Influencer Candidate

College gate ke saamne Aarav Khanna ne apna phone selfie mode pe set kiya aur smile aise di jaise kisi brand ka naya face reveal ho raha ho. Peeche North Campus ka purana iron gate, side me auto-wale ki horn, aur saamne do fresher bacche full curiosity se dekh rahe the. Aarav ne light ko check kiya, collar thoda straighten kiya, aur camera ke saamne bolna shuru kiya, “Guys, this election isn’t about politics. It’s about your voice.”

Kabir Malik, jo thoda door khade hokar tripod pakde hua tha, turant bola, “Perfect. Bas ek aur take. Is baar end me thoda pause de dena, reel zyada cinematic lagegi.” Aarav ne ek chhota sa nod diya, jaise yeh sab uske liye natural ho. Uske campaign posters pe likha tha: “Aarav Khanna: Student Voice. Real Change.” Caption me hashtags the, teaser clips the, aur QR code bhi tha jo campaign manifesto ke Instagram highlight se connect ho raha tha.

Dekhne me sab kuch polished tha. Aarav ka white kurta, thoda casual denim jacket, confident walk, aur woh effortless smile — sab kuch campus me viral hone ke liye enough tha. DU ke students waise bhi half time class me aur half time story me rehte hain, toh Aarav ka entry game instantly hit ho gaya. Canteen se hostel tak, library se photocopy shop tak, sab jagah log ek hi baat kar rahe the, “Yaar, ye candidate toh pure influencer vibe de raha hai.”

Aur honestly, Aarav ko ye sunna achha lagta tha. Bahut achha.

Uska phone constantly vibrate kar raha tha — likes, shares, DMs, story mentions. Kabir khushi se almost analytics ka pooja karne wala mood me tha. “Bro, first reel pe 18k views in three hours. Engagement rate insane hai. Agar aise chale toh election toh pakka.” Aarav ne bas muskurate hue reply kiya, “Bhai, people want authenticity. Main wahi toh de raha hoon.”

Sach? Thoda sa.

Poora sach? Bilkul nahi.

Aarav ko public me bolna aata tha. Camera ke saamne woh aisa lagta tha jaise bachpan se stage uska ghar ho. Har issue ko ek line me punchy bana deta, har problem ko tweet size me compress kar deta. Bus timings? “Students deserve punctuality, not excuses.” Library access? “Knowledge shouldn’t have a gatekeeping policy.” Internship support? “Future ko filter mat karo.” Students ko catchy lagta tha. Shareable lagta tha. But deep? Nahi.

Meera Sethi ne pehli baar Aarav ko seriously tab notice kiya jab woh canteen ke paas ek group ke beech khada ho kar bol raha tha, “Bro, this election is not about power. It’s about platform.” Uske baad usne ek perfect little laugh diya, jaise line khud uske dimag se nahi, kisi script se nikli ho. Meera, jo campus bulletin aur debate society dono me active thi, thodi door se ye sab observe kar rahi thi. Usne apni notebook me bas ek line likhi: “Too polished. Too convenient.”

Meera ka nature loud nahi tha. Woh woh type ki girl thi jo corner me khadi rehkar bhi room ka temperature samajh leti thi. Uske questions seedhe hote the, par unka effect uncomfortable. Aarav ke campaign ko dekhkar usko pehle irritation hui, phir curiosity, aur phir suspicion. Kya woh sach me student issues ke liye khada hua hai? Ya bas ek aur boy-next-door brand build kar raha hai?

Usne interviews start kiye. Library ke bahar ek second-year student ne kaha, “Aarav bhai ka reel mast tha, but mujhe nahi pata unka actual plan kya hai.” Hostel gate pe ek girl boli, “Campaign vibe toh strong hai, but safety ka kya?” Canteen wale ne bhi has ke bola, “Ye sab election me sab bolte hain, beta. Kaam koi nahi karta.” Meera ko har jagah ek hi pattern dikha — people were entertained, not convinced.

Aur yeh baat Aarav tak bhi pahunch rahi thi, bas us tarah nahi jaisa Meera chahti thi.

Kabir ne campaign ko launch se zyada brand rollout bana diya tha. QR-coded posters, meme templates, “Aarav reacts to campus problems” reels, “day in my campaign” vlogs — sab kuch planned tha. Agar koi student complaint karta, Kabir kehte, “Bro, usko story me convert karte hain. Emotional angle milega.” Aarav bhi is game me comfortable tha, kyunki attention uske liye oxygen jaisi thi.

