Dorm Days

15

Here's the next chap cutus💗

As the sun began to rise, the excitement in the air was tangible. The forthcoming sports meet was not just any event; it would unite students from different boarding schools, transforming the peaceful campus into a vibrant center of energy and competition. The previously calm grounds were now buzzing with activity, as banners were hung, signs were painted, and the unmistakable sounds of enthusiastic students echoed through the corridors.

In the main assembly hall, the members of the student council were hurriedly finalizing the schedules. Holding clipboards, they shouted out names and events, creating a chaotic symphony of activity as they worked to ensure that every detail was accounted for.

Outside, the track was lined with hurdles and cones, while the field was dotted with goalposts and banners designed by the art club.

Amidst all of this, the girls found themselves shifting their beds to make room for the students who would be staying here for four days. Their house mistress firmly instructed them to accommodate the changes and refrain from throwing tantrums until the event was over.

"Suno sab, mai kya kehti hu.. Last mai jitne beds khali hai na, woh sab unko de dete hai. Hume shift karne ki zarurat hi nahi padegi"

(Listen everyone, what I'm saying is that all the vacant beds at the back can be given to them. We won't need to shift anyone.)

Maher remarked, already exhausted by the continuous arguments among her inmates. After five exhausting hours of basketball practice, a deep fatigue weighed down her limbs. She felt aches in areas she never realized could tire—her legs felt as heavy as lead from sprinting up and down the court, and her arms were weary from countless shooting and passing drills.

She leaned against the cool wall behind, grateful for a moment to breathe, to let her heart rate settle.

"Ha! Sahi hai yaar, abhi plans change matt karo."
(Yes, that's right! Don't change the plans now)

"Fine! Par waha pe saaf kon karega?" Prithvi sighed. Since the beds at the back had been unoccupied for over three months, they had gradually become a haven for countless spiders, and cleaning the webs would surely transport them to another universe.

(Sure! But who will take care of the cleaning?)

"Hum! Aur kon.."
(Who else but us.)

"Why does it always fall on us?" Stuti joked, swinging her broom like a club. Her teasing tone was lighthearted, though her face betrayed the weariness of a busy weekend. The other girls giggled in agreement, setting to work with an enthusiasm that belied the arduous task ahead.

They split into teams, with each one claiming a bed as their own. Kashvi took the lead in unmaking one of the beds and discovered everything from a variety of notebooks to a single, fuzzy slipper. Each item triggered a memory, accompanied by bursts of laughter as they speculated about the stories behind the missing belongings. Amidst this frenzied cleaning, they found comfort—a bittersweet reminder of the friendships formed in these very rooms by their seniors.

"Bhaisaab finally.. Jo bhi ladkiya yaha pe soyegi na unka toh luck hai luck!!" Heer said wiping off the sweat trickling down her neck.

(Finally.. The girls who will be staying here are certainly lucky.)

With the beds finally made and the room tidied, they stepped back to admire their handiwork. All of this was truly worth it they thought.

•••

"Chalo jaldi.. Jaldii" Heer dashed around the dorm anxiously, waiting for her friends to finish their makeover. Maher, who emerged from the bathroom after a refreshing face wash, rolled her eyes while drying her face. Kashvi and Deepti exchanged blank looks at each other.