Proxy Attendance Ka Startup

Aarav Mehra ko us din phir se late ho chuka tha. North Campus ke gate se andar ghuste waqt usne phone ki screen pe time dekha—11:17. Attendance wali class 11 baje start ho chuki thi aur uska dimaag already ek hi line pe atka tha: Aaj bhi short reh gaya to semester gaya samjho.

Kamla Nagar ki taraf se aati traffic ki awaaz, chai ki tapri se uthta garam adrak ka dhuaan, aur gate ke paas khade security guard ka woh usual “jaldi jao bhai” wala expression—sab uske mood se zyada thakaa hua lag raha tha. Aarav final-year student tha, par college ke saath uska rishta padhai se kam aur survival se zyada tha. Part-time café job, rent ka pressure, assignments, aur attendance ka yeh daily drama—sab milke usko aisa feel karwate the jaise college education nahi, ek long-running endurance test ho.

Classroom ke bahar corridor mein khade hoke usne notice kiya ki uske jaise aur bhi kaafi log the. Koi phone pe teacher ko message kar raha tha, koi friend ko “bhai proxy de dena yaar” bhej raha tha, aur koi seedha bahar cigarette jala ke bol raha tha, “Attendance se zyada to yeh system hi fake hai.” Aarav ne us din pehli baar socha: Agar sabko proxy chahiye, to ye itna disorganized kyun hai?

Uske dimaag mein wahi se pehli spark aayi. Pehle usne socha, normal jugaad—do-teen logon ko jod lo, class ke hisaab se manage kar lo. Phir uska mind aur fast chala. Agar log proxy ke liye idhar-udhar bhaagte hain, to kyun na isko ek proper system bana diya jaye? Ek aisa system jahan schedule ho, slots ho, section mapping ho, aur koi last-minute panic na ho.

Aarav ko hamesha se lagta tha ki jis cheez ko log “scam” bolte hain, uska ek optimized version business ban sakta hai. Aur us din usne apne aap se ek silent promise kiya: Aaj se proxy random nahi hogi. Organized hogi.

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Mehak Bansal se uski pehli proper baat usi week hui. South Delhi se commute karke aane wali Mehak journalism student thi—sharp, practical, aur har cheez ka “real cost” nikalne wali. Uske paas campus ke bahar ek internship bhi thi, toh uski life ka schedule already ek jigsaw puzzle tha jo roz thoda aur toot jaata tha.

Woh Aarav ko canteen ke corner mein mili, jahan table sticky thi, chair tedhi thi, aur background mein Maggi aur samose ki smell mix ho rahi thi. Mehak ne seedha bola, “Mujhe proxy chahiye. But I don’t want drama. Bas kaam ho jana chahiye.”

Aarav ne usko upar se neeche dekha. “Drama to college khud deta hai. Main bas logistics de raha hoon.”

Mehak ne eyebrow raise ki. “Logistics? Proxy ko aajkal logistics bolte ho?”

“Branding,” Aarav ne bina hichkichaahat ke bola. “Aajkal sabko fancy lagta hai.”

Mehak hansi nahi, par uske hothon pe halka sa curve aa gaya. “Dekho Aarav, moral lecture mat dena. Main khud ethics class mein sabse zyada bolti hoon. Par reality yeh hai ki internship aur class dono ek saath chalana impossible hai.”

Aarav ne apna phone table pe rakha aur ek simple spreadsheet khol di. Section, timing, teacher, attendance status, available proxy. Mehak ne screen dekhi, phir Aarav ko. “Wait. Tu ye sab already track kar raha hai?”

“Track nahi,” Aarav bola, “optimize.”

Mehak ko pehli baar laga ki yeh banda sirf jugaadu nahi, thoda dangerous level ka organised bhi hai. Usne ek proxy slot book kiya. Bas ek favor samajh ke. Par jab usne dekha ki attendance ka kaam bina panic, bina last-minute begging, aur bina random middleman ke ho gaya, toh uske andar ka practical student jag gaya.

“Okay,” usne dheere se kaha, “this is… actually efficient.”

Aarav ne muskurate hue kaha, “Welcome to the system.”

