Of Jobs, Mobs And Getting High

This post has been selected as a guest column entry for The Viewspaper. You may also read it on their web page here.

The crowd outside jammed the doors as the chosen few were presented their offers in the foyer. Ashwani was ecstatic as the representatives presented him the company t-shirt with its logo embossed on it. As they were leaving the crowd outside grew restless. A major fortune 500 company chose only four from nearly 200 to join their ranks that summer. It was a time to celebrate.

As he walked out the giant doors to the building, the kicking started numbing him as everybody nearby started doing so in celebration. His closest friends came to him quickly and extricated him from the mob and took him to the ATM. He withdrew a thick wad of notes and sat pillion on a pal's motorcycle.

As they sped off with four more bikes accompanying, he started thinking about what they would need for the night. Scotch, hash and a lot of cigarettes were needed. It wouldn't take too long to get all that. Just a few phone calls, driving on the empty streets to the old warehouse by the station, meeting someone unknown and paying him off for a few packets and bottles and they had everything. Without further ado, they drove back to the hostel.

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Somewhere else, someone had bones to pick with Ashwani. He had just opened a bottle of whiskey and was discussing Ashwani's new job with bitter hatred. Raman had hated him ever since he'd started dating the girl he'd been obsessing over. There would be eyeballing when they would pass each other in the hostel or in the college. And now, after Ashwani's new successful venture, Raman could take it no longer. He picked up an iron rod that he'd extracted from a table once and gestured to his cronies to do the same.

Support isn't hard to ask for when everyone's drunk. Five youngsters picked up weapons of their choice ranging from a hammer to an iron rod and marched to the rooftop where Ashwani's party was at full blast.

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The drugs were starting to hit their heads. The cold night air enclosed the eight boys from the outside as the small bonfire warmed them from the inside of the circle which they had formed. The smoke combined with the fumes of the alcohol as the music from tinny cellphone speakers blared out into the chilly air.

All of a sudden, five people he least expected to see, appeared. He wasn't all too pleased to see Raman but he he was too happy to mind. He asked them to join him. None saw the weapons in the little light the fire offered. Without another word, the beating began.

It was messy and none could make out who was fighting whom. They trampled all over the burning embers and rods and bats were swinging through the air crazily. Bones broke. A head was split open. The new recruit lay bleeding heavily on the roof. He never made it to the cubicle that awaited him in the summer.