‘I know drinking is not bad because they nowhere mentioned here ‘Drinking is injurious to health…or do they?’ With almost his eighth peg, he carefully observed the bottle if there was anything written.
‘No they don’t write it, because it is good to drink…maybe more than an apple’. He laughingly said to himself.
‘Then why don’t they prepare a slogan like…’A peg a day, keeps a doctor away!’ with his Amrit drank the entire peg at once.
‘Fucking Nepalese Government….this is how they suck money from us and purchase the expensive cars!’
Amrit talked to himself, after purchasing two quarters and one-half whisky. He was the loyal customer of Signature; basically for two reasons…it was of reasonable price….and because his head would not be so heavy next day. Maybe he felt it. And it was natural for him to curse Government because the whiskey that used to cost around two hundred and fifty has now grown to five hundred per half. It was a Friday eve, and the day when he got his salary from tuition. So, he purchased a quarter for today’s eve, a quarter for tomorrow’s eve and a half for some day that he may require in the month as he may not have the money to buy it then.
It was around seven thirty and the times in winter at this get really dark. He was now thinking of some snacks to buy…..as he had no intension to prepare a meat after reaching room. He purchased a packet of Kurkure, half kilo apple and got Sekuwa from the Bhatti on his way. Ghattekulo’s evening was still with people at this time. So, he was all set towards his room. Just after sometime, he heard himself singing….
Friday evening, sathi mili jaad Khana basing, ali ali English chading, raat vari halla garing!
After reaching the room, ignoring the messed up everything, he boiled water and kept his bag of Kurkure and apple at the floor. After cutting apples, he even sliced the tomatoes, onions, radish that he had in his room. He washed his glass and got all set for the celebration of the weekend.
He opened a quarter of Signature and made a small peg of around 20 ml of whisky of 60 ml of hot water to dilute it. With a slice of radish in mouth….he said…’CHEERS’ to himself and drank the entire peg at once. Amrit believed that only if first peg is to be completed with just one touch of lips to glass and that is the drinking rule. Few pieces of apples were enough to reduce the throat burning fire on his neck. He then switched his laptop on, and logged into Facebook and found a status posted by Rhythm Brothers:
ATTENTION ALL METAL HEADS www.rvlradio.com GIVES YOU ANYTHING METAL 24/7.
JUST CLICK ON THE METAL CHANNEL AND ROCK TILL YOU DROP IT!!!
REVOLUTION RADIO.
After pouring some whisky into the glass, he clicked on the link provided.
‘These Rhythm brothers are always my model…I was their fan when I was in grade six, and I still am…It indeed is good and inspiring to learn that they are in Nepal…’
He added some water and then and with few glances at the website, he said…
‘CHEERS TO RHYTHM BROTHERS! If possible I’d love to drink with you two someday’ and took a sip from the glass.
After closing the site, he then took the next sip and had some Kurkure.
‘I don’t know why, but Kurkure is always the best snack for me…with drink…’ He was talking to himself. He refreshed his Facebook page.
‘Bijay changed his relationship status from ‘being in relationship’ to ‘single’. Amrit laughed and took few sips again. This reminded his of his days with Smarika.
After being in relationship for six months, the couple had already decorated their dream… From the date of marriage to place for honeymoon; from acceptance of pre-marital sex to number of children; and even their name. Smarika was the pre-marital wife of Amrit already because she was the one to care of his daily activities Amrit was equally responsible from his side as well, and everything was going perfectly well until the day when Amrit shared his future plan of studying journalism leaving his management field, because he wanted to be a journalist. The minor dissatisfaction of Smarika at this decision finally brought to the questions and debate like, ‘It would be shameful for me to call myself wife of journalist!’, ‘Why did you previously say that you want to be CA during that initial propose?’ Although Amrit had granted freedom to her in every thing that a normal boyfriend would not allow like drinking, swimming and the sexy dresses…and even her aim of being airhostess, the internal desire of journalism was the main reason for his breakup!
It had been sometimes back Amrit heard of Smarkia from one of their mutual friend that Smarika made a new MBBS student her boyfriend.
‘Fucking girls! Although girls have breasts, maybe a cute one, but they lack brains!’ He told to himself.
‘My single life rather is much more free and independent! Why do guys run after girls to make a girl friend? When they know that they have to spend more than half of their life with wife? Huh!!’
‘CHEERS to my single life!’ He completed the entire remaining peg at once.
‘Life would never reach to this position without my struggle.’ He talked to himself pouring the liquor into the bottle.
Unlike other friends, Amrit cleared his fees from his parents’ money and then he never demanded a bit more for his other expenses. His rent, fooding expenses for fun was covered by his tuition’s salary itself. Teaching three students would pay him nine thousands and out of which three thousand was his rent’s charge. He still managed to save at least some portion for unseen future. So, Amrit was a serious guy. It was not that his parents were from poor family, but he never dared to trouble his parents. Dead old mother’s picture on the wall was the only thing as her memory. Although his step mother was not that bad, but when one does not take birth from her womb, there could be felt artificial feelings to some extent. And this made him step back from his family. So, ever since he came to Kathmandu for studies, it was only during Dashain he used to return to his home to get blessings from his father and step mother.
