Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat

the stall. Jyoti held me by my collar.
    ‘Wait, I will
give you a seat for fifty thousand a year.’
    ‘Let... me ...
go,’ I panted.
    Mahesh returned with
three people who resembled Bollywood thugs. Apparently, they were
faculty. They started to rip out all the hoardings of the Chintumal
stall. Jyoti ordered his own security men to fight them.
    As I tried to
escape, one of Sri Ganesh’s goons pushed me. I fell facedown
and landed on a wooden table covered in a white sheet. It had a
protruding nail that cut my cheek. Blood covered one side of my face.
Sweat drops appeared on my forehead. I had finally given my blood and
sweat to studies.
    He pointed to his
students, three boys and two girls, who had worn suits for the first
time in their life. They smiled timidly. I browsed through the campus
pictures in the Chintumal stall.
    A man from the Sri
Ganesh stall came to me. He tapped my shoulder.
    ‘Yes,’ I
said.
    ‘Mahesh Verma
from Sri Ganesh. Did Chintumal say anything negative about us?’
    I looked at him.
Mahesh, in his forties and fat, looked a lot like Jyoti Verma.
    ‘Did they?’
Mahesh said again.
    I shook my head.
    ‘You are
considering Chintumal?’ he said.
    I nodded.
    ‘Why not Sri
Ganesh?’
    ‘It’s
expensive,’ I said.
    ‘What’s
your budget? Maybe we can help you,’ he said.
    ‘What?’
I said. I couldn’t believe one could bargain down college
    fees.
    ‘Tell me your
budget. I will give you a ten per cent discount if you sign up right
now.’
    I turned to Sunil,
unsure of what to say or do next. Sunil took charge of the situation.
    ‘We want
thirty per cent off. Chintumal is that much cheaper,’ Sunil
    said.
    ‘They don’t
even have a building,’ Mahesh said.
    ‘How do you
know?’ I said.
    ‘He’s my
brother. He broke off and started his own college. But it has got bad
reports,’ Mahesh said.
    Jyoti kept an eye on
us from a distance. Yes, the brothers did resemble each other.
    ‘We don’t
care. Tell us your maximum discount,’ Sunil said.
    ‘Come to my
stall,’ Mahesh signalled us to follow him.
    ‘Stop,’
Jyoti barred our way.
    ‘What?’
I said.
    ‘Why are you
goiii}.’ l<> Sri Ganesh?’
    ‘He is giving
me a discount,’ I said.
    ‘Did you ask
me tor a discount? Did I say no?’ Jyoti said, his expression
serious. I had never seen a businessman-cum-dean before. ‘Mahesh
bhai, please leave my stall,’ Jyoti said in a threatening tone.
    ‘He’s my
student. We have spoken,’ Mahesh bhai said and held my wrist.
‘Come, son, what’s your name?’
    ‘Gopal,’
I said as Jyoti grabbed my other wrist. ‘But please stop
pulling
    me.’
    The brothers ignored
my reqest.
    ‘I will give
you the best discount. Don’t go to Sri Ganesh and ruin your
life. They don’t even have labs. Ihose pictures in the brochure
are of another college,’ Jyoti said.
    ‘Sir, I don’t
even know ...’ I said and looked at Sunil. He seemed as baffled
as me.
    ‘Shut up,
Jyoti!’ a hitherto soft-spoken Mahesh screamed.
    ‘Don’t
shout at me in my own stall. Get out,’ Jyoti said.
    Mahesh gave all of
us a dirty look. In one swift move he ripped off the Chintumal
banner.
    Jyoti’s face
went as red as his college emblem. He went to the Sri Ganesh stall
and threw the box of brochures down.
    I tried to run out
of the stall. Jyoti held me by my collar.
    ‘Wait, I will
give you a seat for fifty thousand a year.’
    ‘Let... me ...
go,’ I panted.
    Mahesh returned with
three people who resembled Bollywood thugs. Apparently, they were
faculty. They started to rip out all the hoardings of the Chintumal
stall. Jyoti ordered his own security men to fight them.
    As I tried to
escape, one of Sri Ganesh’s goons pushed me. I fell facedown
and landed on a wooden table covered in a white sheet. It had a
protruding nail that cut my cheek. Blood covered one side of my face.
Sweat drops appeared on my forehead. I had finally given my blood and
sweat to studies.
    Sunil helped me up.
I saw the blood on