Once upon a time in the dreamland of JEE aspirants, the annual recruitment campaign of the societies had reached a fever pitch. Their charming intro seminars had enchanted the first years so badly that they could see nothing but societies all around them. Soon, everyone was racing to get into as many societies as possible, as though it was something like crunching gold in Super Mario. Societies, on the other hand, were examining their applicants from every single angle, making even admission to Harvard look like an easy feat. Nevertheless, the tempo of the first years was very high to begin with, and it remained intact whatever tasks may have been given to them to claim their position in the society. But as soon as the results of the ‘selections’ began to flood in, their tempo vanished away, leaving a vacancy for absolute disappointment to fill in. The promises of “absolutely no prerequisites” proved to be as hollow as the promises of technology in the institute. Sheer enthusiasm was given its punishment of severely lacking skill and talent. Eventually, only a handful of people succeeded in crunching the whole gold while the rest dived deep into the ocean of despair, left with nothing but a basketful of rejections enough to last their entire lives.
When utter dismay seemed to have knocked the intelligence out of the minds of the first years, one mind attained enlightenment on the very day the result of one final society was announced. Achintya Verma, affectionately called Verma Ji by his fellow first years, finally woke up from his years-long Sadhana to pick up the gauntlet. An urgent meeting was called at Verma Ji’s residence and in no time, his fellows crowded up, desperate to discern what God wanted them to do.
The next day they could be seen roaming around the campus and putting up posters everywhere:
The news of Verma Ji’s new society spread throughout the campus like wildfire. It remained the most popular topic of gossip for the next few days. Everybody was fervently talking about it. Some of the ‘Rejected ones’ went mad on the subject and started spamming the e-poster in every group, doing which they started to get the feeling of what it was like to be in a society. The poster had perfectly cast its magic and Verma Ji was very pleased to see it.
Saturday arrived and the Kalidas Auditorium was saturated even before 6:00 pm. Excitement was mounting over the first years as they desperately waited for the meeting to begin. Then, precisely at 6:00 pm, Verma Ji stepped on the stage. The audience burst into applause. Almost everyone knew Verma Ji for his knack for turning crisis into an opportunity for himself. He gestured with his hand and the audience fell silent. “My dear Friends”, he began, “I am very delighted to formally inaugurate our new society — ‘Society for the Rejected Ones’ before all of us.” A loud applause followed this. “It is very nice to see you all ready to embark on the enthralling journey we begin today as a family. But before we begin, it is very important for all of us to realise and appreciate the immense importance of our society in the present scenario.” Several first years jerked their heads feverishly upon this statement.
“As we all know”, he continued, “the annual recruitment campaign of all the societies concluded just a few days ago and sadly none of us could make it for any of the societies. This incessant campaign of rejection has undoubtedly posed a question on our capabilities, I am sure, for most of us, if not all. Even I kept questioning myself at every rejection I encountered if I was so unskilful and talentless that I could not even clear something as simple as society selection! But then I realised, as the final rejection slapped me on my face, that it was not me who was responsible for my agony. It was them.”
“But who are they?” blurted out a first year before he could stop himself.
Verma Ji turned his head towards him so abruptly that the boy slid off his seat a bit in fright. Verma Ji ignored this and said rather shrilly, “Society Governors, of course, my friend!” He gave an unmistakable expression of ‘Wasn’t it obvious?’ and continued, “Am I so unskillful and talentless that I am worthless for any of the societies? Of course, I am, but that doesn’t mean they can deny me just because of it when I too am a prestigious member of this student community like everyone else and therefore should possess every right to join any society of my choice. How can they possibly violate our basic student’s rights so ruthlessly? I say this is downright injustice with me and with all of you! Is there no respect for sheer enthusiasm in this place? Here we are struggling to get our hands on even a single society, and there people are roaming around with more than half a dozen societies in their pockets. Do they think we are mad? Do they think we have not noticed sheer capitalism prevailing in all this?”
Evidently, the audience had not noticed it for everybody looked rather shocked at this. But before anybody could even mouth a word, Verma Ji himself bellowed, “Of course we have! Just think of it. Sheer capitalism in a Government Institution! Can you believe it?”
He glanced around at his audience. Apparently, no one had the faintest idea of what to answer, for some shook their head in yes while others in no. Nevertheless, he looked rather satisfied (perhaps because his eyes were looking for the ‘no’s only) and continued, “I say this is capitalism itself which is alone responsible for the inequity student community faces today. The gap between the skilful and the unskilful is widening, my friends! Skilful is becoming more skilful by virtue of being a member of various societies, while the poor Unskilful! Of course, he has no skill to lose, but that doesn’t mean he is not at a loss, I hope you understand my point.”
He took a deep breath and continued, “People here are downright prejudiced towards the sheer enthusiasts. They think our case is hopeless. I say it is not! And that’s where the role of this society comes in. The great founder of this society, which is to say I, has given it a proper democratic structure. It is a society of the Rejected Ones, by the Rejected Ones, and for the Rejected Ones!”
Verma Ji took a pause and comprehending Verma Ji’s intention for it, the audience burst into applause.
