Rahul walked into the mess and saw competition; Arjun walked in and saw depression. In their own ways, the same room discouraged them, till everyone who entered after, could not take them to be misplaced. The discomfort of unfamiliarity reeked the room and promised no relief. Social etiquette dictated that Rahul sit and engage in small talk. Unfortunately for him, he struggled to appear inviting at first notice. He liked to believe he improved with interaction, but very few ventured that far. They staggered into conversations, Rahul hanging onto Arjun's coattails as he jumped between meeting new faces and enjoying their eccentricities, delightedly discovering interesting characters. As their spirits died down and their mouths grew tired, unacquainted with the sudden outburst of forced conversations and even more forced attempts to tear into their barely edible food, they sat down with Aswin and Sachin.

"Look at the sunset. It's incredible! I wish I had my camera with me right now."

Arjun nodded following Sachin's gaze.

"You a photographer?" Aswin asked.

"Aspiring. More of a hobbyist. Photography's not really a business you can get into y'know."

"What do you mean?"

"Not a lot of opportunities. Won't lead anywhere. But I can manage. It's like my dad said: 'There's always time after engineering'."

Arjun smiled.

"Man's two greatest eras: Before Eng and After Eng."

"If we work hard these 2 years it's all smooth sailing y'know. You listened to the director's speech, right? You have to say it was really inspiring. I was really anxious about joining here, but that meeting really brought me to my senses, especially when he started talking about how solving 5 problems a day would make 1825 problems a year! It instantly cleared up all my confusion. Everything's way simpler than I got myself thinking."

"They say he used to be a very famous evangelist; used to be a true God-fearing man."

"Wait now, really? You're not joking?" Sachin's eyes grew wide.

"So I've heard. He was performing his usual science denial routine when one of those Commie revolutionary nuts hurled a physics text at him. He was so furious, he started reading it to mock it the next time he'd preach; turns out, it spoke to him more than any parable ever could. He began questioning everything a little too much for the Church's liking. So they kicked him out." Aswin continued, a glint of conceited mockery betraying his eyes each moment.

Stolen story; please report.

"It's true. That's where the 5 problems a day comes from--his "1 psalm a day" platitude." Arjun chimed in enjoying the visible confusion and bewilderment in Sachin's face.

"This is unbelievable. I never would've thought he used to be one from the looks of it. That's kind of more inspiring in a way, y'know; why? I don't know why. I mean, I don't think I'm good enough at science as I ought to be and this gives me some hope; if he can get good enough at physics to teach it, then so can I. I'm quite concerned that I'm joining late y'know. I mean, yes, I know I've been studying since 9th grade, but it didn't quite feel like it amounted to anything. There are kids out there who started in 7th. Competition's tough out there."

Rahul tried hard to listen, but something was weighing on his head, encroaching generously on the very little mental facilities he could manage. The words floated over, across, and through him, as he desperately tried to bring them under submission and make sense of their meaning, which felt one step ahead of him every moment. But as the words "9th grade" left Sachin's lips, he could feel them run up his spine and perk his ears. He didn't even need to piece together anything to understand what he was saying; it instinctually filled itself, like a suspicion he had harboured for a while but felt was too inappropriate to mention, if not for its pessimism, then for its alluded petulance. Suddenly, the feeling that he did not belong crept upon him, and he could not help shudder lightly at the apparent truth.

"Do you think we will get in?" Sachin asked, scared to let slip a question that was extremely horrific in its consequence.

"Get in where?"

"Y'know, IIT. That's why we're all here, aren't we?"

"What's an IIT? I've been hearing that for a while." Aswin looked genuinely confused.