Crappy Den

'Welcome to the Den!', exclaimed Ritesh fervidly. 'This is where the Kings rejoice.'

Just a few steps march into the gates I saw the so called 'Den' my new friend declared.

The sizable mansion was a bad effigy of a spanish villa. The outdoor patio wasn't used for months it seemed. The buff coloured walls turned golden rod somehow. The clay plaster texture with that colour made it look like a shit pile. I had a name for this place in my head, 'Crappy Den'.

As we made our way into the Crappy Den, monstrous men inspected us to look if we had I don't know what. Ritesh was their commoner I guessed. Most of the girls body was visible and their dress  barely covered what it was meant to. Still,  a guard had the good fortune to move his hands over their perfecty modelled physique like a potter shapes pots. I came here with almost nothing in my pockets of value and a borrowed jacket.

'What is all this about?', I asked Ritesh after the routine check.

'Outside weapons not allowed.' He said, like a warning outside a movie theater.

'What weapons?' I said furiously.

'Don't worry, everything is available in the den. It's just that we don't want anyone to hurt themselves with naivety. By the way they could not detect the weapons these girls are carrying.' He said with a smirk.

I can understand that since the pumped up beast was was enjoying the curves but then I realised about the bazookas Ritesh was referring to. I too replied with a grin.

As we entered the edifice, the moods suddenly changed. There was a sudden chill in the air, the girls became more cheerful and started socializing right away. I sensed rich, powerful men all around the place, drinking and chatting. More damsels in here than in my ride to this place, keeping the house alive.

A party I came uninvited to, I was only expected of one thing if I'm not killing anyone here. Eat and drink. Also, since I don't know except a couple of people here who are busy it seems, I can concentrate on the task quite well.

Leading towards the bar counter, bisecting the mafia looking crowd I can already feel my balls felling numb from all that liquor. The bartender was juggling bottles and performing his fire tricks as if it was some form of mating dance. I ask for a peg of vodka and turn towards the crowd sipping on it.  This went on for some time till I no longer distinguish between water and vodka.

'Hello', says a girl seated on my right.

'Hi', I say turning towards her only to realise I should really think of something clever to say within the next 10 seconds.

'Are you bored?', she asked with a smirk.

'I don't know yet, I'm not into fire bending or Mafia Wars type of stuff though', I said in my composed accent.

'I'm Neela and I share your enthusiasm here'.

I don't know if she was drunk too or I just managed to pull a conversation in that state. Anyways, one thing led to another and I find myself in a dimly lit room on the upper level. Making out on the royal canopy bed was something that wasn't on my To-Do list for today but oppurtunity and Neela don't knock my door everyday.

We jumped on the bed and she started pecking my lips at first. This felt stupid, however it also drove me crazy at the same time. Imagine a man in a desert, dying of thirst, finds some water to drink but can only drink one drop at a time. Yes, only if that man was sloshed, he would've known how I felt.

Neela knew what she was doing while I was still wondering what to do with my hands. It felt like a vestigial organ for the moment but then I started rubbing her back just to keep'em busy. This was followed by a long electrifying kiss and things just went uphill from here.

Denims fake a stiffy.

"Woah! This's a fucking J-seater!", I exclaimed. Ritesh sitting at the farthest end with two dames on either side. All of'em looked tipsy and I was too. Ritesh invited me to sit next to him. I did.

'So what was that joke?',he asked looking straight in to my soul.
'Umm... What?'.
'Haha, Nothing. Relax. How have you been?'
'Ah, I've been better.', I said.

I knew what he meant  to ask but didn't want to answer that question. It amazed me that he still remembers that stuff since I myself had a foggy memory of it.

'Oh! Where are my manners!Let me introduce you to my friends for tonight.', he snapped.

I was settled to his right and to mine were Saysha and Liza. To his side were Heer and Jill. All the ladies were dressed in alterations of blue and white.

Saysha was in a white out dress, lying next to me. Her outfit was the most revealing. Not that it  gave away everything, but it maintained a perfect balance of curiosity with satisfaction of the eyes. It defined that thin line between sexy and vulgar. Her golden brown hair reminded me of the chocolate watefall in the Willie Wonkas chocolate factory. Fair skinned, impeccable anatomy, brown eyes, sweet scent and perfect lips, What more can one ask for? I also noticed that she was slowly leaning towards me as we rode the wet streets of the city.

