In Student City Season 2 Part 2, Dr Piyush Roy revisits the unforgettable classroom where rivalry became friendship, revealing how identity, humour, and youthful defiance shaped enduring bonds amid Pune's turbulent student life.

Student City: The Journey So Far

Season 1 followed Avinash's departure from Rourkela to Pune, capturing the emotional upheaval of leaving home, discovering independence, and entering the demanding world of management studies. Season 2 Part 1 introduced the vibrant ecosystem of classmates whose ambitions, romances, insecurities, and eccentricities transformed an ordinary campus into the unforgettable universe of Student City.

Student City Season 2 Part 2

Seems as if it was just the other day when I had nervously entered my new class for the first time, six months back, which suddenly turned somber, surveying me from top to toe as I sauntered further, carrying my admission letter and sweating out the agitation beneath the neck-clasping tie on a hot Saturday afternoon.

In a blue full-sleeve shirt that hid those pair of hairless, shaking arms, quite naturally ending with the curling half-a-score fingers, which, not knowing where to hide, started moving closer to seek some comfort in the company of a clasp.

Now moving from the pockets of the black, heat-absorbing trousers ironed to an awkward stiffness, forming a cross over a throbbing chest, my hands reverted to a dangling, aimless fold behind that mildly fleshy thing called my butt, to perhaps finally separate as I raised my left hand to brush aside that undisciplined strand of hair making a sore showcase on a sweating forehead. It eventually fell back onto the parting line—that lone, undisciplined strand.

The Introduction Everyone Remembered

All present were studiously surveying the new arrival, shooting right up the scales of my nervousness into a delirious act of mumbo-jumbo as I lunged forth to hide my tense physicality behind the first bench that was available and empty.

Throwing an accommodating smile at all and sundry, as I was about to finally rest my shaky butt, Rahul, instead of that mandatory welcome given to any newcomer, even if as a matter of formality, had waved a stop to enable Priya (those were the peak days of their grades-induced camaraderie) to usher herself in, as Anisha ventured forth into my discomfiture, introducing herself and requesting the same from me in return.

She prompted me to be a bit louder for the whole class to hear—an exercise I had to parrot through the whole day in front of six more faculty members, to the point of embarrassing vexation.

“I am Avinash Kumar, BA Economics from Government College, Rourkela. Passed in First Class with Distinction, after which I worked as a creative with a Delhi-based ad agency before making it to this course.”

All rattled out at one time, non-stop, in one go, and between two breaths, perhaps.

Followed came a muted giggle from Rahul at the end of every incantation, which I first deciphered in that whispered aside to Priya, sounding something like:

“There goes the dumb introduction again.”

Rahul's First Challenge

“Hey, don't you have anything interesting to say about yourself, Mr First Class with Distinction?”

He had challenged me with audible sarcasm in his first verbal communion with me, after my fifth introduction-rattle before our Finance professor, Gureja, silently pushing forth a note into my hand that read: “Tell us something more interesting… like… are you still a virgin?”

A continuing environment of welcome pleasantries would have definitely kept me tamed, but this brazen affront to my ego gave me a sudden boldness to fight back. “How's that of any importance to you, Mr Skirt-Chaser, unless your preferences have changed otherwise out of sustained frustration!”

Loud enough for Priya and Rahul to hear—but not Gureja.

To the good old professor, I finished my official introduction with some additional dope before resuming my seat. Rahul continued looking at me with a bewildered scorn that warned, We'll see you later! to which my confident return gaze meant a challenging, Anytime.

I was just waiting for an opportunity to rough it out with him, not knowing that when it came, it would hurt me more than him.

Opposites That Became Brothers

Rahul loved cats; I indulged dogs. He was insanely passionate about Western music; I had grown up on a diet of vintage classics. He carried himself off surprisingly well in shockingly loud pastels; soft checks stole my heart. His food habits read oily, non-veg, and spicy; mine were sedate, green, and sweet. He freaked on junk food; I hated it. Hard drinks took him to intoxicating heights; wine was my secret passion.

He drooled over Mercs and other four-wheeled delights; I had yet to grow out of my teenage fixation for bicycles, mopeds, and bikes. Branding and Marketing were his favourite subjects; Advertising and Copywriting were mine. Maths and Stats defined his edge; numbers drove me nuts. English thrillers dominated his viewing time; Bollywood tearjerkers and masala potboilers topped my filmi list.

At home, he couldn't do without two pillows under his head; I had to have one on either side while sleeping. He dreamed in English, because that's the language in which his sleep-talk happened; I chattered coherently in a language he never understood. Being late was routine for him; I couldn't be myself without being seated at least five minutes before attendance. He loved the babes; I skipped a heartbeat for the plaited hausfrau.

In brief, he was as hot as I was cool—and vice versa. Yet we bonded like a house on fire, firing all our immediate acquaintances with live demonstrations in the essentials of everlasting buddyship.

The Mutual Admiration Society

For he talked and I listened; he cooked and I ate; he led and I followed; he messed and I tidied; he boasted and I cheered; he borrowed and I lent; he yelled and I cajoled; he lost and I recovered; he flirted and I comforted; he goofed and I patched; he loved and I reciprocated.

Because he was mad and I was crazy. If he was happy, I was ecstatic.

I could just go on and on, but what's the point? Our mutual admiration society, though infinite, was complete.

Time flew by, even through the hornet's nest, and I played a major role in initiating Rahul into the equally exciting world of the guy zone—Pam and all. Once the guard was down, we bonded like hell. Even the heavens above would have shrugged in rank, discourteous jealousy.

Gathering Storms

Meanwhile, all wasn't quite well on the Anisha front. And as more clouds gathered over Pune's leaking sky, a storm of far greater proportions had already cast its spell on the household of the tempestuous triad of Biki, Ita, and Anisha.