An Evening to Remember...

Stage1: Two happy guys, searching for bliss…

There are times when a monotonous life suddenly takes a turn. A tune unknown till it suddenly hurtles towards a roadblock. One such even took place not sometime back. From the daily rigors of work towards trying something more adventurous, to feel the thrill in trying the unknown; so thought the two characters in this story. After years of destitute and loneliness, that was born from the seeds of rejection, the two decided to finally try something different, actually start ‘hanging around’ ;-).
Though they were eons away from actually having socialized with anyone, they were still confident of making a good start. So for the weekend, both Mark and Altaf headed towards a new pub. Filled with hope and confidence, that only got higher after reaching the place ‘Apache’. Apache was a new pub they’d discovered, a discovery that again arose from their need to ‘explore’ new territories. Their old hangout was being of no use, since most of the crowd were already well aware of them and preferred to stay away.
Both headed off on their old n worn out Hero Honda Chroma, a bike long extinguished, that it was hard to explain that such a model was ever in existence. After a couple of good hard kicks, it finally came to life and huffed and puffed towards Apache. The journey is better not described here in this text, as it would only expose the limited knowledge/ common sense of the protagonists here. Parking the vehicle next to an imported Suzuki and a Bajaj off roader, the bike seemed to be hiding away in shame. Looking back, Altaf remarked, “Maybe its time we bought a new bike”; to which Mark retorted “yeah rite, we might get a bicycle for the money we get from selling the bike”. The two classy bikes did make their vehicle look puny, but they were still proud of their bike, having saved them from multiple blushes in past, they could just not forego their dearest. Especially since all the other dears in their lives had already settled for the Hondas and Suzuki they got hold of.

Stage2: Two lusty guys and two happy girls, checking each other out…

Apache certainly seems to have met their expectations. A rock-themed pub, it seemed to be a much more convenient option, closer home, it offered a much more comfortable ambience. The pub walled with tinted glasses and lighted supremely to enhance the effects of the wall designs that ranged from the myriad cultures of the north to caricatures of all-time rock greats. The mixture provided a mix of both lounging around as well as a near head banging experience for the rock enthusiast. Being hardcore rock enthusiasts, the place certainly seemed to offer that and much more. However, in their eagerness to explore, they had reached the place much before time and found the place desolate. A few couples lazed around in some corners and a age-old soccer match was playing in the background. Visibly disappointed, both headed off to the bar counter, enquiring about the DJ. To their dismay, they were told to wait for another half an hour to listen to some semblance of rock. Looking around, they decided to head for the sofas; one for their need to give their well sized bellies some sort of comfort and second and more importantly; it gave them enough view to check the place for new guests.
After a wait of another 10 minutes or so, Mark caught note of someone entering and immediately craned his neck to get a better view. Being an eternal optimist, he expected a svelte damsel, and to his amazement, it indeed was not one but two petite girls heading their way. Having nudged Altaf, both suddenly had put on a look of busy but interested ‘single’ guys. Altaf immediately adjusted his leather jacket so as to show off his blue shiny party wear as well. The girls smiled and went onto the next table. Years of wilderness had made them hungry savages in search of food. The smile immediately tickled off all their senses and they looked on. The girls themselves intent of some fun for the evening, gave them plenty of encouragement to carry on. The stealing glances continued for a while, with both unsure of what to do next…

Stage3: Two desperate guys, two happy ones and two overjoyed girls, all checking each other out…

Altaf then got a call on his eighteen century cell. Trying hard to place the number, to his dismay it turned out to be his roommates, Arjun and Samrat, enquiring his whereabouts. All looks of hope and happiness seemed to drain away from his face had he told Mark about them. One of the main reasons for Altaf’s frustration, being the two couples he had living with him in his flat. Both roommates, gifted with looks to kill always piped Altaf when it came to girls, leaving him with his self to please. Call it coincidence or just plain luck, the two of them had ended up fighting with their respective girlfriends and wanted to join them. Mark could figure out his vibes with the adjacent girls fading away and forced Altaf to create some imaginary excuses to shoo them off, to no avail. Both of them appeared in no time, a time too early for both Altaf and Mark to make any headway with the girls nearby. Immediately the two ordered a round of pitchers and started oogling away. The girls knew their joy no bounds, seeing two gorgeous guys along with the existing folks, now staring away in glory.

Stage4: Two happy guys, two downtrodden and four furious girls…

By this time the DJ had arrived and had started playing some of their favorite songs. Taking this as a minor compromise, Mark and Altaf started enjoying the place after all. The four of them started grooving away to the tunes of Greenday, Metallica, Nirvana, and so on. The scene appeared close to that of a battle, with the four of them taking turns in wooing the girls, and the girls taking their time and putting their price. Samrat then got a call from his fiancé and now it was his turn to lose his energy and mirth. Both their girlfriends were on their way to meet them, having left no choice Samrat decided to call them to Apache. Both Arjun and Samrat, awaiting their impending doom, quickly gulped down their beers, so as to provide some relief from the incoming pain. Mark could see his fortune swinging away to his side and could not contain his glee. It wasn’t long, before Arpita and Divya joined them. The scene turned quickly from a battleground full of fearsome warriors to a refugee camp. Arjun and Samrat, bravely facing the brunt of all blows from their respective better halves, were whimpering in pain. The girls first overjoyed now in dismay at the arrival of two new competitors for their attention.
The video had changed from the soccer game to the live telecast of the last F1 race. Never before had the four of them ever paid so much attention to an F1 race as they did today. Never before did the cars look so good, the tracks so clean and the race so interesting. Arjun and Samrat finding a way to run from their woes, Mark and Altaf with nothing better to do, since all girls just decided to ignore them. The girls noticing their interests in disarray decided to give up for good and soon left the pub. Mark and Altaf, seeing their wishes fade away, decided on the F1. The combination of the F1 and some classic rock continued for a good one hour, before all decided it was time to wind up a rather good evening that ended up in mess.
Arjun and Samrat, repairing their broken egos and desperately trying to keep their girlfriends decided on the next best course of action, something to keep all busy and content – some good north Indian food. The food story would be a repetition since the events were pretty much the same, with Mark, Altaf looking around and Arjun Samrat combo doing the patchwork. With timing wiling away, evening drawing to a close, they finally seemed to have won their girlfriends back, albeit at a cost of over 2000 bucks on wasted booze and rubbery parathas. Turning their bike back home, it was again just Mark and Altaf. Two who had set on a mission just to watch some crucifixion and blood now seemed pretty content with the way things had turned out. Looking back, Mark exclaimed, “Maybe it’s not too bad to be without any girls, ain’t worth the effort.” And the two souls headed back with shattered dreams and a smile on their faces.