They reached the front of the dorms and saw the watchman sleeping soundly. They quietly tiptoed inside and taking the stairs reached the first floor where Vijeta's room was.
Rahul knocked on her door and when she sleepily opened the door, he gave her his brightest smile.
"Rahul tum yaha?", Vijeta's sleep flew away in seconds.
Rahul stepped forward to give her a hug which she reciprocated with equal warmth.
"I am here as well", Sachin cleared his throat.
"oh hello, Sachin", Vejita wished him, kindly.
As their greetings ended, Rahul closed the door on Sachin's face.
"hey, what are you doing?", Sachin banged on the door.
"shush you're gonna wake everyone up", whisper yelled Rahul.
"what I'm supposed to do here? I'll get bored while you two romance inside", whined Sachin.
Rahul opened the door two minutes later and handed him a packet of homemade namkeen and laddoos.
"I'll wait here and warn you if anybody comes", said Sachin gleaming, eyeing the packets.
"good", replied Rahul, smirking while Vijeta rolled her eyes at the pair of best friends.
Sachin sat comfortably at the chair kept outside opening the food packets happily.
10 minutes later when he was about to put the last laddoo in his mouth, he heard some footsteps.
His eyes widened as he rushed towards the door.
"open the door. Someone is coming this way", he called desperately for them.
Rahul opened the door, a few seconds later, panic visible on his face as he pulled him in and closed the door again.
"I heard some footsteps this way. I think someone has gotten into the building", said Sachin, explaining.
"you think some chor got in", asked Rahul, worried.
When Sachin solemnly nodded Vijeta spoke from behind, "this is a hostel, a lot of girls live here. It can be anyone and moreover we have a watchman at the entrance", as she tried explaining them.
"the watchman is sleeping soundly how do you think we got in", said Rahul, mockingly.
Vijeta glared at him when Sachin spoke again, "no I'm sure, it's a thief. The footsteps were quite heavy and before that I heard some sound of something falling, must have made a mistake while sneaking in. They aren't professionals like us"
"then we must so something to stop this thief", said Rahul determined.
Vijeta tried stopping the two a few more times and then eventually gave up.
Sachin went to the store room next to Vijeta's room and came back with two wooden sticks.
"you think this is enough. What if he's armed!", asked an anxious Rahul.
"you don't worry, juice jam. I'll always save you", said Sachin fiercely as he slinged his arm around Rahul.
"don't call me that", muttered Rahul back but his immense faith in Sachin only strengthened.
Vijeta smiled seeing the two.
Sachin and Rahul covered their heads with blankets. Rahul did oppose the idea but Sachin had said it gives the adventurous feel so here they were, hiding behind a pillar with Vijeta in front then Rahul and at last Sachin.
"where is your thief?", asked Vijeta, sarcastically after standing at the same place for 10 mintues.
"you aren't joking, right?", asked an indignant Rahul, who apparently also couldn't see a thief neither can hear any unusual sound.
"why would I? You think I'm that jobless-- just wait a second", demanded Sachin when someone tapped on his shoulder.
The figure tapped his shoulder again and annoyed Sachin turned to give the person a piece of mind when he saw a tall, bulky figure covered in flour and some sort of red liquid which he at that time assumed to be blood.
His eyes widened in horror and he screamed at the top of his voice, lifting his stick to hit the thief in the face, scaring the person who screamed back.
Shocked Rahul and Vijeta turned around, terrified and screamed as well.
The screaming woke up the entire hostel and everyone rushed out of their rooms to the source of voice.
Vijeta who apparently regained her senses first. Recognised the tall figure to be her warden who had been pranked by the girls again and was just roaming around the corridor to calm her anger.
She pulled a screaming Sachin and Rahul before any of the girls saw them especially the warden who was screaming with her eyes closed and the watchman, the two would be in great trouble then.
"that's my warden. Stop screaming", she hissed as she pulled them towards the Secret back door.
"wait really. She's terrifying", stuttered Sachin and Rahul nodded in agreement.
"I'm sure, you terrified her for the rest of her life with your screaming", laughed Vijeta.
Their ears turned red with embrassment when Sachin spoke again, "she looked scary. Don't blame me if I had gotten an heart attack"
"you aren't getting in trouble right? Do you want me to come and give a justification", asked a distressed Rahul.
"no, I'll handle it myself because she might actually get a heart attack seeing two boys in the hostel at two", she smiled as she ruffled his hair and hugged him goodbye.
"I'll miss you but I'll come back soon", he muttered and unwillingly let her go.
"no please don't ever come to surprise me in the hostel", she hastily said while the two boys laughed and she joined them.
.............
"Thank God you're okay. What took you so long? We heard some screaming, Sourav was already climbing the wall", asked a worried Anil as he spotted his two best friends leaving the premises.
" yes, what happened in there? We thought we heard you people screaming and why are you covered in blankets and have wooden sticks?", demanded Dada.
Sachin and Rahul looked at each other and burst out laughing, clinging to each other for support.
Dada and Anil looked at them weirdly and waited impatiently for them to stop.
Rahul wiped the tears in his eyes because of laughing and then replied, "nothing. Just.."
He looked at Sachin who completed his sentence, "stuff"
And both of them burst out laughing again.
"why are you guys laughing so hard?", asked a very confused Anil.
"oh nothing Jumbo. Come on let's go", he patted Anil's head and started dragging him along with him.
While Rahul pulled Dada with him, "I want to know everything", ordered Dada.
"but don't you say that you know everything", teased Rahul grinning while Dada sulked.
He poked Rahul and Sachin their entire way home but the two didn't utter a word and instead laughed everytime.
Till date, nobody knows what happened that night except Rahul, Sachin and Vijeta, they still laugh heartily about it and Dada and Anil still sulk on being excluded.
Nothing has changed in all these years, nor their love for each other and neither their strong trust in each other.
I know I won't be able to post this on midnight so posting it earlier.
Happy New Year peoplee. I just hope next year is better than this. More happiness to you.
So how was it?
Did you guys expect this unexpected twist🌝?
Until next time,
All the love.