After their victorious start at the canteen, the group made their way to their first lecture of third-year. The hallways were buzzing with students catching up after the break, some excited, some dreading the new academic year. But for Sharayu and her friends, it was just another day of controlled chaos.
As they stepped into the classroom, Sharayu took a deep breath. "Ah, the smell of fresh notebooks, unsharpened pencils, and crushed hopes."
Hriday smirked. "Don't forget the scent of unsubmitted assignments and existential dread."
Kunal sighed dramatically. "It's beautiful."
Arohi scanned the room. "Okay, let's do this strategically. We must grab the backbenches before someone else does."
Vrushal, the responsible one, frowned. "Guys, the middle row is a good spot too. It's not too close to the front, but still visible enough for attendance."
Gayatri simply stated, "You act like attendance is our priority."
Sharayu giggled, grabbing Rutuja's hand. "Come on, before someone else gets the best seats!"
The seven of them rushed to the back, sliding into their usual spots like seasoned professionals. Just as they settled in, the professor walked in-a middle-aged man with glasses that looked like they had seen too much of student nonsense.
He cleared his throat. "Welcome to your third year. Let's get one thing clear-this is not going to be an easy year. If you think you can pass by just sitting in the last row and whispering among yourselves, you're mistaken."
Hriday leaned over to Sharayu and whispered, "He's talking about us."
Sharayu whispered back, "I feel honored."
The professor scanned the room, his gaze pausing on them for a moment. "I hope you all are ready for serious academics. No unnecessary distractions."
Kunal muttered, "Define 'unnecessary.'"
Rutuja smacked his arm. "Shut up before he throws you out."
The professor continued, "Let's start with introductions. Say your name and one thing about yourself."
One by one, students stood up, stating their names and some mundane fact about themselves. When it was Sharayu's turn, she stood up with a confident smile.
"Hi, I'm Sharayu," she said. "And one thing about me is that I never planned to be in this college, but now I can't imagine being anywhere else."
There was a brief pause before Rutuja whispered dramatically, "That was so deep."
Hriday nodded. "Ten out of ten. Would listen again."
Arohi pretended to wipe away a tear. "Our girl's got emotions."
The professor sighed. "Very nice, Miss Sharayu. Next."
As the introductions continued, Kunal nudged Sharayu. "You know, I was gonna say 'Hi, I'm Kunal, and I believe in eating samosas daily,' but now your answer makes mine sound dumb."
Sharayu grinned. "No, it makes you sound like someone who prioritizes food. Which, honestly, is very on-brand for you."
Once everyone had introduced themselves, the lecture began. Or at least, the professor thought it did.
Fifteen minutes in, Hriday started passing doodles on a torn notebook page. The first one was a stick figure of Kunal, labeled Samosa King.
Kunal stifled a laugh and scribbled back, drawing Hriday as a man dramatically flipping his hair, labeled Debate Lord.
Sharayu glanced at the doodles and whispered, "Okay, but where's my drawing?"
Arohi took the paper and quickly sketched a stick figure of Sharayu with a speech bubble saying, I love deep monologues.
Sharayu rolled her eyes, biting back a laugh. "Wow. So accurate."
Just then, the professor turned around, catching them mid-whisper. His eyes narrowed. "Something you'd like to share with the class?"
The whole group froze. Vrushal, being the only responsible one, immediately sat up straight, looking innocent.
Sharayu, thinking fast, cleared her throat. "Uh, yes, sir. We were just discussing how excited we are for this subject. Very excited."
The professor raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Rutuja nodded, playing along. "Absolutely. We were just-uh-debating which chapter will be the most interesting."
Hriday, ever the performer, jumped in. "Personally, I think all the chapters are fascinating."
Kunal added, "I was just saying how much I love studying."
The professor stared at them, clearly unconvinced.
Gayatri, in her calmest voice, said, "We're just... passionate learners."
There was a tense silence before the professor sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't get paid enough for this."
The class burst into quiet giggles as he turned back to the board, and Sharayu leaned into Rutuja. "First day, first escape. We still got it."
Arohi whispered, "Third year, same nonsense."
Hriday smirked. "And it's only just begun."
As the lecture continued, the group exchanged glances, already making silent plans for their next adventure.
Third-year was going to be one wild, unforgettable ride.
As the lecture progressed, the professor turned to the class with a firm expression. "Now that we're done with introductions, let's talk about what you'll be learning this semester and the faculty who will be guiding you."
Arohi whispered, "Translation: let's see how much suffering we're signing up for."
Sharayu smirked. "And how much fun we can squeeze in between."
The professor ignored the chatter and began writing on the board.
Subjects for this Semester:
Financial Management - Prof. Abhinav Mehta
Business Law - Prof. Sayali Deshmukh
Cost Accounting - Prof. Hrishikesh Hegde
Financial Accounting - Prof. Vikram Khanna
Organizational Behavior - Prof. Radha Rao
Direct Taxation - Prof. Satish Singh Rajvanshi
After finishing, he turned to the class. "Each professor will introduce themselves now."
One by one, the professors walked in, giving short, serious speeches about their respective subjects.
First came Prof. Mehta, an elderly man with a no-nonsense attitude. "Financial Management is all about numbers, logic, and responsibility. If you think you can pass this subject by last-minute studying, think again."
Kunal leaned over to Hriday. "And that's my cue to panic."
