Blanket over my head, brightness turned down, phone clutched like treasure—this was it. The first message was out in the world. Every vibration of the phone made me jump, every second stretched like a full minute. Naveen and Deepak were already half-asleep, but my night was just beginning.
The phone buzzed softly against my palm. A single line blinked at me:
Pavani:So this is the thing you wanted to tell me in the exam?
I grinned under the blanket and typed quickly.
Me:Yeah.
Her reply came almost instantly.
Pavani:You should have said so. I would have helped in picking a phone.
I chuckled to myself and tapped back:
Me:True. But then I wouldn't have this moment now, would I?
Pavani:Texting costs a lot. Do you have an internet plan?
Me:No. Just this SIM. Why?
Before I could even put the phone down, it started buzzing in my hand—an incoming call.
My heart skipped.
I quietly slipped out from under the blanket. Naveen was snoring beside me, Deepak was curled up on the other side, and the whole room was filled with the sound of everyone sleeping.
I tiptoed across the floor, phone clutched tight, and eased open the sliding cupboard door. The hinges groaned faintly, but no one stirred. I slipped my head inside, the faint smell of detergent and ironed clothes surrounding me, and pressed the phone to my ear.
"Hi," I whispered into the darkness.
Pavani: "Where are you speaking from?" [laughing]
Me: "From the cupboard."
Pavani: "You went inside the cupboard?"
Me: "No… just my head."
Pavani: [laughs] "That's why you should've taken me. I would've suggested buying a headset."
I froze for a second—because I heard two laughs through the phone.
Me: "Wait… was that… two people laughing?"
Pavani: "Oh—yeah. That's my roomie. Say hi."
Aditi: "Hii!" [teasing tone]
Me: "Uh… hi." [caught off guard]
Pavani: "Hey, keep talking with my roomie for a bit. I have a small work, I'll be back."
Me: "Wait—what? You're leaving me with her?"
Aditi: [laughing] "Don't worry, I don't bite."
Me: [hesitant] "…Your voice… it feels kind of familiar. What's your name?"
Aditi: [laughs softly] "Oh, that's such a classic line. Do you say that to every girl, or just me?"
Me: [flustered] "No, no! I…"
Aditi: [still teasing] "Mhm, sure. Anyway… my name's Aditi."
Me: "Hi, I'm Siddharth. MPC first year, Elite Junior College."
Aditi: "Nice. But tell me… who talks with their head inside a cupboard?" [laughing]
Me: "Don't laugh. I have a setup."
Aditi: "Oh really? What setup?"
Me: "First, we pushed the bed against the door so no one can enter suddenly. Phone is on silent, brightness low… and my head is in the cupboard so I don't disturb my roommates."
Aditi: [bursts out laughing] "But there are flaws in your setup."
Me: "Flaws? Where?"
Aditi: "First—it might not happen, but suppose someone tries to enter the room and can't because of the bed? They'll definitely think something is happening inside. They'll keep checking until your mobile gets caught."
Me: "…okay, fair point. And?"
Aditi: "The position you're in right now." [bursts out laughing again]
Me: "You have a better setup then?"
Aditi: "I do… but I feel like I'm spoiling a good kid if I tell you."
Her words made me chuckle softly, careful not to wake anyone. Good kid? No one's called me that in years.
Me: "Come on, tell me. Now I'm curious."
Aditi: "Okay… first, remove the bed from blocking the door. Just keep something light near it, so the door stays closed but can still open with a little push."
Me: "Hmm… okay, that does sound smarter."
Aditi: "And the best place to talk on mobile is not inside the cupboard…"
I raised my eyebrows in the dark.
Me: "Then where?"
Aditi: "…on top of it. If you can climb, and if there's space to sit."
I blinked, half laughing.
Me: "Wait—are you saying… you're on top of the cupboard right now?"
