Mini Gandhi (Part- 4th) —

(Recap – In the previous episode, I narrated about the adamant forcing of Aatma Ram Mama ji about observance of old traditions in all functions arranged with in his own family. What happened next, in the marriage ceremony of his son as aftermath of this insistence, is attraction of this part of the story.)

As I earlier mentioned, youth like me had no other option but to get loaded on the Tractor Trolley as a part of the Marriage-procession. That was the only means left to us to reach at the venue of bride’s village for us. So, all we stationed on that and it had nothing to affect us. Our sole purpose was to attend the marriage procession any how! The other youth like me had the same “specific attraction” like me in such kind of celebration. And this was a “hidden desire” to consume alcohol clandestinely. This kind of opportunity, youth of that period of time happened to obtain rarely on such occasions. The truth was, under the impression of alcohol, their shyness or hitch effaced and they could dance openly in the marriage procession accompanied by musical Brass-band party.

Swig of alcohol was enough to remove the element of hitch to dance openly in public, besides, this enriched the experience to become a drinker at the initial stage. But here was a reverse situation. It was the occasion of matrimonial ceremony of Aatma Ram Mama ji.  He was the man who was a Freedom Fighter and strict follower of “prohibition” as  an outcome of Gandhian thoughts in life and ever despised consuming of alcohol. In that entire trip on the Tractor Trolley, the sole subject of worrisome discussion was, ” Well brothers! It’s the marriage ceremony of the son of “local Gandhi ji”, now how this problem to get drunk be managed properly?”

On the same Trolley, the second and third line cousin brothers of Aatma Ram Mama ji too were loaded and they too fostered the same desire to consume the alcohol like all on the board. But one experience they had, all they were local and knew properly, from where the “home brew” could be arranged in the village of the bride. Otherwise also, drinkers are blessed by a unique god gift of, “how to and from where to arrange the stuff, ” and the same situation was here. Well, we arrived at the prescribed “community center” of the village of the bride. There we were served evening tea and snacks.

Till that period of time, I was a college going student and never in life had tasted the alcohol in any form. But  a strong desire I fostered to experience the taste of alcohol and truly say, this hidden desire had prompted me to attend this marriage procession. When I felt unable to suppress my this  “most wanted” desire, I opened my heart before one of the distant cousin brothers of Aatma Ram Mama ji. Though, in relation, he was too my “maternal Uncle” but fond of drinks.  Upon my expressing this wish, he consoled me and said, ” need not worry dear nephew, you have got with you your this maternal uncle here. Any how, from any where we will manage to get the supply of the stuff.”

In the same marriage- procession, I came to know that on such occasions of marriage, the local ” ale vendor” happened to supply the “home brew” in a unique way. To carry the ale, firstly, they fill the home brew into some old rejected tube of scooter or motor bike’s Tyre tube. This tube as such could contain  the sufficient quantity of about ten to fifteen bottles of “home brew.” They used to wear this tube around the waist under the shirt, as such it could not be noticed apparently. This stuff, they happened to sale on the marriage venue clandestinely. Following the same pattern, an illicit ale vendor too had arrived there and his whole stuff were sold with in minutes of times.

On the same evening of that erstwhile time, by looking this swift sale of liquor, I had anticipated about the coming future’s golden, thriving prospect of alcohol industry  of my Nation. The majority of buyers of this “illicit brew” were close and distant relatives of Aatma Ram Mama ji. I was a novice in this deal of buying and couldn’t buy  the liquor by myself, since everything occurred in a hectic way. But the same maternal uncle, who had assured me to provide the liquor, happily made me taste the liquor.In this way, I too was the nephew of Aatma Ram Mama ji and now was a member of “backslide gang.”

And as it often occurs with a novice, who was taking his life time’s first alcoholic drink with rustic countryside man, the same happened with me. Firstly, when you consume the “illicit alcohol” under the fear of not getting seen or caught by some one, you gulp it down swiftly. Secondly, you had no experience, how it might effect your body constitution. You knew not, how much quantity, you should consume? In such situation, every one happened to gulp down in hurry and one after another drinks without anticipating the after effect.

One thing more, besides there existed no mechanism to measure the “proof” of home brew nor it had been in fashion to measure that. The old experience drinker can announce its degree by taking first swig only. And I had no such experienced man near me at the time, when I took my swigs. Often, this kind of home brew is said to contain “over proof degree.” Under those conditions, such over proof home brew had but to display its after effect in shape of strong impression. The young and adult “so called distinguished guests,” danced vigorously with the musical tune of Brass-band party in the marriage procession. After some time, this vigorous activity made them tired and feel dehydrated. This helped increased their degree of impression of alcohol to a dangerous point. And this eventually incited them to become senseless and quarrelsome with everyone.

Firstly, they began fighting with their own co-fellows, and after that they lost the sense of recognizing any one and got engaged in physical fight  with the guests of the bride’s side. It was to result in a chaose. In village side, people generally remain calm, but when a fight initiated in this way by heavily drunken people, all they come to resist with their “main and might.” The same happened there, the guests from our sides, whether drunk or not, all were thrashed severely by sticks, boxes and kicks. On receiving such magnanimous treatment, we all distinguished guests escaped from the marriage venue. In the dark of the night , taking “short cuts”  through fields, whining with pain of received injuries and cursing the bride’s family we reached back to the village of Aatma Ram Mama ji.

I passed that night by staying at his ( Aatma Ram Mama’s) cousin brother’s place with a hungry stomach.  Need not to say, Aatma Ram Mama ji succeeded  to collect the detailed information of this fight and the root cause of the strife (i. e. alcohol). He angrily announced,”who so ever was involved in the illicit drinking, were not permitted to attend the next evening “at home dinner”, that was scheduled when marriage party had to come back with new bride.” Next day, early in the morning, I covered the five km long distance on foot to nearby semi- town locality. From there, I boarded on the public transportation bus and reached back home with an experience of insult and humiliation of taking liquor for the first time in life. ( End of the  Part 4th of the story. Cont’d ). Penned by– Vinay Pharasi —–