Every student of anatomy has to buy the Bone set. Bone set consists of all the bones of human body including the skull, all 24 vertebrae, Pelvis, scapula and others. Long bones are the favorite of all the students specially the longest bone Femur or the thigh bone. Other favorite bones are Humerus or the arm bone and radius and Ulna (The bones of forearm). Most of students could get the old bone set from the seniors who have just passed the examination and only few students need to buy a new one. I got my bone set from one of the seniors and all the bones were marked with red or blue pencils ( You are supposed to mark origin of a muscle from bone with red and insertion with blue. It was customary to take the bones home in first vacations to shock your friends and family. I also carried Femur, Humerus and ulna with me on first vacation home. Skull is usually cut horizontally into the vault of skull and the base of skull. Vault of skull was invariably used by all smokers as smoking tray and even non-smokers kept skull on the table as show piece . It was very difficult to remember all the names of bones and then names of muscles and their origin and insertions. We had devised certain formula or mimics to remember these names. I still remember one such mimics –this one is to remember all seven bones of wrist joint- SNEH LATA TINDE PAKAO TINDE TO KACCHE HEIN. There was a non vegetarian version as well , which was more favourite among students.
It was now end of October, the days were shorter now and cold had started to knock in evenings. It was Sunday evening, the day when mess is off. It was only 7 Pm but it was already dark and we were sipping tea with bread pakoras at our favorite joint Dallu’s Tea stall . The topic had turned towards ghosts and everybody was sharing his experience about ghosts. Atmosphere had become creepy with Ajeet narrating his venture with ghost in Baraliey. I said it was all bunkam and there is nothing like ghosts in real life but Ajeet would not listen as he was sure there were Ghosts, Bhoot, Pret and Chudhels. Discussion was heating up with no side bowing out of discussion ,Ajeet said suddenly “OK if you are so sure that there are no ghosts, then you have nothing to be afraid of, then go to area 13 at midnight today and I will reward you with 500 Rs.”
I was shocked with sudden offer. Let me explain you about area 13. It was piece of land in front of anatomy department with single story squat building which housed big stainless steel tanks ,which were used to immerse the cadavers ,which were in different state of dissection. The cadavers Were dead bodies of destitute persons found in city and police brought them to anatomy department. Formalin was pushed into bodies and then immersed into formalin tanks. Then each body is allotted to group of students and after dissection for one and a half years the body is buried in area 13. After few years the bones are taken out and cleaned and sold to students. As you have realised by now that area 13 is the most feared area in whole medical college and no student want to go there in daylight , leave alone at midnight.
I was just trying to think of some way to wriggle out of sticky situation without loosing the face , suddenly KKS came to my rescue. KKS was sitting at nearby table and must be listening to our conversation . I welcomed him with open arms and offered him chair at our table. He sat down with us and repeated his offer that he wants to go to area 13 at midnight today just to prove himself and money was just icing on the cake. After consulting each other for few minutes consensus emerged that KKS will go alone inside area 13 with only torch with him and stay there for at least 5 minutes .There will be two observers who will see that he has gone in and will lend him support if something goes wrong. Next we had to find the keys to enter area 13 which were with Kalu the keeper of area 13. So we went to find Kalu and found him in his one room quarter. He was living alone in a dirty house .When we outlined him our plan to visit area 13 even he was horrified and said that after 20 years of service even he had not gone to area 13 in night .He tried his best to deter us but in end we could persuade him to see our point of view and Rs 100/ also helped. So now we had the keys to area 13 and we shifted our base to family planning hostel and started to wait for the right time to go in area 13.
The news spread to whole hostel like wild fire and many students collected in front of our room where KKS was sitting with us talking of many things. Though we were trying to avoid the topic of ghosts and lighten up the atmosphere still the topic will turn toward the ghosts.
The clock stuck 11.30PM ,I asked KKS “Do you want to reconsider your plan “
“No” he said . “I would definitely go to area 13.” We now had no option but to let the plan roll. I opened the door of our room G1 and was shocked to see ,that a small crowd of 25-30 students have collected. News has spread to whole hostel. As we came out ,silence fell on crowd . Most of the students were looking at KKS with awe but few had sympathy written on their faces.
I told the students to remain there and we started on foot toward area 13 which was about a mile and half from our hostel. It was a small party which had beside me and KKS, Ajeet ,PK and Jitender a close friend of KKS. We were walking silently and rapidly. We reached near area 13 at 50 minutes past 11 . It was time to go in .I asked again to KKS “ You sure want to do it” and he answered “ yes I do” We were all nervy but KKS seemed to be unruffled by the situation. I handed over the keys to him and gave him last minute instructions telling him that he has to stay in for 10 minutes and we will be standing right at the gate for help. The area was dimly lit with a single street light and we were standing across the street from area 13. As it was moonless night the sky was dark but clear. I and Ajeet were carrying small cane or bamboo just in case ,as if cane was sufficient to fight ghosts or whatever but at least it gave us some sort of confidence needed at this hour. As KKS started to cross to cross the road the lights went off and it became totally dark. We switched on the torches and focussed on KKS who was walking towards area 13. He waved his hand after reaching at gate of area 13 and pulled out the key from his pocket and put the key in the lock. As he was trying to open the door to area 13 we heard a car approaching us and saw the car headlights. KKS froze in glare of car headlights .I was just trying to think what to do that car reached us and screeched to halt in front of KKS. A angry Dr V K Singh got out. He was our warden and world has reached him about this misadventure to area 13 . Rest is simple ,we all got a lecture from him and were sent back to hostel with a warning never to think about this again.
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