Student Of The Year

Chapter 2

Some days in our lives remain etched in our memories and our hearts forever, defying the passage of time. The last day of the STUDENT OF THE YEAR competition was one such unforgettable day. As in any competition, there was a winner, but on that day, something changed within all of us, all of us experienced losses in different ways. But the most significant loss was felt by our beloved Dean Yogendra Vasisht. It was his final year at the college, and after that fateful day, he retreated to a world of his own, isolated from everyone, except Coach Shah.

Despite the passing years, we could never forget Dean. His absence left us wondering about his well-being and the reasons behind his departure. One question lingered in our minds - who or what was responsible for that fateful outcome?

Coach Shah, is the one person allowed into Dean Vasisht's world. Later, Coach Shah revealed the truth to us. He shared how broken Dean was after the prize distribution, revealing the depth of Dean's broken spirit. He blamed himself for every broken relationship that had occurred among the students throughout the years. Our batch held a special place in his heart, especially Rohan and Abhi, for whom he felt both pride and regret, cherishing their achievements while grappling with their unfortunate outcomes.

Sudo, filled with concern, asked Coach if they could meet him. The Coach's response was encouraging, granting us access to see Dean. All six of us - Shanaya, Shruti, Tanya, Sudo, Jeet, and Dimpy - stood outside the room, peering through the glass window. Witnessing Dean lying on the bed, surrounded by medical equipment, filled us with sadness. We could hardly believe this was the same vibrant face that greeted us every morning with a cheerful "Hello, boys and girls."

Reminiscing about those cherished college days, we longed for a chance to rewrite our actions and choices.

Shruti regretted the times when words left unsaid led to hurtful consequences.

Tanya, who had achieved her goal of becoming the school head cheerleader, wished she had forged a deeper connection with Rohan. And while she had no regrets about her accomplishments, she yearned for more meaningful interactions rather than wasting time competing with Shanaya.

Jeet revealed his regret in mistaking mere flattery for true friendship with Rohan.

Shruti chimed in, pointing out that Rohan had only one true friend - Abhi, in the past.

Shanaya, with a smile, acknowledged in her mind that Abhi had also been Rohan's one true love.

Shanaya's husband, Kabir, eavesdropped on the conversation and grew curious about this mysterious "Ro" and Shanaya's college life. Intrigued by the reminiscing, he encourages her friends to share more about their experiences. As her friends filled him in on the details, Jeet humorously described Rohan Nanda, known as Ro, as the carefree son of a prominent businessman, Ashok Nanda. Ro's dream was to become the world's greatest rockstar. Jeet playfully adds that the only inheritance Rohan seemed destined to receive from his father was a guitar.

Shruti candidly admitted her initial dislike for Rohan, expressing confusion over why her best friend, Shanaya, had associated with him for so long. She proceeded to paint a picture of Shanaya Singhania, the most beautiful and cherished girl in the college. However, to everyone's surprise, Rohan appeared indifferent to her and seemingly enamored by other girls, including Tanya. Unfortunately, no designer label was selling love or Shanaya would have bought the whole counter.