Pooja's POV

The words that came to me weren't dead, decomposed, decaying. It didn't occur to me that 6 months ago, this guy was alive - walking, talking, breathing, someone's dad, some one's brother was dead and decaying in front of me (though tons of formalin saw to it that it didn't really decay). It didn't strike that we were cutting open a human being.

Nope!

What I was thinking was 'Dude, we're going to cut you up! Dissect you, baby."

"Respect the dead, respect he who has given his body for the progress of medical science", a distinct yet clear voice said. It was a bald man with eyes at the back of his head, the Head of the Department of Anatomy.

"Respect he who is serving you the first taste of your life ahead in the field of medicine"

I was so sure I would taste nothing else for a whole week as the pungent smell of formalin stung my throat.

"Respect the scalpel that shall guide u through the marvels of the human body"

This I got to see. If  only this guy would just shut up and let us cut up instead!

"There shall be no laughter, no talking, no moving from one table to another. You may now begin."

And thus our journey through the human body began and trust me, it isn't like the pictures on T.V. The insides of the human body are complex and beautiful beyond imagination.

"Steady hands. You have the makings of a surgeon ", commented the Professor who was guiding us as he glanced over my shoulder.

I knew exactly what I wanted. And how to get it or so I thought.

Rekha's POV

I chose this over N.I.F.T. Was I crazy to have chosen to open up this excessively smelly body over accessorizing a gorgeous one? I would never know.

I watched the dissections curiously. The fight over who'd get to use the scalpel 1st, over who got the best view, who got to read the Cunningham book. I stood a silent spectator. The first to try would be the first to tire. I'd have my turn.

It was unbelievable that no matter who we are on the outside, rich, poor, good, bad...ugly? We're the same in inside, where God alone decided when our clock stopped ticking; to rot in our graves, burn to ashes or be embalmed only to be cut up by ruthless first year students.

"THUD"

Our 1st causality! Vasovagal attack! Syncope! In short, someone had fainted. Smrithi. She was white. And shivering. She looked paler than the cadaver! I could sense the excitement. Hear the silence. And then came the laughter. God! I rolled my eye. We had a bunch of sadists here!

Well, back to work. The weak would have to become strong. Only the strong have a place in our world.

Dreams come true

-Rekha Parameswaran

I reached for the sky, I touched the stars

I fell in a puddle, but I sailed the ocean

I stole a glance, it turned into a vision

I had a dream, it came true

Every weakness became a strength

Every smile turned to laughter

Every sound became music

Every dream came true

Not a tear escaped my eyes

Not a sigh escaped my lips

A rainbow of emotions filled me

I believe that dreams come true

Smrithi's POV

"I really hope we don't have to start dissecting today", I looked nervously at the cadaver.

"He's dead already. He won't bite." said a voice with suppressed laughter.

"I know, I was just thinking" I said without taking my eyes off the bloodless human body. I shuddered.

"Of Mr. Caddy here? You could do a lot better than that!" This time he didn't try hiding his amusement and laughed openly. I looked at this guy who was trying to torture me. My eyes locked with the best-looking guy I had ever seen save his evil grin that showed his perfect teeth. He was watching me too. I glared at him. His brown eyes with specs of gold distracted me from being really mad.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't know you had such intense feelings for him. He seems nice enough. Too bad we're gonna have to fight over you! But guess who's got the advantage?" He smiled, raising his scalpel. His cheek dimpled. If only he wasn't so mean!

"Hey, I love you." a cold voice said. A cold hand touched mine. I looked down at Mr Caddy. His eyes open, looking at me with unseeing eyes. His lips parted. His hand on mine.

"THUD!"

Altaf's POV

"I'm... so sorry!" I really was as I looked at that pale face. She opened her eyes and looked somewhere beyond me. She was shivering. She was beautiful. She could be a supermodel. Her black wavy hair framed her pale unmoving face. What was she doing here?

"Hey." I said touching her hand, aware of the eyes on us. Cold, clammy,soft.

This time she looked straight at me. "I hate you!" Her eyes were the deepest shade of black I had seen.

People were laughing. At her? At me? I didn't care. It was one of those moments when everything seemed a blur except the one thing you are looking at. She was the kind of girl you'd want to shield from the evils of the world.

"Silence!" said the professor with a boiled egg for a head. "All of you remain in your seats. I shall attend to her." I braced myself for the yelling that was sure to come.

"You alright?" I attempted. She was still trembling.

"Get lost!"

She was given the rest of the day off.

Prithvish's POV

"Preet!" I turned around. It was that stupid bitch Smrithi. I had attended an entrance coaching class with her and was apparently the only person she knew. I don't know what I did that made her think that I was someone she could come crying to. I didn't deserve that. If there's one thing I can absolutely not stand it's crying. And that was a habit with Smrithi.

I looked at her. Rather glared at her hoping she'd get the hint. She had fainted today. Somehow I had known she'd faint today.

"Preet.. I wanna talk"

"Ya, how was dissections?" I asked innocently as though I didn't know how much drama she had created in there.

"Preet, I fainted today. That guy Altaf is so cruel! He touched me with the cadaver" So that's what it was all about! Three cheers to him!

"You are going to be doing a lot more than just touching the cadaver, Smrithi!" I laughed.

"You are laughing at me? YOU are actually laughing at me?" Uh-oh! The water works were about to begin. More drama.

"Do you even know what I've been through? I was scared but I wouldn't have fainted if I could help it! Do you know how much strength it takes to face everyone after knowing that they are looking at you like you are some sort of freak, not fit to be here?" Tears rained down her face. Oh damn! I put her head on my shoulder and patted it. I was six feet tall, she was probably a few inches shorter. She looked small for her height, I thought randomly.

"I hate Altaf", she said with vengeance.