Applications, Hall Tickets and Exams

It was normal for candidates appearing for the Board exams to fill in application forms which would be then forwarded to the Exam Board concerned. The Board of Examinations would then process the application, reject the incomplete or wrongly filled ones and then send the Hall Tickets one week before the exams. The Hall Tickets would be handed over to the candidates after a prayer to gods for good luck.

Usually, the girls would be called to fill in their applications first, as per the adage, Ladies First! But, the trend seemed to be reversed now. The boys had been called to fill in their application forms first. Sarala didn't mind though. As long as she got to fill in her application form, it didn't matter whether she filled it before or after the boys. So she waited patiently, till she was called to the college office where the application forms had to be filled.

As expected, their class teacher, Mr. Salman, the UDC, Mr. Chris, the LDC, Mr. Ram Kumar, and the DEO, Mr. Arif were there. They all looked up as she went in nervously. She greeted her class teacher first, then greeted the others.

Mr. Salman had made her sit beside him helping her fill the form correctly. He had made her stand after the first page had been filled.

"Strip!"

"Sir???" she was shocked, unsure whether she had heard it right. Why would he order her to strip? What had she done? Why should she strip?

"Remove your dress and stand naked, girl! We need to take a few more data." he said casually. She was stunned. She had never thought that she would face this situation. Back home in India, the teacher would be suspended and booked under the POSCO (Prevention of Sexual Crimes on Children) Act. As she stood still unable to decide what to do, someone smacked her hard on her bottom making her stumble forward.

She stared angrily at the DEO (Data Entry Operator) who smiled merrily. “Do you need help? I always help girls in removing their dress! You will love it, trust me.”

She wanted to shout at him for that remark but her class teacher had intervened.

“I don’t have all day for this. There are plenty of girls to process.” He had said.

“But, sir, girls cannot remove their dress in front of male teachers. That is what POSCO Act says.”

“Oh, I forgot you are from India. Well, this is Sourabha Rajyam and the laws of this country apply to you as well. So if you don’t want to be stripped in the morning assembly for disobeying me, you will take off your clothes here.” Realising she had no choice in the matter, she had complied, slowly removing her clothes, trying to cover herself with her hands.

"Hands off!" Sarala's cheeks burned with shame as she removed her hands baring her assets for the full view of the gleeful males who had stopped pretending to work and were staring at her.

"Your student is very beautiful, Salman Sir! Just look at her! Anyone would think she was a newly-wed girl about to get laid!" that was the UDC.

"True sir, with a figure like that, I wonder if anyone will wait till she finishes her college! She is ready to be bedded, I say!" Said the LDC.

"How many ***** have you taken in that **** of yours Sarala?" asked the DEO or the Data Entry Operator smacking his lips.

Sarala stood silently bearing the insults as she was afraid her application would be thrown in the dust bin if she resisted. She was already fighting an uphill battle at home to complete her Board Exams. She would willingly take any insult to finish her exams successfully. Then she could find a job and stay away from her family who were not happy at the prospect of providing formal instruction to a girl.

"Bring the measuring tape from the PET." ordered Salman. "Move fast girl! There are still a lot of girls left!" Sarala was stunned. To bring the tape from the PET, she would have to go back crossing the Principal's chamber, the staff room, the library and the English Language Lab. So she bent to get dressed quickly.

"Did I tell you to wear clothes? " Mr. Salman asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Go! before I tear your application! And be quick!"

Sarala ran, afraid that he would carry out his threat. She ran all the way to the PET's Room. The PE Teacher, Mr. Sebastian, hugged her, kissed her on the lips, pressed her private parts and then gave her the tape. He was laughing as she ran back to the office crying at her helplessness.

Mr. Salman then proceeded to measure her, making her enter the data in the application. "30! in this box!"

"28! here!"

"32! over here!"

He then examined carefully all over her body before he finally made her write 'No Moles on private parts. '

He then suddenly put one of his fingers in her ***** that made her gasp in surprise much to the amusement of the males there. He went deeper, rotating his finger till she started getting wet to her shame. He made her write, 'Normal reaction' whatever that meant.

