"The Bottle Of Signature"

Prologue 04/07/2006

"You are ok no Baba?" I asked , to which Simba replied " Try me out" in his usual way and Paddy burst out laughing. Simba and me had just finished the Quarter bottle of Whisky. Paddy was happy as It was after a long time since we had paid her a visit. 'we must be togother always, the way we are right now' i thought. It was a happy day for me too. almost perfect.
So i got up finally and slipped into my floaters and there I was ready to leave. Simba was still lounging around the mattress raising his hand towards me expecting me to pull him up , in order to help him stand upright, and so i did. he wore his shoes the same worn and torn, that he had been wearing since ages without even bothering to wash. " I like my old stuff" said Simba whenever he got sugestions to buy a new pair of shoes, "i can never throw them apart, I am just like my Dad". " Does he think the same way when it comes to friendship?" I wondered. What will happen when i turn an old friend of his?, and we know each other so much/well that we would never need to call each other every day in order to stay in touch? will he be the same Simba saying ' i like my old friends' the same way that he thinks about his old shoes? The thought process put me into scielence for moment. " What happened ? What are you thinking? " Asked Paddy. She reads my mind pretty well but most of the times she over-reads it. " Nothing" was my instant reply.
So we said goodbye to Paddy and we started climbing down the staircase as i checked the time in my wrist watch. It was 11.25 pm. " Close the Door" Shouted Simba and i hushed him. Simba was drunk after having a Can Of Beer 'Royal Challenge' and two pegs of Whisky 'Signature'. Somehow i could not agree to the fact that some one could get drunk in this much, It always irritated me as I have always been in a company of Voracious Boozers , Placing Bets on how many botttles of Beer can be finished at a time, and and how many pegs of Whisky can be drunk at a time and all "Bottoms Up", Simba was first of his kind, who liked to booze and at the same time used to get drunk at two cans of beer or two pegs of whisky. We walked outside the Society where Paddy resided and got into Simba's 'Wagon R' ('Chameli' I had nicknamed the Car), the sight of his car always brought a pleasent smile on my face. We have had some lovliest time together in that car , be it driving all the way from north Bombay to South Bombay and after that ,all the way from south Bombay to New Bombay and then to Lonavala in one single night, Or may it be Racing another Wagon R' on the Mumbai - Pune express highway, or be it walking out of the car at mini Sea-shore after a terrible argument, Or be it Simba Shouting at me inside the car when it was raining heavily outside after i sent him those disturbing messeges . All the moments just flashed into my mind at the mere sight of the lovely car. Though the Car didn't belong to me i have an emotional attachment to it.
" i think we need to stop at the public toilet, I need to empty my bladder " i told Simba, " so do I" replied back Simba agreeing to my opinion as the feelings were mutual . So he stopped the car near a garden . After we were done with our business, we got into the Car again and Simba put on the Radio. " dont you have your CD with ya?" I asked. He did not reply instead just made some sound " naaa", so i understood he is feeling lazy to remove them from the Folder. " Hey did u see that Cat crossing the road?" I shouted after i saw one crossing by , I am superstitious i know , but sometimes people should listen to me, he neglected the idea and said," The scooter was ahead of us so we are safe , they have crossed the imaginary (superstitious) line of restriction and bad omen drawn by the cat"
We drove through the Palm Beach Road at a speed of 120 per Km, the raindrops slapping my Face.I still kept the glasses rolled down and i popped my hand outside the window feeling the wind hitting on palms pushing it backwords. For a moment i thought of telling simba that he need not drop me all the way till home , as i could see he was drunk and how fast he was driving on the highway but i did not utter. A few days back i had walked out off his car , while he was insisting me to accompany him at Mini Sea-shore for a Smoke i had rejected the idea rudely. So ithought i would compensate for that.
So I Reached home in about Ten minutes , He Drove all the way from Juhinagar back to Koperkhairane Three Tanks in approximately Ten minutes, This is not surprising in case of Simba, We Are Used to his kind of driving, " You must always Trust the Driver " , Whenever i feel Simba Drives Rash, I always remember these words once said by a friend named Anand. How true after all we have an example of Arjuna Trusting Krishna his Charriot rider during the great war, and listening to all his sugestion and following all his advises blindly , that lead him to victory.
I finished my Dinner, Dal, Rice And Prawns curry that my mom Had cooked, and that is what i love the most when it comes to a Bengali Meal and had just lied down on my bed thinking about what a great day it was when i suddenly Received a call on my cell and i knew it was Simba by the ringing tone as it was a unique one that i had specially kept for this special friend of mine. I picked up thinking that he was sitting on the Net and downloading some movies and has called me to ask for a few sugestionms on the movies that he needs to download. I still remember those words clearly " Joy I met with a Small Accident Can you please come By. I am Standing Near Days Inn, Need Your Help To carry all my stuff back home" I was terrified , but the casual tone of Simba made me feel it was not a very serious accident so the instant reaction was a sarcastic laugh taunting my Dear friend for being on a situation like this .