We five were
in shorts and tee shirts with heavy travelling luggage bags which were hanging on
our backs and the straps over the shoulders, hobbled to the lift of a commercial
building. As we stepped into the lift, one of us pressed the number three to
reach the brewing bar and restaurant. Within in seconds, it took us to our
destination. The bouncer was in front of the lift door, he was ready to receive
his customers as the entire third floor was for bar and restaurant.
The bouncer
was in dark blue safari suit, perplexed to see our attire and welcomed us.
Behind him was a booking counter with two charming Chinese (not sure whether
Chinese or Nepali) receptionists were asking for how many we were to allot the
seats. The sturdy bouncer was looking with astonishment as though we were
aliens. One of the charming women with red-half sleeve shirt and black pants
ushered us inside and to the right side where a table with ten seats were
present; five on either side.
The Bar and
Restaurant was semi dark where most of the people were absorbed in their
conversations rather than drinking, some of them were cheering up for a
football team while watching the football match on a big screen in front of us.
A few of them came for only drinking like us. We found a lot of women were
there who were enjoying themselves in the company of their friends. All were
ultra posh with more number of them wearing skirts or jeans. Some background
music was going on through the speakers on all the sides, that was some English
song and none of the people was paying attention and not even aware of it
because of their verbosity.
It was
completely packed with almost five hundred people and there were reasons for
this; the first one was it being famous for producing its own beer which was
tasty and soporific and the other was it was Sunday night. Three of our gang ordered
for the special beer where as my friend and I ordered for fruit punch. I was
observing the ambience and the people. Women were drinking some kind of liquid
and it was obviously alcohol with different flavours and colours. One of us,
Pradeep who was short, stout and muscular appeared like the wrestler called Rey
Mysterio with some tattoos on his neck, biceps and thighs and a bald head with
a cap over it, started sharing the thrilling experience of Kumara Parvata trekking which we had done the previous day and that
day, others too joined in the conversation curiously except I because I was
passively present in the group.
When the
drinks came, we drank fruit punch and they beer. As the beer sank into their
throats the words swam out from their minds like the dead fish on the
water. I was absent mindedly listening
to their illogical and emotional conversations which consisted of cigarettes,
wine and women. It was boring for me and thought why a person would depend profusely
on a liquid to forget his unfulfilled actions.
Can alcohol erase memories or evoke?
Pradeep
narrated a few of his experiences in foreign countries and ordered two more
beers of other brand. The more they drank, the more words came out and the more
emotional they became. There was no contentment in any one of them, all were
merely laughing and smiling and some where they were separated with their inner
being. They were not fulfilled beings but they were materialistically full-possessed
beings.
After three
rounds of the beer, we had paid the bill which cost us three times more than
the cost of the best bar at Hyderabad. Five of us went to the first floor
through the same lift from which we ascended, to have dinner. The Restaurant on
the first floor of the same building appeared like udpi hotel and at the
business hour, there were no customers in the restaurant and the ambience was
too awkward. We had doubtfully ordered for one mutton biryani and tasted, then
we had ordred for the food other than Biryani. We had to eat in that restaurant
as we had no other alternative because right after the dinner we had to catch a
bus at Majestic at ten thirty. We’d our dinner with full of dissatisfaction.
The three of our friends went to their homes after bidding the farewell where
as my friend and I rushed in an auto to Majestic to catch a bus to Hyderabad.