He had thankfully made her dress and go to her class. Unfortunately for her, the ordeal had just begun. She would have to face the ridicule of her classmates - boys who were always looking for a chance to embarrass and insult her. Thankfully, no one had made any comments as she entered her class. She sighed in relief as she sat in her place.

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Eighteen year old, Samreen was flabbergasted. Why was her application rejected? She could swear that she had filled in all the details perfectly. Yet, somehow, her application had been rejected. With only 72 hours left for the first Board Exam, there was no way she could get her rejection revoked and write the exams. Her hopes of completing that year without any backlogs were quashed. She was not the only one who had a similar situation - all the girls of First Year and Second Year had got their applications rejected. And no one had bothered to inform them about it. It was as if the college didn't want the girls to appear for the exams. Was the college trying to fail them? Nobody was telling them anything at all!

Reena Daniel looked at her Hall Ticket unable to believe her eyes. She had been allotted an exam centre 1500 kms away, in the border ! It would take at least two and a half days by train or a minimum of 48 hrs by flight to reach the nearest city. From there it was a 12 hour journey by road. And her exam was at 10. am the next day! There was no way she could make it in time to exam centre, let alone write the exam. Even more ridiculous was the fact that she was allotted an exam centre in the exact opposite corner of the country. A 72 hour journey for an exam that was to be held within 48 hours after the first exam. Was this a joke? Did the Board of Examinations want the girls to be absent? So it would be easy to detain them?

20 year old Swathi, ground her teeth in frustration. She had been ordered to remove everything, ear rings, chain, bracelet, watch and purse. This was expected, but they had actually asked her to strip off her clothes as well! Unbelievably, the notice on the wall clearly stated that girls could not enter the centre dressed. Why???? What had the girls done???? Why should they be forced to strip while the boys went in fully dressed??? What kind of an injustice is this???? Why isn't anyone stopping this nonsense????

She looked around her trying to find someone who could stop this nonsense. Her father had been given some urgent task that prevented him from coming with her to the exam centre. He was a high ranking official in the local government. Perhaps his name would be enough to stop this madness?

She thought as she started walking towards the security guard. The guard at the gate was subjecting the girls to an intense scrutiny - a cavity search no less!! Were they terrorists??? They were just college girls who were appearing for their exams; not on a mission to bomb the whole world into oblivion! Though the prospect seemed very appealing at that moment.

The guard looked at her with disapproval. "Why are you still dressed?" he asked looking at her.

"Maybe she needs help Altaf!" The other guard laughed. She had to speak fast if she were to stop them from laying a hand on her. "My father is the Chief Provincial Police Inspector, Mr. Ram Narayan!" she said hoping his name would stop them from humiliating her. The guards seemed to freeze at her words.

Swathi's hopes rose as she watched their expressions. The guard named Altaf seemed to recover from his shock first and spoke to someone on his walkie-talkie. He listened carefully to the instructions he received. He then proceeded to escort her to towards the campus building. She smiled as her trick seemed to work. She was sorry for not being able to rescue more girls. Perhaps she could bargain with the Centre In-charge to get the girls some concessions.

The Exam Department was a big room. The Superintendent sat in his large revolving chair as she entered the room. All the 6 employees looked at her.

“So, you are Ram Narayan’s kid?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Okay. Akram, take her to all the rooms and make sure all the invigilators have been introduced to her, okay? And do it in the proper way.”

“Yes, Sir.” Akram said as he came with a pair of scissors and started cutting Swathi’s dress into pieces. She was stunned. What was happening?

“Sir?”

“You are not exempted from following the exam rules, daughter of Ram Narayan! For wasting my time and for using your father’s position, you will be naked during the exam, stay after the exam till all the invigilators have had their fill of you and then will go home in all your glory.” He nodded at Akram who proceeded to follow his instructions.

****************

Sameena Begum cried silently as the invigilator kept pressing her ******* as he signed her answer booklet. She had been unable to do anything as she had been asked to hold the exam pad with both hands. He had been squeezing the private parts of all the girls in the room while he signed their answer booklets. The flying squad who were supposed to help them had replaced their seats with special chairs that had only a wooden ***** in the middle. They were forced to sit on it, while it went deep in their ******. They had been unable to write much which meant that they would definitely fail!

The Board of Examinations it seems wanted to make sure no girls passed the exams that year!