THE FINDER.

My “BLACK-letter-day”

...and I kept circulating myself on the dining table as if I was some cookery item who had to please everyone.

~Abdul Wajid Parray.

I wonder if there is any word for “the worst day in life” as there is one for the most memorable day, the red-letter-day. But I consider October 16 as my saddest day; so I call it my “black-letter-day.”

14:30 hours October 16-2011 was the time that was supposed to be a memorable day as I was going to give a treat to my college peers. It was actually a combo treat that my friends were waiting desperately for over last three years that I had spent with them during my study course in Kurukshetra. I had been evading their demands from the time I stepped in Kurukshetra but this time they had a solid reason, in fact a written one and I had none to use as an excuse. Reason was that I had cracked the placement exam of an InfoTech company (LnT) in my very first attempt. So on receiving the written acknowledgement from the company I decided to cheer my comrades with a party.

It was not an organized program rather off the cuff; so some slip-ups were expected but not like the ones that really happened thereby marking the whole event as my bad. It was Sunday and I rested myself well to pen-down the names of the expected guests. I started with a few names but the list went on and on but somehow I shortlisted some 28 names and acquainted them all. Time went on so did my fervour. Finally I dressed up like a gentleman in my newly bought formal trousers and my same old black shirt that had earlier won me colossal compliments...Ha-ha.

Before leaving I was ill-informed by some of my long-headed peers that the expenditure of the feast will be not more than 2K bucks. But to be on the safer side I carried 3K and that too heavy heartedly, Frankly speaking. With that I left my place and reached the venue around 2:30pm. Three of my junior mates were already there to receive me with their curiously held sights and smiles. Following this, some expected friends unexpectedly refused to come presenting their well cooked excuses while others kept coming in turns one after the other and finally a frantic squad of around 24 people joined the feast.

All was going well except one thing; the event was ill-prepared. I had invited two different friend circles to a common platform - one squad of a few notorious boys and other one of some upright ladies. The worst part was that they knew not each other so well that they could enjoy the time together. They had different policies, different manners, and different personalities and hence a LOC demarked the two groups and their opinions as well. Dangling between the two was an ill-fated being and that was me. In order to blend with the big crowd I kept circulating  myself on the dining table as if I was some cookery item who had to please everyone.

Everything was still working fine and up to the extent of my levels of digesting people’s conduct. But the event soon turned dim and my level of interest as low as null. Now I played my last card in order to bring some life to the lifeless inert party by entertaining my peers singing songs in my not so impressive vocals but the atmosphere turned no bright. Losing all my hopes I called off the party and all the partakers started moving out-some eagerly and others with a heavy heart filled up to the grim with loads of disappointment. Needless to mention I joined the latter squad.

As this entire was not enough, the last ugly blow was yet to come. And this time it was the bill- a total of all the expenditures I spent in buying foodstuff and the foolishness of some freaks. The earthshaking bill shivered me like anything. It was 4100 INR; double than what my expectations had planned and I wailed “Na Khaya...Na Piya...Aur glass toda bara anaa.” Toting up the loose contents of my wallet and borrowing the rest from one of my good friend I somehow managed to add up the requisite amount. My heavy eyes could hardly see my daring bucks passing before me lavishly and so I left the place and moved out to see my friends off, thanking them for flavouring the party both with glee and gloom.      

Heading up to my nestling place-my room, I wondered how lavishly I spent my fortune just to pleas my mates least knowing that I was only casting pearls before the swine; of course with some good exceptions. But now on I have no regrets. No complains!! For the reason that in the end I learnt a good lesson: “Unlike poles do not attract all the time; there are some well-defined exceptions.”

And yes before I finish my heart-rending write-up please make a good note of what follows now on. The other imperative thing that I learnt and that needs a mention here is that whenever you decide to present a treat to your friends, make sure you do it as a whip round along with your other rejoice-sharing peers, otherwise learn to live on the borrowed time and money.

That’s the upshot.

Author: - Abdul Wajid Parray.

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