Agent 024

CLICHES ARE GOOD

"This is fun!", I shouted holding my beer bottle above my head.

We cheered as all of us drank. People had already started to pass out on the carpets on the grass. Some had wandered off on a long walk. The weather was cool and the sky was clearer than it had been in a while.

"Countdown begins ladies and gentlemen!", Roger announced stopping the music for a while.

"12, 11...", he began.

"10, 9...", we joined in.

The cheer got louder as we neared the end of the lockdown.

"3,2,1!", we said and shouted, "Happy Birthday!"

Aviral kissed Prakriti as the countdown ended. It was hard to keep track of who was dating who anymore. We all cheered as we burst balloons just for the allusion of crackers. Right now we were just teenagers who knew how to party and needed to blow off steam before the final term examinations began We were grilled the whole week and these weekend parties were like the stress buster that would leave us with a headache the next day but we would still take it with open hands the next time too.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!", we cheered as we put our arms sideways on the shoulders of the person next to us and jumped up and down to the beat in a circle.

The songs were mostly Punjabi and when at times a Marathi or Tamil song came in the loop, the natives of the place flexed some cool folk moves and we all copied them as best as we could. They nodded their heads in disappointment and after the second song refused to teach us anymore moves saying they would forget their own dance if they saw us doing it any worse.

"Fair enough.", we nodded as we grooved to the music, returning to the limited basic dance steps we sue that we could out in every song.

"God! You guys did such a fab job!", Aviral said as the team landed up in a circle as the next song came in.

"To be honest, we just did the decorations. We didn't even invite half the people who showed up. Heck I don't even know half of them.", I said.

We laughed as Aviral looked at all of us and said, "Thank you, team."

We all nodded back. The term team had grown to become much more to us from just a professional term. It meant family to us now. It meant that we had each others' back and that no matter how much we fought or laughed at each other, we would stand for each other against the entire world too. 

"Oh common.", I heard a couple of my batch mates shout at one corner of the garden.

I looked to find Abhay with Nisha, a second year as they stood shaking their heads while my batch mates tried to pull them into the party.

"We were just passing. You guys go ahead.", Nisha said but the party ultimately dragged them in and they surrendered.

The team suddenly exchanged anxious looks at their arrival. I caught their exchange as I turned back.

"Oh common. He can date whoever he wants. I don't care. What are we, 13?", I said, as I took another shot.

"I don't know about you, Tisha. With him around, you act even younger. Damn, you like both of them! I didn't peg you for monogamy since the first time we met.", Aviral whispered to me.

I was too drunk at this point to shoot him a glare so I just dragged Priya to the dance floor as we began dancing.

"So how's it going with Prakhar?", I asked as she turned me around and we danced.

"Good, he's a nice guy and things are serious between us. Neither of us wanted it otherwise.", she said as she swirled.

"Good.", I said. It was easier to talk to Priya about her relationship when she was drunk. All other times, she would just blush and tell me off.