Chapter 1
“Human body, composed of living cells and extracellular materials and organized into tissues and organs, but what then is the real human? It is how they exist with everyone in this world. A bad person is said to be like that because they got an unhealthy environment; a good person because they grew up in a healthy environment. There are people who stay good even after going through a lot in their life, but what about a person who got everyone’s love and a good, healthy environment, yet still becomes bad?”
It’s yet another day in college for Jarvuy. Students started taking their seats. Usually most of them choose the backbench, but Jarvuy chose the front bench. Not always did he get company there, but sometimes he did.
“We are going to solve this coding-decoding problem. You need to solve it on your own and check your answer with me,” the professor said.
“If MIND becomes KGLB, ARGUE becomes YPESL, then what will be DIAGRAM? I need to find the pattern… oh wait, it is an easy one. They are choosing two letters before, that means the answer will be BGYEPYK,” Jarvuy thought. When he solved the question, he put the pen on the table in style.
“This was an easy problem. We have a lot to cover,” the professor said.
It was an industrial training lecture that happened in a seminar hall. Every Wednesday they had a two-hour lecture to sharpen their soft skills and mental ability.
“Ugh, these lectures are so boring. If proxies were allowed, I would have bunked this,” one student said.
“Yeah, I would be chilling in my hostel room. It’s all our damn college’s strict attendance rules,” another student said.
Jarvuy kept walking back to his class as the IT class was over. He always heard student conversations like this but was never part of one.
It was break time. He went to wash his hands. Other students went to eat in the mess; some went to the park or canteen, and a few stayed back in class.
“Hey Jarvuy, did you complete the digital electronics assignment?” the boy sitting behind Jarvuy asked.
“Yes, I did,” Jarvuy said after taking some time to speak.
“Oh, give it to me too. I have to complete it,” the boy said.
Jarvuy had a few conversations like this. They were usually about studies. Sometimes Jarvuy asked him for notes since he was regular in class. Jarvuy continued eating, and when he finished, he went to wash his hands again, checked his phone, and did a little studying.
Every day he woke up early to catch his college bus and come to college. His family was always cautious about his leaving and coming back home. Sometimes they even went with him to drop him off, though it was not very far.
“Why do I have to wake up early every morning? I wish I could just teleport to my college,” Jarvuy thought.
On his way to class, he had to pass through the main college hall. Several teachers also passed through this way. One of the professors who taught him last year was going there.
“Ah, it’s the chemistry professor. I should greet her good morning. I have to get courage… speak, speak, speak,” Jarvuy thought. Before he could say anything, the professor left toward the first-year building.
“I failed again. I guess I have to skip this way,” Jarvuy thought.
He came to class and sat on his front bench as usual. The lecture continued. The professors discussed the upcoming hackathon and encouraged everyone to participate. Jarvuy missed it last year.
During lunch break:
“I haven’t participated in a single hackathon yet. I am in my third semester. I don’t have a laptop or even a team. How will I participate?” he thought while scrolling his phone.
Later he got busy with assignments, practicals, and midterm exams.
“I am going to get good marks in this midterm exam to maintain a good CGPA later. I also have to practice my coding; it is really bad,” Jarvuy thought.
He usually studied in college even if he didn’t want to.
“I have to do my coding practice here. I will try to make this code on my own,” Jarvuy said while coding on the computer.
Jarvuy always caught teachers’ attention. Last year his teachers tried a lot to convince him to improve his communication skills. It must be because they saw some potential in him, but his speaking skills, or probably social anxiety, became a hindrance. Everyone considered him a good student, or at least a decent one. It was rare for someone to have a problem with him unless it was about his communication skills.
It was his digital electronics practical exam.
“Okay students, we have given you experiments based on your roll numbers. Do your own work. Good luck for the exam,” the invigilator said.
“Experiment number 3… AND gate, OR gate… oh, I can make this. The theoretical question is average too,” Jarvuy thought as he started writing his exam and performing the experiment. Some students were doing their own work; some were helping each other.
“I can’t cheat. It feels wrong,” Jarvuy continued his work while noticing some students using paper strips to cheat.
After that, viva started. This was where the real test began for Jarvuy.
“How am I supposed to answer? I will fumble. I hope I don’t,” he thought.
Soon his turn arrived.
“Oh Jarvuy, do you know whose name this is?” the professor asked.
“Yes… yes, it is a famous person,” Jarvuy said.
“You have a nice name. So what was your experiment? Oh, AND gate,” she said while glancing at the paper and asking theoretical questions. He tried to answer them. It ended well.
He had another practical that day. After completing it, he could go home earlier than usual.
“So now two exams are done, two practicals left, then theory exams. I will rest and enjoy after that, play MLBB more,” Jarvuy thought while walking to get the bus.
A lady came there with a little boy in her arms and asked him for some money.
“Ah, I just have this,” he gave some money, but she asked for more. “I have to go home,” he said, but still gave her more. She wished him good luck and left.
“70 left,” Jarvuy thought.
He boarded a bus. It was already filled, so he had to stand. The conductor asked where he wanted to go and took money. Halfway through the journey he finally got a seat, but then…
“Yes, brother?” the conductor came again and asked for money.
“But I already paid earlier,” Jarvuy said.
“Why are you lying? Many people like you come daily. You college students have good wealth yet choose to be dishonest. What do your parents teach you?” the conductor said.
Jarvuy looked around, hoping someone who saw him paying would speak, but nobody did. He avoided conflict and ended up paying again.
Soon he reached his destination. His home was still five to ten minutes away. He saw a puppy near fast traffic.
“I should help this puppy,” he thought and tried walking fast to stop it from going into traffic, but two people on a scooter came and took the puppy. Jarvuy felt relieved and continued walking home.
He passed two kids.
“Ah, see brother looks so cool in that uniform.”
“Is he a college student?”
“Yeah, one day we will be like him too.”
Jarvuy smiled and kept walking.
He returned home, studied a little, talked with online friends, and then did his bad habit.
Jarvuy had a bad addiction. He watched bad things and talked to AI chatbots to fill his urges. He kept doing this even though he felt guilt and regret afterward. That was normally how he passed his day before sleeping.
