Location: Hotel Lobby | Time: 8:45 PM
The students tumbled into the hotel lobby like a zombie parade. Some were carrying snacks, some had pillows strapped to their backpacks, and at least one kid was holding a Bluetooth speaker like it was the Olympic torch.
Preeti Ma'am stood near the reception, clipboard in hand like Thanos assigning destinies.
Preeti Ma'am: "Alright students, settle down! You'll be divided into groups of four. Each room will have two beds… so make it work."
Nick gulped.
Nick (to Zaid): "Two beds? Four people? This sounds like a sleepover version of Hunger Games."
Zaid: "May the floor be ever in your favour."
As names were called out, students started squealing, cheering, or groaning—depending on their luck. K ended up with three nerdy kids who brought Rubik's cubes and bedtime tea.
Nick looked at the paper. And then stared into the void.
Nick: "Zaid… read this. I need a second opinion before I have a breakdown."
Zaid looked at the sheet and his jaw dropped.
Zaid: "Room 308. Us… and… Jasdeep and Pranesh."
Nick: "Oh God. We're gonna die tonight."
Jasdeep Singh and Pranesh Jain—the legendary duo of doom. Known for their joint hatred of "weaklings," "nerds," "air-breathers," and anyone who dared to smile in their presence. Their hobbies included tripping juniors and mocking people's hairstyles.
Nick: "I'd rather sleep in the laundry room."
Zaid: "I'd rather sleep with the laundry."
Still, orders were orders. So the four of them met at Room 308.
Jasdeep threw his bag on the bed like he was claiming territory.
Jasdeep: "Dibs. Don't even think about it."
Pranesh: "I'm taking this bed. You two clowns can roll around on the floor like dogs."
Nick forced a smile.
Nick: "Or we could be civil and play for it?"
Jasdeep: "Play? What is this, kindergarten?"
Zaid (pulling out UNO cards): "Yeah… actually. It is."
The stakes? Bed or no bed.
The tension? Sky high.
The vibe? Card game anime.
Nick (holding his cards dramatically): "It's my turn now… Hmmm…"
Jasdeep and Pranesh paused. Jasdeep gulped audibly. Pranesh clutched his cards tighter.
Nick (with full anime intensity): "I summon… Dark Magician!"
Zaid (joining in like a co-op boss fight): "And I choose… Blue Eyes White Dragon!"
Jasdeep (squinting): "Bro, that's not even from UNO—"
Pranesh: "This ain't Yu-Gi-Oh, dumbos!"
Nick: "Don't question the heart of the cards."
Zaid: "Yeah. You just triggered my trap card: Emotional Damage."
Ignoring the nonsense, Jasdeep tossed down a yellow +2 card.
Jasdeep: "Draw two."
Pranesh followed like a man possessed. "Draw four, losers."
Nick looked at Zaid.
Zaid looked at Nick.
In unison, they whispered: "Fire truck…"
[Smosh reference]
Nick drew his six cards like they were being handed court summons.
Nick: "This is a hate crime."
Zaid: "How are we losing this badly?"
Jasdeep (grinning): "Because we're winners. You're just background characters."
Nick: "Okay, first of all, u am the main character and how am I even losing this ."
Author "would you really like for me to write what really happened"
Nick : "no …god no, I rather have this then them knowing "
Author : "it did sting that we got bullied into sleeping down then actually playing uno "
Nick : " you just revealed it "
Zaid :"nick !!! , focus "
The match continued, chaotic as ever. Nick tried to skip Jasdeep's turn and ended up skipping his own.
Zaid tried to reverse it, but accidentally reversed the pain onto himself.
At this point, Nick was holding enough cards to build a house.
Nick (fanning himself with cards): "I could make a paper fan and slap you both."
Zaid (deadpan): "I've seen fewer cards in a Tarot reading."
Jasdeep slammed his final card down with the energy of a WWE finisher.
Jasdeep: "UNO OUT, BABY!"
Pranesh (mock bowing): "Pleasure beating you peasants."
Nick and Zaid collapsed back on the floor mattress, defeated.
Nick (staring at ceiling): "This is what rock bottom feels like."
Zaid (flat on the floor): "It's softer than I expected."
Nick: "It's not. That's a bottle cap under my spine."
Meanwhile, Jasdeep and Pranesh were already hogging the charging points and blasting loud Instagram reels.
Pranesh (smirking): "Goodnight, floor rats."
Nick: "Sleep tight. Hope your bed collapses."
Zaid: "And that your dreams are haunted by UNO cards."
They both sighed dramatically and pulled their bedsheets over themselves like war veterans—battle-scarred, emotionally wrecked, but still sarcastic.
As the lights dimmed, Nick whispered:
Nick: "Next time we duel… it's gonna be Beyblades."
Zaid: "Let it rip."
The lights were dim, lasers flickered, and the bass was shaking the floor. The students had formed a dance circle, clapping and hyping up every person who stepped in.
Umar stepped into the circle, and the room erupted.
Student 1: "It's Umar time!"
Student 2: "He was born to break ankles!"
And break he did. Spins, waves, popping, locking, even moonwalking with imaginary stairs.
Nick (eyes wide): "Bro. Umar's so smooth I think the floor is apologizing for being touched."
Zaid (nodding): "He's got more moves than our maths teacher has mood swings."
Nick was hyped. He bounced on the edge of the crowd, ready to throw it down.
Nick: "Not now… because I didn't come all the way to die in public…"
Author (cutting in): "Not yet, Nick. Your moment is coming. Just… wait. Future chapters, buddy."
