It was a Friday evening. It had been a long week - assignments, tests, club meetings. Ajay was dead tired. He badly needed a break. It was then that his friend, Sourabh, asked him to attend one of the small "social gatherings" that would happen in one of the seniors' room. Ajay, for the past few days had been asking about it - he just wanted to be there and feel it; he agreed.
"Would you like to taste it tonight? We'll have to buy stuff..." Sourabh asked.
"No, Sourabh. I just want to be there for the experience. It's not that it is forbidden or anything. I don't want to - at this point in time. Besides, I don't think Aditi will like it either", Ajay replied. Sourabh went away, without coaxing Ajay further
That night, there were a few seniors, Sourabh, Ajay and a couple of their batch-mates. The room had the ambiance of the bars that are shown in movies - dimly lit, slightly smoky, music playing in the background.
For Ajay, it was an entirely new experience. He began wondering - "What would be the reaction of my parents when I tell them I was here? And if one of my relatives get to know, how will it be? It will surely spread from person to person, with more colour and details - upto the extent that I got drunk and fell off...maybe even taken to the doc late in the night. Nah...I mustn't tell my parents about this. This will be my little secret".
Ajay was warmly welcomed by them. He knew them all and they knew him as well! Cool drinks had been brought - a little extra, specially for Ajay. "Welcome, Ajay. I really appreciate you - because, people who do not drink, usually consider drinking as a crime or perhaps even a sin. Now, you, even though you don't drink, have come here out of curiosity. I really appreciate that. Sourabh told me why you don't want to drink. We respect your opinion. But let me tell you this, in case you wish to try and taste, do not hesitate. We shall be very happy to have you as a part of our little gatherings" Sujith, the senior most person in the room, said. Ajay simply smiled.
They downed a couple of pegs and the singers came out. They started with Kishore Kumar. Then, they shifted to the latest - Arijit Singh, Mohit Chauhan. Later, they started pure Bengali songs. Ajay was liking the whole environment - he was amused.
"Ajay, do you smoke?" Sujith asked.
"No" Ajay replied
"Why not?"
"I don't want to harm myself. It somehow, repulses me."
"As if we didn't know that when we began smoking. Smoking is liberation. Haven't you heard that even Shiva smokes a chillum? Haven't you heard that even gods have their own brews? It is important to listen to your heart than your brain, sometimes" Dev, another senior preached.
"Dev, shut up! He doesn't want to. He won't. Don't brainwash him" Sujith said, slightly angered at Dev's attempt to manipulate Ajay.
"No Sujith. You stay out of this. Ajay, have you never felt curious - how it feels to let out smoke from your mouth?" Dev retorted.
"I can't say I haven't...."Ajay hesitated. In fact, he wished to try it out sometime.
"Then try it out...." Dev said, handing out a cigarette - a Marlboro - to Ajay. Ajay took a puff. He started coughing, to everybody's amusement. He himself laughed at it. He tried for another couple of puffs. In a few puffs, he was a pro. Restraining himself, he returned it back to Dev. "Welcome to the order. You are indeed baptised by 'fire', Ajay" Dev said.
In that rush of curiosity, he downed a peg or two of whisky as well - RC, diluted judiciously with Pepsi by Sujith, who took extra care since Ajay was a fresher. Ajay felt weird. He felt warm. No. He felt as if his insides were on fire. Then, it subsided. Ajay felt different. He was slightly high.
Dev asked "Ajay, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No. Not yet..."Ajay said.
"What about Aditi?"
"Its complicated. Ever since that first date - that was spoiled by my friends, she and I have been hesitant to take the next step. I have felt many times that I need to tell her. But, I haven't gathered enough courage to tell her. Now, I guess am "friend-zoned", courtesy, these people. I know one thing for sure. If I enter into a relationship, it will be with Aditi. Else, I shall be alone...forever alone..." - Ajay spoke all this, without totally realizing what he was speaking.
"Dev, I told you. Had you not asked him to smoke, he wouldn't have taken this step of drinking as well. I don't think he was ready for it. We pushed him into it" Sujith said, feeling guilty.
"Am sorry. Sourabh, take Ajay back to his room and see him into bed properly" Dev said.
"Arre! Its totally fine, Devda. I will find my way back. I am not drunk, am I?" Ajay said, trying to balance himself as he got up, "Goodnight! Sweet dreams..."
Walking back to his hostel block, Ajay saw Aditi near the night-canteen. He walked towards her. Aditi suspected something wrong. "Aditi, am sorry" Ajay said. She realized Ajay was high. She thought he wouldn't drink. It hurt her! She was heart-broken. Disappointed. Angry. She began to cry. Ajay tried to wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks. She wouldn't let him.
Everybody near the night canteen turned towards them - Aditi had slapped Ajay hard! She ran back, crying.