“We hereby provide an excellent platform for all the rejected ones, the unskilful and talentless chaps of our student community, to do nothing, absolutely nothing!”
Verma Ji paused again and the audience burst into applause once again, louder than ever.
“Look at the other societies”, he sniggered as he said so, “they are confined to just a single skill like singing, dancing, drama, etc. which too you need to possess already. But we…! We have no limits to the heights we can achieve with our unskilful, talentless, unspecific, and directionless enthusiasm which is undoubtedly a key tool for the most reputed jobs like being a leader, corporate employee, government servant, and whatnot! Mark my words, this society is going to produce the most unskillful, talentless, and unproductive individuals in the whole history of the institution! Together we will make a difference!”
And with this, Verma Ji concluded his speech and the meeting ended altogether. The whole auditorium erupted with the loudest applause yet.
The next day, the headline on the front page of the campus newspaper read- “A new era of equality begins with Mr. Verma’s ‘Society for the Rejected Ones’”. Under it, was the detailed description of the first meeting of the newly formed society. At the end of the article, the chairman of the Student Counselling Centre expressed his views on the subject.
“I am very pleased to see that the students are thinking in this direction and I highly appreciate the step they have taken. I was facing great difficulties attending to hundreds of students coming to me every day, highly depressed because of their rejection from all the societies. I was under so much pressure that I had to start taking counselling sessions myself. Now I think I’ll be able to heave a sigh of relief.”
‘Society for the Rejected Ones’ seemed to be a very ridiculous or perhaps more aptly a childish idea to all the governors of the other societies for they didn’t miss laughing at it in any of their meetings. Verma Ji, on the other hand, started holding the meetings of his society regularly, in which they simply did — ‘Nothing’, which was indeed very necessary to ‘make a difference’.
A year passed, it looked as though in the blink of an eye, and the institute was ready to welcome the first years once again. As always, this year too every single society was well-armed with its intro seminar to attack and take over the brains of the good-for-giggle gullible first years. Even Verma Ji was ready with his terribly explosive speech for the first-ever intro seminar of his society. Everything was going quite as usual to begin with. But as the selections began, something unusual was unmistakably noticeable. A severe ‘talent crisis’ had surfaced out of nowhere before not one or two, but all the societies, all except Verma Ji’s of course. The governors of all these societies were unable to even digest the problem, let alone cope with it. “What is going on? How can a batch of the first years be so stupid and talentless?” They kept asking each other desperately.
Then one day, when the problem had gone well out of their control, the governors called for a collective meeting of all the valid societies. As they all sat together to discuss their grievances, slowly, very slowly, they began to realise one thing. There was something unnatural about the behaviour of the first years in this year’s selection. It looked as though they were deliberately unwilling to perform well. “But why for heaven’s sake would they do so? Why would anyone want to get rejected by himself in the first place?” They asked themselves. But as they did so, the answer presented itself before them — “The only prerequisite for our Selections is your Rejection”. “Yes! This is it! Verma’s society!” they shouted together.
To be sure of it when they did a bit of inquiry on the subject, it soon came to their notice that Verma Ji’s society was currently the most popular one among the first years and that he was demanding rejection from each of the society for selection in his (nasty little git, huh!).
“If this continues to go on, we will be left with no juniors to respect us when we become alums”, said one of the governors in a very grave voice.
“You think of respect? There would be no society at all, it would have to be closed down, my friend!” said another one, who looked rather terrified.
“It’s all our fault. We must not have taken that lunatic lightly. Who knew what we thought was a knife would turn out to be a sword one day!” said the governor of the literary society dully.
“I remember very clearly when Verma had come to me personally, requesting me to take him into my society. I knew he was no match for it and in fact, he was not much interested in it himself, but he liked a girl whom I had selected. If I had not denied him that day”, he sighed heavily, “we would not be facing the danger of our extinction today!” he finished frantically.
“But we can make up for it now, can’t we?” said one of them, sounding quite excited. “You can offer your society to him even now.”
“But what if he denies?”
“We can do a sting operation. Listen! Tell him that you want to meet him personally as a friend and then offer him to join your society in the meeting. If he agrees, then we are done! And if he doesn’t, we’ll give the recording to the media as proof that he had come for the selections!”
“Brilliant!”
As planned, Verma Ji was summoned for the “friendly informal” meeting the very same day and the proposal was put before him by the governor of the society he wanted to join once. Verma Ji got very excited at the very idea of working together with the girl he had desired so badly but was scared by the thought of how the public would react if he betrayed them. He told the governor that he would think about it and left.
The next day, the headline on the front page of the campus newspaper read — “Whom we thought was God, turned out to be Devil!” Under it, was the description of how Verma Ji, the founder of the ‘Society of the Rejected Ones’ was himself found to be applying for the selections of a society, which was indeed a great blow to those who had relied on him.
The plan went as well as it was expected to be. People left Verma Ji’s society at once and the Society came to its end. Verma Ji was widely condemned for his betrayal with the poor rejected public of the last year and the whole first year batch of this year. The rest of the societies held re-selections and succeeded in attaining their former glory. And the name of the ‘Society for the Rejected Ones’ got buried under the pages of the history of the institute!