Chapter 3: Where it all started

Arun… a friend since high school, and a confidant still, as we headed towards the finale’ of engineering, was one of the few who knew exactly what I was. And hence knew the change was drastic if not devastating.

“So you are telling me there was a time he didn't puff up like a steam engine and drink like a petrol one?” Asked Dipin with raised eyebrows.

“No.” Said Arun.

••

The Flashback

“Hi Suraj, this is Shyla. Shyla, this is Suraj”, Chaitra said, walking in from behind.

“Shyla, this is the fresher guy I told you about, remember? The salsa dancer?”

“Oh yeah! Hieeee, I’m Shyla, and I am one of the very few in this college with whom you share this passion of dancing”, she said in a hushed yet excited tone, extending her hands for a formal handshake.

“Must say, I’m glad, given that you could be my new partner… uh I meant in salsa”, I replied, with my ever so cheesy flirting.

Dance brings people together, of that I knew. But least did I know that this meeting would bring a person in my life who would teach me an art to live life itself.

This was the beginning of many firsts, as Shyla, for the first time made me realize that the level of faith in another soul limits only where you would imagine it to.

Days passed, but meeting more people never hindered the bond between the two of us from getting stronger.

Performing together was common now, and we were later joined by my new dance partner Rochelle. Oh, was she hot!

Shyla was every guy’s dream friend. A guide, a philosopher, and a close friend who was hardly ever offended by my harmless flirting.

Flirting with Rochelle was however nothing of similar sorts. You could only be that decent while holding a magnificently hot girl up in your arms now, isn't that right!?

But well, that’s where my college life started, happy as ever.

And now here I was, sitting in my life’s brakeless ride, going downhill.

••

Dipin sat there, with only expressions from him being the widening of his eyes which was probably because of the comparison the guy in from the story, and the specimen in front of him.

Chapter 2: Life and times

Being in college is about studies… supposedly.

You might be the coolest kid on the block, but with an exam the next day, you simply have to sit down and read.

“You have an exam tomorrow, I hope you realize that Suraj!” said Srikanth in a fit of anger which was not a very rare sight now, with me being the sole reason to all of those… not that I was proud of it!

“You asked me to stay at Dipin’s room today so I could teach you, and here you are lighting up another one!” he said, pointing to my sixth joint of the day, as Dipin and Arun looked on.

“And what’s with the new obsession with Ganja? Just a month back a simple stick of cigarette used to completely throw you off, and here you are puffing up weed like it comes but naturally to you!” he went on with his reprimanding ways, throwing his hands in air, and pauses and stops out of the window, yet pissed as to why I wasn't replying to him.

Reaching the levels of annoyance and knowing anything I say right now would somehow boomerang right back in my face, I quietly stubbed out my roll. Trying to open my bloodshot eyes, the gibberish notes were now in limelight.

The last thing I needed right now was anyone bothering me with their opinions about my new habits, and the choice of this new lifestyle.

“Anyway, let’s not waste any more time” were the last words spoken by Srikanth followed by hours of technical terms regarding power systems and what not. He was quick to analyze the sincerity of situation while I was too lost to grasp the seriousness of it. With a sudden realization about the exam being on the very next day, everything took a backseat, and attempts to focus prevailed. Well… sort of.
.........

“Suraj! Why are people so irresponsible?”, squeaked Lia as she stomped all over an unextinguished cigarette that came flying out of a car driving past us.

“Why does one even need to smoke in the first place? As if the smoke and chaos these vehicles create is not enough”, she kept going on, bringing forth that adorable nature loving character that suited her perfectly.

“I know, but what can we do? At least I don’t smoke” I said, agreeing to her lie that this all seemed chaotic. The world seemed a better place in her company, and wind seemed to be sprayed with perfumes like never before. If this was chaos, then the term bliss was unknown to me!

“Yes, and you better not, or I swear…“

She muttered and sputtered, getting back at stubbing out the cigarette with a solemn vow to not stop till all there was left was a sheet of brown paper with no traces of fire, whatsoever.
.........

“Suraj! Suraj! SURAJ! Are you following anything that I have blabbered past hour and a half? We are almost done with half of the portions and you are lost in your own world again!” Screamed Srikanth, thus making me realize, I was once again in flashback mode.

Dipin sat there, looking quietly at the proceedings.

After a good few minutes of staring, observing, and trying to get a good grasp of the situation, he decided it was indeed time he intervened.

“Dude… when we met first, I could have sworn you would stay away from all this. But you sir are the biggest mess I have seen!” he said, pointing not a finger but his palm altogether at me.

“Oh he was... he was away from all of this!” Said Arun.

Chapter 1: The beginning to the end…

 

“You really have never had a Pizza?!! Ever? What a waste!” I exclaimed taking a mouthful of my slice.

Srikanth retorted, “Dude, It’s all new here, all this junk food you swear by. A T.V set was the most modern ‘gadget’ I had seen since my high school. Don’t even get me started about pizzas.”

Losing him after few initial words, I kept myself totally immersed in my slice.

It wasn’t that the Italians had come down to serve it on my plate, just that those were the days that I could immerse myself in anything, from a fly sitting near me, rubbing its hands, to a damped wall flaking, and cut the outer world completely off.

“Guys, let’s gather around and make a memory!” exclaimed the ever so excited Dipin, breaking off my focus.

“Alright, now we’re off straight to Dipin’s room! My head’s bursting and I need a smoke.” I said in an irritated tone, and all meekly surrendered to the command of the guy who was driving them around, as we were well ahead of the city limits.

 

Introduction

What goes around, comes right back at you. Every decision you opt for, right from giving in to the misguided pleasures, to standing up to wrong, you are being looked upon. You are being judged.Every time that you succored a helpless in need, and each moment you spent with your selfish greed! Everything that you do, everything that you go through, every step that you take and every decision you make does come back at you in one way or the other.It might so, for different reasons though.At times, to make you pay for your deceptions, or to pay you for your loyalties, to publicly embarrass you, or to pay homage!Or just to remind you what you miss from the past, and why to let bygones be bygones.Well my life was it all.An ordinary skin, wrapping a simple skeleton, controlled by a not so simple brain! But to the outer world, always just another somebody, lost in the crowd, with no face of his own to voice any thoughts. Yet facing world, with an unperturbed way of living, made each day seem like a merry and a joyous ride.My life taught me to take a bite off the platter it offers, with a spoonful of laugher, so much so, that I didn’t know what it was like being serious anymore. But then, life always has different plans worked out, inapprehensible to any of us.