A Night at the 'Purple Peace'
Anil: Look that girl’s got a Punjabi in her eyebrows… (Pointing at the girl with a piercing in her left eyebrow)
Vikram: What the fuck are you talking about?
A: She’s got a ‘Pier Singh’… get it? Pier--- Singh…
V: God, stop it… that was terrible…
A: Get a life man, I was just trying to cheer you up… Did your sense of humour break up with you too?
V: Hey, c’mon, no more ‘break-up’ references…
A: Achha, sorry sorry…
[Anil and Vikram were hanging out on a Friday night at ‘The Purple Peace’, a dingy pub in the heart of the city.]
A: So, all the talk about ‘I have moved on’ was shit. You still love her, don’t you?
V: Of course not. Why should I? She’s the one who left me.
A: Oh, you said you left her. Now that’s some good whiskey. Ek aur lana… (to the bartender)
V: Ya whatever yaar. You are not being much of a help. It was a mistake coming here with you today…
A: Ok I’m sorry yaar, I … (cut-short)
V: You know it’s all my fault. I screwed up. I always do. Chal shots martein hain… Bhai, shots please…
A: Ya, that’s like my boy. For life is too short… let’s have shot after shot…
V: Kya kuch bhi bol raha hai… We used to have shots. Aditi would always throw up after that. Then she would almost fall asleep, and I had to carry her back… She said she’ll never leave me…
[The DJ starts playing “Goodbye to Romance”]
A: Yeah baby… Goodbye to Romance… Yeah… [singing]
V: Goodbye to friends… I tell you [singing]
A: Or Girlfriend, in your case… [chuckles]
V: C’mon man, I really miss her… I realize how I got so used to her… How can I do without her… I’m so hollow now…
A: She was like Nicotine. She part of your metabolism. Leaving her is like quitting smoking, difficult at first, but good in the long run.
V: I donno man… Nicotine? Well, she did leave a burn in my heart …
A: She burnt your heart ‘coz she was hot. Did you smoke her? [chuckles again]
V: I still remember our hearts were pounding so hard… she had that look in her eyes… It’s as if time stopped for a second… And that’s when I took the first puff of my sweet Nicotine…
A: Woohoo… and then… did you do it?
V: Shut up you pervert…
A: I thought the shots were really working. Anyways, it’s the last call… Let’s grab a few beers and sit by the riverside.
V: River, where is a river here?
A: After a few more beers you’ll cry me a river… Cry me a river [singing]
V: Anyways let’s get out of here… I think I’ll call her…
A: Call her? God no…
V: No, I need to do this. [Fumbling with the phone] I realize I still haven’t forgotten her. I need to confront my problems and not hide from them.
A: Yeah baby, but I think that’s the alcohol talking… Not you…
V: You I had proposed her when I was drunk, maybe it will work again…
A: Lightning doesn’t strike twice at the same place… but I think she’s out of town, so you can try once again… Chal mere sher… Let’s do this!!!
[They pay the bill, and get some extra beer cans and start to move out of the pub]
A: Wo dekh teri Nicotine.
V: Arey she’s Pier Singh, not Nicotine…
A: Oh, anyways, I don’t mind taking a puff of her. Bye Pier Singh… Miss you…
[They leave the pub. Come outside, sit in a desolate park. The park is desolate because it’s late into the night. They sit down on a bench]
V: (opening a can of beer) you know, we used to sit on a park bench near pond, talk for hours. Her eyes were so pretty under the moonlight. (sighs…)
A: Did you kiss her? Because smoking is banned in public places… (with his signature smirk)
V: Ya, we used to smoke in so many places. I miss her. I really do… Can’t she comeback?
A: Maybe you can get into her sleep and plant an idea to Love you again. Inception you see…
V: Forget getting into her sleep, her dreams… I’d do anything to even get close to her bed. I’m calling her.
[He picks up the phone. Dials Aditi’s number.]
Phone: The Number you are dialing does not exist anymore.
V: Goddammit she changed her number… She wants me out of her life…
A: Well, you know, I hate to break this to you, but Aditi does not exist. Neither do I. You are suffering from schizophrenia. We are just figments of your imagination.
V: Shut the fuck up. Pehle ‘Inception’, ab ‘Shutter Island’…
A: Main tumhe kaise samjhaon…
V: Ok, I’m so pissed, I’ll piss on you. If you don’t freak out, you don’t exist. (Trying to unzip his pants..)
A: Arey arey stop… Ok Ok.. I’m real, She’s real. (getting up in a hurry…)
V: The very thought of my nicotine going up in smoke makes me mad. The joke’s not as funny when the joke’s on you, is it…
A: Arey sorry yaar… Tu bura maan gaya…
(Suddenly Vikram’s phone rings. An Unknown number flashes. Vikram answers…)
V: Hello
Phone: Vikram…
V: Aditi…
[To be continued]