Next was Prof. Deshmukh, a woman in her late 40s with sharp eyes. "Business Law isn't just about memorizing sections. It's about understanding real-life cases. If you're caught sleeping in my class, I'll quiz you on court rulings instead."
Hriday whispered to Sharayu, "Challenge accepted."
After her came Prof. Hrishikesh
"Hi everyone! Welcome to Cost Accounting. I'm Professor Hrishikesh and in this course, we'll learn how businesses track costs, set prices, and make smart financial decisions. It's all about understanding the 'why' behind the numbers. Get ready for practical examples, case studies, and some fun with figures!"
Then came Prof. Khanna, a younger, energetic professor. "Hi everyone! Welcome to Financial Accounting. I'm Professor Vikram and I promise-it's not just about numbers! This subject helps you understand how businesses keep score and make decisions. We'll learn how to read and prepare key financial statements, and by the end, you'll think like a financial detective. Get ready for real-world examples, fun discussions, and practical learning. Let's dive in and make accounting exciting!"
Arohi grinned. "Finally, a professor who speaks my language."
Prof. Rao followed, adjusting her glasses. "Organizational Behavior is about understanding people in workplaces. It will be a mix of psychology, management, and behavioral analysis."
Vrushal nodded. "This actually sounds interesting."
Then came an unexpected pause. The main professor cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, Prof. Satish Singh Rajvanshi, who will be teaching Taxation, couldn't make it today due to personal reasons. He will join from the next class."
Rutuja raised an eyebrow. "Wait. So we don't know anything about him?"
Sharayu tapped her chin. "Mysterious. I like it."
Hriday smirked. "Watch him be the scariest one of them all."
Kunal whispered dramatically, "Or a total legend. Maybe he'll be one of those cool professors who don't take attendance and let us submit assignments late."
Arohi shook her head. "You live in a fantasy world."
Gayatri chuckled. "Either way, Taxation just got interesting."
The professor clapped his hands, bringing the class back to focus. "Alright, now that you have an idea of what to expect, let's get to work."
As the lecture resumed, Sharayu couldn't shake off a strange feeling. There was something about the missing professor that intrigued her.
And little did they know-Prof. Satish Singh Rajvanshi's arrival would change everything.
The next few days at college rolled on like a train slowly gathering speed-predictable, routine, but buzzing with the nervous excitement of a new academic year. Except, one compartment of this train remained mysteriously closed: Direct Taxation.
Each morning, students would shuffle into class, some armed with highlighted notes already, others still wondering where they put their last semester's textbook. Professors came and went, ticking off introductions and slowly easing into actual coursework.
Financial Management became known as "Brain Crunch Hour," thanks to Prof. Mehta's habit of throwing rapid-fire questions mid-lecture.
"Tell me the core principle of time value of money!"
Kunal would mumble, "That time flies when you don't know the answer..."
Hriday began bringing energy bars to the lecture, claiming his brain needed fuel.
Business Law became the surprise hit, mostly because Prof. Deshmukh's sass was unmatched.
"If you can argue with your girlfriend, you can argue in a courtroom. Show me some effort," she'd say.
Arohi found herself weirdly fascinated by case laws. "I think I was meant to be a lawyer in an alternate universe," she declared one day.
Cost Accounting turned into a light-hearted affair, courtesy of Prof. Hrishikesh's habit of using quirky business analogies.
"If a samosa costs Rs. 10 to make and you sell it at Rs. 20, is it profit or manipulation?" he once asked with a grin.
Kunal raised both hands. "Depends if I ate it or sold it, sir."
Financial Accounting with Prof. Khanna felt like attending a TED Talk. His lectures were always interactive and somehow made even depreciation sound poetic.
"Think of assets like relationships-they lose value over time if you don't maintain them."
Sharayu actually paused and whispered to Rutuja, "Did he just compare accounting to heartbreak?"
Rutuja nodded, "And somehow it made perfect sense."
Organizational Behavior was Vrushal's favorite. Prof. Rao brought in real-life workplace scenarios that felt more like group therapy sessions than lectures.
"I now understand why I get annoyed when people chew loudly," Gayatri noted after one class. "It's psychological warfare."
But amidst all this learning and laughter, there was a shared curiosity that kept resurfacing-Who is Prof. Satish Singh Rajvanshi?
His name stayed on the whiteboard, untouched and underlined like a mystery waiting to unfold. No emails, no substitutes, not even a classroom whisper. It was like the man didn't exist-except he did, because the timetable said so.
By the fourth day, he had become the subject of running jokes.
"Maybe he's a secret agent," Hriday suggested dramatically.
"Maybe he's a myth, like unicorns. Or decent group projects," Arohi added.
"Or maybe," Sharayu said thoughtfully, "he's just someone who prefers silence before the storm."
There was a beat of silence before Kunal declared, "That was unnecessarily poetic. Are you okay?"
Sharayu laughed, brushing it off. "Just... a weird feeling."
And that weird feeling stuck with her. Every time she passed the faculty room, she found herself glancing inside. Every time the bell rang for the next class, a flicker of expectation would light up, only to fizzle out again.
One afternoon, when the class was halfway through yet another Cost Accounting session, a soft knock came on the door. Everyone turned.
But it was just the peon, dropping off attendance sheets.
"Still no Taxation," Rutuja muttered.
"Maybe he'll show up when we least expect it," Sharayu whispered.
She had no idea how right she was.
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