Blog2: The People Who Changed the Plot

 "The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for."

                                                                                        ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

It started in a time when nothing felt real. Classes were online, exams were online, and so were most of our interactions. For an introvert like me, it was both a blessing… and a slow disaster waiting to happen. I was doing Microbiology Honors back then. I didn’t know anyone, and honestly, I didn’t try to either—unless someone spoke first. 

Introvert at it's peak.

There was also tuition. Same professors, same subjects, just a different room… and a slightly different version of fear. Our HOD, let’s call him Jit, was strict—the kind who made silence louder than noise. Along with him were Pinak and Dip, who somehow balanced things out. Most of our classmates showed up there too. It was around Durga Puja time when everything paused for a while, only to resume like nothing had happened.

That’s when I made a small decision. I thought I’d ask someone about the assignments Prof had given. So I texted a guy—Ankit. Yeah… that one decision. Probably the worst one I made in my entire BSc life. But we’ll get there.

At that time, Ankit already had his own group. Actually, multiple groups. There was Krusha, Priya, Nil, Ana, Arka, Ari… and then another dynamic with Rani, Tami, and Arjo somewhere in between. It felt less like friendships and more like a network diagram. I started talking to Ankit, and initially, it felt normal. We talked, called each other sometimes, shared random things. But slowly, I noticed something—he talked badly about his own group, and then repeated my words to them. A perfect middleman of chaos.

There were incidents too. Weird ones. Like getting drunk, ending up at his mom’s hospital, and sleeping there the whole night. At that time, I ignored things. Because sometimes you don’t see red flags—you just call them personality.

Then came a PPT project. Two groups, almost equal students, and two captains were chosen—Anushree and Titas. And Ankit didn’t like that. Not at all. He started saying things like, “How are they captains?” “They don’t know anything.” Loud opinions, no responsibility.

Around that time, something unexpected happened—Anushree texted me. Randomly. For notes, doubts, small conversations. Before that, she used to talk to Ankit more, but after he said some really bad things to her, they stopped talking. And somehow, we started. We became close. Very close.

One day, she told me she didn’t want to be the captain and asked me to decide who should be. And without thinking, I said one name—Krusha. I didn’t even know why. We hadn’t talked much before, and I didn’t even have her number saved properly. Still, I called her. And she picked up. Some connections don’t need logic. They just… happen.

That one call slowly turned into something much bigger. Today, she’s not just a friend—she’s family. The kind you don’t expect, but end up needing the most. But back then, things were still messy. Groups were divided, projects were ongoing, and Ankit kept doing what he did best—creating confusion. He talked about me behind my back, the same person I supported. Same with Krusha. He twisted stories, created versions that never existed.

At one point, he even liked Krusha, tried things, got rejected clearly. She said it directly—she didn’t feel that way. Simple. But he didn’t take it simply. He created more confusion, even made another group involving someone else, and then ended up dating that same person. At that point, it stopped being surprising.

Meanwhile, something quieter was happening. I met Anushree for the first time in person.  November. A sunny afternoon with a slight winter chill. She came with her father, wearing a beige top, oxidized earrings, jeans, and sandals. I remember it clearly. And me? Instead of a handshake, I did namaskar. Yeah… introvert level: expert.

We laughed it off and kept talking. At home, I had a printer, so I used to print lab manuals & its pictures, notes for her. For others too, yes… but some priorities don’t need explanation.

And that’s how it was. Messy groups, strange friendships, unspoken tensions. And somewhere in between, a few real connections.

What I didn’t know back then was—this was just the setup, not the story. And some people don’t enter your life loudly. They just slowly become important before you even realize it.

This?
Was still the beginning.

Note: Names and certain details have been changed to respect privacy. The emotions, however, remain real.*