The Four O’Clock Squad

Every Sunday at exactly 4:00 p.m., four friends—Rajesh, Robert, Michael, and Vivian—met at Lakshmi Tea Stall, a place with stools so wobbly you got a free leg workout, walls decorated with chai stains, and a ceiling fan that rotated only when bribed with a kick. The menu hadn’t changed since 1983, which was fine because neither had Lakshmi aunty’s attitude.

They proudly called themselves The Four O’Clock Squad. Not because they were punctual—

• Rajesh was always ten minutes late (he blamed “philosophical traffic jams”),
• Robert never carried cash (he believed samosas should be considered a human right),
• Michael forgot what day it was (“Bro, is it Sunday? I thought it was Tuesday again!”),
• and Vivian once showed up on a Wednesday and demanded, “Why aren’t you guys here?”

But the name stuck, mostly because brainstorming a better one required effort—and effort wasn’t on the menu.

Their Ritual

• Rajesh, the philosopher: He always began with brain-melting questions like, “If chai cools down, is it still chai or just brown water?”
• Robert, the foodie: He ordered three plates of samosas “to share” and then shared only the empty plate.
• Michael, the prankster: His hobbies included sneaking chili powder into chutney, switching people’s slippers, and faking medical advice with a serious face: “Yes, coughing means your lungs are applauding you.”
• Vivian, the artist: He carried a sketchbook to immortalize their nonsense, usually drawing Rajesh with Einstein hair, Robert with a samosa six-pack, Michael with Pinocchio’s nose, and himself with a superhero cape made of tea steam.

The Game of Embarrassments

One gloomy Sunday, Rajesh slammed the table and announced,
“Let us reveal our most embarrassing memory! Winner gets free samosas.”

Robert instantly agreed. For him, “free samosas” was more sacred than marriage vows.

• Rajesh’s confession:
  “In college, I gave a fiery speech for ten minutes before realizing the mic was off. The audience thought I was auditioning for silent films.”
• Robert’s confession:
  “I once joined a gym. Went for a week and proudly posted selfies with captions like ‘Fitness is life.’ On the eighth day, the trainer called to ask why I disappeared. I said, ‘Which gym?’ and blocked the number while eating a butter dosa.”
• Michael’s confession:
  “I tried to impress someone by jumping over a puddle. Not only did I miss and splash like a confused dolphin, I also lost my slipper in the water.”
• Vivian’s confession:
  “I gifted my boss a fancy pen. Forgot to remove the price tag. He stared at it and said, ‘So this is how much your career is worth?’ The worst part? I didn’t get a raise… but he used my pen to sign someone else’s promotion letter.”

The stall exploded with laughter. Even Lakshmi aunty, who never laughed at anything (including tax inspectors), nearly poured boiling chai into the sugar jar by mistake.

The Unexpected Twist

Later that evening, Vivian whipped out his sketchbook. He revealed:

• Rajesh delivering a speech to confused pigeons.
• Robert flexing biceps made of samosas.
• Michael flying mid-air into a puddle like a superhero gone wrong.
• Vivian himself wielding a giant price-tag pen like Sachin’s bat.

Above the drawings, in big, bold letters, he scribbled:

“Some friendships are stronger than chai—and dumber than our mistakes.”

The Moral (Now with Extra Calories)

The four friends laughed so hard that Lakshmi Tea Stall’s wobbly stools gave up, the ceiling fan spun in protest, and even the chai kettle whistled like it was laughing along.

They realized something important:

Friendship isn’t about looking perfect, or pretending to be normal adults.
It’s about:

• Having people who will remind you of your most embarrassing moment at least 47 times,
• Mocking your mistakes louder than your enemies ever could,
• Stealing your samosa and then offering you half of it back as if it’s charity,
• And still saving you a seat, even if you arrive on the wrong day.

Life will throw puddles, price tags, and gym memberships at you. But with the right squad, you’ll always have someone to laugh at you while you drown, calculate your loyalty in rupees, or remind you that cardio was never your cup of tea.

So every week at 4:00 p.m.—late, broke, confused, but together—they showed up. Not for chai alone, but for that one thing you can’t brew in any kettle: the kind of friendship that makes stupidity look like an art form.

Because chai can be reheated.
Samosas can be refried.
But laughter with your squad? That’s the one unlimited refill life actually offers.

Tea cools, samosas vanish, but squads stay forever. Who’s in yours, and what’s your funniest 4 o’clock story?

Comment below!

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