Forbidden Desire, Ritesh Prasad [chrysanthemum read aloud .TXT] 📗

1. Golden Park

3rd Oct 2014 11:00 pm, Durga Puja night in Kolkata, three friends returning home after pandal hopping.

 

“Let’s go to the nearby bar and enjoy our night.” Ankit said facing towards me.

 

“Ok, I have no problem what says Sanjeev?” I said looking at him.

 

“No, no… Let’s make it tomorrow, it's already too late, I need to get back home.”

 

“Common Yaar… its festive time why so hurry.” Ankit said, pushing both me and Sanjeev to the opposite side of the road pointing towards the Bar.

 

“Yeah, let’s make it for tomorrow, its already past 11:00 pm; I need to go home as well.” I said looking at my Titan watch.

 

“You guys always nag like girls.” Ankit said, showing his upset gesture on rejection of his plan.

 

“Done tomorrow sure, we will catch up at Ankit’s place.” Sanjeev said, hurrying to catch auto for his home.

 

I and Ankit went to nearby Panshop for a fag.

 

“Yaar I need to get one Blender’s Pride.” Ankit said lighting a cigarette.

 

“Come-on we will have it tomorrow why so hooked about booze.” I said, releasing cigarette smoke in the air.

 

“No, I need it now; otherwise I won’t be able to sleep.”

 

So finally we went to the nearby liquor shop to buy it, but it was too late as the liquor shop’s closes by 9:00 pm.

 

“What next?” I said, looking at him.

 

“Let’s go to the nearby bar, we can buy it there.” He said and we moved towards the opposite side of the road to Golden Park Restaurant cum Bar, one of the most happening place in our locality.

 

There was a guard standing in uniform who opened the main door for us to get in. The place was fully crowded and loud music was playing on, some peppy Hindi song “Meh Karu Toh Sala Character Dheela Hai”

 

We both moved towards the Bar section, that was upstairs, Golden Park has separate sections for bar upstairs and a restaurant on the ground floor. We went to the counter and he order one Blender’s Pride full bottle.

 

“Sir, you can have drinks here on the table, but we don’t sell bottle over the counter.” Bar tender said politely rejecting his request. Ankit tried to convince him, but no use, he said, “Sorry sir rule is rule; you can have as much you like on the table.”

 

“Let’s sit for a while,” he said, pointing towards to the nearby table in the corner, he orders two large peg whiskey, without bothering my consent.

 

“No Yaar, I am already late, I need to go home.” I said protesting his decision.

 

Come-on Rohit, don’t spoil the mood we will finish quickly, then we will move, just 2 pegs Bro.” He insisted and we sat at the nearby table, loud music was still continuing.

 

Waiter soon brought our order, we finished our first peg in one gulp and he order more, after a while, his mobile rang, “Hello, ” he said and moved out of the room to chat with his Girlfriend, or so called ex Girlfriend as they were on verge of break up, it was him, who was not willing to let her go. I have witnessed their telephonic conflict several times, so I was aware he will be out for at least half an hour no matter how much I push that we need to go.

 

I had no option, so I order another peg while waiting for him and enjoyed the drink, by this time I already had 4 pegs and my mood was all set. I always loved this tipsy state of mind, but still I was in full control, the wall clock was already pointing quarter to twelve. We should leave I thought back in my mind.

 

“But where the hell is Ankit? I felt disgusted with his Devdas behavior. I asked for another peg while waiting for him, the music now seemed louder,” I didn’t know whether it actually was the music louder or was this effect of those five pegs of whiskey that I had. In the meantime, I called Sanjeev from my cell, while still waiting for him, “Hey what’s up man?

 

“Where are you?” He asked.

 

“Here in Golden Park.” I said, taking sips from my glass.

 

“You guys are impossible, can’t even wait for a single night.”

 

“It’s all because of Ankit”

 

“Our Devdas is busy on the phone with his Girlfriend and I am fucking this place, sitting alone.”

 

“Good going guys” He mocked.

 

“What enjoy? I am getting bored, more than half an hour and still waiting for him, I already had five and still continuing.” I said, as the waiter brought my sixth one.

 

“Don’t have too much.” He said it’s already midnight and you need to go home as well.

 

“Yeah, let Devdas come first, then we will leave” I said being restive.

 

“Take care, and leave soon.”

 

“Yeah, I will”. I said, taking sip from my glass

 

“Bye.”

 

“Bye.” I said and disconnected the call.

 

I kept my phone on the table and gulped the remaining peg in one-shot; I loved gulping in one-shot rather than drinking sip by sip. I fingered the waiter one more; he was there soon with the seventh on my table.

 

Ankit’s phone was still showing busy when I tried his number again. “Crap” I said.

 

“He is going to be the next Devdas” I murmured, and picked the glass for my seventh. The whiskey had already started showing its toxic effect on me as I could barely balance myself. I had an urge to pee, so I got up from my table and asked the waiter the way to washroom.

 

“Downstairs Sir, right-side of the staircase.” He said pointing his finger to the main door.