Uska background bahut fancy nahi tha. Middle-class family, Noida ke ek compact flat me growing up, jahan success ka matlab tha “log notice karein.” School me woh average tha, ghar me quiet, aur relatives ke beech “theek-thaak baccha” type. College aake usne discover kiya ki agar tum camera ke saamne bright ho, toh log tumhe important maan lete hain. Social media uske liye sirf hobby nahi tha; woh invisible hone ke khilaaf ek weapon tha.

Ek shaam campaign shoot ke beech, jab Kabir lighting adjust kar raha tha aur ek junior student background me fake crowd reaction de raha tha, Aarav ka phone dead ho gaya. Charger dhundhte-dhundhte woh terrace ke side wale corridor me chala gaya. Wahan noise kam thi, aur first time usne apni hi voice bina echo ke suni. Kabir ne door se chillaya, “Aarav, bhai, next take me thoda zyada passion!” Aarav ne hansne ki koshish ki, par uska face thoda loose pad gaya.

Meera wahi paas me bulletin ke liye notes le rahi thi. Usne Aarav ko dekha aur seedha bola, “Tumhe lagta hai tum jo kar rahe ho, woh leadership hai?”

Aarav ne instant defensive smile lagayi. “Aur tumhe lagta hai tum jo kar rahi ho, woh journalism hai ya personal vendetta?”

Meera ne eyebrow uthaya. “Depends. Tumhara campaign ka actual agenda kya hai? Ya bas aesthetic hai?”

Uska sawaal seedha tha, aur Aarav ko pasand nahi aaya. Par usne jawab diya, “Students ko connect karna bhi agenda hota hai.”

“Connect?” Meera ne thoda sa laugh kiya. “Tum har issue ko one-liner me convert kar dete ho. Real problems ko reel-friendly bana rahe ho.”

Aarav ne kuch bolna chaha, par us waqt dead phone se zyada uska mood dead lag raha tha. Woh kuch seconds chup raha, phir bas itna bola, “Tumhe kya lagta hai, log sach sunna chahte hain?”

Meera ne usse dekha. “Nahi. Pehle log sach dekhna chahte hain.”

Woh line Aarav ke dimag me atak gayi.

Agli subah open forum tha. Principal/Returning Officer Mr. Bhatia ne polished tone me announcement ki, “Candidates must maintain decorum. No disruptive behavior. College reputation is paramount.” Unka face aisa tha jaise woh democracy nahi, annual function manage kar rahe ho. Auditorium me students bhare hue the — some curious, some bored, some already recording. Aarav front row me baitha tha, Kabir side me notes aur live metrics dekh raha tha.

Forum shuru hua toh questions pehle soft the. “Library timings extend honi chahiye?” “Yes, definitely.” “Internship support?” “Absolutely.” “Campus Wi-Fi?” “We’ll push for it.” Crowd me thoda approval aaya. Aarav relax ho gaya. Usne socha, bas yahi toh game hai — enough confidence, enough charm, enough crowd control.

Phir ek girl stand hui. Usne apna dupatta thoda adjust kiya aur bola, “Women’s safety ke liye actual plan kya hai? Last month late evening me hostel gate ke bahar issue hua tha. Complaint ke baad bhi kuch nahi hua.”

Aarav ne blink kiya. Kabir ne side se ek paper slide kiya jisme suggested answer likha tha. Aarav ne paper dekha, phir crowd ko, phir camera ko jo stage ke corner me laga tha. Usne bolna shuru kiya, “Safety is a priority. We believe in creating a safer, more inclusive environment through—”

“Through what?” kisi ne pichhe se interrupt kiya. “Through posts?”

Thoda laughter hua. Aarav ka throat dry ho gaya.

Ek aur student khada hua. “Fee issues pe kya karoge? Aur exam dates ka last-minute change? Hum log adjust karte-karte exhaust ho gaye hain. Tumhara plan kya hai, exactly?”

Aarav ke paas ready-made line thi, but line ka weight kam pad gaya. “We will raise these concerns with the administration and ensure dialogue—”

“Dialogue?” ek third voice. “Bhai, dialogue toh sab karte hain. Result?”

Auditorium ka atmosphere change ho gaya. Ye applause wala crowd nahi raha; ye scrutiny wala crowd ban gaya. Aarav ka polished confidence crack hone laga. Uske haath me mic thoda shiver hua. Kabir ki aankhen screen pe thi, lekin numbers ab irrelevant lag rahe the. Meera, jo back row me khadi thi, bas chup thi. Uski expression me gussa kam, disappointment zyada tha.

