The green grass, from the flowing blood down the concrete base, looked brown now. The earthy smell of it was mixed with the blood's metallic smell. The blood was slowly seeping into the ground as it kept flowing. But the metallic smell didn't fade at all.
Viriya was still sitting on her knees, hands touching at the concrete floor through the chest of Professor Shokre. Looking at the spilling blood, broken ribcage, and some unanimated organs inside.
The chanting of the others stopped there. Instead, their voices, the voices of the crowd, rang in her ears.
"What are you doing?"
"What did you do?"
"Why did you kill him?"
Were they really saying something like that? Were they talking at all? Maybe they were, maybe not, but the sound of more than one person crying was piercing her ears.
Everything around her spun or moved in a weird way, Viriya noticed she was being dragged somewhere. Bhavakari was holding her. Bhavakari made Viriya sit on something— a bench, as she went near Shokre again.
Viriya kept looking forward. The brass container was still fallen to the side, Professor Shokre was still on the ground, students gathered around him, other professors guiding the students.
The gathered people reduced little by little. Viriya looked at her hands once — blood had dried at many spots.
Someone came and sat beside her. When Viriya looked at the person, it was Nrit. He had his cane with him. He asked, "How are you doing?" not looking at Viriya. Viriya replied, "What can I even do." She continued in a bitter tone, "am I always at the wrong place at the wrong time?"
Nrit was still holding the half-drawn portrait of him. It had some wet spots on it. He said, "Maybe I am at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't really know you, but don't blame yourself. He was gone beforehand."
"Sorry, I am—" Choking on the word, Viriya continued, "I am so sorry."
Nrit told Viriya not to blame herself, but when he said that, the situation somehow became more real and Viriya couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes.
After both staying still for a while, Viriya asked,
"Did the whole thing happen in front of you?
—What am I even saying, you were right there."
"Yes, he just— he just stopped looking at the painting. I—" It was like he wanted to describe everything that happened there. Stopping himself, he continued, "After I understood.
Called for hel—.
Then I called for help."
Viriya didn't know what, if anything, she should be saying to Nrit. So she stayed silent.
A little later, Bhavakari came near Shokre with a group of Pariras, discussing something with them. They talked with some students there.
Bhavakari came near Viriya with another Parira. She asked,
"Viriya, why and what did you do there? Please explain as much as you can."
Viriya slowly started, "When I came here, the Professor was lying down. After finding out his heart had stopped, I tried to manually pump it from the outside."
"Why did you use that much force then?" The Parira behind Bhavakari asked.
Looking at him and then at Bhavakari, she said, "I don't know. First I tried with my right hand." Viriya looked at her right hand, then put it on the side of the bench and pushed. "It was hard with one hand, so I used both hands like this." Then she braced her right hand with her left and pushed against the concrete bench. The side of it broke off and fell down. With that, Viriya almost fell as well. Nrit and Bhavakari both held her from falling.
Viriya was surprised. She wasn't expecting this to happen. After stabilizing, she said, "Maybe using both hands made the pressure a bit too much somehow?"
The Parira said, "Professor was already dead, so you didn't kill him. But what if he was alive? What would you have d—"
Cutting the Parira off, Bhavakari said, "We now know her point of view. Let's continue with the actual work."
The Parira was about to say something but didn't, and went back towards Professor Shokre.
Bhavakari said to Nrit, "The Professor will be taken to be cremated. You can come if you want."
Nrit didn't reply anything, just started walking towards Shokre.
Viriya sat there alone. Nrit was gone. A little while later, Professor Shokre was being taken away. The students who had been inside came outside again, now more than before, some were going with the Pariras, some staying. And Nrit was obviously going with Shokre.
Before they were gone, Kratshi and Makriva both arrived at the University. Makriva was riding on Kratshi, and Kratshi was floating on something, which turned out to be metal plates around their ankles. Both went towards Bhavakari, who was near Shokre as he was being taken away.
After talking reluctantly, Makriva took out his harmonica. Seeing that, Viriya instantly closed her eyes and looked away, even with her eyes closed.
Slowly a soothing melody started. As it continued, the talking around Viriya became slower, and she could hear and think clearer than before. The sound grew louder, so she opened her eyes. She saw Makriva walking ahead, playing the harmonica. Noticing the harmonica Viriya looked down again and closed her eyes. The sound of the harmonica stayed the same for a bit, then it started to fade.
Viriya, opening her eyes, saw Makriva walking back towards the students.
Viriya again looked back at her hands, the blood was smudged, dried, on her, on the bench, all over the place from her hands.
She looked over the side of the bench, the part which she had broken a few moments ago. She took the broken parts specifically with her right hand, clenched it hard. And yes, it was broken in multiple pieces, then took another part in her left hand, and same here, similar results. Seeing that, Viriya was confused that both were giving the same results.
She looked over for Professor Shokre again, he was almost taken outside of the University. Viriya slowly went towards the gate. Makriva was there, but a bit far away, he didn't see Viriya.
She went out the door behind the Pariras and other students. Professor Shokre was being taken on a spacious carriage. Around the carriage many students and some civilians were gathered. Among all the civilians, one of them looked really rough, messy long hair going everywhere, looking at Professor Shokre with widened eyes. He could have been a student of the Professor.
Nrit, some students, Bhavakari, and Pariras got on the carriage, and some other students, normal skinned ones, striped ones, some professors started walking behind.
Viriya kept standing outside. After the place was somewhat empty, she took two similar rocks, clenched in different hands, both got similar results.
Seeing that, she threw the rock bits from her hands to the other side of the road as far as she could, one by one.
This time she was surprised, and somewhat validated. Rocks from her left hand went much farther than the right.
She took two more rocks to try again with a slight smile. But looking at the path the carriage had taken, she dropped the rocks.
She sat outside on the ground looking at the direction the carriage went to.
The carriage wasn't visible, but the walking students and professors were.
___
They came back home not long after that, Bhavakari hadn't arrived then. Viriya, Makriva and Kratshi came together at home, Kratshi didn't stay, he came just to drop them off.
Pannavo was at home. He was at the watch tower, he heard what happened there. Knowing Bhavakari won't be home he came early. Dhrikita also came along with Pannavo.
Ridhra and Ownad were left at the watch tower with Dhrikita. They all came home with dad and Dhrikita.
After coming home,
Viriya cleaned up herself, changed into new clothes. From then on she was almost avoiding to use her left hand as much as she could.
Dhrikita stayed with Viriya. While cleaning, she still had brown spots on her right hand, cleaning the right hand with the left wasn't an easy task after all. Dhrikita helped to clean those.
Later she ate Dhrikita's cooking, rice and some vegetables. She went to sleep without talking much with anyone. Ownad followed her, without much noise. Ownad slept on the floor beside Viriya's bed. And Viriya was silently looking at Ownad laying on her side on the bed.