When I first moved into Bombay, I told myself I’m going to experience, in copious quantities, everything that Bombay has to offer. The people, the place and the environment made sure I was never disappointed. Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi and now Holi, they’ve all been a real blast. However, the Holi party at Sai Suraj was probably the craziest of them all.
As I neared Sai Suraj entrance, I watched all the guys playing with colours and creating a ruckus and just when I opened the gates, Singania starts shouting “Johnny is here”, and in two seconds, a swarm of guys surrounded me, dropped me down, dragged me by my feet all the way from the gate to the center of the hostel ground, and dowsed me with colour, water and some yellow liquid that I only got to know too well in some time. For a brief moment, when all that was going on, I thought the yellow liquid that went down my jeans was a beaten egg and that a hard object I felt inside was an egg shell. It was the first thing I checked when I got up, but thankfully, it was just an ice cube. What a relief!Next instant, Muni, who had come with me, gets a similar treatment. Within 5 minutes of entering Sai Suraj, the 2 of us were coloured and wet in every imaginable place possible.
We got settled immediately, Muni found some colours to throw on people, I found two big containers with the mysterious yellow liquid. Learnt that one of them contained Bhang and I poured me a glass from that container. One of many to come.
Went about socializing a bit and talking to everyone and noticed some more people had just come in. They didn’t have too much colour on them. That was going to change pretty soon. The guys playing here just cannot stand a person looking clean on this day, and so they ensured all the new faces became unrecognizable instantly.
I was having my second glass of Bhang when some of the party hooligans noticed a small garden near the hostel walls. They realized the immense potential of this place and poured enough water in it to make a muddy puddle out of it. Now they needed someone to inaugurate it. Who better than the guy standing quietly having his Bhang! So the next minute I was given the treatment a carrot gets on a grater, people scrubbing me from one end to the other of the puddle. Then they turned me over and made sure I got the same treatment on my front as well. When they finally felt they were through with me, I got up completely murky with mud. It was my turn now! I went about giving hugs to everyone in sight, rubbing off the mud on them. It just wasn’t enough. But thankfully, there was a never ending supply of water from a pipe. I stood under it till all the mud came off. As I was stepping out, some guy, just out of the mud bath himself, comes and gives me a hug !!!
Anyway, I just got myself a third glass of Bhang and as I was sipping it, noticed some of the girls coming in. Heard one of the guys shout “ladkiya aaye hein…” pretty soon, they were mobbed by a bunch of guys with colour. I too went over and wished them. Didn’t have any colour to put as my hands were occupied with the glass of Bhang.
Then I noticed Faisal going a little crazy. He didn’t have a shirt on, and somehow didn’t seem to like the idea of a shirt on any of the others as well. He went a rampage tearing off everyone’s shirts. I was just peacefully sipping my fourth glass of Bhang, when this boy simply shreds my shirt. I couldn’t even say a word. Just thought to myself that it is really good this guy never drinks, no idea what would happen if he did, given the way he behaves when sober itself.
Anyway, now there seemed to be a clear distinction between the guys
and the girls. The fairer sex had their shirts on.The shirts the guys once wore were being flung over a tree. The tree looked quite decorated actually, with all those coloured pieces of cloth hanging all over it.
I got myself my fifth glass of Bhang and by this time, I was getting quite irritated. This drink didn’t seem to have any effect at all. I was sure I poured glasses for myself from the bottom of the container, where all the solid (hence effective) ingredients lay. But there was simply no high!! Went about telling everyone that this was a lousy drink and had zilch effect on me.
Poured myself my sixth glass and went about chatting with more people.. Abhi was telling me that he was avoiding Bala coz Bal kept calling him asking him to work on the ERP Project! What a day the dude chooses to get out of bed and do his projects!! Sat talking to Shobhit and people noticed he still had a little bit of his shirt on him. Man, did they make it feel like chillies in a mixer! 10 guys shredded it in 2 seconds. Next I sat talking to Rohit and he noticed a plane flying above. He waves at it saying ‘tata’. That was so funny, I broke into a laugh. I laughed and laughed and suddenly it hit me.. I was high. Somewhere in between all those conversations and six glasses of Bhang, I actually got high.
