Skip to main content

The Drinker Girl Who Did Not Drink On The “All Drinkers’ Night”

Virtualia is a peaceful country whose citizens live a quiet life. Like any other peaceful country, Virtualia too has a stable government – for the people by the people. Virtualia is a democracy. The “Rulers Party” rules the state. It has been so, ever since time was born. Once in every five years, its citizens line up at polling stations to cast their votes. Anyone is free to stand in the elections. Members of the “Rulers Party” would inevitably be present at each station. If anyone of the citizens cast their votes for a candidate from outside of the “Rulers Party”, its agents would shoot the voter down then and there. Both with camera as well as gun. They were staunch believers of “justice delayed is justice denied” philosophy. “Rulers Party” ensured that the citizens of Virtualia never faced any shortage. Every single commodity – from essentials such as water, medicines, food to luxuries including smart phones and grooming products and hot beverages were sold through government counters.

***

Rainbow was the only whiskey available in Virtualia. The male population of Virtualia was heavy drinkers, and Rainbow was always in great demand. No woman drank alcohol in Virtualia. Well, no one but Miss Fallacy. Fallacy hated the pungent smell and bitter taste of the whiskey. Yet, she chose to drink it as she felt being the only lady in Virtualia who drinks alcohol would make her stand out in the crowd. Miss Fallacy liked being the stand out. And so she drank Rainbow, along with the men.

***

Stuart Nolastname was a citizen of Virtualia. Mr. Nolastname liked experimenting with food and drinks. He would spend every single day putting together weird ingredients - brewing, baking or boiling them. One fine day, he was busy brewing a new beverage. He had used rotten grapes, sweat of goats, mango peel and spider heads for his new experiment. After letting it ferment for nine hours, he tasted some of it. Voila! It tasted like heaven. Mr. Nolastname was ecstatic about this new recipe. Dancing in joy, he drained the rest of the drink down his throat. That night, a spider appeared in his dream and asked him to make his revelation public.  The very next day, Mr. Nolastname opened a small stall by his courtyard announcing the new beverage, which he named “Jango”. He did not know what that meant. The fame of Jango spread like wildfire. Eager citizens formed huge queues at his courtyard. Unsurprisingly, all of them were male. Well, all but Fallacy.

***
“Rulers Party” was agitated at one of their citizens opening his own stall, defying government orders. They immediately banned Jango, citing that Jango caused liver problems and should not be consumed. That is when the citizens decided to protest against the autocratic measures by the government. They reasoned that liver is something people get by birth, and the government could not object if the people chose to wreck it.

***

The protesters decided to conduct a protest party at the courtyard of Stuart Nolastname. Every citizen of Virtualia who drank was invited, and was offered a pint of Jango to protest against the government. They agreed to hold the “All Drinkers’ Party” in the evening of Saturday. The government caught news of the event, and thought of plans to sabotage this. They decided to send their spies to Mr. Nolastname’s home on Friday night, and poison the barrels of Jango. They summoned the chief chemist, and ordered him to produce an odorless, tasteless and colorless poison.

***

Most of the citizens of Virtualia who drank turned up at the courtyard in the evening of Saturday. As offered, each of them was given a pint of Jango. None of the protesters could notice the presence of the odorless, tasteless and colorless poison in their drinks. Hence they proposed toasts against the government and drank Jango. In a matter of minutes, all of them started feeling uneasy, fell on the ground, and later died. Well, all but Fallacy. Fallacy did not die because she did not drink the poisoned Jango. Miss Fallacy liked Jango. Yet, she chose not to drink as she felt being the only drinker who did not drink on the “All Drinkers’ Party” would make her stand out in the crowd. Miss Fallacy liked being the stand out.

***


Miss Fallacy liked being the stand out. Even today, she stands outside of her house and narrate the tale of the drinker girl who did not drink on the all drinkers’ night to anyone who passes by.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review : Scion Of Ikshvaku

Author : Amish Tripathi Genre : Mythological Fantasy Published On : 22 June 2015 Watch trailer on Youtube Buy Online! As the makers put it, this first installment of the Ram Chandra series is the most awaited literary blockbuster of the year. The frenzied wait had its effect on me, as I had pre-ordered a copy, days before its release. Obviously, the most weighted factor which prompted me into this craze was The Shiva Trilogy, the previous work of the boring banker turned happy author. Shiva Trilogy achieved its cult status for two major reasons: a) the plot being discussed offered a welcome change from the modern day love stories that had mushroomed up in the post Chetan era. b) The author had meticulously researched through Vedas and other ancient texts, and had reconstructed the very image of Shiva, into a very capable man rather than a miracle performing God. To quote the First City, Amish had succeeded on reintroducing Hindu mythology to the youth of t...

The Plan

The son went and sat near his father. “It’s been a while, dad. How are things going?” “It really has been a while, hasn’t it? I stopped following time since God knows when.” “That’s quite unbecoming of you, dad. For what I know, you were someone who used to measure time and plan accordingly. Shall I say shrewd?” “I prefer meticulous. And yes, I used to measure time – every ounce of it. Each of my actions were prudently strategic. I wanted the best for myself and my folks.” “Are you telling me even I were a result of your deliberate planning? Interesting.” “You? Of course. Especially you. There was a time when my whole life was centered on you. I have had immense plans for you, even before you were born. Do you think you just happened to be born in the month of May?” “I am quite familiar with the nine months’ infancy phase, dad. I believe that though I came out only in May, I began to exist sometime in August, perhaps.” “That’s a way to look at it, righ...

Chennai Tidbits

‘2/14, Salvation Army Guest House, Doveton St, Chennai’  this address followed by a ten digit phone number was all that I had of Mr. Nageshwar Rao, who was to become my roommate in my new 'home' that Chennai was. Vipin Das is my name, an employee of All India Radio, and I had been transferred from New Delhi to Chennai only a few days ago. So there I was, just outside the Chennai Central, drained and haggard after the grueling train journey that gifted me two sleepless nights. I approached an auto-rickshaw with baggage in my hands, and showed him the address I had. He asked me to get in, and I was traveling through the South Indian metro, a first time in my life. It was only six in the morning, and the city was just waking up. Some young professionals, probably long distance commuters, security guards, newspaper boys on cycle, trucks and light traffic were all I could see on road. I took out that card and dialed Mr. Rao. No response. Maybe he was still sleeping. After all, it...