Liza was a little shorter that Saysha. Excellent facial features. Black eyes, lips to go crazy for, perfect symmetry and dark black hair. She was sporting a dark blue leather panelled dress. Its sweetheart neckline made my eyeballs paralysed for a few moments, then I realised it's impolite to stare at a strangers cleavage. But since my acquaintance, Ritesh,  already introduced us, I continued anyway. Lizas golden tanned skin made her look like a native american princess, but I doubt it could've been make-up.

Heer and Jill kinda looked similar. It must've been the dim lighting in the wagon that I couldn't differentiate between them. Heer was wrapped in a white cotton beach dress and Jill dressed up like some cute Disney princess only revealing her legs below the thighs. Blonde hair and pretty personalities. They possessed what I called 'The Killer Smile'.

I felt like life was handing out too many lemons at once and I didn't know how to make those damned lemonades. I was intoxicated as well as excited now and didn't want this to be just a short ride back home.Hah! What a pervert I was.

All that grace around made me ignore the fine gentleman seated next to me for some time but then I realised this and turned to him. He was all suited up. A beige double breasted jacket, matching trousers, white shirt beneath and an expensive looking watch. I turned my eyes towards the deck only to be greeted by his shiny brown brogues while the girls feet were naked. Back to his face, it looked like his head has grown bigger but the face actually didn't. Facial hair trimmed and hair stuck behind, there was nothing too charismatic about his appearance if I didn't compare him to what he looked like a few years ago when he shared the modest room along with four other family members.

 Our sextet was headed to some place only I didn't know about or cared to know about. There was something strange, something odd, I thought. I've been with people I don't know before but there was something missing from the scene here. 'Smartphones!', were those things.

Everytime I was with a group of friends or people, most of us were engrossed with our social networking profiles and chats on those damned devices. There was actually no healthy communication between people. Mates text messaged when they could've just whispered 'Hey fucknut' in each others ears.

I could sense their eagerness to start their conversation once again which was disturbed just so that I can arrive in this heaven. Now they were all looking at me like I was supposed to say something while I was unable to maintain eye contact due to my fondness of rifts. It was then that Saysha turned towards me and asked,

'What do you think is the cause of all the rape incidents happening around? Who is at fault?'
'Well, it's obviously the rapist who's at fault here. I don't think a womans attire has anything to do here. Moreover the socio-cultural trends are responsible for such incidents I believe'
'Hmmm. What do you think can help in reducing these events in future?'
'I have absolutely no clue', I answered.

I should've framed a better answer for that question since everyone else had a solution. Capital punishment, education system, more force, changing mindsets by means of media etc were some of the ideas discussed. My active participation in further discussion about the subject in debate was only the result of my inebriety. Fusing words, trying to sound deep and mysterious while being clueless helped. I think I've made a good impression till now. Ritesh didn't speak much apart from his periodic nod and 'Yes, true' utter.

The moods all relaxed after sometime when and we decided to think of something else and not talk for a while. Atleast I thought so. The alcohol might've kicked in their heads. Who knows.

Saysha just slipped a little too close to me I've noticed. She was now caressing my jawline such that it was starting to arouse me. Not that I had a boner yet however, my denims were already faking one. Jill had a mischievous grin in her eyes while she observed my worried face. Why was I worried anyway? I thought. If Saysha had a league, forget me being incompetent for it, I didn't exist. She moved her lips closer to my right earlobe and I felt the warm air she just exhaled around my neck. I was enjoying the static from he skin near my face but didn't demonstrate it to her or Jill. Just when her lips were to impact the lower otic, she pulled herself back and both Jill and her had a petty laugh while other members didn't react at all. Fuck! it was close, but then I acted like I was relieved. I don't know if this makes me look like a loser or I'm one. The latter one indeed.

An hour and a half on wet concrete and tar roads, the caravan now paused on a dimly lit street infront of bronze painted gates. Ritesh was the first to get down, elegantly escorting the ladies out of the SUV. I revealed myself the latest.

There was no one around except two gatekeepers and a German Shepherd. Ritesh lent me a navy blue jacket and moved ahead with the pretty band. Saysha noticed my cluelessness and came back only to hold my arms and lead me into the shiny portal while the canal woofed furiously.

Kicking the Plastic Carry Bag.