Aarav ne ek second ke liye stage ke lights se aankh hata li. Aur uss moment me usse samajh aaya ki log uske reels ko nahi, uske response ko judge kar rahe hain. Uski smile, uska pacing, uska “bro” aur “guys” — sab useless ho gaya tha. Crowd ko content nahi chahiye tha. Crowd ko conviction chahiye tha.

Forum ke baad courtyard me kaafi log idhar-udhar bikhar gaye. Kabir full damage-control mode me tha. “Bro, it wasn’t that bad. We can clip the safety answer, make it look thoughtful. And the interrupt moment? Could go viral, actually.”

Aarav ne uski taraf dekha. “Kabir, kya tumhe sach me lagta hai ki sab kuch clip me fit ho sakta hai?”

Kabir thoda confuse hua. “Matlab?”

“Matlab ye election hai, brand launch nahi.” Aarav ki awaaz pehli baar thodi raw thi. “Aur main bhi… shayad main bhi brand jaisa behave kar raha tha.”

Kabir ne mouth khola, phir band kiya. Uske face pe analytics ka confidence dheere-dheere guilt me badal gaya. “I just wanted us to win.”

“Win kya?” Aarav ne pucha. “Likes? Shares? Ya trust?”

Kabir ka jawab nahi aaya.

Meera tab wahan aayi. Uske haath me notebook thi, aur uski nazar bilkul seedhi. “Tumhe bura lag raha hai?” usne poocha.

Aarav ne ek thaka hua sa laugh diya. “Nahi, bas embarrassment ka new level discover kiya hai.”

“Good.” Meera ne bina smile ke kaha. “Because embarrassment is useful. It means you’re still capable of seeing yourself.”

Aarav ne usse dekha. “Tum mujhe expose karna chahti thi, right?”

Meera ne shrug kiya. “Haan. Kyunki tum fake lagte the.”

“Ab?”

“Ab bhi thoda fake lagte ho,” Meera boli, “but at least ab tum confused fake lag rahe ho. That’s progress.”

Aarav ko hasna chahiye tha, par usse laga ki yeh shayad first honest conversation thi jo kisi ne usse campus me ki thi. Meera ne uski taraf dekhte hue added, “Audience ko impress karna aur unke liye stand karna same cheez nahi hoti, Aarav. Agar tum leader banna chahte ho, toh camera off hone ke baad bhi same person rehna padega.”

Woh line seedha lagi. No filter. No cushioning.

Us raat Aarav ne apna campaign template delete kar diya. Sab nahi, bas woh version jo usko perfect dikhata tha. Kabir bhi initially resist karta raha, “Bro, consistency matters. Aise sudden raw mode me jaana risky hai.” Aarav ne phone side me rakh diya. “Risky toh fake rehna bhi hai.”

Agli subah usne hostel ke common room me ek chhoti meeting bulayi. Koi background music nahi, koi ring light nahi, koi hashtag board nahi. Bas ek white sheet aur marker. Usne students se bola, “Mujhe pata hai main ab tak zyada perform kar raha tha. Issues pe bolta tha, par unko actually live nahi karta tha. Ab main pehle sununga.”

Pehle log skeptical the. Fir ek student ne bus timing ka issue likha. Ek ne library seating. Ek ne internship cell. Ek ne women’s safety points. Aarav ne sab likha. Kuch jagah Kabir bhi quietly note kar raha tha, par is baar metrics ke liye nahi — because for once, the list felt heavier than the numbers.

Phir Aarav khud administration office gaya. Mr. Bhatia ke cabin me AC full tha aur table pe files neatly arranged thi, jaise system already perfect ho. Bhatia ne usko dekh kar polite half-smile diya. “Yes, Mr. Khanna. What brings you here? Campaign concern?”

Aarav ne seedha bola, “Concern hai. Aur ab main concern ko content nahi banaunga.”

Bhatia ke eyebrows slightly up hue. Aarav ne apni list table pe rakhi — bus routes, safety complaints, library access, exam schedule transparency, grievance response timeline. “Mujhe speech nahi chahiye. Mujhe action chahiye. Aur students ko bhi.”

Bhatia ne papers dekhe, phir Aarav ko. “You know college administration works with procedure.”

Aarav ne first time smile nahi ki. “Toh procedure ko students ke liye kaam karna hoga.”

Ye line viral nahi thi. Shayad caption-worthy bhi nahi. But it was real.

