By the second week, Kabir finally felt the shift.
The hostel, once a noisy, confusing jungle of strangers, rules, and unpredictable mess food, was slowly becoming familiar. The corridors didn't feel intimidating anymore. The late-night chatter didn't irritate him; even the smell of burnt toast in the mornings felt comforting in a weird way.
And the biggest reason for that was his group.
Sameer from Mumbai, fast talking, fast thinking, and the kind of guy who would make friends even with a lamppost.
Vishal from Nagpur was tall, loud, sarcastic, and always ready with a roast sharp enough to slice through steel. His pranks were so famous that even seniors cautiously checked their chairs before sitting.
Ronak from Aurangabad is quiet, sensible, and the rare person whose brain continues functioning after midnight. He balanced the madness the way cool shade balances harsh sunlight.
And then there was Kabir, the new guy, learning how to belong.
Together, the four of them were not in trouble.
They were having trouble with premium features.
The Nights That Turned Into Memories
Every night, without fail, someone would whisper the sacred hostel mantra:
"Bhai… Maggi banayenge!!"
And that was that.
Within minutes, the kettle hissed, steam fogged up the small room, and the aroma of warm noodles filled the air. They sat cross-legged on beds, passing plates, sharing bites, laughing through mouthfuls of masala Maggi.
The late-night conversations were even better than the food.
Ronak would share stories about his strict father.
Vishal would show off embarrassing school photos.
Sameer would talk about his crushes with dramatic sound effects.
Kabir found himself sharing things he had never said out loud before.
Those conversations stitched them together like brothers.
Cricket Sundays-The Weekly War
Every Sunday, the hostel courtyard transformed into a chaotic cricket stadium. Even kids from nearby buildings joined, claiming bats, arguing over teams, and shouting instructions nobody listened to.
Kabir was never a cricket hero in Gujarat.
But here?
Sameer introduced him loudly:
"Aaiye!! Gujarati k Virat Kohli fielding par aa chuka hai!"
Vishal whistled so loudly that seniors from the third floor glared down.
Kabir hit a few lucky boundaries, but his friends cheered as he had already been selected for the IPL. When the match ended, everyone walked back sweaty, fighting over who cheated, laughing so hard that even the warden smiled while pretending to be annoyed.
And somewhere in that laughter, Kabir realised he belonged.
The Human Burrito Prank
One night, after a long day of boring lectures and a dinner so tasteless it could legally be called "punishment," Kabir threw himself onto his bed.
He pulled the blanket over his body and sighed.
Finally… peace.
His eyes were just closing when
"BOOHHOOM! AATTAAAACK!"
Before Kabir could even sit up, Sameer and Vishal grabbed both ends of the blanket, yanked hard, and spun him like a chakri.
"NOT AGAIN, YOU WILD ANIMALS!" Kabir yelled, his voice muffled as the blanket wrapped around him like a tight tortilla.
They rolled him once… twice… thrice…
Kabir Certified Human Burrito.
Ronak stood at the corner, camera on, providing dramatic commentary like a nature documentary announcer.
"And here we see the endangered species: Gujarati Boy Wrapped And Ready To Serve."
Kabir tried to wiggle free.
He failed miserably.
"I swear I'll haunt all of you!" he howled.
Sameer poked the burrito. "Soft Spicy filling Good quality."
Vishal growled like a cave monster.
Ronak added fake horror music on his phone.
Kabir was laughing, shouting, cryingall at the same time.
But Karma Arrives Early…
While everyone was busy torturing Kabir, someone else quietly entered the room: Junaid, their notoriously sleepy roommate, holding his water bottle and rubbing his eyes.
"What's happening?" he mumbled.
Before he could process the scene, Vishal saw him and screamed like a villain:
"TARGET TWO! DOUBLE ROLL MISSION!"
Before Junaid could flee, Sameer jumped on him from the side.
Ronak threw another blanket over him.
Kabir, still half-wrapped, shouted,
"YES! TAKE HIM! NOT ME!"
Within seconds, Junaid was also rolled into a human cocoon, his hair sticking out from one side like a suffering porcupine.
"Bhai, I just came for water!" he cried, helpless.
Sameer patted his wrapped head.
"Congratulations You are now Paneer Roll."
Ronak zoomed in with the camera.
"Behold… Junaid Roll: Extra Sleepy, No Refund."
Vishal started rolling both burritos across the floor like bowling balls.
Kabir screamed.
Junaid screamed.
The neighbors probably screamed.
