Rajat is attracted to Prerna, the most popular girl in college. At a party, he meets her friend Ritesh and realizes Prerna already has a love interest.

Rajat decides to suppress his loveria for prerna, and focus on studies, remembering prashant's teaching that life is like chess, black and white, failure or success. But the more he tries to distance her, more she tries to befriend him, and Rajat ends up verbally sparring with Ritesh as a consequence. But then a chance meeting with a mystery woman reignites ishqfluenza in his heart.

Rajat skips classes, reads sad love stories, and throws library books after feeling hurt by Prerna's lie and guilty about almost kissing Chaya. Concerned friends extract a promise from suicidal Rajat to not end his life.

Yuvan and Shashank call Rajat to talk face to face with Prerna, where Rajat talks extremely ill about Prerna, thus breaking her heart. Shashank feels bad for Prerna and goes after her to talk to her. Yuvan brings Rajat and Shashank to discuss out their differences, but Rajat speaks ill of Shashank too and the duo get into a fight. Similar to Paglet

On reaching Lucknow, Rajat learns that Shashank is leaving the Haveli and shifting to some other place. Rajat decides to go to Delhi for two months to join a crash course. Before leaving, he goes to meet Prashant, who looks shattered. The next day, as Rajat is about to leave for Delhi, he receives a phone call from his father, who informs him that Prashant has committed suicide in his room.