During the wave when “engineering” was sold as the only respectable path, Jeevan felt intense pressure. He had wanted to study Biology, even considered a diploma in pharmacy, and the idea of running a medical shop—something closer to the paramedical world that appealed to him. But he ended up in engineering, disliked the course, and later rejected campus job offers simply because his heart wasn’t in it. Tension at home grew. Sivaraman, already anxious about finances and a sister’s marriage expenses, lost patience and pushed him to “do something.” Sakuntala, the quiet buffer in the house, often shielded him—especially on nights he came home after drinking.

Whenever Jeevan turned down offers from walk‑in interviews after college, the tension at home tightened. One evening, his father, Sivaraman, finally snapped and told him to get out of the house if he wasn’t going to join anywhere. There was a reason behind the outburst: Jeevan’s younger sister, Yashika, was in her final year, and Sivaraman had been saving toward her marriage. Under that pressure, his frustration often spilled over as anger at Jeevan.

Sivaraman wasn’t always this harsh. When Jeevan first refused to take up engineering after school, Sivaraman had pleaded—almost fallen at his feet—begging him to choose the course because he believed it would secure a better future. Parents made this decision out of fear more than force; relatives also had their opinions, but the family’s circumstances made “safe” choices feel like the only viable options.

Through it all, Gautam stood by him. From a well‑settled family with a successful business, Gautam landed a decent job in his city through his father’s recommendation. He is the model son—polite, dependable, and widely respected. He listened when Jeevan vented, lent him money when he was short, and never judged him for zig‑zagging through choices.

Through those years, Daisy, Jeevan’s college classmate, stood out—attractive, intelligent, and steady under pressure. She knew how to handle people and situations without losing focus on her studies. Many boys tried to approach her, some even proposed, but she showed no interest. On traditional days when she wore a saree, the whole class noticed; Daisy’s attention, though, usually returned to Jeevan. They kept their bond quiet, but it was clear to anyone who watched them in college: they trusted each other. Classmates gossiped that they were in love, but they kept their bond low‑key. Daisy motivated Jeevan before exams and was a big reason he cleared several papers. Other boys noticed her; she stayed focused on studies—and on being a steady friend to Jeevan. Today, she works at a major MNC in Bengaluru, earning about ₹3 lakh per month, and still checks in with him at least once a week. 

This is the knot of their story: two introverts shaped by the same classrooms, taking opposite roads—Gautam the reliable success, Jeevan the misfit searching for a path that finally feels like his.