Ek Duje Ke Vaaste

81. New Year Party!

Hello ! Welcome to part 81 of the story...

Mallika, Monika, and Ishita were lounging in the canteen after their lectures, casually chatting about the day. The canteen buzzed with the usual hum of student life when suddenly, Shruti came running towards them, her face beaming with excitement. She practically skipped over to their table, her energy infectious.

Shruti breathless but thrilled, "Miku, Mon, Ishu! Dekho mai kya laayi hun !" exclaimed, waving something in her hand like a prize.

Monika looked up from her coffee, amused by Shruti's enthusiasm.

Monika teased, "kya baat hai shru, badi khush lag rahi hai... koi lottery wagera jeet gayi kya ?"

***

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Harsh, Ritvik, and Basant were hanging out in the common room. 

Harsh, ever the jokester, couldn't resist chiming in, "Are khushi ki hi toh baat ha, tum sab bhi sunoge na toh meri tarah khush ho jaoge..."

Basant, intrigued, raised an eyebrow, "Achha ! Aise kon si baat hai hume bhi toh bata..."

***

Back with the girls, Shruti was practically bouncing on her feet. 

Shruti leaned in closer, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Mai sirf bataungi hi nahi dikhaun gi bhi par uske pehle tum log mujhe ek sawal ka jawab do— kal kya hai ?"

Mallika, still half-listening, replied without much thought, "Kal? Tomorrow's the first—New Year's Day!"

"Correct!" Shruti beamed, clapping her hands in delight.  "Ab batao aaj kya hai ?"

***

Ritvik replied casually, "Today's the 31st—New Year's Eve."

Basant, growing impatient, nudged Ritvik aside, "Haan, ab tu baatein banana band kar aur seedha seedha bata... Baat kya hai ?!!!"

***

Shruti couldn't contain her excitement any longer. She pulled out a set of glossy tickets from her bag and spread them out on the table like a deck of cards. 

Girls looked at it intrigued meanwhile she cleared her throat, "Ladies & Ladies ! Today is the 31st—New Year's Eve! And look what I've scored for all of us—party coupons for the Moonlight Hotel's New Year's Eve bash. And Guess what ? Guru Randhawa is performing tonight! There'll be dinner, dancing, and tons of fun. The best part? Security is tight, and it's an event for college students like us. Plus, students from our college will be there, and if we go as a group, we even get free pickup and drop service. So, what do you say? Let's celebrate in style!"

Ishita's eyes widened in amazement, "That's Amazing Yaar, Karna chahiye... Kya bolte ho?"

Monika nodded enthusiastically. "We're in, right Mikku ?"

Mallika smiled, excited but thoughtful, "Sounds awesome! Let me just ask Sumedh first..."

Just as she began to rise from her seat, Shruti, quick as lightning, reached across the table and gently tugged her back down, playfully determined to keep the moment going.

Shruti insisted, her tone firm but playful, "Nahi Miku! Ye party sirf hum girls ki hai... Tum iss baare mein sumedh ko ya kisi ko kuch bhi nahi kahoge.."

***

Sumedh raised an eyebrow, confused. "Kyun bhai ?"

***