Finally, the Release
After ten minutes of chaos, dramatic cries, and someone accidentally kicking the cupboard, they finally freed the two victims.
Kabir's hair looked like a bomb had gone off inside it.
Junaid's expression said he had lost faith in humanity.
Kabir stood up, disoriented.
"This is kidnapping, roasting, cardio, and mental torture all in one."
Junaid pointed accusingly.
"I swear, one day… one day… I will take revenge in such a dangerous way."
But before he could finish, all four friends hugged him at once.
Vishal grinned.
"Welcome to hostel life, bhai. Here, nobody sleeps safely."
Sameer added,
"Survival is optional, but Friendship is compulsory."
Junaid groaned.
And Kabir, still laughing, thought:
Yaad rahegi yeh raat humesha.
The Never-Ending Movie Marathon
After the exams ended, Vishal stretched like he was announcing a revolution.
"Tonight, boys… We watched everything!"
They stormed into the common room with stolen snacks, Maggi packets, chips, and a laptop with more movies than memory space.
The popcorn attempt ended with smoke.
The warden knocked twice because the laughter was too loud.
Sameer threw commentary louder than the movie itself.
Ronak cried at emotional scenes.
Kabir laughed till tears rolled down his cheeks.
Halfway through the third film, Sameer suddenly declared:
"Chalo! Night-out! Mumbai calling!"
And like professional criminals, they sneaked out of the gate.
The station was almost empty. A few late-night workers sat half asleep on benches, some stray dogs slept near the ticket counter, and a cold wind drifted through the platform.
When the train arrived, it screeched loudly, echoing through the space.
The four boys hopped in.
No crowd.
No noise.
Just the rhythmic clattering of the train and Mumbai glowing faintly outside the windows.
Vishal spread his arms dramatically.
"Bhai… imagine A whole train coach… just for us!"
Sameer leaned out near the door, letting the night breeze hit his face.
Kabir closed his eyes, feeling something he had never felt before: freedom.
Real, raw freedom.
Within minutes, the train reached Churchgate.
Marine Drive-The Queen's Necklace at Night
As they walked towards Marine Drive, the air grew cooler, fresher And then suddenly.
There it was.
The Arabian Sea, dark and endless.
The long curve of lights shines like a necklace on the black water.
Couples sitting close.
Families talking softly.
Friends laughing with legs dangling over the rocks.
The sound of waves crashing gently.
Kabir just stopped and stared.
"Bro…" he whispered, "ye jagah… this feels unreal."
"Welcome to heaven," Sameer said proudly.
They sat on the rocks, feeling the wind on their faces.
Talking about everything, dreams, life, fear, the future, their families, and the madness of hostel life.
Kabir hugged his knees and whispered to himself:
"I've never felt this alive."
A Walk to the Taj hotel the, Mumbai's Royal Side
After an hour of quiet magic, they stood up.
"Chalo, Taj Hotel dekhne," Vishal declared.
It was a long walk, but none of them felt tired.
They passed quiet roads, old buildings glowing under streetlights, and finally.
The Taj Hotel rose before them.
Magnificent.
Royal.
Majestic.
Every window is glowing like gold.
Kabir's jaw dropped.
"Yeh sach mein itna sundar hota hai?"
Sameer slapped his back.
"Tu Gujarat se aaya hai, Taj hotel koi WhatsApp forward nahi!"
They laughed, stood in front of the grand building, and began clicking photos.
Normal photos.
Goofy photos.
Jumping photos.
Vishal is pretending to be a billionaire.
Sameer is posing like a hero.
Kabir was smiling wider than he ever had.
Ronak is taking perfect angles like a professional cameraman.
Someone said, "Snapchat chalao!" and suddenly a full photoshoot began.
Those pictures weren't just photos.
They were memories being captured forever.
Ice Cream at 3 A.M!!
Happiness in a Cone
Near the Taj hotel, a small ice cream cart stood under a lamp.
The vendor yawned but smiled when he saw the boys.
"Kya loge, beta?"
They bought cones: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
Kabir took the first bite.
Cold.
Sweet.
Perfect.
And with the sea breeze blowing and Mumbai glowing around him
He got goosebumps.
"Bro… ice cream at 3 a.m hits differently," he murmured.
"It hits like heaven!" Vishal agreed with his mouth full.
They stood there, eating slowly, laughing at nothing, feeling like the city belonged to them.
The First Morning Train Back
By the time they finished, the sky was turning a faint shade of blue.
"Boys," Ronak checked the time, "first train ka time ho gaya. Let's go!"
