"The Campus was Silent"
Being a holiday, the campus was unusually quiet. The hum of a few running coolers was the only sign that some people were present in the offices. Of course, they had to be. When such an important meeting is held on a holiday, the support staff is bound to come.
There was a special reason for holding the meeting on a holiday. The administration did not want students to be present on the university premises during the final round of discussions or when the decision was made. Even the student union representatives had not been invited.
This was possibly the first time in the university’s history that the anti-ragging committee had high-level representatives from the capital’s police and administrative departments. The Vice-Chancellor himself attended these meetings regularly, given the gravity of the situation.
The heightened vigilance was due to a recent tragic incident — a nineteen-year-old student had ended his life by hanging himself in the hostel. The uproar had been immense. Students protested for days, and even after assurances of a high-level investigation, the situation was only barely brought under control. The student’s family accused the administration of negligence, claiming the student had fallen victim to ragging. They alleged that despite the presence of a sprawling anti-ragging committee, no precautions were taken beforehand, nor was any effort made afterward to uncover the real cause of this heartbreaking event. In fact, the committee hadn’t convened for years, even though the campus’s unruly atmosphere was infamous throughout the city.
Moreover, the media alleged that the case had been unnecessarily politicized, inflaming passions and creating chaos, ultimately leading to the tragic loss of an innocent life.
These grave allegations led to the formation of a high-level inquiry committee. After continuous meetings and investigations through various means, today’s meeting aimed to put the final seal on the administration’s conclusions. The compensation for the deceased student’s family was also to be decided — until now, they had only received ad-hoc financial assistance.
The administration’s stance was that students, being biased, would prevent the investigation from being conducted impartially. Therefore, the proceedings were carried out away from the students' presence.
Based on the information gathered from various students, staff, families, and media reports, the entire story was reconstructed by a female professor and a retired judge, summarizing the events as follows:
Most people admitted that ragging occurred continuously on campus and that no action was taken to stop it. Nor were students accused of ragging ever punished.
The deceased student, Vartmaan Saxena, was a brilliant and polite young man. He shared Room No. 12 in Hostel No. 3 with his friend Aryan Bhatnagar. Both first-year students came from the same school and belonged to affluent families. They shared a close bond and confided in each other about everything. Some media reports speculated about the possibility of a failed romantic relationship. However, during the investigation, this theory was entirely dismissed. Vartmaan and Aryan, who had barely crossed their teenage years, were more concerned about establishing their footing and ensuring their safety in this tense environment than getting involved in any romantic entanglements upon entering college.
Tarun Rai, a fourth-year student, and Bhavan Singh, a third-year student, had summoned Vartmaan to their room for ragging once or twice, as confirmed by several students and a canteen worker.
A research scholar named Kabir also lived illegally in that room, having set up an extra bed for himself. The warden and a few others were aware of this. It was also confirmed that several times, unwanted elements gathered there and drank alcohol.
The canteen staff confirmed that one of these senior students developed an unusual interest in Vartmaan after the initial ragging incidents. He frequently inquired about Vartmaan’s whereabouts — when he came to have breakfast, who he was with, when he was free, and so on.
During the Dussehra holidays, most students went home, but Vartmaan stayed back in the hostel to participate in a debate competition at another college in the city. Aryan, his roommate, had gone home, leaving Vartmaan alone in their room.
Bhavan Singh also stayed in the hostel during the holidays. Some local individuals often visited him, occasionally accompanying him to the canteen or mess as guests.
After the initial ragging, Bhavan Singh’s behavior towards Vartmaan changed, becoming more friendly. However, Vartmaan did not like Bhavan much and maintained only a formal relationship, trying to avoid him whenever possible.
The inquiry report meticulously detailed Vartmaan’s last days — minute by minute, tracing his movements, whom he met, where he went, and who accompanied him.
The crux of the investigation revealed that, at first glance, this appeared to be a case of one-sided homosexual attraction.
During the ragging, Bhavan Singh developed feelings of attraction toward Vartmaan. The situation escalated because Bhavan, being a senior, held power over Vartmaan, who didn’t want to risk offending or alienating him.
Former judge K.C. Jain, a member of the committee, unearthed several subtle clues. He also had to address some institutional questions at various levels:
Was it being overlooked that before moving into the hostel, Vartmaan had spent a few days in a guesthouse with a girl named Sarangi from his own city? Aryan insisted that this stay shouldn’t be viewed as "live-in" but rather as a consequence of the immediate unavailability of an additional room in the guesthouse. Aryan claimed he never had any reason to suspect otherwise, despite his close friendship with Vartmaan.
Professor Deena Thomas repeatedly objected to the notion that any woman’s life circumstances were automatically linked to her physical exploitation. Where were her rights as a human being? Who would protect them? She asserted that this detail wasn’t being brought up to grant Vartmaan the benefit of the doubt but to ensure fairness.
Another member, Prof. Sultania, firmly believed that if a nineteen-year-old boy spent several nights with a girl, there was no way he wouldn’t mention it to a close friend. This psychological angle was officially recorded and acknowledged.
Police officer Divyatma Shabnam briefly suspected a caste-based angle in the matter, which was immediately dismissed. She noted that Kabir, who had been living in the hostel for years, had once legally challenged his expulsion, suggesting that the incident might have been part of a larger conspiracy to uproot him.
"No, no… Don’t rob academic institutions of all trust. Your tea is getting cold," said the Vice-Chancellor, lightening the mood with humor.
“I won’t shy away from speaking the truth!” said ADM City, Bhureshwar Meena, preemptively apologizing to Professor Deena, the committee’s only female member.
The evidence pointed overwhelmingly towards sexual violence. Not just that — the events of that night hinted at blackmail and death threats.
"Don’t call it a 'dance of destruction.' Go spend some time in the library to learn what 'Tandava' really means," snapped Professor Janardhan Bharadwaj.
"Why the library?"
"Because you’ve probably never stepped foot in one!"
"I’ve never been anywhere! Straight from a garbage pit to a minaret’s dome, that's my journey. But why the library?"
Everyone was stunned. The sudden tension left people puzzled.
“…The library is for those who aren’t already followed by an overloaded truck of knowledge!" quipped someone. A few stifled chuckles were heard, soon drowned by the sound of chairs scraping against the floor as the honorable members rose for "high tea."
The conflict didn’t escalate further — the generals had chosen different paths. Janardhan headed toward the restroom, while Bhureshwar went in search of tea.
A few days later, the campus was bustling again. Students were busy rehearsing a play titled "This Night Shall Come Again," based on the real-life incident, to be staged at the annual "Dhus-Kutus Festival." Vartmaan’s friend Aryan had agreed to play his role.
The play’s director, Kabir, was sleepless these days — torn between fear and anticipation. Would the portrayal of group sex be allowed on stage? Either way, this would be the first drama of its kind — a rare tribute to their departed friend, Vartmaan.
The English department's "Hobgoblin Drama Club" was preparing an English adaptation titled: "Odd Man Out."
— Prabodh Kumar Govil