That slap brought Ajay back to his senses quite quickly. "Aditi, am sorry!" he called out to her. "Aditi......"
"Would you like to taste it tonight? We'll have to buy stuff..." Sourabh asked.
"No, Sourabh. I just want to be there for the experience. It's not that it is forbidden or anything. I don't want to - at this point in time. Besides, I don't think Aditi will like it either", Ajay replied. Sourabh went away, without coaxing Ajay further
That night, there were a few seniors, Sourabh, Ajay and a couple of their batch-mates. The room had the ambiance of the bars that are shown in movies - dimly lit, slightly smoky, music playing in the background.
For Ajay, it was an entirely new experience. He began wondering - "What would be the reaction of my parents when I tell them I was here? And if one of my relatives get to know, how will it be? It will surely spread from person to person, with more colour and details - upto the extent that I got drunk and fell off...maybe even taken to the doc late in the night. Nah...I mustn't tell my parents about this. This will be my little secret".
Ajay was warmly welcomed by them. He knew them all and they knew him as well! Cool drinks had been brought - a little extra, specially for Ajay. "Welcome, Ajay. I really appreciate you - because, people who do not drink, usually consider drinking as a crime or perhaps even a sin. Now, you, even though you don't drink, have come here out of curiosity. I really appreciate that. Sourabh told me why you don't want to drink. We respect your opinion. But let me tell you this, in case you wish to try and taste, do not hesitate. We shall be very happy to have you as a part of our little gatherings" Sujith, the senior most person in the room, said. Ajay simply smiled.
They downed a couple of pegs and the singers came out. They started with Kishore Kumar. Then, they shifted to the latest - Arijit Singh, Mohit Chauhan. Later, they started pure Bengali songs. Ajay was liking the whole environment - he was amused.
"Ajay, do you smoke?" Sujith asked.
"No" Ajay replied
"Why not?"
"I don't want to harm myself. It somehow, repulses me."
"As if we didn't know that when we began smoking. Smoking is liberation. Haven't you heard that even Shiva smokes a chillum? Haven't you heard that even gods have their own brews? It is important to listen to your heart than your brain, sometimes" Dev, another senior preached.
"Dev, shut up! He doesn't want to. He won't. Don't brainwash him" Sujith said, slightly angered at Dev's attempt to manipulate Ajay.
"No Sujith. You stay out of this. Ajay, have you never felt curious - how it feels to let out smoke from your mouth?" Dev retorted.
"I can't say I haven't...."Ajay hesitated. In fact, he wished to try it out sometime.
"Then try it out...." Dev said, handing out a cigarette - a Marlboro - to Ajay. Ajay took a puff. He started coughing, to everybody's amusement. He himself laughed at it. He tried for another couple of puffs. In a few puffs, he was a pro. Restraining himself, he returned it back to Dev. "Welcome to the order. You are indeed baptised by 'fire', Ajay" Dev said.
In that rush of curiosity, he downed a peg or two of whisky as well - RC, diluted judiciously with Pepsi by Sujith, who took extra care since Ajay was a fresher. Ajay felt weird. He felt warm. No. He felt as if his insides were on fire. Then, it subsided. Ajay felt different. He was slightly high.
Dev asked "Ajay, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No. Not yet..."Ajay said.
"What about Aditi?"
"Its complicated. Ever since that first date - that was spoiled by my friends, she and I have been hesitant to take the next step. I have felt many times that I need to tell her. But, I haven't gathered enough courage to tell her. Now, I guess am "friend-zoned", courtesy, these people. I know one thing for sure. If I enter into a relationship, it will be with Aditi. Else, I shall be alone...forever alone..." - Ajay spoke all this, without totally realizing what he was speaking.
"Dev, I told you. Had you not asked him to smoke, he wouldn't have taken this step of drinking as well. I don't think he was ready for it. We pushed him into it" Sujith said, feeling guilty.
"Am sorry. Sourabh, take Ajay back to his room and see him into bed properly" Dev said.
"Arre! Its totally fine, Devda. I will find my way back. I am not drunk, am I?" Ajay said, trying to balance himself as he got up, "Goodnight! Sweet dreams..."
Walking back to his hostel block, Ajay saw Aditi near the night-canteen. He walked towards her. Aditi suspected something wrong. "Aditi, am sorry" Ajay said. She realized Ajay was high. She thought he wouldn't drink. It hurt her! She was heart-broken. Disappointed. Angry. She began to cry. Ajay tried to wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks. She wouldn't let him.
Everybody near the night canteen turned towards them - Aditi had slapped Ajay hard! She ran back, crying.
That slap brought Ajay back to his senses quite quickly. "Aditi, am sorry!" he called out to her. "Aditi......"
