The new academic year had started, and Ronil, an orphan with a scholarship, was finally in Gurgaon University. As he stepped into the college, the city’s glamor and the buzzing crowd left him in awe. Dressed in a checked shirt, tucked-in pants, and chappals, he felt like an alien amongst the stylish crowd. But he had a goal: to ace his studies and secure a scholarship for his MBA, so he could work in a multinational company abroad.
Ronil pulled out his broken phone to check the timetable, wandered through the corridors, and found his class. He sat on the first bench, as it was empty. Soon, a group of four friends entered, led by Akshay, a well built guy and a rich bully who had failed his first year. They headed straight to the last bench, humiliating two students and asking them to get up from their seats.
“Move it,” Akshay ordered, and the students quietly switched seats as they knew who Akshay was and what he was capable of doing.
The class filled up quickly, and the professor started his introduction. Just then, a stunning girl in a yellow dress walked in. She scanned the room and found the only vacant seat next to Ronil. With a small backpack, minimalist makeup and untied wet hair, Sakshi looked like a dream. All the boys wished they were sitting next to her, but Ronil stayed focused on his studies.
“Hi, I’m Sakshi,” she said, sitting down beside him.
“Hi, I’m Ronil,” he replied, smiling nervously.
By the end of the lecture, Sakshi and Ronil were chatting comfortably. By the end of the first lecture most of the students got bored and the next class was less crowded. As Sakshi got up to leave as well, she asked, “Want to join me?”
“I’ll stay for the lectures,” Ronil said, determined.
“Good luck with that!” she said sarcastically, making fun of him in a friendly way and walked away.
As Ronil packed his things, Akshay approached him. “Stay away from Sakshi,” he warned, his tone was mean.
Ronil just nodded, not wanting any trouble but ignored what he said. He continued talking to her and over the months, Sakshi and Ronil became good friends. He shared his dreams with her, and she always encouraged him. Akshay, however, tried to ask her out multiple times but got rejected. His jealousy was palpable.
Final exam dates were announced, and they had one last assignment to submit. Sakshi couldn’t complete hers because of a family emergency.
“Ronil, I really need your help,” she pleaded. “Can you help me with the assignment?”
“Of course,” he said, happy to assist.
Akshay overheard their conversation and saw his chance. The next morning, as Ronil reached the college gate, Akshay and his friends blocked his way.
“Hand over the assignment,” Akshay demanded.
“No way, Akshay. This is for Sakshi,” Ronil retorted.
They dragged Ronil to an alley behind the college and beat him up. Akshay took the assignment from his bag and walked away. Ronil tried to stop him, but Akshay pushed him hard, and he hit his head on a pole, blacking out.
Later, Akshay went to Sakshi, holding the assignment. “Ronil’s not coming,” he lied. “He said he wouldn’t complete your assignment and laughed at how naive you are. I didn’t want you to suffer, so I finished it for you.”
Sakshi looked shocked and angry. “Thank you, Akshay,” she said, taking the assignment.
The next day, Ronil came to college with a bandage on his head. He tried to explain to Sakshi, but she slapped him in front of everyone. “I trusted you!” she shouted, storming off.
For weeks, they barely spoke. Sakshi started hanging out with Akshay, and eventually, they began dating. The final exams ended, and the results were out. Ronil wasn’t at the college when they were announced, but he had topped the class.
That same day, Sakshi overheard Akshay’s friends bragging about how he had tricked her. Realizing her mistake, she felt terrible and decided to apologize to Ronil in person. She came to his PG and asked his roommate where he was.
“Don’t you know?” he said, looking surprised.
“Know what?” she asked, confused.
“Ronil was found dead three months ago in an alley behind the college. They say that the death was caused due to a severe head injury,” he replied.
Sakshi stood there, shocked and horrified.
That’s sad 😢