Well my story is not as dramatic or inspiring as the other stories here, but anyone who has been a victim of favoritism and/or office politics will surely relate to it.

This was during my third year of engineering. Since it was a government college, and most faculty members were ex employees for Public Sector companies, office politics and favoritism were not uncommon, and many students became victim of it one time or another, and there were some who gained advantage from it as well.

But this one professor, who was a big deal in my department, used to go over the top with this crap. He was the active authority for all technical events and activities. If someone had to go to a technical event somewhere, and needed sponsorship from college for their travelling and registration expenses, they needed his clearance. I, and most of the other students hated him because of the shit he used to pull on students who ever went to him for that purpose, or any other help for that matter. But he readily helped guys who were his "favorites" for some reason. I always kept a low profile, and tried not get unsolicited attention of any professor, most of all him.

So this one time, my abstract was selected for a sub continental event, along with four others. All five of us went to him for clearance, not just for sponsorship but also for attendance grant. He gave the other four sponsorship and attendance grant for the event, and denied me of both, stating some bullshit reason. I know there was no point in persuading him further because he had made up his mind.

But since I was very confident in my work, I went to the event unofficially, without informing anyone. I had to arrange for my travel on my own, and lost 4 full days of college attendance and had to flee from the hostel, which could have resulted in semester arrears in the best case scenario, and disciplinary action in the worst.

Anyway, I won the competition I had participated in. I was the only one among the five from our college who had won anything. While were getting back, we had to take a taxi to our college from the place where we got off the train, which was a city I was well aware with. It was a 120 km ride. The taxi fare was Rs. 2000 only, which was supposed to be refunded from the college once the other four deposited the bill. But the other four got a bit greedy, and I had to recover my train fare. So what I did was, convinced the cab company to make a bill of Rs 5000. That way, I recovered my travel fare, and all five of us made some easy money. Revenge v1.0.

The real revenge came, when I told the other four to not tell anything about me going there and winning the competition. From grapevine, I heard that the professor got an earful from the Director, because all that expense was for nothing, and the Director blamed the professor for that wastage of college funds. I could have saved the professor from that criticism by telling him that I had won the competition, but I didn't. (Revenge)^2.

Later, the professor learned from grapevine that I did go to the event unofficially and won the competition. But he couldn't report me to the disciplinary committee, because then his unfair rejection of my request for sponsorship and attendance grant would have been exposed. The fact that he denied clearance to the only winning entry into the competition from our college would've cost him his credibility. So he called me into his office and asked me to give him more details on my participation in the event, including the fact that I had won the competition, so that he could publish it in the college's newsletter. I refused plainly, saying that I went on my own, the college didn't help me in any way, and it even costed me four days of attendance. He agreed to give me the attendance grant, if I let him mention about my win in the college's newsletter. That was my "Fuck Yeah" moment right there.

He did hold a grudge against me after that, tailed me the whole of my final year to stick it back to me. But I didn't give him a chance, not once.

People criticize revenge, say that the best revenge is to move on and live happily. I do agree that keeping revenge at the center of your life is wrong. But I don't think there is anything wrong in savoring the sweet candy of revenge, when it comes wrapped in your success.

Peace.