Meanwhile, the crowd was fully vibing. A giant conga line started. Girls were dancing in groups. Teachers awkwardly clapped on beat.
Then… it happened.
Through the lights and bass and flashing strobes… Nick saw her.
Pearl.
Hair tied in a high ponytail, dancing with her friends, laughing at something someone said. She looked radiant under the LED lights, like she'd walked out of a music video.
Nick (internal monologue): This is it. The universe just pressed play on my destiny.
Fueled by hormones and unrealistic Bollywood expectations, Nick dove into the circle.
Nick (to Zaid): "Watch this. I've studied the ancient scrolls of Dance India Dance. I'm about to summon Terrence Lewis himself."
Zaid: "Wait—Nick—No—!"
Too late.
Nick burst in with a shoulder pop that looked more like a sneeze. Then came the footwork, which resembled someone trying not to step on Lego. He flailed. He spun. He windmilled. He was trying.
The crowd slowly stopped and stared.
Someone muttered, "Is he having a seizure?"
Zaid covered his face.
Zaid: "This man's out here doing kung fu with his legs."
Nick did a final jump move, spun on one foot, and landed in a crouch.
Silence.
Pearl didn't even glance.
Nick (panting): "So… she didn't see it?"
Zaid: "No. But the teacher in the corner did and she looks very concerned."
The music picked back up and the crowd continued dancing, now ignoring Nick's mini-meltdown.
Eventually, DJ night wound down, snacks were served, and students were sent back to their rooms.
⸻
Next Morning | 6:30 AM | Hotel Lobby
Everyone stood with their bags, looking half-dead.
Preeti Ma'am: "Everyone on the bus! You have 5 minutes!"
Nick (yawning): "I slept for three hours. My neck feels like a used cable."
They boarded the bus, still chewing on breakfast bread rolls.
Nick, Zaid, and K found seats somewhere near the middle.
Zaid: "Let's just sleep through the ride."
Nick: "Yeah… except…"
K (realizing): "Oh no. He's gonna—"
Too late.
The bus started moving.
Nick: "Oh no."
That dreaded familiar wave hit him. The nausea. The dizziness. The creeping realization that his body had betrayed him again.
Nick (clutching his stomach): "Why do I even have a vestibular system? What's it for?!"
Zaid (handing him a plastic bag): "Here. For emergency sadness."
K: "Next time bring Avomine or… teleport."
Nick leaned his head against the window, trying not to think about his internal organs doing bhangra.
As the bus turned the corner, a speed bump sent him airborne for half a second.
Nick: "I'm going to ascend."
Zaid (mockingly): "He's entering his final form."
Nick: "This is how I go. Not in battle, not in glory, but shaking on a school bus after dancing like an idiot in front of my crush."
The others laughed.
Nick groaned and slumped in his seat.
Zaid (patting his shoulder): "You may not have won her heart… but you sure broke physics."
K: "At least you went for it, man."
Nick sighed, watching the road blur past the window.
Nick: "I summoned the Dark Magician last night… and ended up summoning regret."
Nick steps forward dramatically, hands in pockets, staring into the horizon like a philosophical potato.
K and Zaid sit nearby, eating chips.
Nick (deep voice):
You're alive…
If you've ever stood on the edge of silence and felt—
Zaid (mouth full):
Bro, you sound like an ad for life insurance.
Nick (sighs, starts again):
You're alive…
If you've ever stood—
K:
Hey, shouldn't you face the camera or like… the sun? You're facing the water tank.
Nick (turns):
FINE. Restart.
You're alive…
If you've ever stood in the middle of chaos and still heard your own heartbeat—
Zaid:
Wasn't that just the time you got caught chewing gum in front of Preeti Ma'am?
Nick:
Zaid I swear, let me have this moment.
Okay. Again.
Nick (straightens posture):
You're alive…
If you've ever laughed so hard that you started coughing and then your friend thought you were dying—
K:
You mean yesterday when you laughed at your own joke and choked on a samosa?
Nick:
STOP BRINGING UP FOOD.
Nick (clears throat):
Take 4.
You're alive…
If you've ever cried at 2AM over something small, like missing the school picnic or accidentally liking your crush's photo from 2019—
Zaid:
Okay now that was specific. Are we talking about Pearl?
Nick:
I SAID STOP EXPOSING ME.
Nick (frustrated):
You're alive—
JUST—let me do this without you two being emotional terrorists.
K (mocking):
You're alive… if you've ever opened your tiffin and seen bhindi fry.
Zaid:
You're alive… if you've ever forgotten your homework and prayed for the teacher's sudden disappearance.
Nick:
I hate both of you. Let me monologue in peace!
Nick (takes a deep breath, determined):
You're alive…
If you've stood in the rain, not caring about getting wet, because for once the world felt like it matched your mood.
You're alive… if you've ever felt your heart race because of a person, or a dream, or an exam you didn't study for—
Zaid:
So like every Monday?
Nick (yelling):
YOU KNOW WHAT.
You're alive…
If you have friends that drive you insane, but you wouldn't trade them for anything—except maybe a cold coffee and an extra holiday.
K & Zaid (together):
Awww.
Nick:
You're alive if your life makes absolutely no sense, but somehow it's your favorite mess.
Zaid:
That was kinda poetic.
K:
You done now?
Nick (collapsing on bench):
Yeah. Finally.
This is why I can't be in Bollywood. I'd get heckled in every emotional scene.