My short story 1 - The day I almost doped..

SCENE 1: Knowing
It was the day before our thermodynamics cycle test and I was (alone) with my friend in his hostel room, though I was a day scholar it was always fascinating for me to cheat the warden and stay in the college hostel once in a while and this time it was for cycle test preparation. Other guys went to the mess and the door was locked from outside, just to avoid any suspicions.

Suddenly the door was unlocked with loud noise and within a fraction of second I jumped under the cot.

Just for a moment I was thinking what would be the punishment for staying illegally in hostel, will they suspend me or dismiss me from college!!

And then the one entered spoke up.. “machieee,(laughing) special parcel from theni da..” I could hear both were joyous so I came out from my 'under' cover and there was a neatly packed, crushed leaves in a polythene packet, about 100gms I guess. I asked him “what parcel machi.!!”

He said “herbal product da.. good for health especially for youth..”
I was so stupid tat time, I asked him “have to mix with milk and drink da!!”
Both laughed loud and then in a low tone of voice “doppu machi doppu, ithu kudikarathu illa, adikarathu” (its not to drink, to smoke)!!

That is when I learned dope means kanja in students’ dictionary.

SCENE 2: Mix
I realized I can’t remember all(any) formulas and started writing notes(bit), though other padips(nerds) invited me to their rooms, I was not interested, I wanted to know what he’s going to do with that parcel. But, to my surprise he didn’t even touch it till he completed the whole ‘Concepts of Entropy’ chapter that was even more frustrating to me.

“FINISHED..” he said, dropping the huge domkundwar book on his table. “Let us start our mission”

Mission!!

He took a Kings cigarette (a product of ITC) and a slightly thicker metal wire bent in front like a spatula. For me he was like a scientist working with an atom bomb. He removed the tobacco in the cigarette and took few gms of dope(ganja) from the packet and then mixed it with the tobacco.

Looking at me, he said “mixing is the most important thing, 50:50 is always the best”
Again he filled the cigarette with the 50:50 mix he made and said “let’s move to the roof”
“Dai, its already 12pm da, we need to…” before I could complete he said “perfect, it’s just the perfect time for us”.

SCENE 3: Roof
Our correspondent was a great visionary, though he is money minded, he named the boy’s hostel blocks as Ramanujam block, C.V.Raman block and we were on the roof of Abdul kalam block.

Each of us took two hollow bricks and made our seats.

He took a match stick and lighted the cigarette(dope) so stylishly which reminded me the Madavan intro scene in the Minnalae movie in which he lights up his cigarette and says “mechanical’na oru fire venum da”(will u believe that, that was the reason I chose mechanical over CS!!)

As he started to ‘smoke the weed’ I was thinking about the Kamal hasan movie ‘Kalaingan’ in which a girl smokes dope and kamal figures out with its smell. To my disappointment this was no different; it was as disgusting as the normal cigarettes.

It was awkwardly silent in the roof, even the ever noisy final year wing was unusually silent (I bet they were watching the ‘saamy padam’ in the Dormitory room computer).

He was almost half way through his ‘Mission’ and then I asked “isn’t it very cold out here machi!!” just to break the silence.

“That’s how it would be if your college is in the middle of no where, no good scheduled place where u have to travel 10kms just to take a print out… Sshit… this blood suckers… “

Wat!!! all that I asked is… anyway its not him, its tat doppu. I could see he made ‘S‘ bend twice with his body like a snake dancer. I thought its better to remain silent and I started counting the stars.

“Stand” he said, rising from his seat. I thought he’s finished with his ‘mission’.

“Here, have a puff” it sounded more like command.

“What!! me!! no da, please I am not used to it, moreover we have cycle test tomorrow” I was in a begging voice, but why!! he is not more stronger than me.

“there are two ways I can make you do it, either by breaking this brick in your head” pointing his seat/bricks. “but I wont do that, coz you are my friend” so much for his friendship.

“The second way is” he walked towards the edge of the roof and somehow I knew what he’s gonnu say.
“I’ll jump off the roof if you don’t” it was so scary, the wind seemed pushing him and he was already doing snake dance. And this very roof has a track record of two deaths already, but that was during its construction.

I was left with no choice, I said “just one puff”
“Okie, tat’l do”
As the cigarette approached my lips he said “that’s my boy” backing off from the edge.

I should have sucked in a lot of gas inside, it felt so horrible in my throat. I made sure it doesn’t pass down my throat and pretended to take it to my lungs.

A few seconds passed and then he said “did you eat it!! Let it out idiot”

And that’s how I almost doped. I could still feel the irritating sensation in my throat as I write this.

.

I liked to write more about how a intelligent bloke like him became a mentally disturbed guy, but i guess its better to end this way.

all incidents and names(if there is any) are purely fictional, resemblance to any person living, dead or in rehab is just coincidence.