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Do din ke andar hi unka informal setup campus ke different corners mein fail gaya. Aarav aur Mehak ne ek WhatsApp network banaya—class timings, section mapping, safe entry-exit routes, aur kaun se teacher roll call kab lete hain, sab ka data. Mehak apni journalism wali observation se patterns pakadti, Aarav un patterns ko process karta, aur dono milke ek aisa proxy network bana dete jo college ke official attendance system se zyada disciplined lagne laga.

Canteen ke corner mein unka “office” ban gaya. Ek notebook mein names likhe jaate, ek spreadsheet mein slots fill hote, aur ek shared note mein “Professor Sethi ke section mein front bench avoid karo” jaisi warnings update hoti rehti. Students aate, paise dete, slot lete, aur nikal jaate. Koi “bhai please” nahi, koi emotional blackmail nahi—sirf clean transaction.

Mehak kabhi-kabhi has deti. “Dekho Aarav, hum students ki life ko Uber-like bana rahe hain.”

Aarav bolta, “Exactly. Surge pricing bas mat introduce kar dena.”

“Tu already founder mode mein aa gaya hai,” Mehak tease karti.

“Main to pehle hi founder tha,” Aarav shot back karta. “Bas ab kaam bhi ho raha hai.”

Unki service ka naam officially kuch nahi tha, par campus mein log isse “proxy attendance ka startup” bolne lage the. Ye naam pehle mazaak mein aaya tha, phir serious ho gaya. Students bolte, “Bhai us startup ka slot mil gaya kya?” Aur Aarav ko andar hi andar lagta ki haan, shayad woh sach mein kuch bana raha hai.

Par success ka ek weird side effect hota hai—log jealous hote hain, suspicious hote hain, aur jo khud system se thakke hote hain, woh bhi kabhi-kabhi system ke guard ban jaate hain.

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Kabir “K.K.” Khan ka entry scene bilkul cinematic tha. Hostel se aata hua, clean shirt, relaxed smile, aur aisi aankhen jaise campus ke har corner pe uska account ho. Woh senior tha, society fixer type, exam ke time “arrangement” karne wala aur committee meetings mein “student welfare” ka champion.

Usne Aarav aur Mehak ko canteen ke piche bulaya. “Tum dono ka kaam chal raha hai,” usne calm voice mein kaha. “Mujhe pasand aaya.”

Aarav ne usko suspicious look diya. “Aapko kaise pata?”

Kabir ne shoulder shrug kiya. “Campus chhota hai. Aur jo cheez kaam karti hai, uski khabar jaldi failti hai.”

Mehak seedhi thi. “Toh?”

“Toh simple,” Kabir bola, “tum log expand karo. Hostels, canteens, nearby colleges. Main help kar sakta hoon.”

Aarav ne turant pucha, “Help ka matlab?”

Kabir muskuraya. “Matlab network. Matlab reach. Matlab tumhara startup campus ke bahar bhi ja sakta hai.”

Aarav ka dimag ek second ke liye freeze ho gaya. Use laga jaise uski jugad ko proper business ka frame mil gaya ho. Kabir ne startup language itni smoothly boli ki Aarav ko wahi moment real launch jaisa laga. Par Mehak ko uski aankhon mein woh chamak nahi dikhi jo support mein hoti hai. Usme calculation thi.

“Commission?” Mehak ne seedha puch liya.

Kabir ne bina jhijhak kaha, “Of course. Har ecosystem mein incentive hota hai.”

Yeh sunke Aarav ko thoda bura laga, thoda proud bhi. Usko lag raha tha ki woh ab ek serious operator ban raha hai. Ki jis system ne usko hamesha helpless feel karaya, usi system ko ab woh beat kar raha hai. Ki college ke rigid rules ke against woh students ka leader ban gaya hai.

Aur yeh illusion kaafi strong tha.

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Phir ek mahine ke andar service viral ho gayi. Attendance updated, students punctual, sections pre-planned, aur panic almost zero. Jo log pehle lectures skip karke gate pe khade rehte the, ab slot book karke apna schedule manage karne lage. Canteen mein log “dashboard” word use karne lage. Ek junior ne Aarav ko full serious tone mein “founder sir” bol diya. Aarav ne usko correct nahi kiya.

