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My friend
It was really getting hot.. I stole a look at the bottom of the page, to check if his hands have reached the place that I am expecting.. After I read the complete last paragraph only, I could understand his hands are still at her hips and moving down.. But the depiction was worth reading.. I went back to his hands, which were still at her neck..
Action packed page – I thought.. "tuck.. tuck.. tuck…"
I was lying on the cot only with my dhoti and nude except for that piece of cloth around me.. Even in a holiday, the guys here do not allow a person to enjoy himself.. I adjusted my dhoti, tied it around my little waist, took few steps to open the door..
"Koya.. what do u want.." – It was koya the inn-keeper..
"Sir, idhu Bala Subra maniam – going to occupy this cot.." – Koya said in his typical malayalam accent. Whereever I go I see malayalis.. In Bangalore, in centre of the yashvantpur market, in this Everest complex, there is a malayali run lodge, occupied by Tamilians mostly and surrounded by Kannadiga’s..
No wonder people say malayalees can be found in moon too..
In my room, there were two cots, with a metre spacing in-between.. I looked at guy next to koya dis-interestingly. My new partner..
He had dravidian skin and lips, mongol nose and aryan eyes.. Not that I have seen all these races.. It is all perceptions.. The flowering moustache, fear in his eyes indicated he is a real new guy to this place..
I extended my hands – "Occupy ur throne – His excellency".
Bala’s hands were perspiring. I wiped it on his shoulders. "Cool down Bala.. No worries..".
As he was about to sit on the cot, (apart from the cot there was only a chair and a small tabl), I said " Hold ur ass..".
Bala looked confusingly at me in a half-sit position. I pulled my towel from the cot and said "Now place it..".
"Sir.. I did not get u.."
"I said u can place ur ass now on the cot.."
"Sir, What is ass..? " – Bala asked innocently..
Over a period I and Bala have become good friends. Bala has landed a job with a MNC straight out of his college. He did his college in god-forsaken town, that I simply pun repeatedly to make him uneasy.
That was a Saturday.. We were a gang of four in the Inn. Bala has become the fifth person in that.
We were all sitting in my room and contemplating the action plan.
"Boss.. today I will draw from ur library and do some reading and seeing" – Sukh said.
"No.. We are going outside" – I said.. "We can go to floor show in M.G. Road.. We will introduce life to our friend Bala and he will pay for it.."
Sukh and Yash were not obliging. " No..da.. There are no girls there.. Only ladies.. Last time that lady was stinking.. She went out in-between and came back…I think to the loo.. And she didn’t wash properly.." – Yash was reeling out his ideas..
"We should engage some good models in a luxury hotel and n’joy life" – Sukh said.. "Macchaann.. not in W…o’s salary.. U start ur own company, make it public and then u can do it.." – Yash said..
"Okay.. our Saturday concept is, introducing life to Bala.. He has so many things to learn.. let us introduce him to our Bar.." – I said… And the resolution was passed unanimously..
Our Bar was in Mathikere.. We visit pubs in M.G. Road and generally watch good looking girls in the pub. This time we chose the Bar. This Bar had some good ambience.. The road from our inn to this bar is full of residential colonies and we can have good amount of sight seeing en-route.. The Bar guy served us some good drinks and side-dishes and at rates that we can manage.
As we sat in the Bar, I asked Bala, what he takes.. Soft or hard.. He said "Soft".. "Ok.. I will order u a kingfisher .." I said..
"Sir what is it…? " - Bala asked
"Holy Shit.. It is milk Baby.. U do not know it..? Ok.. It is malt with 5% alcohol.." –
"Sir.. I will take some pepsi/coke types" – Bala said..
"Why..da..? Don’t worry I will pay for it.."
"No Sir.. I promised my mummy that I will not drink.. I have a large family to take care.. "..
"Idha paara.. Mohandass" – I said- "I know.. 2 sisters to get married, a brother to study, father is only a temple archaka.. I know that.."
"Sir.. No. . Sir.." – Bala pleaded..
"Bala.. I tell u.. Nothing will happen.. Just enjoy this drink for today and we will all forget about it..? Are we all drunkards..? We drink probably once or twice in a month.. It is social drinking yaar… As u go up in ur company, u have to drink with ur seniors, customers, management etc.. Learn it.." – I said in a stern voice..
Bala didn’t refuse. He sipped the beer and after some time he had exhausted a large and was sitting smugly. There was this decorative set of stones that they have heaped in a corner. Bala was continously looking at that..
Suddenly he got up, went to the stone decorations, lifted a big stone of it and exclaimed " I am the Hanuman.. I have to come to destroy the Ravan..". – He gave a posture of hanuman with one leg up and stone above his shoulders..
"Who is the Ravan" – I asked..
"The bearer with the bill " – Said Yash..
"Throw the weapons at Ravan.. Capture the Sita and take her back" – I shouted..
Bala threw the stone at the bearer.. It hit the bearer and he fell down.. He hopped on the table and shouted " this is my sita.. I am taking her.." – Saying this he clutched the hands of Yash and started running..
