Revolution 2020 by CHETAN BHAGAT

REVOLUTION- 2 0 2 0•299 'Gopal!' he said, sensing the tension in my voice. 'Get me out of here,' I broke down completely. 'Where are you? Where are you?1 'Taj Ganga, 405 ... I don't want to be here.' T am coming,'he promised. In an hour I was seated beside the dean in his car and on my way back to campus. 'So, what were ...' he began but fell quiet. He understood, after one look at my face, that I didn't want to talk. 'Dean Shrivastava, I want to work hard. Let's take GangaTech to new heights. I want us to be present in every field of education. Keep me busy. So busy that I don't have time to think.' 'You are already so busy, sir.' He looked troubled. 'More. Why aren't we in coaching classes?' I said. 'There's money there. I want a proposal for engineering and MBA coaching. Okay?' I said, my voice ringing. 'Are you okay, Director Gopal?' the dean said. 'Are you listening to me? I want the proposal,' I said, screaming loud enough to make the driver shift uncomfortably in his seat. 'Yes, Director,'the dean said. He dropped me home. I went straight to the bar near the dining table. 1 opened a new bottle of Black Label whisky we'd bought for the inspectors. I poured it out in a glass to the brim. Neat. The maids filed in. 'Where were you, sahib?' they said. 1 had work,' I said. The whisky tasted bitter, but I swallowed it all. 'Dinner?' I shook my head. The maids left the room. I went to the bookshelf and took out the scrapbook. I poured myself another glass. I drank half of it in one gulp, but when my body rejected it, I had to spit it out. I fell o n the floor. I used the scrapbook as a pillow and went off to sleep.

lESfjp13.o I^iulij I checked the time. The hospital clock showed 6,00 \"So getting drunk and crashing down is a habit! ! said. Gopalgave me a sly smile. 4Tfmts the only time it happened! he said, 'Apart from tonighty of count! J ww Copals face. He seemed young enough to look like a student Yet, his face had the hard coating of experience, of bitter lessons from life that made him appear older than his biological age, eSoi, ,4 arti and Ragha v got married a year ago?1 i said* H year and twenty days* he said. 'What has happened since?* I said. *Shukkifi is still in jail, f meet him every month. J am trying to buy back his share of the college with my earnings and make it my own college. He needs moneyfor hh other businesses. Lets see! 'What about Raghav and Aarti?* I asked, 7 am not in touch I stay in my college. Elections am in two months. He is the one! 4Meaningf 'Raghavs contesting His picture is on election posters all over the city! Copal said. It could have hmn you. How do y&ufeel about that?71 said. Gopal shrugged. 'Hell be a better MLA than me. What would I have done? Made more money With him4 there is a chance he could change something! 'lhat$ generous of you! / said* <3opal sat up straight and restlessly removed the sheets off him. 'But I am still mi a good person, right?4 he said,

REVOLUTION- 2 0 2 0 • 2 9 5 1 told you* / aw mrt worthy enough to be a hero in your story! Gopal I kepi quiet 1 could be the villain? said Gopal his eyes spmkHng, 111 let ithe readers decide how they want to consider you. I simply write about people. I dont cast them as hemes or villains! f said. \"Raghav is a good man. 1 am not half as good as him! Gopal \"Chehw-p, put your hand on your heart* and tell me, am 1 a good i realised my approval meant a lot to him. Yet, I wanted to I thought about itfor a while. Target it sin Dont answer it Lets take a wallt\" off the bed. He seemed much better. We took a m z stroit tn so r, 7 wont/he said, 'Promise me you willfindsomebody? I said. He shook his head. ~lhai I emit promise! \"Do vou miss her?' I said* He kept quiet. >i') ts jyn-v He shook his head. I figured out now why he had hesitated to comc to Ramada to drop me, I checked (he time. I had a flight in iwo hours, I had to rush to the hotel, pack and head to the airport 1 have to leave!\" I saki Me nodded. He came out to drop me to the can '71?^ revolution will come! Gopal said. 'We will have a better nation now, i You aha write about it. Ones Ganga Tech becomes bigr I will try to fix the system. I am sick of giving envelopes to people? 'We have to change things? / said. 'Everyorte must sacrificefor it? G<

2 9 6 * CHSTAN BEAGAT 'Yes, I agree?I said as the driver started the car \"Bye, sir? Gopal said as I left:, m I rushed hack to my mom and packed fast 1 came downstairs in the hotel lobby to check out 'Didyou have a good stay, sir?' a pretty girl in a sari asked me, yeah memorable? I said, I saw her nametag, it said: AMTH Kashyap, Guest Relations Officer. She smihd, 'Happy to hear that* sir? My car drove out of the Cantonment area. I saw a huge political party hoarding at the traffic signal I couldn't read from a distance, but I saw a young candidates picture, I called Gopal Yes,,, Copal?' 'What?'he said. . 'You are a good person? I said.