"No, I won't be needing an umbrella", I said as mom urged me to take one. Why did I even come home this evening? I asked myself. I'm high on something. Something that made me forget what it was. I was speaking differently, couldn't recognise my own voice in my head too. I tried to sleep it off but couldn't. My eyes were wide as an owl and also bloodshot. I left home because I didn't want a scene happening and not remembering it the next day. I mean there was a possibility of it happening.

Kicking that plastic carry bag on the deserted street was appeasing as well as irritating at the same time. It's not like the ball that you kick, and kick hard, and then you have to go get it back because it went too far with no one to pass it back. This humble invertebrate on the other hand goes nowhere no matter how hard you punt. Though sometimes it clings to your footgear like that ex-lover you had who doesn't know how to let go. This makes you go even harder the next time.

I had nowhere to go and then it started pouring. This reminded me of my mother when she tried to make me take that octagon canopy with me while leaving the house for group studies at a friends apartment. My eyes were moist now, thinking of all the people who love and care for me. Am I letting them down by doing or not doing what's expected of me, that is to perform well in academics and bagging a good paying job? Nah! I thought, they just want me to be happy. Besides, I don't have many well wishers to be sad about. I sat on a bench meant for patients, outside a sexual wellness clinic to protect myself of the downpour. 'Carefree', the sign-board above me read. 'Careful', I thought to myself. I wouldn't bring myself to do this in the bright light of the day but given at this hour with the showers and also the closed dispensary, it would be easier to explain if someone saw me here.

It wasn't a very comfortable waiting experience, wait, I wasn't waiting at all. I ended up on this termite infested wooden settee out of my own misery with nothing to look forward to. Looking at the filthy water flowing in the open gutters I wondered if this was the same water I pissed last year which somehow evaporated, formed clouds and came back again this year only to find itself in the waste water line. Someday, the same molecules will be packed and sold as 'aqua vitae' by some mineral water giant. Water cycle is a funny thing.

I was staring at the river infront of me which was, a few minutes ago, Station Rd. The yellow street lights reflected like the oil lamp in a holy river. A bright green SUV stopped on the stream like a rich mans yacht infront of me. Another lost soul in the city, I thought. The glass rolled down and a very enthusiastic voice, called out my name. Well, this is strange. I don't have any rich friends. This must be a car heist and I'm gonna be in trouble as this guy, who knows me, maybe my friend, is surely gonna rope me in the crime. I was about to disappear in the moist darkness of the night but then I saw the guy. A familiar face but not someone I know or maybe don't remember right now. Must've been someone from my high school. 'High' school, I pondered and laughed at the greatest joke I cracked to myself while I was 'High'. Ritesh! I called back. I didn't know why called him by that name but it turned out he was indeed Ritesh! Subconsciousness fucks with you sometimes.

Ritesh was a guy that never took bullshit from anyone. The bullies would kick and punch him but he never answered back. He never struggled or tried to run away, instead he'd just flash his amber eyes at them. Not begging for sympathy of any kind but apathy for their actions. This thin lad came from a very humble background. The teacher would always send him back home from school to fetch his guardians for fee payments they missed on and then he wouldn't return for the day. Grades didn't mean anything for this guy at school. Back then I wondered how it must've felt to not care for anything. Maybe I know it now, maybe not yet. I never spoke to Ritesh those days except once where I mumbled something funny to his twin sister and she laughed. Right then this guy thinks he needs a piece of my humour and asks if could repeat the joke. I tell him to ask his sister instead, very humbly ofcourse and he goggles at me with those killer hazel eyes. In that moment I was really skeptical if this guy would let me see what I looked like when I turned sixteen. I couldn't catch the emotion behind that gaze ever. Turns out he wasn't gonna kill me, although on the eve of my sixteenth birthday I wished he did.

After almost nine years, he shows up with this lush ride of his on this crappy night of mine and requests me to join him in the wagon. Request? Yes, he asked, "Will you please join us for tonight my friend? I'll be honoured." Just a few seconds ago I was struggling to recall his name and he wishes to be honoured by my presence along with those three oh!, no, four Roman Goddesses of his. I smell something fishy here but that ride looks comfier than the throne I'm already assed on. Perhaps he may drop me off somewhere better than this place after a little chat or 'Home'. Not that I was eager to get there but that is where I was eventually gonna end up. Not taking too much of his precious time, I hop in the SUV as Kate Upton hopping in that Happy Easter video. I tried to dodge the thick water bullets from the sky but found myself wounded once I got in the vehicles safety. I was soaked. The glass rolled up and the four wheeled yacht started floating again.