Lekin har success ke saath noise bhi badhta hai. Kuch professors ne notice karna shuru kiya ki class mein faces same hain, par har din thode different. Kuch students unusually disciplined lag rahe the. Aur kuch attendance sheets mein patterns itne clean the ki suspicious lagne lage.

Professor Nandini Sethi ko pehle din se hi system pe doubt tha. Woh strict thi, detail-oriented thi, aur students ko bina reason nahi chhodti thi. Par uski sabse badi strength yeh thi ki woh dumb nahi thi. Usne roll call ke baad ek baar class ko dekh ke bas itna kaha, “Interesting.”

Class mein silence chha gaya.

Usne attendance sheet dekhi, phir students ko. Same names, same gaps, same weird consistency. Do hafton tak usne kuch nahi bola. Bas observe karti rahi. Agar koi teacher campus ka CCTV hota, toh Nandini Sethi uska upgraded version thi.

Phir ek din usne class ke baad Mehak ko rok liya. “Miss Bansal, aap kal aur parson dono din present thi. Lekin aapki seat pe jo student baitha tha, woh aaj aap jaisa nahi lag raha.”

Mehak ke face ka color thoda utar gaya. “Ma’am, I—”

“Relax,” Nandini Sethi ne kaafi calm voice mein kaha. “Main sirf facts note kar rahi hoon.”

Mehak ko laga jaise uske dil ki dhadkan corridor mein sunai de rahi ho.

Usi raat Aarav ko Mehak ka message aaya: Ma’am suspicious hai. We need to be careful.

Aarav ne reply kiya: System ko bas thoda aur smart hona hai.

Mehak ne turant call kiya. “Aarav, yeh joke ka time nahi hai. Agar pakde gaye, toh sab khatam.”

Aarav ne thoda defensive hoke kaha, “Aur agar hum continue karein toh? College ne humein choice di hi kahan hai?”

“Choice ka matlab yeh nahi ki hum har cheez ko justify kar dein,” Mehak bola. “Main shortcut use kar rahi thi, that’s true. But ab yeh sirf attendance ka issue nahi raha. Yeh control ka issue ban gaya hai.”

Aarav chup ho gaya. Kyunki woh jaanta tha Mehak sahi keh rahi hai. Par uska ego ab bhi bol raha tha ki woh is game ka master hai.

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Crackdown uss Friday aaya. Nandini Sethi ne attendance committee ke saath surprise verification start kar diya. Class ke bahar random cross-check, hostel entries, aur section-wise presence ka audit. Students panic mein the. Group chats mein sirf ek hi line chal rahi thi: Bhai aaj mat aana, maam active hai.

Kabir ne tab tak apna mask utaarna shuru kar diya tha. Usne Aarav ko side mein le jaake kaha, “Damage control karna padega.”

Aarav ne usko dekha. “Kaise?”

Kabir ne ek half-smile diya. “Simple. Agar kisi pe blame shift ho gaya, toh baaki bach jayenge.”

Mehak ne yeh sun liya. “Kisi pe? Matlab?”

Kabir ne shrug kiya, jaise yeh normal business discussion ho. “Startup mein sacrifice hota hai.”

Aarav ko pehli baar samajh aaya ki Kabir mentor nahi tha. Woh sirf front-end tha—smooth, polished, aur dangerous. Usne unka network use kiya, apna cut rakha, aur ab bachne ke liye kisi ko bhi bech sakta tha.

Usi moment Aarav ke phone pe Nandini Sethi ka message aaya: Mehra, office mein aaiye. Abhi.

Office ka room thanda tha, walls pe notice boards, aur table pe attendance sheets ke bundles. Professor Sethi ne bina smile ke pucha, “Aarav Mehra, aapko lagta hai ki system fool ho sakta hai?”

Aarav ne hawa bahar nikali. “Ma’am, system already broken hai.”

“Broken aur exploit karna alag cheez hai,” woh boli.

