Campus secrets

Weeks turned into months.

Vinay's life had split into two. During the day, he attended classes as Vinay—quiet, jeans-wearing, unnoticed. But after 5 PM, in the shadows of Hostel Block C, he was Vinaya—dressed in sarees, made up like a girl, serving tea to the seniors, learning how to thread his eyebrows, how to sit with his knees together, how to answer with a soft “aama, anna.”

At first, he hated every moment.

The makeup felt like a mask. The petticoat itched. The long hair from the wig made him sweat. But the fear of being outed kept him obedient. The seniors said they had photos and videos—him in bangles, him adjusting his saree, him blushing as they applied lipstick.

“You don’t want your classmates to see this, right?” they grinned.

So he played the part.

But something strange began to happen.

Over time, Vinay began walking into the role more naturally. One day, a senior handed him a blue half-saree, one worn by first-year girls during Onam. As he slipped into the flowing skirt, tied the dupatta over his shoulder, and caught his reflection, he paused.

He didn’t look like a boy pretending anymore.

He looked… calm. Maybe even beautiful.

And that scared him more than anything.

He’d stare at himself in the mirror late at night, unsure whether what he felt was shame or relief. For so long, he had tried to disappear. But as Vinaya, he was seen—noticed, admired, even complimented.

During one college event, he was made to pose for a photo with a group of girls. No one realized he wasn’t one of them. That night, when he saw the group photo on Instagram tagged as “Gorgeous ladies of CS!”, his heart raced.

Was he starting to like it?