The high was almost nostalgic. Reminded me of the high I used to get when I smoked up back inmy engineering days. I knew this high only too well. Knew it enough to stop the Bhang drinking right then and just chill it out. But there was no controlling my tongue. I just couldn’t shut up. I went about asking people where the ‘manager’ was. I think my exact words were, “who is the manager here? I have a problem and need to talk to him” finally Suyash comes up and says “I’m the manager, now what’s your problem?” I tell him “I’ve paid 150 bucks for this party, and I don’t see the food!!” My two greatest vices when it comes to getting blown; a rattling tongue and an insatiable appetite.
Anyway, I went babbling with everyone around me. Have no idea of the things I said, and at one time I was just looking around for Muni and didn’t find him and when I asked people that, they said he had left. I told them that it’s not possible, if the food hasn’t yet arrived, there is just no way Muni could have left.
I realized I was making a bit of a fool of myself, so decided to just go in and stay indoors. I went to Abhi’s floor, which was on the first floor itself. I really couldn’t climb any further. Sat watching some TV. Pretty soon, I was laughing at the things I was seeing there also. There was an old cricket match of India’s being aired. And Sachin with his funny hairdo and Saurav with his thick upper lip just looked too funny. I kept laughing watching them. People walking in were wondering why I was being hysterical over a ‘cricket match’.
Anyway, I went back down to find Muni for the second time. This time around to suggest we leave, because I was feeling pretty out and didn’t want to stick around. While looking for him, I noticed more people just joined the party. Some guy came and gave me a hug and it took some time for me to figure out that it was Vikas Mishra. He was the most disfigured of the lot. He just had way too much colour on him.
Then I was chatting with some of my class mates and kinda took offense to Divya asking me to do something. I was like “what do you think I am? Some toy! Sandy, go there, Sandy, come here, Sandy, Jump, Sandy Roll over.. come on man..” I had everyone in splits, but something there sorta had me in splits as well.. it was the sight of Abhi. Even now I can barely subside my laugh when I picture the way he looked. The boy had some black paint over his already dark face, brown colour on his hair and wore a bright red shirt on top of it. He was a hilarious sight. I kept laughing looking at him. Amit, Hitesh and Vrinda kept asking what was wrong with me. I tried controlling my laugh, looked over at Abhi and shouted “yo maan, wasup nigga..” oh boy, we all laughed so hard at that.
By this time, I knew it was really really 'high' time I left. Moreover, with Kataria coming over and forcing me to drink the seventh or eighth glass (I lost count) of Bhang, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take it anymore.So finally caught Muni, got on the bike and rode back home. When we entered our place, Bal was shocked to see us and exclaimed “what happened to your shirts?” I looked at myself shocked “what happened to my shirt!!” I couldn’t believe I actually rode all the way back from the hostel to my place without my shirt on.
Now I had to have a bath, after all that mess. I got into the shower and watched all shades of colour running down me and making a rainbow out of the floor. I think I spent a lot of time staring at the floor! Anyway, finished my bath, which seemed to take forever and got out. There was more food at home. I had already consumed Bhajji and Vada’s, all of which I later realized had Bhang in them too, ensuring I get much more plastered that I already was. Yet, I just couldn’t control myself. Gorged on more food at home and finally decided to hit the bed. Was just lying down and felt my stomach give way. Ran to the loo and puked. Just had to, stuffed myself way too much. Finally, I got some sleep. Woke up in the evening by around 7 and stayed up till nearly 2a.m. high all the time. It was probably the longest high I’ve ever had. Even in that inebriated state, I managed to calculate the exact time I was blown. It was about 14 hours. Finally, I hit the bed again at 2, more food down my throat. Slept like a baby till 10 the next day. When I woke up, I think I was finally out of the Bhang high. But the colour still remained. I had an important seminar to go to, wearing my suit. So got into the bath again, and being a little more sober this time, scrubbed myself so hard ensuring every bit of colour was off me. The colour finally came off. The high finally resided. But the memories of Holi 2007 will haunt me a long time to come…
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