Tuesday
9:00 A.M
The Psychology Department was surprisingly silent
Thirty students sat in Room 302, each with a folder containing the details of their assignment.
Professor Adrian Holloway entered the room at exactly nine.
He surveyed the class before speaking.
“I have read over your observations.”
He paused
“and I must say, they were…
disappointing”
A few students exchanged anxious looks.
“You described what the people you observed did”
“But very few of you asked yourselves why they did it”
Professor Holloway picked up a piece of chalk and wrote three words on the board.
Observe.
Verify.
Conclude.
He underlined the word ‘Verify’
“Most people overlook this step
Today’s exercise is simple”
He turned to face the class
“You will spend the next four hours observing your subject”
There was a pause as realization dawned on the students.
“No interviews.
No conversation.
You are to remain invisible”If your subject notices you…”You fail”
The room grew quiet as the students digested his words.
Professor Holloway gave a small smile.
“Psychology begins when your presence no longer matters”
Outside, the University was lively.
Students bustled up and down the street, chatting, arguing, and wandering aimlessly with music pumping from their headphones.
Sam and Mehjabeen stood by the Psychology building, the former adjusting his glasses.She unfolded their assignment paper for the umpteenth time, her eyes scanning the words.
Observe the person observing you
She let out a sigh
“I still don’t understand.”
Sam chuckled
“We’re assuming it’s a person”
She shot him a questioning look
“…Isn’t it?”
“I don’t know”
“And that’s precisely why we shouldn’t assume anything”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Sam began walking
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere people forget they’re being watched”
The university café.
One of the most popular places on campus.
They picked a table by the window, not because it was a good view
but because it was a good vantage point.
Sam placed their assignment sheet on the table and waited.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Mehjabeen crossed her arms
“Are we doing anything?”
“What?”
“Waiting”
She gave him a look
Twenty minutes passed before a young man wandered into the café.
He wore a brown jacket and a black backpack, and looked to be around twenty.
He ordered a coffee and took a seat, busying himself by opening a notebook.
However, he made no attempt to write anything down.
Mehjabeen immediately began filling her own notebook with observations.
“Male”
“Student”
“Looks anxious”
“Constantly checking the entrance”
Sam remained silent as Mehjabeen continued.
“Probably waiting for someone”
After a few minutes, she looked up at him
“You disagree?”
“I haven’t agreed”
“So?”
Sam gave the young man a long look
“How many times has he checked the entrance?”
“…Seven”
“And how many times has he checked his phone?”
“Three”
“What does that tell you?”
She paused for a moment
“…That he’s expecting someone?”
“Maybe”
“You don’t think so?”
“I think…”
Sam took a sip of his coffee
“…he wants everyone to think he’s expecting someone”
There was a pause before Mehjabeen gave the young man another look.
This time, she noticed something she hadn’t before.
Every time someone had entered the café, he had looked up.
But not at them.
Just the entrance.
As if…
he wanted people to think he was waiting for someone.
Her eyes widened slightly
“…That’s clever”
Sam nodded
“Now we have a mystery”
Hours passed, and the young man left without meeting anyone’s eyes, without making a phone call, and without writing a single word in his notebook.
At exactly 1:07 P.M, he stood up, throwing away his untouched coffee before leaving the café.
Mehjabeen blinked
“…That’s it?”
“Apparently”
“No…
no explanation at all?”
“None”
She closed her notebook
“I hate unfinished puzzles.”I know”
“How?”
“You sighed”
The next morning, each team presented their findings.
One team concluded their subject was an introvert, another thought their subject had social anxiety, while a third team believed their subject was hiding financial issues. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Professor Holloway listened to each one in turn, taking notes the entire time.
Finally, it was their turn
“Mr.
Valecroft”
“Miss Winslet”
The class turned to look at them as Mehjabeen stood
“Our subject was waiting for someone”
Professor Holloway gave a small smile
“And?”
She turned to Sam, who remained seated
“We cannot confirm that”
A few students gave them odd looks
Sam continued
“We know what he did, but not why he did it”
Someone in the back of the class snorted
“So you watched someone for four hours and you know nothing?”
Sam turned to face them
“No
We know
how easy it is to mistake confidence for certainty”
The laughter died down as the class stared at him.
Professor Holloway gave another small smile before walking to the front of the room
“The young man you observed was an actor”
The class fell silent
“I asked him to behave as if he were waiting for someone”
“He wasn’t waiting for anyone”
“He was waiting for your assumptions”
Several students exchanged glances before looking back at their papers
Professor Holloway continued
“You all made things up”
“You created entire stories”
He paused to glance at Sam and Mehjabeen’s notes before continuing
“Except for one team”
He turned to face them
“You are the only people who managed to separate observation from opinion”
Several students frowned as they looked at their papers.
“This…” Professor Holloway gestured to Sam and Mehjabeen’s notes “…is psychology”
As students began packing their things, Professor Holloway quietly stopped by Sam and Mehjabeen
“I have your next assignment”
He handed Mehjabeen a small white envelope.
She opened it to reveal another single sentence.
Which lie does he believe?
She turned to Sam
“…Who?”
Professor Holloway adjusted his glasses
“That…”
“…is for you to find out”
Before either of them could ask another question, he walked away.
Sam stared at the envelope in Mehjabeen’s hand before looking up at the empty classroom.
This wasn’t an observation task.
It was an investigation.
And somehow, that was much harder.
End of Chapter 11
TO BE CONTINUED,,,,,,,,,,,