Student Of The Year After Dark Ending Why Is Shanaya Kapoor's Aayesha Malik Killed?

The first season of Shanaya Kapoor-led Student Of The Year: After Dark ends with a cliffhanger. Here's decoding the end of the show that is currently streaming on JioHotstar.

Shanaya Kapoor-led Student Of The Year: After Dark has premiered on JioHotstar amid high expectations. The six-episode young adult show received mixed reactions from different sections of critics and the audience. It is an extension of Karan Johar-produced film franchise, Student Of The Year, which was more centred around a college competition and romance among the characters. The OTT series is a murder mystery set in a popular high school. Reema Maya makes her series debut with Student Of The Year: After Dark, which ends with a cliffhanger.

What is Student Of The Year: After Dark's story

Student Of The Year: After Dark begins with the mysterious death of Aayesha Malik (Shanaya Kapoor). Her parents (Sheeba Chadha and Khalid Siddiqui) call for an immediate investigation. Aayesha's twin sister Aditi wants justice for her. She gets herself enrolled in St. Teresa Heritage School, where her deceased sister was among the most popular students.

After enrolling in St. Teresa Heritage School, Aditi meets Aayesha's best friend Tara Burman (Manya Grover), boyfriend Siddharth Saraiya (Divik Sharma), friend Rehaan Rizvi (Abhinav Singh), roommate Baby Doll (Deeya Damini), and Tara's boyfriend Jay-D (Adi Malik). Aditi lists her primary suspects. While she doubts everyone, Rehaan seems to be the one unlike the others.

Student Of The Year competition

Once she is in the school, Aditi learns about a competition. Aayesha had participated in the Student Of The Year competition, where winning the title meant prestige and fulfilment of dreams. Aayesha was about to qualify for the next round when she was found dead. Aditi takes her place and competes for the trophy to uncover the mystery of her sister's untimely death.

Who are the prime suspects?

Just a month before Aayesha's mysterious death, Dean Keith D'Souza (Gaurav Sharma) dies. Aditi attempts to find a connection between the incidents.

Aayesha and Aditi's interpersonal relationship

While investigating her death, Aditi blames herself for wishing death upon Aayesha in their childhood. During a shoot, the sisters plan to sort out differences between their parents amid a fight. They go up to the ceiling of the constructed set. Accidentally, a light unit falls on a person, leading to his death. Their mother blames Aditi for the mischief, and Aayesha remains quiet despite being the mastermind behind the plan. Aditi is punished, and out of rage, she wants Aayesha to be dead. Aditi relocates to a different city, and her father tries to keep her away from Aayesha and her mother.

Why was Dean D'Souza killed?

After clearing the gruelling competition that includes the revelation of dark secrets, Aditi, Tara, Rehaan and Jay-D qualify for the final round. To learn the reason behind Aayesha's death, Aditi must understand why Dean D'Souza was murdered.

Who is Aayesha's killer?

Aayesha did not commit suicide. It was a well-planned murder by Tara. Dean D'Souza is her father. As a child, she eavesdropped on a conversation between him and his mother. He disowned his family and moved on. Years later, she meets her father at St. Teresa Heritage School and reminds him about the family he abandoned. He doesn't accept her.

Once, Aayesha and Tara make a call to him and with voice modulation, they pretend to be Meeta. Angered by her father's behaviour, Tara takes it forward and forces him to take his life. In front of the current Dean, Kashyap (Vivek Gomber), she puts the blame on Aayesha and presents a version where the latter is responsible for the incident.

Why was Aayesha killed?

Insecure about her achievements, Tara locks Aayesha in the washroom and cuts a gas chamber. Due to carbon monoxide poisoning, Aayesha struggles to breathe. Somehow, Aayesha comes out of the washroom and reaches the Barakhali Lake. Tara sees her and adds Sid's sleeping pills to the water sipper. On the frozen Barakhali Lake, Tara breaks the ice and pushes Aayesha into the ice-cold water.

The final episode reveals that Tara lifts the trophy. Student Of The Year: After Dark's first season ends with a cliffhanger.