"U rama and lakshmana, run after me" – Saying this he and Yash fled..
The Bar staff came near to us and evacuated both me and Sukh. The bearer regained consciousness after some time. Soon some policemen arrived. After a heated argument, the policemen took me and sukh outside and asked us to run and never return to the Bar. We started walking. In a typical police style, both of us were struck with the police lathis on our vetereberal column and this made us to run from that place..
I and Bala remained friends even after that incident. He became our accomplice in all our evil-doings. He got acclimatized to many hard drinks white, red, golden and brown. We were there with our lives in that inn for about 4 years and I think I taught him all the vices that I got..
After 4 years, we parted ways due to professional pursuits. I went on a globe-trotting spree, before settling at chennai. And my contacts with the group got broken.
And I got into my daily life.. Another decade has whizzed past. I am a middle-aged guy right now with a family and 2 kids, managing a business. Well I never thought of my past, until today..
I got insered into my innova. "Polampa.." – I said to the driver.. These days, to cross mount road in chennai is a herculean task. U need to wait 4 times in the same signal.
I was just looking out, when I saw a guy in scooty, almost hitting my vehicle on the side and stopping, as we were all waiting for the signal. I had a second look at the guy. Dravidian skin and lips, mongol nose and aryan eyes. Is it Bala..? The curly hair had got trimmed, but I am almost sure he is Bala. But what is this..? He was kind of disshelved..
I opened the window and shouted "Hey Bala..".. The guy got surprised and looked at me.. He couldn’t understand this middle-aged, well dressed guy shouting at him..
"Bala, it is me,.. " – I shouted my name.. Bala’s eyes widened.
I observed that the traffic lights are going to bcome green. I shouted " Bala come to Park sheraton. I am driving there."
"So.. tell me how r things..? marriage/kids… cmmon.. I want to hear everything.."
"U tell me da.. How r u"- Bala asked.
"I am fine. Married a good looking, fair-skinned girl. 2 kids. In school. Girl in 7th and Boy in 1st. Settled in T.Nagar. Heading a business unit in a reputed company. So it is on. How r u Bala.. And why u r looking so disshelved..?"
"Well… I am a bachelor still.. But I have got my sisters married. My brother is married and settled.." – said Bala.
"Why’da..? Just screwing girls only.. even at this age.. Why .. u don’t want any resp.. Or it became too late.. Actually even now u can get married.."
"No.. my family got settled long back.. Somehow I am not interested .. I am working in a company here.. ". As he took the tumbler in his hands, I could see it shaking, trembling. He held it with other hand and then sipped the water..
"What happened Bala.. Any problem.. Tell me da.."
"I have a bit of nervous weakness.. I am getting treatment for it.."
"Why should u get nervous weakness.. Have u shown to proper docs..? Bala tell me the truth.. R u in some economic difficulty..?"
"No.. But yes.."
"I shall help you.. I will get u treated.. I can get u a good job.. don’t worry.. But what is ur problem…?"
Bala stared at me for long time.. He was silent. He didn’t move his eyes. I didn’t know if he is seeing me or seeing through me something else..
"Tell me da.. What is ur problem.." – Bala didn’t move.. His lips were twitching.. I thought he is trying to hide some emotions..
Tears welled up in his eyes…
"I am addicted ‘da.. I can’t live without this drink.. I hate it.. I do not want to drink.. But alas, I cannot avoid it.. I have to drink.. It is so bad.. I have to drink every 4 hours.. I hate myself.. I want to die.. I just don’t know why I am living.."
Bala sobbed.. Tears were flowing uncontrolled.. His whole body was shaking.. He started sobbing more and more..
"I tried various treatments.. Every time I relapsed.. I could not control myself.. I have lost my parents, brother, sisters, job, money, dignity and respect… Now also I was going to a place to seek some work and money.."
"Actually u know, I was normal like u. I didn’t know how it increased.. How I became what I am today.. I have switched umpteen jobs.. But nowhere I could fit.. This habit kills me.. "
Saying this, he dug into his pocket, took a bottle and just gulped its contents down his throat..
I just kept staring at him… The mathikere Bar came to my mind.. I have introduced this guy to drinking.. I have forced him to drink with me many times.. I have come up in my life.. I drink even today.. That is social drinking.. None in my family even know about it…
But this guy..
I have actually screwed up his life.. Something felt very hot inside my brain..
"Can u give me some money.." – I came back to this world.. Bala was stretching his hands before me.. I felt a deep pain going inside me.. Somebody has cut me into 2 halves.
"Bala…." – I said in a low painful voice.."I am sorry’da for what I have done to you.." – I took a Rs.1000 note and kept it in his palm..
Bala looked at me with emptiness. "It is gone.. I cannot blame anybody for my life.. Neither u Nor Sukh or Yash.. I have screwed it myself.. "
‘My mother knows what is good and what is bad.. She warned me.. I didn’t listen.. I broke her promise.. I have gone out of control.." – Bala was sobbing..
Ego shattered, with heavy feelings I continued staring at Bala..
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