Strangers - unknown relatives to being each other's human diaries to standing at a crossroads of love, family reputation, societal weight, and an upcoming marriage with the biggest question of their lives which would affect everything
Arun doesn't t...
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After the humiliation, I couldn't catch even a drop of sleep. I made up my mind not to follow the senior's orders. My legs were still shaken due to the last night's humiliation.
The next day, I attended my first college session. I felt way out of the place. I was used to a more relaxed atmosphere in my junior college in Mumbai. I hardly attended any lectures in the college. It was news to me that we needed more than 70% attendance and we have a uniform requirement.
Upon returning to the hostel, I saw the seniors who gave me the order to complete their records standing outside my room.
As I walked toward my room I spoke out before they asked me about the records "Seniors, I understand your requirements, but I cannot write your records...."
They all glared at me...
"If I do it once, it will become a habit, and I'll be expected to do it always."
"What?! You're refusing to follow our orders?" He bursts out.
"I'm not trying to be disobedient, but I believe it's unfair to burden us with your tasks. I'm here to study, not to serve as your personal assistant." I reacted to him in a bit of a higher voice
"How dare you!"
"You'll do as what you have been told to do"
It was turning into a whole-out argument "I understand your anger, but I politely decline. I won't write your records.... or perform any personal tasks...." I stood there looking straight into their eyes
"You're being stubborn, Arun. You'll regret this decision."
I held my left wrist tight with my right hand"I'm willing to take that risk. I'd rather stand up for myself now than suffer in silence"
"Fine! You will understand once you get a stick up your ass"
I stood straight in silence
They left with faces contorted with rage"He is gonna pay"
Days passed, and I kept declining seniors and became known as the "rude city boy" among the seniors.
I felt a sense of satisfaction for standing up for myself, It was nice as all the other juniors started looking up to me and coming to me if they were in trouble.
A few more weeks passed, and the super seniors (3rd and 4th-year students) returned to the hostel, a month after the 1st and 2nd-year engineering batch. They had heard about my defiant behavior and my refusal to follow the orders of the 2nd-year students. Determined to teach me a lesson, the 2nd-year students hatched a plan to bring me to the super seniors' block.
I was finally feeling good about myself and walking back to the hostel after my lectures ended.
I saw a fresher from the hostel running towards me "A-Arun, Venu has been taken to the super senior block"
