It was a bright Monday morning, and Naina was bouncing beside Aziza like a detective who just smelled her next case.

"Agent Aziza, are you ready for Operation find sasta majnu?" Naina whispered with exaggerated seriousness as they stood outside the college canteen.

Aziza sighed, tugging the sleeves of her sweater nervously. "You named it?"

"Yaha meri life ka halwa ban raha hai aur tu CID-CID kar rahi hai?"

"Ofo soch toh... kitaa maza ayega hum tere mystery caller ko ek detective jaise dhundege"

"Theek hai toh batao kon kon h humare suspects"

"suspect number 1 canteen wale bhaiya"

"WHATTT, you mean Sunil bhaiya?

Naina's eyes sparkled. "Exactly. He may be older, but love knows no boundaries—"

"Naina kya bolri h pagla gayi hai kya?"

Before Aziza could say more, Naina had already dragged her to the canteen, crouching behind a pillar like she was in CID.

"There. Look at him stirring that sambhar. So gentle. So poetic," Naina whispered.

"Naina, he's stirring sambhar, prem patar nhi likh rahe" Aziza whispered back, trying her best to keep her voice low. "Also, do you even know what poetic means?"

Arre, uska sambhar mein pyaar ka flavor hai," Naina said, her eyes twinkling. "Dekho, woh kitna dhyan se bana raha hai!"

Aziza rolled her eyes. "Koi aur mil jaata, yaar. We're seriously suspecting the guy who serves us sambhar every day?"

"Haan tumhe kal unhone bina maange hi samose ke saath kitii sari chutney de di thi, maine manga toh ek boond di bs!"

"Naina, chutney se pyaar nahi hota.

"Par chutney mein intention hoti hai, darling!"

As they continue spying on the canteen guy. He glances at Aziza once while serving samosas

"Dekha?! Dekha?! Full on 'Prem ki nazar' thi woh!

"Mujhe toh laga ki voh unki neend poori nhi hui"

They sneak closer to the counter. Naina leans in too far—her hand hits a bucket of chutney. It topples. SPLAT. All over her white kurti.

"Aaaaaaaa meri kurti!! puree 300 ki thii"

"Kurti chutney me gyi chapak!" Aziza said laughing uncontrollably"

***

"ANyways after that very not so successful chutney mission we have our suspect #2 Vivaan, the hoddie guy"

"Target hoodie guy spotted. Agent Aziza, goggles on. Tension off." Naina whispered dramatically

"Goggles? We don't even have a plan."

"plan banate banate suspect bhaag jaata hai, darling. 

Vivaan turned the corner, still lost in his phone, heading towards the corridor.

Naina nudged Aziza excitedly. "Chal chal chal, woh udhar gaya! 

They tiptoed like cartoon spies, Naina pressed against the wall like she was auditioning for Mission Impossible: Majnu Edition.

Then, without thinking, Vivaan pushed open a door and walked in.

Without reading the sign, Naina confidently followed. "Chup chap chalte raho, pakde gaye toh bolna we're from maintenance."

Aziza hesitated. "Wait... Naina... yeh toh—"

SLAM.

Too late.

Aziza looked around and froze. Tiles. Urinals. The smell of perfume and 

Her eyes widened. "NAINA! Yeh boys' washroom hai!"

Naina gasped. "Arre?! Toh kya hua? Mission ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hai!"

Aziza pulled her back by the dupatta, "Pagal ho gayi hai?! Abhi koi aa gaya toh?!"

Just then Ayaan entered the washroom and saw Aziza and Naina arguing inside

"OH GOD sorry sorry...I thought boys washroom hai o god.." he said panicking 

Aziza and Naina froze looking at each other with wide eyes beacuse they knew what was coming

Ayaan went out completely embarrassed to check the board out side and it did infact said "BOYS WASHROOM" and his eyes widened in realization, and he dashed back inside

Ayaan blinked. Once. Twice. Then looked at the boys' washroom door swinging behind them.

Then back at the girls.

Then again at the door.

