The Classy Thirteen

When Cheese Meets Cringe

Author's POV

The breakfast gallery was alive with the clinking of cutlery and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. At the center of the lively setting was the group of friends—Mayank, Sara, Shayar, Sahil, Samyra, Prerna, Vivaan, Ayra, Sarthak, and Reyan—already starting their day with banter and borderline insults.

Mayank stood up, clearing his throat theatrically. "Sab log dhyaan do! Aaj ka din hoga legendary. Tum sabka host aur dost, Mayank, aaj ka itinerary sunata hai-"

Reyan interrupted, waving his butter knife. "Bhai, chhoro na apni sasti host vibe. Ek sentence mein bol, kaheen late na ho jaayen hum."

"Late toh woh tab honge jab tumhari bakwas band hogi aur hum yahaan se bahar jaa paayenge." Ayra quipped, earning giggles from Samyra.

Mayank ignored them, determined to finish his announcement. "Toh, aaj subah: Little Venice. Dopahar: Paddington Basin aur Merchant Square. Shaam ko ZSL London Zoo. Uske baad Madame Tussauds. Aur, raat ko Thames River Walk. Koi sawal?"

Shayar raised his hand, as though in a classroom. "Haan, ek sawal. Hum British Library kab jaane wale hain?"

Sara jumped in. "Aur Primrose Hill? Yaar, wahaan ki photos dekhke mera dil marta hai wahaan jaane ko."

Sahil chimed in right after her. "Portobello Street Market jaana bhi toh zaroori hai! Mujhe kuch gifts kharidne hain."

At this point, the rest of the group exchanged knowing looks, clearly unimpressed.

"Kya ho raha hai bhai? Aise kya ghur rahe ho sab? Maine kuch galat bol diya kya?" Sara asked defensively.

Samyra rolled her eyes, flipping through her phone. "Lo, zara yeh dekho. Kal ki photos. Tum log kahin ho? Nahi. Hum ghoom aaye aur tum log talli the."

"Neech log! Humare bina ghoom aaye?" Sahil exclaimed, dramatically placing his hand on his chest.

Reyan smirked. "Haan toh, kal daaru peeke bed me pade rehne ke liye kisne bola tha?"

"Arey," Sara whined, "agar sab drunk the, toh ek din aur ruk jaate. Kya problem thi?"

"Nahi, Sara," Shayar said sagely, sipping his coffee. "Galti humari thi. Unhone poocha tha sabse. Humne mana kiya. Jo ho gaya, so ho gaya. Let’s focus on today."

"Dekha, chipkali?" Reyan pointed at Sara. "Kuch seekh apne samajhdar dost se."

Sara promptly kicked him under the table, making him yelp. "Mujhe chipkali bola, abhi giraoongi tujhe balcony se."

Before Reyan could respond, Aakarsh appeared, sliding casually into the seat next to Ayra. Everyone noticed that the seat next to Prerna was empty, but he didn’t choose it. Prerna masked her disappointment behind her coffee cup.

"Good morning, guys," Aakarsh said casually.

"Bhai," Mayank started, grinning at him, "aakhir tune kitni pi li thi ki nashe do din tak utar nahi rahe the?"

Aakarsh shrugged. "Bas ho gaya tha. Waise tum log kahan jaa rahe ho?"

Mayank raised an eyebrow. "Tum log nahi, hum log. Tumhare saath wahi problem hai, sab kuch late se samajhta hai. Jab jaayenge, tabhi dekh lena. Ab mujhe yeh lambi list phir se padhni padegi, too much stress isn't good for the baby, you know?"

"Kaun sa mahina chal raha hai tumhara?" Sarthak asked, adding fuel to the fire.

"Abey!" Mayank exclaimed, throwing a piece of bread at him. "Mera matlab tha ki I am the baby! Stress isn’t good for me."