any heed to me. I cannot do anything but unwillingly tag along. The students begin filing into the class and soon no desk is left empty. I drift from the gate to the window, my steps empty and aimless. The class begins, and everything goes smoothly.

  Some thirty-forty minutes after the third bell rings, a teacher steps toward the class, silent, almost unseen. She has a calm demeanor, very polished, walking in a very influential manner. I am so tired from standing and juggling with my thoughts that I do not notice her until she walks beside me into the class. She does not notice me, I know for sure. Then, some minutes later, she comes out with Ave.

  I trail behind them and she closes the door of the principal's office as soon as they both enter.

  After some time, Ave comes out. He looks calmer than before, carrying a satisfied smile. He seems like a completely different person.

  When I first saw Ave outside Miss Longerton's room, he looked very disturbed and distracted. He kept staring at the door of Miss Longerton's room, never intended to go in. His face looked gloomy and cold. He had a very unsettling look on his face.

  But he seems at ease when he comes out of the principal's room. "At ease", like Miss Longerton wanted him to be.

  Ave continues walking without noticing me outside. The fourth bell rings. Ave does not go to the class but continues climbing the stairs. He stops outside the library on the fourth floor. He goes into the books section in the last row. I follow him, cautious and curious, as he moves ahead.

  "What happened there, what did they do to you?" I ask him at last without much patience.

  He indicates with his hands to lower my voice. Then he takes some fast, deep breaths as if he has only started breathing now.

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  "Have you seen Ahaan?", he asks quietly, almost like a whisper.

  "Who?"

  "The boy who was with me at the rooftop today."

  "No.", I reply, connecting that he is asking about the curly-haired boy.

  "Will you please explain to me what is happening and why that teacher was asking for you?", I ask impatiently.

  "Who are you anyway? How could you follow me like this? Are you not following your dream? You might be in trouble if they catch you." His gaze pins me.

  "I stopped having dreams some days back", I confide in him the truth.

  "What? But, how did you stop having dreams? How is that even possible?" He looks me over from head to toe, as if I were some unknown creatures.

  "I don't know, I am also trying to find the answers. I have been walking aimlessly for days now.", I reply, as if I’m only now realising my problems.

  He looks more confused and puzzled than ever.

  He starts asking another question then pauses. He looks at me and then at his feet. He struggles to ask the forbidden truth.

  "Am I a threat to you? Are you gonna ask that?", I say at last, breaking the silence.

  "No. More like why are they not looking for you? In this sense, won't you be considered a Disturber? Why are they not..", he pauses and then starts, "How are you moving around so freely while they are too focused on me when the only crime I committed is that I was not at ease", he continues in frustration.

  "I don't know either. That teacher, who took you to the principal’s office, was looking at me straight yesterday but today she crossed me without recognising my presence."

  Then suddenly I realize that it was pin-drop silence in the library. I divert my attention to it and slowly start walking towards the entrance of the library, where the woman with big spectacles was sitting. She was in her 50s with her hair tied in a bun and it looked like she was filling out the book-entry form when we earlier walked into the library.

  But suddenly the room fell into a chilling silence. "Where is she gone to?"

  Ave also starts feeling it, and he walks forward to see what is happening.

  "She might have gone to take or check the new books as she was filling out the new books arrival form.", I think of all the possible reasons and it seems to be the most logical one.

  "But they are not allowed to leave the library if someone is inside.", Ave’s voice is barely audible.

  "Yes, that is right. Let's leave from here, something does not feel right.", I sense an unpleasant aura around me. It is too peaceful and silent there. No lights are open in the room, just the curtains drifting apart, letting the natural sunlight taking over.

  Ave moves towards the door and to his surprise it is locked. He starts panting on the door and pushing it but it is of no use, the door is locked from the outside and it looks like we have got stuck here.