‘Babu, I know I am your step mother, but I am trying my best to treat you and Anish equally, don’t feel bad, and let me know if I somewhere at sometime hurt you.’ Every time when he was at home, his step mother used to say it. Anish was his step brother of twelve years in old.
‘No mom, I never feel that way!’ Amrit always used to lie.
This was his last peg from the first quarter; and probably his fifth peg. He forgot counting it. And when one gets lost into the ocean of thoughts, they forget to create the uniformity in the amount of whisky and water. So the diluted state lacks uniformity as well.
The power goes off.
‘Fuck! This Electricity!! Why am I born in Nepal? Huh!’ He says and lights the emergency light.
‘And Fuck my Laptop! What’s wrong with the battery? Gives backup of simply an hour! Huh!’
He shuts down his laptop and plays songs through his cell phone. He hears Satya and Swaroop singing..
..Aago ko taap jiwan….Aagai ko raap jiwan…
‘Yes! The hotness of fire is life….these brothers are awesome and my all time favorite! CHEERS to you two!’
He completes the peg at once, and drinks a glass of water He tries to think something, but not sure what to think of and he rather think of opening next quarter!
‘I am not in mood usually, now when I am in mood….Let me enjoy!’
So he opens and pours it in the glass….when he hears Swaroop singing…
Ta diyera ritto, ma liyera ritto…..hey bottle ta vanda ma dherei chu ritto…’
He catches emptied quarter bottle and finally realizes…
‘You are empty by giving….I am empty by taking!’
‘Wah…What a lyrics!’
After sometimes he again hears…
Ta sakchas varina kunai din feri, mero rittata yo sakidaina sayad.
And again he starts,
‘You can get filled up some day again, but my emptiness will never end probably.’
At the time of hearing this four and half minute song, he completed two pegs.
‘I know drinking is not bad because they nowhere mentioned here ‘Drinking is injurious to health…or do they?’ With almost his eighth peg, he carefully observed the bottle if there was anything written.
‘No they don’t write it, because it is good to drink…maybe more than an apple’. He laughingly said to himself.
‘Then why don’t they prepare a slogan like…A peg a day, keeps a doctor away!’ with his Amrit drank the entire peg at once.
‘So where is sekuwa?’
‘Damn! The sekuwa is great!!’ He smiles.
‘Bhatti’s didi is jhan great!’ He smiles.
It was his friend Pawan who took for the first time there for the first time there and ever since then Amrit became fan of it. He poured his ninth peg before remembering Pawan.
***
With the reason to go into Pawan’s room for studies, Amrit used to go there. However the reason was different. It was Pawan’s sister Prakriti with whom Amrit once had a crush. So frequent visits there…but once Prakriti told him ‘Amrit dai’ and all his mirrors broke down. Now that could not be the suitable reason to end going Pawan’s house, and since Pawan was not just classmate, but a bench mate too so he had to keep the relation alive.
From the day when they drank together; they became close. In fact Pawan, Amrit and Sudip had a separate group. Celebration to studies used to go in combined manner. Sudip was a guy from West Nepal and three of them used to sit in the same bench.
***
‘I must call them tonight…’ He said and completed his ninth peg. But soon he realized that it was the time for him to pee. He gets up, but soon he feels that he could not control over his body. He feels that he is walking like drunk with shaking body. He tries to walk in normal way, but could not. He could not stand well, however manages to return back safe. He notices that there are two pegs remaining in the bottle.
‘This is my last peg, and this has to be neat!’ He says and pours entire whisky at once to the glass. At the time of removing the mouth of bottle he notices the green colored bottle.
‘Why is this bottle green? Any logics Mr. Amrit?’ He talks to himself.
‘Because the color of leaf is green’ He answers and laughs.
‘Oh! Come on! It is like asking why is the color of sky blue? No logics!’
‘I know I am drunk, but I am loving it’ he says to himself. He takes two sips from the glass. Maybe when one is completely drunk, he fails to recognize the taste of dilute and neat and when one gets drunk more than enough he forgets the snacks that he had to take with the drinks. Only after completing entire glass of neat whisky Amrit got the feeling that he drank more than enough.
‘Why do people drink?’
‘This bloody liquid is neither tasty, not fruitful….and why do people drink?’
‘If urine was charged, people probably used to drink it as well!’
He began talking to himself.
‘Not all peoples in the world drinks, only fools drinks!’
‘And I am one of the fool? Huh!’
‘Waste of money, waste of time….waste of reputation!’
He remembers his earlier saying, ‘A peg a day keeps the doctor away!’
‘No! Only an apple keeps the doctor away!’