Aditi: [grinning through her voice] "Yes. No one can hear you from here, and you don't have to whisper so much. Even if someone enters the room, they'll never notice in the dark."
I shook my head, trying not to laugh out loud. This girl's crazy. But genius-crazy.
Aditi: "And we use a blanket to hide the mobile light, plus earphones—so no need to hold the phone while talking."
Me: "That's a good plan actually. Let me try once I get earphones… By the way, where's Pavani?"
Aditi: [teasing] "Ah, so desperate already?"
Me: [laughs quietly] "Just curious."
Aditi: "Relax, she just came back. Once she climbs up, I'll give her the phone. Don't worry."
Pavani: "So… how's my roomie?"
Me: "She's nice. Friendly too."
Pavani: "Good. And hey, sorry—I just had some work. It's already late, so I had to finish it now. That's why I left for a bit and it took more time than expected."
Me: "No problem. I had a good talk with your roomie."
Pavani: [laughs] "With your famous cupboard setup?"
Me: "Exactly. Though your roomie had a lot to say about that."
Pavani: [teasing tone] "Of course she did. She's sharper than me in these things."
Me: "Yeah… she kind of proved my plan has flaws."
Pavani: [smiles softly] "Okay, enough. It's getting really late now. Let's talk tomorrow?"
Me: "But tomorrow I can't talk. My friends will take the phone—we all pooled in money for it."
Pavani: "Then… day after tomorrow. In the exam hall. Don't be late."
Me: "Deal."
[Both]: "Goodnight."
Me: "Goodnight."
I finally pulled my head out of the cupboard, stretching my stiff neck. Carefully, I put the phone in the same hiding place and lay back on the bed beside Naveen.
Now I just have to convince them to get a headset, I thought, staring at the ceiling fan.
A smile tugged at my lips. With that plan tucked away, I turned to face the wall. The room was filled with the quiet breathing of my roommates and the distant hum of the night outside. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.
The warden's whistle pierced through the morning silence, I rubbed my eyes, dragging myself up with the rest of the room. Within minutes, the washrooms were crowded, buckets lined up like a queue at a railway station.
By the time I went to classroom, Naveen and Deepak were already at their desks, books wide open. Breakfast was quick—idlis gulped down with chutney—and then straight back into study hours as tomorrow we have exam.
After lunch, when the study break came, Naveen stretched, yawning loud enough to make half the room glare at him. Deepak turned to me, a sly smile on his face.
"So… what happened last night?" Deepak asked
I froze mid-sip of water. "What do you mean?"
Deepak grinning, "Don't play dumb. I woke up in the middle of the night—and nearly shit myself seeing your head stuffed inside the cupboard."
Naveen burst out laughing, slapping the desk. I groaned, covering my face.
I sighed, shaking my head. "… it's not what you think. Messages were costing too much. So… she called. We just talked over the phone."
Naveen raised his eyebrows. "Hmm… that's it, huh?"
Deepak smirked. "Anyway, we've decided we won't be listening to songs tonight. Too risky before the exam. If you want, you can keep the phone for yourself."
That caught me off guard. "Wait, really?"
Deepak shrugged. "Yeah. But don't try to suffocate yourself inside the cupboard again. You looked like a ghost."
All three of us laughed. I leaned back against the wall. "Honestly, I'll sleep early tonight. Fresh brain is more important than late-night stunts."
"Good kid," Deepak teased, patting my shoulder.
The rest of the day slipped by in a blur of books, hurried revisions, and whispered jokes to ease the pressure.
We came back to the room and lay down on our beds. The hostel settled into its usual rhythm—the soft murmurs of boys whispering in the dark, the creak of iron cots shifting under tired bodies. The sounds blended together, lulling me slowly into sleep.
Morning came far too soon. The warden's bell clanged, and the entire dormitory erupted into movement. We got ready for exam.
Before leaving, I unlocked the phone to check if I had any texts.
One new message.
All the best for the exam — Aditi.