Sep 5–Sep 25, 2016
Opening Scene – Sep 5, 2016 – Invitation
The letter had arrived weeks earlier, sealed in an embossed envelope from his old college in Lucknow.
"Alumni Reunion – September 5th, 2016. Celebrating 50 years of the Institute. We invite all past graduates to reconnect with old friends and inspire the new generation."
The MC had stared at it for a long time before deciding. His schedule was a fortress of construction deadlines, secret chip labs, and clandestine meetings with government officials. But something in that simple invitation pulled him back.
And so, on a warm September morning, his black SUV rolled up to the gates of the college. The guard waved him in without fanfare. To everyone else, he was just another alumnus — a man who had "done well abroad" and now returned quietly.
---
Scene Two – The Gathering
The campus auditorium smelled of fresh paint and dust. Rows of chairs were filled with alumni of all ages — some middle-aged professionals, some retirees, a scattering of younger faces. The stage bore a modest banner:
"Alumni Meet – Celebrating 50 Years of Legacy."
No press, no media vans, no flashing cameras. Just the quiet murmur of people who once shared the same classrooms.
The Principal greeted him warmly, introducing him only as:
> Principal: "This is one of our alumni who has made a mark in industry. He prefers to stay humble, but I asked him to share a few words."
Polite applause followed. Nobody knew the scale of what he had truly built.
He stepped up, adjusting the mic. For the first time in months, he didn't have to hide behind Arjun Rao, forged CEOs, or staged interviews. Here, he could just speak as a former student.
> MC: "When I sat where you sit now, I didn't imagine I'd return like this. I wasn't a topper. I wasn't noticed. But I had questions — and I didn't let them go. Questions are engines. They drive you further than marks ever will."
Heads nodded. Students scribbled notes. He kept it simple, almost personal — never revealing more than necessary.
---
Scene Three – First Glimpse of Ananya
Later, during tea break in the courtyard, conversations swirled around him. Alumni discussed jobs, professors spoke of funding.
That's when he noticed her.
A girl in a pale yellow salwar stood apart from the crowd, notebook clutched to her chest. She wasn't laughing or networking. She was listening, observing.
When their eyes met, she stepped closer.
> Ananya: "Sir… when you spoke about questions being engines… what if those questions only cause friction? My parents expect stability. They want me to take a government job. But my heart… it pulls me elsewhere."
Her words struck deeper than any praise.
The MC studied her — sharp eyes, a calm presence, a mind at war with itself.
> MC: "Then perhaps stability is your anchor, and curiosity your sail. A ship needs both. If you honor your family, and still keep space for your questions, you'll find your path."
She smiled faintly.
> Ananya: "Thank you. My name is Ananya Sharma. Final year, Computer Science."
The name etched itself quietly into his memory.
---
Scene Four – Library Encounter
Over the next days, the reunion stretched into workshops and seminars. He kept to the shadows, speaking rarely, letting professors lead. But somehow, Ananya always found him.
One afternoon in the library, she approached while he was leafing through an old engineering journal.
> Ananya: "I've been reading about this project — Saraswati. They say it will change how we search for knowledge. But people laugh… they say India can't build such things. Do you think that's true?"
The MC hid his reaction. She was speaking of his own creation without realizing.
> MC (smiling faintly): "Knowledge doesn't care where it is born. It flows where minds are open. Walls are what make people laugh — break them, and no one laughs anymore."
Her eyes lit up.
> Ananya: "That sounds more like poetry than engineering."
For the first time in a long while, he chuckled. Not the calculated smile of a CEO — but a laugh that reached his eyes.
---
Side POV – Ritika Sen – Sep 15
Ritika, the journalist who had trailed whispers of Bharat InfraWorks, had tracked him to Lucknow. She wasn't allowed inside the reunion, but from outside the gates she watched the comings and goings.
No media invited. No fanfare. Curious. Whoever this man is, he hides in plain sight.
Her eyes lingered on one thing: the young student, Ananya Sharma, who walked beside him on several occasions. Ritika's instincts flared.
If I can't find the man, maybe I can find the people who soften him.
---
Scene Five – Quiet Walk
On the final day, as alumni prepared to depart, he found Ananya again under the old banyan tree.
> Ananya: "You've built so much… doesn't it ever scare you? To hold so much responsibility?"
MC: "Every day. But fear is like gravity. You don't fight it. You build wings."
She laughed softly.
> Ananya: "I'll remember that."
For a moment, the courtyard was timeless — a student on the edge of her life, and an alumnus carrying secrets larger than the college could imagine.
---
Closing Scene – The Note
When he left, the Principal thanked him with formalities. Students waved to alumni cars.
As his SUV rolled out, he opened his hand. Ananya had slipped him a folded note.
"Questions are engines. Thank you for reminding me. — Ananya."
He tucked it into his jacket pocket, feeling its weight.
In a year where tunnels cut through mountains and chips were etched smaller than atoms, it was this slip of paper that reminded him he was still human.
---