Anecdote of ” the hypothesis of Intoxication…”

In my prime youth, and, at the initial stage of developing a taste for alcohol. I went through an experience of weird kind, that, forced me to take a U-turn from that dark side of life. The age, when you are green in experience, and, allured by vices. Such vices, often projected before your eyes in glamorous fashion, by other youth of the same age group deviated from the right path. With some young people of my age group, I used to visit the so called parlor of an old man. This old man, had earned a notoriety, as a maestro,(so called) in consuming and digesting almost all kinds of toxic substances used at that time in the area. Be it of any kind of alcohol, (i. e. home brew, country liquor, foreign made etc.), Charas, drugs, weeds, hemp etc etc.

                                       Old man as a maestro  

Whatever the name you take before him,  he was there with a defining explanation about the substance. He was like the legendary man of this field and so many stories were afloat in a vast territory about his this dangerous suicidal drive. Despite of consuming all these substances, he outlived other people who followed a strictly disciplined life with a controlled dietary chart habit. That was the old time of bygone era, when, in common parlance the addiction of any kind was addressed as “acid” in rustic life, As far as this old man was concerned, he was such an innovative in “tasting” every kind of intoxicant.

The popular drug of that period of time, named Mandrake he intermittently used to take. Even, he earned a reputation in the “dark world” that he too had experienced the spree of LSD drug and brown sugar that just had been introduced in the Indian market. Leave apart, his being the member of the only “Opium den” of the territory.  The Opium Den was a mysterious place. There, hard quality Charas with sharp intensity was administered through an indigenous Indian smoking apparatus  “Hukka”( hubble bubble). For this type of smoking service, the main apparatus hubble bubble was kept secretly behind walls by the operator of the den. From there, a long pipe with an aperture enough to inhale the smoke, was extended to another room.

The period of time I am talking of, is of the seventh decade of the 20th century. At that time, one time puff  or inhaling  of smoke costed rupee five. This amount, was considered a much costlier charge at that time. The intoxicant inhaling was so over proof, even a single puff would send the smoker into unconscious stage. The operator of the den, then would pull the unconscious body of the doper to one side at some safe corner. After two or three hours, unconscious man resume back to consciousness from the maudlin effect. And, destined to remain in constant hangover, for next 18 to 20 hours. Not every one, could physically afford to digest that kind of dope.

                              Shelter for hooligans 

Hence, in his so called parlor, which was nothing but a moderate muddy hut thatched with makeshift roof of dry leaves of various kinds of plants. The parlor,  was like a most visited  place of youth,  who were categorized as ‘backslide’ in the entire locality. In simple terminology, they were budding ‘hooligans’ of the area. who. These hooligans, happened to visit the notorious parlor of the old man, to learn about and take the experiences of various kinds of intoxicants as a learner. His hut, ever remained thronged by such  rare visitors. In another words, old man livelihood depended upon these visitors cum customers.

There, in the parlor one could  hear the sordid and sinister stories of the ‘dark world’. Up to that time, the word ‘under world’ was not so frequent, in the district. Such stories, were so glamorous and fascinating that any such visitor would dream to  become an aspirant hooligan. It,s not worth mentioning that when I am jotting down this anecdote, this all is based upon my personal experience  as a newly introduced visitor to the  place. I have no demur to admit that  from there only, I learnt my first lesson of consuming ‘home brew’. That liquor, was served to me as under proof liquor, considering my first tasting and undoubtedly I enjoyed that enough. So gradually I was heading to become a permanent settler in that world.

Inside my heart, my inner man constantly accursed me for my this back sliding drive. But, as it often happens bad habits allure man deeply. Al though, an incidence made me distract from that place permanently. For that, I credit all this to the same old man (maestro), who by putting up a question enlightened my mind.

One day, we all visitors squatted in his hut, crowd was good and old man seemed in a philosophical mood. His eyes were blood shot under the impression of hard substance he had taken. He seemed in full swing, and, was in full swing to deliver his sermon of the day. He, at once in a sober mood threw a question over the crowd.  ” Can you suggest me, what kind of the addiction suited best in the life, which, all people take in a routine. This addiction, sends every one in a good, pleasant  and peaceful sedative mood with a sound sleep.”

                                Philosophical query 

We all were now busy pondering over the question, to make a proper answer to the old man. While on the other hand, old man waited for the answer mysteriously. To some one, it was an easier question,. They were of the view that every intoxicant eventually leads to an unconscious condition. So many answers  were generated, but he did not assent and this made us to irritate. But, his “Gurudom” was so great in our eyes, we could not dare to react in that way by the fear of being banished from his hut.

Some answers were as such accordingly-  ” the tipsiness of the youth is the best addiction.” In rebuttal to that old man   said, ” youth arrogance  is boundless, aggressive and uncontrollable after a limit.”  Other suggested of hemp, sleeping pills, country liquor, charas etc. But nothing was approved by him. Eventually he said with a sarcasm, ” It seems you didn’t hear my question properly. I had asked, ‘ the addiction suited best in the life that all people take in a routine.’  You didn’t seem to notice the sentence, otherwise, you all would have tried to find the answer in that direction. As far as you all are aware, in any social system, never hundred percentile people be addicted to intoxicant, as we are.  Then how come your answer be correct one?”

He continued on. “Just in pursuance of my that part of the question, can you suggest, whether all men, and apart from that,  what percentile of women in our society are prone to these kind of intoxication. I think the percentage of such women hardly come up to 0.0001% and that too is exaggerated one.”  Now, it was our turn to stare at one another face as an owl stares. Otherwise also, our past experiences ,never  allowed us to expect such kind of highly philosophical question from him.  But as a proverb goes in our pastoral life , ” The saying of an old man and consuming of Indian gooseberry produces good effects lately.”

Then he pacified our anxiety like a seer, ” as this is the experience of an old man like me, and, so many other such old men of past generations. The gist of the answer is, the addiction of meal as food grains or otherwise in any shape  is the best addiction. The meal helps generates a maudlin effect calmly.  That too, with an impression of gradual heaviness in the mind. that takes us to a peaceful, sedative and sound sleep. My dear children, this is our food only, that generates  the best peaceful and healthy maudlin effect and we all are addict to that .

The old man was indubitably was absolutely right on his part. Otherwise also, be it biology or medical science all they approve this fact scientifically. Our food  in process of digestion goes through a fermentation chain which produces a maudlin effect to send us to a sound and healthy sleep. His this answer, at least, illumined my heart and mind  and never again I thought of visiting his hut. What is your opinion gentleman? Penned By__ Vinay Pharasi…..