Almora Days part I (Jittu, Dhong, Pakodi, Alok and Me)

It was a big break- semester break during summer time. I was in the third year, Jittu was doing some MCA thing, Dhong and Pakodi were off to their bits, and Alok was already running his business. Things common and feared about….place and time for the drinks!
It was decided that I will bring my soccer-boots to Dhongs and ask my parents that I will stay at Dhongs and next day go to the stadium from there. Jittu would somehow manage to come and so will Pakodi. We started it with Dhong’s sacrilegious ceremony before the first peg. Eventually we ran out of water and the nearest open well sort of water source was across the stadium. Somebody must have gone there, I was already mesmerized with the thing s we were doing. Dhong’s parent’s left to settle at Pauri and this was Dhong’s last visit to the city, perhaps. And in the middle of night, far from our homes we were trying to maintain decorum of a decent party. The fear crept in, when Dhong in is peculiar ways said ‘darwaje pe koi hai’? Bottles and chicken slices were so swiftly displaced that jittu filled his mouth with one entire chicken leg….I bet he did, though I didn’t see it.
Hell and heaven at the same time, Alok came in- he left his door at home, ajar and planned for tomorrow- he will pretend that he had gone for a morning walk….I claim he never went for a single morning walk before or after this one. Well, one more fellow-thirsty!
Morning was an early affair and started with Dhong’s bickering over disposal of the ruins. We took a 3 km route to reach to college canteen to avoid my brother’s in-laws, just one house away from Dhongs. I never realized they live so close. I could almost hear my bro’s father-in-law mumbling a few words about Dhong’s friends (that were us…!). Anyway, we had breakfast at college canteen and we went to our homes.
Horror unleashed- Maa said somebody is calling from college canteen and talking about a lost wallet. I searched my pockets like a million times in a second. I don’t know what story did I narrate to Maa, but she knew I had fun at Rinku’s, which is like 10 Kms from Dhongs on a very opposite direction.
Such were the days (nights) we had spent together; in search of place and time for drinks. I would further write something about our quests for LIFE at Shailu’s or real midnight seminars at Rinkus or the Diwali bashes at Bijjus. I hope I will relive those moments again. I seldom talk to Dhongs, I don’t even know where he is and what he is doing and Pakodi for that matter. I talk to Jittu and Alok on monthly basis…but I surely miss those moments and quests!