The modern urban word
“CLUB” gives me jitters which usually run down my spine and allows me to
envisage the nightmarish faces at the club when cops raided it. Apparently they
were modern Bangalore city cops who arrived in muftis not attract any eyeballs.
I thought they were just middle-aged people who were fed up with their mundane
life and wanted to add spice to their life by dancing, boozing and frolicking
around the club. But suddenly they started to shout. The music went down.
Everybody was startled. The DJ ejaculated,” What the hell?”
Silence swept the whole place!
They began
checking for the seal which was stamped on the wrist by the club authorities
and on that unfortunate day they had forgotten to seal me! Meanwhile the cops
ransacked the whole place in search of drugs. After becoming aware of this
misfortune. I decided I would subtly walk away in the melee. But one guy about
6 ft tall dark having murderous looks caught hold of me and asked, “Where was
my seal??? I was taken somewhere to the corner of the club and was interrogated
for almost 2 precious hours with another alleged person who really looked like
a dealer.
***
It had all been
planned and our college fresher’s party was to be held in one of the most
happening clubs in B’lore, OPUS. I was not a regular party animal and as it was
my first real party at a club, I was excited and was looking forward for this
day.
Days rolled on,
the D-Day had finally approached. I was really high in spirits (no pun
intended) and was pretty much pumped up! Went to college, got back home, got
myself dressed (not knowing actually what to wear) and finally arrived at the
CLUB (or should I say the PUB). I was about an hour late along with a friend of
mine.
Some kind of enigmatic
feeling was looming all around me!
Loud music
emanating at the entrance beckoned me to enter the inside of the dark, dingy,
grim, smoke filled club. Some of my friends and I rushed in while some of my
other pals( aka opportunists) waited with baited breath and finally came in
with gals, who later disappeared hence leaving a long face on the opportunists,
which later evaporated due to the electrifying atmosphere at OPUS.
As I entered the
counter, they tied some-kind of band around my wrist which acts like an I-D proof.
But they forgot to seal my wrist which I realized later. One hefty bouncer near
the entrance wore a look like my mom, as if warning me to be well within my limits.
As I began to approach the threshold of the club I just felt some part of me
leave, the childlike innocence had just left and to balance it a sense of
freedom and independence just swept over and thus I bore a grin on my face.
Yeah!!!
Finally
This image still lingers in my mind, about 60 or 70 crazy people on the dance-floor(including me),some head banging, some boozing and others smoking desperately as if doomsday were to occur the next day. People grooving to the thumping music, the DJ in tandem with the people and there was a sudden surge of energy inside me which awoke the ME I’d never seen. Soon my friends were on the mini dance floor (although its pretty small compared to others).
From then on it was just DANCE
Though I’m not a
dance person, I was dragged and compelled to shake my shyness on the floor.
Although not all of them were pros, they would just improvise some kind of
catchy step (some were really awkward positions) and shed all their inhibitions
and just dance. The atmosphere was electrifying; DJ playing all the latest
tracks along with his scratched version really put us into a party mood. Some
of them were wasted and laid on the mat beside the floor. I was either just
trying to keep up with the newly improvised dance moves or just shouting and
jumping up and down like the rest of them. It also offers a free complimentary
shot to everyone in the club with a valid pass, unfortunately I’d already given
to a greedy friend of mine (still regret that decision I made). Thinking that
the shot would be strong, one of my friends gulped the whole thing down but in
vain so he bought another one and tried to do the same with hilarious results.
A sight to behold!!There were many guys who were trying to woo girls but the
ruse used by them was futile I guess.
I lost track of
time and so did others! And before I could again regain my lost innocence which
was lingering somewhere near the threshold waiting for me. Something
unimaginable happened. The cops arrived. I tried to coax them that they’d had
forgotten to seal me but those stubborn cops paid no attention. I had already
devised a cunning plan out of this, so I asked the cop who was interrogating me
to let me take a leak. He also sent a constable behind me who’d wait near the
washroom. I knew the other guy would realize that the cop had an itching palm
and make his way out. So I asked one of my friends to shoot the whole video
from a distance in case i get caught. No sooner had I come there they’d began
to negotiate. The cop demanded 25k but the dealer grimaced and showed his
disapproval. He tried to make his countenance child-like with puppy dog eyes
and his dimple. He’d almost hypnotized the cop, but this guy was a mule. He somehow agreed to it though it would burn
a big hole in his pocket he just wanted his way out! He looked at me and gave
one of his most appealing, albeit cunning smile. I was flustered. I just looked
at my friend and cued at him. He asked for 10k keeping in mind I was a college
boy…
I tried to
dilly-dally with him and forced a tear out. I asked him how I would have so
much of money; perhaps he mistook me for spoilt brat with notes of money
hanging out of his Levis jeans pant! Then he looked at the other guy, promptly
he removed a bundle of 20 crisp notes and handed over to him. I again looked at
him to ensure he wouldn’t miss it. He was escorted out but I was shamefully
taken to the station!
Disgrace!!!
My poor father
was called for; he came immediately and was in for the shock of his life. I was
put inside the prison. As soon as he came he was looking askance probably
questioning the credibility of his son. I was completely shattered seeing my
dad’s eyes. Though I wanted to tell me it was no fault of mine he was in no
mood. He bailed me out. My name was recorded for illegal possession of dope!
“V for Vengeance”!!!
Meanwhile my
friends had told the whole story to mom and she was quite happy to hear it.
Though Dad didn’t support the idea of giving the video to the media, mom was
bent upon. Reached the local media news centre and told them about the trauma
as well as the growing evil inside our society. Within an hour I was in the
news giving testimony that I had been wrongly punished meanwhile the video was
going viral. He was suspended from the police force (but only for a few months
or weeks. Courtesy: corruption)
Coming back to
the experience, it was a good one except for the cop part. But in reality this
is what happens. But I had a sense of feeling that I had done my bit to root
out corruption .Though it is a herculean task it is possible in the coming
future provided we also do our bit!!!
PS: This is
fictional blog which is inspired by a few shots of reality!!!