 

I started moving slowly towards the staircase finding difficult to balance myself, the loud music was still continuing which further rose my intoxication level. The room was filled with liquor smell and was not properly visible due to the dim lighting they had. Somehow I moved slowly towards staircase trying to keep myself balanced.

 

I opened the section door to go downstairs, and felt the delicious Biryani aroma coming out of the restaurant section. I slowly moved downwards, trying to balance myself, the stairs were barely visible because of the dim lighting they had in the restaurant. I murmured, “Why the hell they can’t have normal lighting, people like me find it difficult in this condition to move.” Somehow I managed and went to the washroom and relieved myself. I came to basin area to wash my face but could hardly do so; I realized I had more than enough and it was high time I should leave for home now. I called Ankit’s number again but still busy, “Damn!!!!He is just impossible.” I cursed him for his act and started washing my face in the basin area but really struggle to do so and could barely recognize my own face in the basin mirror.

 

I came out of the washroom patting my face with my hanky moving towards the stairs and suddenly I mis-balanced and rammed with someone coming from the opposite end near the washroom door. There was a sound “Ouuuccccccccchh,” and I felt a softness of body, realizing it was a girl by her softness and sharp voice.

 

There was complete silence for a few seconds and before I could realize what happened. She started shouting; “Leave me…. help help!!!!” and within seconds I am surrounded by people. I could hear the murmur sound of those people around me, before I could balance myself, people there started abusing and pushing me.

 

“What a crap, I said to myself, I didn’t do anything.” Suddenly a man came forcing upon me and confronted, “What the hell were you trying to do with her.” Before I could understand what was happening he started pushing me, followed by two-three more guys at back, all in their early 20’s. I also could see a girl in white knee length skirt and black top covering her face and shivering.

 

“What?” I said, confuse on how to react on this.

 

“I didn’t do anything; I was just coming out of the washroom and slammed with her, it was just an accident.” I saw the girl was standing at the corner and quietly gazing my face.

 

“Hello!!! Look Mam! I am sorry it was an accident, I didn’t mean to hurt or scare you, it just happened.” I said trying to balance myself.

 

Suddenly a guy in red shirt interferes between us and starts pushing me, “What do you mean by just happened? What were you trying to do?”

 

“I didn’t do anything, I really mean it Boss, by mistake we just rammed on each other, that’s it. I am sorry for that.” By this time I could see some more public approaching towards me. I was petrified by the surrounding crowd.

 

The guy held me by my collar and said, “He is totally drunk, this Bastard.”

 

“Call the Police!” Someone from the crowd said.

 

At the right moment Ankit came in to intervene, I had a sigh of relief, Thank God! That he made it at perfect timing, otherwise they would have bashed me badly. “I apologize on my friend’s behalf.” He said.

 

The guy in red shirt came thumping towards me, “What apology? Call the Police; he was trying to grope her.” He screamed.

 

“What are you crazy? It was nothing of that sort.” I said and walked towards the girl still struggling to balancing myself, “Mam, please make your friend understand, he is mistaken….you know very well it was just an accident.” I baffled. But in all this chaos, I noticed the girl didn’t speak even once and was still standing like a mute spectator. “Please say something Mam… why are you so numb? You know very well what exactly happened. I was just little imbalance that’s all, but I didn’t even touch you. Okay, I admit I am drunk, but I know what I was doing, I was just coming out of the washroom and collided with you by chance, that’s it.” But still she didn’t utter a word, it seems like she was silently enjoying the unnecessary created ruckus.

 

“You liar, don’t you dare try to get near her.” The boy came in between and screamed, “Security call the Police right now.” He said raising his voice.

 

I was really getting frantic with what was happening. I came near Ankit, and tried to convince him, that it was nothing of that sort what the guys are saying, it was just an accident.

 

Suddenly the Manager of the restaurant intervenes to resolve this issue, at that moment he was like my savior. “We apologize on his behalf and pointed Ankit to take me away from the crowd. He is our one of regular customer and lives in the nearby locality. He is not that kind of person, I vouch for that.” He said trying to calm his friends. But the guy in red shirt was still not willing to listen to anyone.

 

Somehow the Manager was successful in pacifying him, and I was asked to apologize in middle of the crowd for the mistake that I didn’t commit. I had no choice, so I did as they said and left that place immediately to avoid any further confrontation, back of mind I felt a mix feeling of anger and humiliation.

 

Ankit came following me, “Where are you going?” He said.

 

“I am leaving.” I replied in haste.

 

“Wait, no need to be tensed the issue has been resolved.”

 

“Resolved? What bullshit.”

 

“Shhhhhh.” He said don’t make a fuss anymore.

 

“Come, let’s go.” He said

 

“I didn’t do anything and her friends started throwing such allegation at me, and there she was watching everything like it was her daily TV soap.” I screamed in frustration.

 

“Did you notice the way she was dressed up? She was looking cheap in those small skinny outfits and with all those guys around at late night, and his friend alleges me that I tried to grab her. What a fuck!!!! You can find such