Confessions of a Teetotaller

Yet another misty morning. As usual, sun takes the trouble to wake me up, through my half shut window. Yesterday's topic of discussion was whether the window is half shut or half open. Manu, who argued to the core that the window is half open, still has not opened his eyes. I wonder, how two of us having entirely different ideologies could sleep on the same bed so peacefully!

         Yesterday's party time has provoked my thoughts a lot. What could I gain being a teetotaller all these years? Peace of mind, sleep, happiness, food, water..... anything? Undoubtedly, all my friends booze. They have peace of mind, they are happy, they sleep, eat good food, drink water and alcohol.... And I, just like an idiot, abstain from all these time killing activities, cursing my fate of sharing the same house with all these guys.

I'm afraid to wake Manu up. I don't know how it feels while getting up after a late night party. For that reason, I never wake him up. And he scolds me everyday asking, 'Why didn't you?'

There is still some alcohol left in the bottle. Oh, no, they call it honey, whisky, brandy... Sometimes Subash calls it 'sweetheart' also. They say, the name alcohol would portray its features worst. I don't know.

Hmm... And the 'kick' that they speak about. The feel of heaven!! What's that hell!! Yeah, one day Shylesh explained me that. He made me drink soda (I have tasted it before.) and asked me, 'what do you feel?' I felt nothing but I'm having soda. 'No man, on your tongue?' 'Oh! Fizz!' I said. 'That's it.' He explained. 'When you are drunk, you get the same feeling all over the body. You become physically weak, mentally strong.' What a dirty feeling is that! I don't know.

I hate alcohol's odour. Hope Manu doesn't hear me. He had hit me once for calling it 'odour'. He says it's the fragrance! I was astonished when he explained the best methods to smell alcohol. In his words...

"... Smell it before you consume, you feel proud. Smell it before you take the second peg, fragrance of joy flower (what flower is that?) spreads. Smell when you sip the third peg, you feel it's your wife's breath. After the fourth peg, wife goes and girlfriend enters. Wow...!!! But, after the fifth..."

He stopped. I asked him, "What?"

"I don't know. Further I don't see, smell or hear anything!"

Ha ha ha... There are things which they also don't know. Yes, that makes me happy.

I always controlled my instincts. Many have taught me not to. Instincts are god's call, they said. Even the alcohol, oh sorry, honey bottle gently calls me by name!

Let me just smell it! Hmmm.... I feel proud. Good. Let me have a sip. Oh! It burns as it goes in! But I have to smell the second peg. I need to know how joy flower smells like, how fizz spreads over body, why I should not call it alcohol... I need to know everything.... everything...

Oh, it has become evening. I slept for a long time I guess. Aaahh... Shit! Who banged my head???