The city saw an unprecedented flood of parties, hosted by hotels and restaurants, organisations and institutions. Many eateries around the city offered complimentary food and drinks to the merrymakers, while others packaged attractive combos. Celebrities from the television and radio industry provided entertainment to those who were not already swaying to the beats of some or the other DJ.
Many allied industries saw a big leap in terms of business as Orange City decided to ring in the New Year like never before. "The sales of cakes have almost doubled this year. There was a lot of demand for cakes, especially those made from chocolate," revealed Bobby Sabarwal, director of Reds.
Several lounges and speciality chains too made their presence felt in the city this year, and these new venues were among the places most in demand on New Year's Eve.
Hard-core weight watchers gave in to temptations on this special day, vowing to stick to their diet for the entire year after the party was over. Drinks also flowed freely as the city saw a one-day relaxation in the otherwise strict rules prohibiting drinking and noise pollution in the late hours of the night.
"I feel so happy that we can have a proper nightlife in the city, at least for a day," said self-declared party animal Jayesh Arora.
There were many, though, who preferred to ring in the New Year quietly, with only their loved ones for company. "I will be home watching the countdown on television with my family, perhaps with a special dinner," said teacher Zainab Dhamangaonwala.
While most youngsters were partying at the hottest destinations or painting the town red with friends, some made sure they gave their families some quality time. Collegian Mohit Chouksey brought his friends home so that he could celebrate with his family as well. "We brought along some food and drinks so that my mother didn't have to cook," said Mohit.
RJ Neha too spent time with her parents until midnight before heading out for a party hopping session with friends.
Giving tough competition to the pricey celebrations at posh clubs and lounges was the revelry at Futala Lake. "There are many who can't afford to shell out big bucks for the sake of celebration, and those who prefer to be outdoors to welcome the New Year. Keeping the needs of such people in mind, we came up with this equally fun-filled yet pocket-friendly way of partying," said corporator Prakash Gajbhiye, who organised this do.
With most people busy having fun, there were some who spared a thought for the lesser fortunate people. Medical student Yash Banait spent his evening distributing clothes to the homeless. He had been collecting old clothes since a fortnight to give them away as New Year gifts. Yet, the humble youngster refused to take the entire credit for this good deed. "Many of my friends and teachers helped me in my efforts," he said.
At night, Yash partied hard with his friends. "Studying medicine does not leave you with much time for celebrations. But this year, we have just got done with our examinations, so everybody was geared up to let their hair down," said Yash.
A few others seemed to be in a mood to reflect and plan ahead in solitude and quiet. Event planner Somendra Jaiswal took a ride to the Pench National Park along with his best buddy.
Despite all the revelry surrounding them, the city cops were a busy lot, keeping a close vigil to prevent any unpleasant incident from destroying the happy moments. Police commissioner Ankush Dhanvijay had earlier said that his men would be present all over the city but not in a very conspicuous way, to avoid being labelled as party poopers.
Looking at the zeal with which the city welcomed the New Year, Nagpurians appear to be looking forward to the opportunities brought along by the new dawn.
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