Written by Prof Dr Piyush Roy, Student City Part 4 revisits the emotional rivalries, campus politics, friendships and romantic tensions of a millennium-era Indian B-School, building on the dramatic conflicts and character arcs established across Parts 1, 2 and 3.

Short Recap of Student City Parts 1, 2 and 3: 

The first three parts of Student City introduced a vibrant, ambitious and emotionally volatile group of MBA students navigating life in a Pune B-School at the turn of the millennium. Through the eyes of narrator Avi, readers encounter the magnetic Anisha, the flamboyant Rahul, rebellious Pam, and the sheltered yet evolving Manish.

Amid freshers’ parties, classroom rivalries, romantic tensions, group politics and emotional insecurities, the series steadily explored how ambition, attraction and loneliness collide within the charged atmosphere of campus life. Part 3 especially deepened the emotional undercurrents between Rahul, Anisha and Tamanna (Tammy), setting the stage for the fractures and confrontations that unfold in Part 4.  

Student City Part 1 Read more

Student City Part 2 Read more

Student City Part 3 Read more

Tammy first caught Rahul’s fancy at an assignment featuring solo student presentations on controversial advertisements, where she proved her academic commitment and a solid grasp of the basics of the subject at hand.

Anisha fared average in the exercise, while I bungled in the post-presentation Q&A session. Pam, though, did a commendable job that didn’t elicit any questions because the logic supporting her arguments was too much for the average intelligentsia to comprehend. So, we decided to clap, shut up, and enjoy Rahul’s entertaining discourse that bordered more on personal theatrics — all style and little content.

Tammy, who had this habit of skimming through and making a personal SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis of every potential competitor, was the first to realise this, for her efforts, though commendable and exhaustive, lacked an engaging presenter. She decided her edge with data, coupled with Rahul’s presentation skills, would make for great grades. 

So, when Rahul approached her first for a partnership in pair projects, she agreed forthwith, the added bonus being the desi Don Juan’s company to boot. She splurged on those jealous stares that couldn’t be overlooked. With the first semester examinations a few days away, the now familiar twosome could be spotted in the library, the class, the canteen or during those late-night courtesy drops to her house from the campus, which Rahul did with unfailing regularity. Till her overenthusiasm started coming in the way of Rahul’s logical existence. A true-bred Leo, though loyal, he hated any encroachment on his space and freedom that restrained his outgoing nature from exploring new adventures. In her dogged zeal to make it to the top, Tammy would make Rahul swear promises a dozen before parting with her every new discovery, be it just a select chapter in some hard-to-get reference book or an exclusive paper presentation she managed to get after filling those numerous membership forms on the net. The reprimands, however, became stifling when she once rebuked Rahul for parting with one of her ‘painstakingly’ searched reference books to Anisha for a day.  

It didn’t take long for Rahul to get bored of her and she uncomfortable with him, for his lack of interest in discussing anything beyond pure academics with her around. The fun element could never bridge the distance of formality. Then there were tales of his heating up the city discs with the other girls of the class, related with complaining concern by Tammy’s roommate, Rosemary. Tammy’s pairing with Rahul had upset this lazy girl’s apple cart most, itching for every opportunity to play the foil. Having been made to realise a glaring anomaly that had nearly missed her attention, “Not anymore,” Tammy decided, a tad dramatically. And almost definitively decided to confront Rahul immediately, amidst another complex case-study interpretation session preceding another presentation. If the occasion wasn’t opportune, checking with niceties had never been her concern.

“Your mind seems to be wavering a lot from the topic at hand… Getting late for the disc, are you…?” she asked.

“Come on, what disc, man? Just feeling a little giddy. Neeways, does it matter? Let’s get done with the stuff first,” Rahul reasoned.

“My share of the work is already done. We are waiting for your inputs only, which I am sure you won’t even know where to search. As regards what matters, how come you never thought of inviting your study partner to any of your night-outs?”

“Oh, do you… I always thought that you were the studious type.”

“Oh yeah! The whole class knows that I’m party-mad. Work and fun are as integral to me as day and night. How come you missed that?”

“Well… you never asked me before.”

“Let’s go tonight then…”

“But what about the work?”

“It can wait, for there’s still a day more before the presentation happens. Anyway, I will search out the stuff in time for you to mug up and do the talking, as usual.”

The dig was direct and uncomfortable.

“I will finish and then leave,” Rahul sounded final.

“You won’t be able to, because I am yet to pick up the right references for you…” She paused, to continue with thoughtful belligerence. “Well, I see… Why don’t you just own up that you have paired with me to get the slogging for free while you flirt around? Do you think I don’t know where all this giddiness comes from? You’ve been disc-hopping for the last three nights with others, and when I ask…”

“Tammy, now you are taking things too far. You’ve been spying on me. My personal life shouldn’t be of any consequence to you. Keep that off our professional association.”

“So, is that all we share — a professional association!” 

Rahul had been as direct and politely curt as permissible. He didn’t want a scene in the library; the fluctuating decibel of their whispers behind the racks had already thrice attracted the librarian’s reprimand. This time, he came over and asked them to leave immediately. As Tammy left in a huff, Rahul continued working on his notes amidst curious glares, making a simultaneous mental note about taking her out that coming weekend. It would also mark the completion of their third successful project in a row together.

Their combined efforts paid a rich dividend, but a richer appreciation for the face behind that painstaking research. Tammy just stopped short of walking away. She stood by Rahul like a detached mantle, doing nothing else, thus compelling him to do all the talking after her grudged introduction. He also faced the questions, some irrational and even vicious like Pam’s aimed directly at downing his confidence levels, with canny aplomb. Rahul proved that when egged to seriousness, he could actually emerge the best on his own. There was definitely more to the playboy; he too, after all, was in the B-School to make a career.

Their ego clashes notwithstanding, he personally turned up at Tammy’s home in the evening, waiting for an hour as she got ready, taking her own vengeful sweet time. He kept his promise, as they joined us all at the disc’s entry a trifle late, for the same outing for which Anisha’s invitation had seen me tag along too. The evening had started with me as Anisha’s couple-entry partner for the night, though the unfolding action held a different tale in its malicious kitty.

Tammy’s discomfort with the company was palpable right from the beginning. An overtly friendly Anisha, the architect of the whole programme, wasn’t any elevating either. Tammy did a few routine jigs with Rahul on the dance floor, with a signature disdain that made her every move seem laboured, tired and artificial. Eventually she withdrew herself from the “drink-influenced aerobics tuned to some rocking mumbo jumbo” to come back and sit by me, the only known face that wasn’t on the dance floor. Taking to the bottle from the word go, Rahul was already on a high, or else why would he keep insisting on dragging me, of all the accompanying beautiful people, to the dance floor?

I had never experienced that warmth or miss-you buddyship from him ever before, at least not when in his senses, within or outside the class. Anisha eased my apparent discomfort by stealing him back to the scene of action with a gentle tap and a “come over” invitation that he tagged onto like a ‘dog-on-heat’. Not my words, but Tammy’s, who turned to me and said, “And there he goes like a dog on heat,” gulping down another Tequila shot before suddenly turning too stoic for comfort.

Meanwhile, a few pegs down, Rahul threw caution to the winds and began painting the dance floor wild with Anisha. Because while Anisha, a born chameleon, had modified her tastes to the trappings of contemporary life, Tammy still diligently honed that typical middle-class hangover in her attitude and outlook towards life. That was something that prevented her from going there — but not all out.

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