They rushed to Churchgate station again.
This time, sleepy office goers were already gathering.
Inside the train:
Vishal lay flat on the seat and instantly dozed off.
Sameer kept checking the time every second.
Ronak stared outside at the rising sun.
Kabir leaned on the cold window rail and let the breeze hit his face.
"This… this night… I'll never forget," he whispered
The Great Hostel Sneak In,
As soon as the train stopped at their station, they jumped out and ran.
Literally ran.
The sky was lightening, birds had started chirping, and some early students were already out for tea.
"Bhaago! Warden uth gaya to hogaya kaam tamam!" Sameer whisper shouted.
They reached the hostel wall, climbed the back side staircase, and tiptoed across the terrace.
One by one, they slipped into their room like thieves.
Kabir crawled into bed, heart pounding, face smiling.
They made it.
They actually made it.
The room was quiet.
The city slowly woke up outside.
But inside, Kabir thought:
"This… this was the best night of my life."
Sameer grinned from the next bed.
"Bro… today was too much fun."
Kabir whispered back,
"Not fun, bhai… unforgettable moment captured."
And as they drifted into sleep, all four of them knew
This was the night they would talk about for years.
A night that made them brothers.
A night that defined their youth.
The next night, everyone pretended to study.
Highlighters out.
Notebooks open.
Books untouched since birth.
Total acting.
But inside every boy's mind, one thought echoed:
"Kal raat maza aaya tha…"
At 12:47 a.m., Sameer whispered,
"Ek round aur?"
Vishal's eyes widened.
"You mean… Charlie–Charlie ?"
Before anyone could rethink their entire life choices, Ronak had already drawn the YES–NO paper again like a trained priest.
The room filled up faster than a sale at ZARA.
Lights off.
Flashlight on.
Twenty boys sitting like unpaid extras in a horror movie.
Round 1-The Ghost Who Had No Chill!!
Ronak dramatically placed the pencils.
"Charlie, Charlie… are you here?"
The door behind them thudded loudly.
"HOOO BAAAP!"
Half the room jumped.
"Kon hai?!" Sameer squeaked.
A voice replied from outside:
"Bathroom jaa raha hoon, pagal!!"
Everyone sighed.
Ghost count: 0
Stupidity: 100
Ronak continued,
"Charlie, Charlie… are you here!!"
The pencil moved a millimeter.
Vishal jumped so hard that he hit his head on the fan.
Kabir ducked behind the chair, mumbling,
"Bhai, I just want to live till breakfast."
The pencil slowly slid to YES!!.
The boys behind screamed so loud, the juniors on the floor below shouted back:
"CHUP KARO!!!"
Round 2-Dumbest Questions in Human History
Now that the "ghost" was "here," the boys asked questions no ghost deserved to hear:
"Charlie, will we get attendance tomorrow?"
Pencil: YES
"Will the canteen serve something edible?"
Pencil: NO (everyone groaned)
"Is the warden still outside?"
Pencil: YES
Everyone froze.
Then they realized something…
"Bhai, warden toh night shift me nahi hota."
Silence.
Someone whisper-screamed,
"Then who answered YES?!"
Sameer: "THE GHOST KNOWS!"
Ronak: "Or maybe the pencil is tilted…"
But fear had already begun tap dancing in their brains.
Round 3-The FINAL SCREAM
Vishal shakily asked,
"Charlie… can we leave?"
Pencil stayed still.
"CHARLIEEE PLEASEEE!"
Nothing.
"Bhai, he's angry," Sameer whispered dramatically.
Suddenly
DOOFF!
Something fell in the hallway.
Sameer ran and jumped onto Kabir like a baby koala.
Vishal screamed louder than a Bollywood heroine.
Ronak dropped the flashlight.
Kabir tripped on the bedsheet and pulled two boys down with him.
It was absolute destruction.
Someone yelled,
"ABEY LIGHT ON KAROOOOO!"
The lights came on.
They all stared.
The hall dustbin had simply fallen over.
No ghost.
Just bad hostel engineering.
Twenty boys stood sweating, panting, and feeling like idiots.
The Oath (Again)
Vishal announced,
"From today… FINAL decision… we are NEVER playing this again."
Sameer interrupted:
"Bro, tomorrow also we are going to play?"
Everyone agreed instantly.
Because fear+ stupidity+ brotherhood= perfect hostel entertainment.
Kabir looked at his friends and laughed until tears came.
This was madness.
This was youth.
This was freedom.
This was home.