I am happy for you… And other drugs

Last night I was out with few of my friends and, after a long time, it was guy’s night out. Most of my best friends are girls and so going out with other guys is not something I enjoy anymore. After all, women are the most interesting and dense creatures to spend time with and there is nothing more a writer craves for.  

If you know men then you surely know that it takes only one drink to turn them into philosophers, and with our current age, and relationship status, we were the deepest philosophers of all time. These days, all we do is talk about women, relationships, love, lust, sex and other drugs we are deprived of. The posh restaurant, music, dim lights and surroundings were all shouting romance but all we discussed about was how romance is a dead game and how all we need is to get into a relationship just to get married. Being childhood buddies, we knew each other’s darkest of secrets, lesbian girlfriends, rich-spoiled-heartless-bitch past lovers and every other mistakes that “taught us” about life. The discussions soon changed to how things have changed, and how miraculously we remained the change. May be because of the sudden change in the atmosphere, but I suddenly found men’s psychology equally interesting and confusing.

I wanted to say things like “we are all the reasons behind the changes” or “it was your fault all those times” but somehow the air around me was getting heavier and I indulged myself into it. For once I wanted to feel like them, wanted to talk about the girls sitting on the table behind us, describing them like I would describe cars and, more than anything else, I wanted to get intoxicated by drinking half a bottle of beer, but all I did was watching flashbacks of years gone by, wishing we could be more mature in the past, and even at that moment. I was too lost in the past to notice that we were back to love again, and this time it was more hostile.

Finally, when I couldn’t take it anymore, I ordered a large glass of rum and said “why love is that bad? It’s because we don’t have it or because we once did?”

The next ten seconds of the silence was like an eternity to me, as I realized what was coming next. I had just knocked off the doors that were closed for ages and all that came out flying were slang, aimed at me, which I deserved for sure. Without ego men are nothing but the weaker of the two sexes and I had put my foot on the wrong spot of it. I wasn’t supposed to remind the guys about their failures, of course. They were guys, not men, and I should have been one of them; drunk with beer.

It could go on for a long time if, right at that moment, someone from the past had not entered the restaurant. She was looking like someone from a different world, a much better place than this earth, wearing an off-white colored saree and a hint of jewellery. She was once a part of our lives, not because we were close to her, or liked her, but because someone from the very group was in love with her, 3 years ago. That particular guy stood up from his chair, when we sat there, without a clue of what to do next, as she came directly to him.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

“As good as I can without you.” Yes! He said that out loud. Clear like a day with scotching heat. It made my ears burning. I took a big sip of rum, only to make it worse. I could only imaging how she could have felt right then, may be trying to turn time back and not come to this table, or to select another restaurant.

It took her almost a lifetime to settle herself to say, “Oh! I am happy for you…. Unmm.. Take care” and join her friends on a table on the other side of the restaurant. As my friend sat back on his chair, expressionless, clutching the beer bottle, I realized that my friend had just put my recent favorite quote, “Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery and I promise you, something great will come of it”, into motion. He was, in many ways, more man than I ever can be. He looked stupid, but what is love without a little insanity?        

We finished our drinks and food and as I pulled the door open to get out my eyes met her for a split second and it was enough to know that “I am happy for you” was her deepest and most mystified lie ever.