Mehak bhi present thi, kyunki uska naam bhi records mein aa gaya tha. Kabir ka naam abhi tak safe tha—jaise asli fixer hamesha shadow mein rehta hai.

Aarav ke paas do choices the. Ek, blame shift karke Kabir aur network ko bachaye, apni startup fantasy ko preserve kare. Doosra, sach bol de—service, commission, manipulation, sab expose kar de—aur jo log us par depend kar rahe the, unhe risk mein daal de.

Woh kuch seconds ke liye silent raha. Phir usne pehli baar founder voice nahi, student voice mein bola, “Ma’am, humne galat kiya. But yeh sirf hamari greed nahi thi. Hum sab us system ka response the jo humein sirf numbers mein dekhta tha.”

Nandini Sethi ne usko dekha. Uski aankhon mein gussa bhi tha, aur ek ajeeb si tired understanding bhi.

“Response,” woh dheere se boli, “ya excuse?”

Mehak ne tab pehli baar Aarav ko support kiya. “Ma’am, humne shortcut liya. But honestly, classes aur internships ke beech hum log survive kar rahe the. College ne flexibility kabhi di hi nahi.”

Room mein silence phir aa gaya.

Nandini Sethi ne file band ki. “Main aapko suspend kar sakti hoon. Aur shayad kar bhi sakti thi. But is campus mein jo cheez sabse zyada broken hai, woh student nahi—assumption hai ki rules hi education hain.”

Aarav aur Mehak dono shock mein the.

Phir ma’am ne ek aur line boli jo unke dimaag mein stick ho gayi: “Kabir Khan ko bol dijiye, uska network ab committee ke under investigation hai.”

Yeh sunke Aarav ko samajh aa gaya—Kabir ne pehle hi unhe bech diya tha. Apna cut bachane ke liye.

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Service officially band ho gayi. WhatsApp group mute ho gaya. Spreadsheet delete kar diya gaya. Canteen corner phir se normal lagne laga—jaise kuch hua hi na ho. Kabir campus mein kuch din tak dikhayi diya, phir uska influence dheere-dheere gir gaya. Kya woh exposed hua ya quietly nikal gaya, yeh campus gossip ka hissa ban gaya. Par uska charm ab pehle jaisa nahi tha.

Aarav ne café shift pe wapas jaate hue ek din gate ke bahar khade students ko dekha, jo ek dusre se same old line bol rahe the: “Attendance ka kya karein yaar?” Usko pehli baar laga ki woh sirf scam nahi kar raha tha. Woh ek symptom build kar raha tha.

Mehak ne internship ke baad ek evening usse kaha, “Tu ab kya karega?”

Aarav ne wahan se campus ki buildings ko dekha—purani, rigid, aur phir bhi somehow alive. “Pata nahi,” usne honestly bola. “Shayad startup band ho gaya. Par idea nahi.”

Mehak ne halka sa smile kiya. “Good. Idea mat marne dena. Bas next time usko thoda less shady bana.”

Aarav hans diya. “Try karunga.”

Usne us din samjha ki jis system ko woh beat kar raha tha, woh system usko bhi shape kar raha tha. Usne control chaha tha, validation chahiye thi, aur apni strategy pe applause chahiye tha. Par college ne usko ek aur cheez sikha di—ki har jugaad innovation nahi hota, aur har innovation ethical bhi nahi hota.

Kabhi-kabhi dono ke beech ka line bahut patli hoti hai.

Aur Delhi-NCR ke kisi bhi college mein, jab student apne survival ke liye system ko hack karta hai, toh kahani sirf attendance ki nahi hoti. Kahani hoti hai ki kaun kiski life ko manage kar raha hai—rules ya log.

Aarav ne apne phone mein purani spreadsheet ka ek backup dekh liya tha. Usne usse delete nahi kiya. Shayad future ke liye. Shayad reminder ke liye. Shayad isliye ki jab bhi koi usse “jugaad” ka meaning puche, woh sirf muskura de.

Kyuki ab usko pata tha: proxy attendance ka startup ek business nahi tha. Woh ek mirror tha.

Aur mirror ne usko dikha diya tha ki system ko todne se zyada, system ko samajhna zaroori hai.

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