"Tum yaha k-kya kr rhe ho?"

"dekhre hai" naina blurted out without thinking

"WHATT! kya dekhne aye ho"

 Before Naina could say anything else, Aziza did what anyone in her place would do: she shoved Naina forward.

"Woh... she dragged me!" Aziza blurted.

"Excuse me?! Maine drag kiya?! Tu toh khud andar jakar tiles gin rahi thi!" Naina snapped.

"Are you both seriously—were you just in the—?"

Vivaan walked out of a stall at the worst possible time.

"Arre... Aziza? Tum yahan? Kaafi bold ho gaya college life..."

Aziza: "NO I'M NOT—THIS ISN'T—SHUT UP!"

Naina grabbed Aziza and whispered:
"Abort mission. ABORT. MISSION. IT'S CODE PINK!"

They turned to flee, but Naina's dupatta got caught in the door handle.

She spun.

Lost balance.

And knocked over a bucket of soapy water.

SPLAAAASH.

Aziza and Naina stood soaked in soap water from the boys washroom

"Pyaar ke raaste mein thoda paani toh girta hi hai." Naina said trying to shift the attention from her mistake.

Aziza drenched, now stared  at the ceiling, "Uthale re babaa, (PAUSE)
mereko nhi esko" said smacking Naina's head.

"Aaj ke liye bas bohot hogyaa ab bhaggg aur ghar chal" 

They ran away from there leaving Ayaan with an amused smirk.

"Ayaan ye Aziza aur voh cockroach I mean Naina khaa h?"

"abhi toh dono cockroach is lgre the paani me gire hue"

"Kyaa? Paani? Kya hua yaha? spill the tea babygirll"

"Kon babygirll?? aur chai girane kyu bol rha h tu bhi nashe me hai kya?"

"ofoo! 1990 se na call aya tha tujhe bula rhe  hai vapas! mera matalb ki kya hua btaana" Ayaan narrated the whole bathroom mission to Rohan as they walked across the campus laughing uncontrollably.

***
Aziza is sitting curled up on her couch, a towel on her head, sipping warm chai like she just returned from war.
Naina is beside her, still sniffling about her white kurti.

"300 rupaye ki thiii..." she murmurs for the 14th time.

Aziza: "Naina... agar tu firse us kurti ka zikr karegi na, main tujhe phir se washroom mein gira dungi."

Naina sniffed. "Meri kurti ki maut hui hai aaj... samajh rahi ho tum?"

Rohan bursts in, already mid-sentence:
"Bhai sun... tu keh raha hai Naina bola 'we're from maintenance'?!"
And then he collapses on the couch laughing.

Ayaan is right behind, grinning like a devil.

Rohan: "Main toh bas ek question puchna chahta hoon—TILES KYU GIN RAHI THI TU, AZIZA?"

Aziza, hiding her face: "Main... I was checking symmetry!"

Rohan, fake clapping like a talent show judge:
"Kya baat hai! CID se sidha Architectural Digest!"

Aziza throws a cushion at him.

"Tum log kr kya rahe the?"

"Hum miss-" Naina began but was stopped by Aziza before she could explain her "mission" to the boys.

"Hum kuch nhi kr rhe the tumse koi matalb? Apne room me jao mere kamre me kya kr rahe ho!"

As soon as they left Naina gasped dramatic as ever:
"AGENT AZIZA! Operation Sasta Majnu is not over! We are this close—thisss close!"

Aziza groans. "Nahi, Naina. Mission failed. I have been drenched, humiliated, and accused of being a bathroom-tile-obsessed freak."

Naina whispers:
"But we still have suspect #3

"Ab kaun hai suspect number 3?" Aziza asked.

"Suspect number #3 hai mysterious library guy

Aziza, with a deep sigh said  "Mujhe lagta hai next suspect hamare college ke peon honge..."

"Par kaun h voh?"

"Koi toh hoga hi na if he knows what book u want pkka koi library me hi tujhe notice kr rha."

Kal start krege mission sasta majnu dhundo part 2.