Reena’s days in the BBA course began to settle into a predictable rhythm.
Despite attending lectures and group discussions, she struggled to form connections with her classmates.
Friendships blossomed around her, but Reena found herself on the outside, hesitant to engage.
For Raghu, the college library had become a sanctuary. As a senior with ATKT status, he spent most of his time there, determined to clear his backlogs.
While others whispered about his "failure" to pass exams in the first attempt, Raghu never explained the personal challenges that had brought him to this point.
He simply focused on studying, blocking out the noise.
One afternoon, Reena entered the library after her last lecture, seeking a quiet place to study.
As she walked past the rows of tables, she noticed Raghu seated at his usual spot, engrossed in a dense business law textbook.
At first, she hesitated to approach, unsure of how to interact with him after their previous conversations.
Finally, she found a table nearby, her curiosity piqued.
Raghu noticed her and offered a casual smile. “Hey, Reena. Back again to hit the books?”
“Yes,” she replied briefly, unpacking her notes. Then, after a pause, she asked, “You’re always here, aren’t you? Why?”
Raghu chuckled lightly. “Just trying to catch up on a few things. You know, life doesn’t always go as planned.”
Reena studied him, her thoughts racing.
The pieces seemed to fall into place: Raghu was a senior who hadn’t cleared his exams on the first attempt.
To her, it painted a picture of someone who lacked focus or dedication.
“That must be hard,” she said, trying to sound neutral but failing to hide the judgment in her tone.
Raghu caught the shift but chose not to correct her. Instead, he smiled faintly. “Yeah, it is. But we all have our battles, don’t we?”
Reena nodded, though her opinion of him had subtly shifted.
She decided to keep her distance, wary of associating with someone she perceived as a "failure."
As the days passed, Reena continued to struggle with her own challenges.
With class tests approaching, her inability to make friends weighed heavily on her.
Most of her classmates had formed study groups, but she often found herself alone, poring over her notes in the library after her lectures.
One evening, as the clock neared 6:30 PM and the library began to empty, Raghu noticed Reena looking particularly frustrated, her forehead creased as she scribbled in her notebook.
“Everything okay?” he asked, walking over to her table.
Reena looked up, startled. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said quickly, though her exhaustion was evident.
“Doesn’t look like it,” Raghu replied, setting his books down. “Class tests coming up?”
“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Well, I’ve been through those tests. Want some help?”
Reena hesitated, unsure whether to accept. Her pride told her to refuse, but the growing pressure of the tests made her reconsider. “Okay,” she said quietly.
Raghu spent the next half hour helping her with the concepts she was struggling to grasp.
As they worked, Reena couldn’t help but notice how clear and precise his explanations were.
For the first time, she questioned her assumptions about him. Perhaps there was more to his story than she had imagined.
By the time they left the library, just before it closed, Reena felt a small sense of relief.
Though their connection was still tentative, it marked the beginning of an unexpected understanding—a fragile bridge between two people navigating their own silent battles in the same academic world.
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