Uske baad campaign ka tone badal gaya. Reels kam ho gayi. Meetings zyada. Aarav canteen me बैठकर students ke saath baat karta, hostel corridors me issues note karta, library ke bahar queue me khada hota, bus stop pe wait karta. Kabir ne bhi apna obsession thoda side me rakha. “Bro,” usne ek din thoda sharam se bola, “engagement down hai.”

Aarav ne shoulder shrug kiya. “Credibility up hai?”

Kabir ne pehle socha, phir thoda sa smile kiya. “Actually… haan.”

Meera ne bhi apni investigation ka angle shift kiya. Ab woh Aarav ko expose karne ke mood me kam, observe karne ke mood me zyada thi. Usne campus bulletin ke liye ek piece likha: “When a Candidate Learns to Listen.” Usme praise bhi tha, criticism bhi, aur ek line aisi thi jo Aarav ne baad me do baar padhkar rakhi: “Leadership begins where performance ends.”

Election day aaya. Campus me usual chaos tha — chai ki smell, xerox ki line, nervous faces, aur posters pe thoda thoda tear. Aarav polling booth ke bahar khada tha, is baar camera ke bina. Kuch log usko dekhkar smile kar rahe the, kuch still suspicious the. Ek fresher ne aake bas itna kaha, “Bhai, pehle tu fake lagta tha. Ab thoda real lag raha hai.” Aarav ne bas “Thanks” kaha, aur surprisingly usme pehle wali performance nahi thi.

Result ekdum sweeping nahi tha. Aarav ne landslide bhi nahi maara. Par woh haar bhi nahi gaya jaisa pehle lagta tha. Usko decent support mila, aur ek aisa respect mila jo likes se nahi aata. Jo students pehle uske reels share karte the, ab uski meetings me aaye the. Jo usse “candidate” samajhte the, ab “student” bhi samajh rahe the.

Raat ko terrace pe, campus lights ke neeche, Kabir ne apne phone pe final numbers dekhe aur bola, “Bro, not bad.”

Aarav ne thandi hawa me saans li. “Not perfect either.”

“Perfect toh kabhi tha hi nahi,” Meera ki awaaz pichhe se aayi.

Aarav aur Kabir dono mud gaye. Meera railing ke paas khadi thi, notebook closed. “Tum jeete ho ya nahi, that’s secondary,” usne kaha. “Main bas ye dekh rahi thi ki tum finally apne audience ko nahi, apne voters ko address kar rahe ho.”

Aarav ne usse dekha aur pehli baar genuinely, bina camera ke, bina script ke, smile ki. “Aur tum?”

Meera ne thoda sa shrug kiya. “Main ab bhi suspicious hoon.”

“Fair.”

“Par,” woh boli, “ab tum interesting ho.”

Neeche campus me kuch students ab bhi baat kar rahe the, kuch results ka wait, kuch chai ka, kuch apni next class ka. Delhi-NCR ka ye college apni usual noisy, messy, over-caffeinated energy me tha. Aarav ne socha, maybe leadership ka matlab hi ye hai — loud hona nahi, available hona. Visible hona nahi, dependable hona.

Usne phone nikala. Camera on kiya. Meera ne eyebrow raise ki. Kabir already ready tha, “Bro, reel?”

Aarav ne screen par khud ko dekha, phir phone ko thoda neeche kiya. “Nahi,” usne bola. “Bas ek message.”

Usne record button dabaya aur seedha camera me bola, “I tried to look like the perfect candidate. But students don’t need perfect. They need someone who’ll show up when the lights are off too. Main abhi seekh raha hoon. Aur agar aapne mujhe vote diya, toh main promise karta hoon — main sirf speak nahi karunga, kaam bhi karunga.”

Video short tha. Plain tha. No trending audio. No dramatic cut. Phir bhi, jo log usse pehle sirf dekh rahe the, unme se kaafi log ruk gaye. Kyunki is baar usne unhe impress nahi kiya — unse sach bola.

Aur shayad campus politics me wahi sabse rare cheez thi.

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Storydilse ke pyaare readers, itna time nikaal kar Aarav, Meera aur North Campus ki is kahani ko padhne ke liye dil se thank you. Aapka support hi humein aise relatable, emotional aur desi stories likhne ki inspiration deta hai. Umeed hai yeh story aapko thodi smile, thoda reflection aur thoda campus nostalgia de gayi hogi. Phir milte hain ek aur kahani ke saath — tab tak pyaar banaye rakhiye aur storydilse ke saath jude rahiye.