He then checks time that displays 22.21
‘Nights are for talking, but one needs to have a girl to talk and I don’t have a girl! Huh!!’
Then he remembers of Pawan, and pulls his cell phone, closes down the song that was singing….Don’t think twice, it’s all right.
‘Hey Pawan, what’s up buddy?’
‘Nothing, was reading chapter three of English!’
‘Okay keep reading, but I missed you today!’
Pawan could easily recognize Amrit’s drunken tone.
‘Hey you drunk?’ Pawan asked.
‘Yeah’
‘With whom?’
‘Alone….that is why I missed you ni’
‘You should have called me…..’
‘Nah…ekkasi mood came, so sat down.’
‘Okay, we will have some other day.’
‘Nah….I quit drinking from today.’
‘Huh!! Pagal’
‘Seriously, I am going to drink milk from tomorrow.’
‘Hya you are drunk, go and sleep.’
‘No since this was my last time….so…but you guys are great yaar. I am proud to have friends like you guys…’
‘Hya, you are jhyap!’
‘Why? Getting irritated? Don’t want to listen me?’
‘No it is not like that.’ Pawan says in irritated voice.
‘Then! You just listen, your incoming is free.’
‘Okay okay, go ahead.’
‘I seriously missed you yaar…Aaja uskei yaad ma, ma yo geet gaudai chu…’ Amrit starts singing.
‘Uff’
‘Lala, don’t want to disturb you Mr. Padandas, study, Best of Luck!’
‘Okay Thanks!’
‘And never talk of drinking to me again, got that?’
‘Yes Prabhu!’
‘Okay bye, and again Best of Luck!’
‘Yeah, thanks….and bye!’
Amrit cuts off the phone and tries calling the next friend Sudip, and unfortunately his cell is off.
‘Fuck Sudip! Could not talk to you!!’
‘Eeeh…he keeps his cell off while sleeping! Sutirakh!’
That night he throws off. Maybe last neat was excessive and finally struggles to sleep. Struggles in the sense that as he used to close his eyes, he could feel his bed moving around and since he was in bed, he could feel himself moving in rotation!’
The struggle that he went through last night just to sleep was the main reason why his sleepy behavior was on during morning and the thrown out’s effect still lasted in his mouth through bile saliva and that probably was the reason for unwillingness to eat breakfast this morning. It was Saturday and hence he was idly going to waste it. But he was still committed to his yesterday’s commitment of quitting the drinks. He kept the half signature in his old box that he never opened and cleared the room. His yesterday’s hangover took entire Saturday to come down. Next day, he made his both friends aware that he seriously left the alcohol from that very day.
Life was easily moving ahead it had been a week that he had left alcohol, and his commitment was yet not moved which means he seriously quit the alcohol. Gradually with the time came the day of Christmas. His friends had already booked the room at Lake Side for celebration. So, three went to Pokhara at the Lake Side; and on the eve sat on the restaurant. Sudip ordered White Mischief for two and then began to talk. No one could sense it, but Amrit truly was having the difficult time then. After few pegs his friends had, thoughts began removing around his mind…and heart….
‘I must be happy for quitting, but why am I not?’
‘Drinking is bad, I must not get crazy!’
‘But drinking in limit is not bad either.’
He completely lost his hearing ability and seriously was not aware what Sudip and Pawan were talking of.
‘No! I should not think that way!’
‘But how can I cope up with friend’s circle if I quit drinking?’
‘I can, does drinking only strengthen the tie of friendship?’
‘Drinking creates memory!’
Suddenly, Pawan pokes him. Maybe he already was in good, he actually had to be because they had completed two quarters already.
‘Hey yaar Amrit, it’s so boring, drink it! Come on! At least for our sake, Santa’s sake!’
‘Huh!’ Amrit gets out from his thinking world!!
Sudip adds, ‘Don’t be like Abhinit yaar, we get bored, at least give us a company, a peg?’
---
Abhinit was the guy of their class who never drank or smoked. Although in the beginning he got due importance, later he was simply avoided simply because he never gave a company.
---
The fear came within his mind as well.
‘Umm…’
‘Come on!’ Both shouts.
‘Okay, a peg!’
‘Yeaaah!!!!!’ Both shouts!!
***
‘Oh come on, one last quarter….it was for you guys whom I drank!’
‘But it is enough for us!’
After lining four quarter’s bottle, Amrit began…
‘In fact, I was such a fool who thought of quitting!’
‘Yes, but why did you decided that?’ Sudip asked.
‘Oh Mujhi, I don’t know!’
‘Chup Mujhi, because he drank alone and got psycho.’ Both laughed.
‘Yeah, but drinking is fun here, drinking to be social!’
‘Yes!’ Both of them said with their sleepy eyes.
‘And never drink alone now, do remember us!’ Pawan added.
‘Okay yaar!! I love you both!!’
‘And guess what? After being back, here I invite you to my room for one half Signature...and Cheers for that!’
Three of them finally strike the glass!
