There was a sudden lull in motion and I opened my eyes to see what was going on.
“You were sleeping” I heard Arjun speak
“No, I wasn’t”
“Yes you were. I could hear you snoring”
I noticed we were in front of the Dhaba in Koramangala. Arjun parked the bike and I got off. I smacked his head playfully and spoke
“Yeah right. I never snore”
“How do you know that?”
“know What?”
“That you don’t snore”
Oh that was a tricky question. How do I know that I don’t snore in my sleep. I never liked to lose an argument. Never.
“Because so far no one has complained”
“Oh?” I saw the questioning look in Arjun’s eyes and I knew what he was thinking
“If I snore, Aparna or Shylaja would have said something nah?”
“hmm” Arjun mumbled.
Suddenly George and the anonymous letter came to my mind. The letter was send so many months ago, but the effect still lingered. I was declared guilty even before a trial and I knew I will spend the rest of my life trying to convince everyone of my innocence.
Reductio ad Hitlerum, Nah it should be Reductio ad Georgenum.

“What do you want to eat?” Arjun asked
How dare you ask me what I want to eat, when you can’t even afford me a basic trust. I wanted to ask Arjun that.
Instead I stared at him. hoping fire would spew forth my eyes and reduce him to ashes. Alas such powers were only given to Gods.
The waiter was shuffling his feet as though he wanted us to know that he had other important things to do than stand by out table and wait for us to make up our mind.
I thought of making him wait some more. It is his job to wait right? Besides I have always given him a generous tip every time we came to eat here. So he better wait.
‘No Nina, you have no right to treat him like that’ Sensible one spoke.
I didn’t like to admit, but she was right.
“Roti and dal” I spoke
“Subji?” Waiter asked
“Aloo ghobi” I replied
“Beer?” Arjun asked
“Sure” I replied
kudichu kudichu anggu marikkam!
“Give me a sec” Arjun got up. I saw him walking up to the counter and buying a pack of cigarette. He took a cigarette out, borrowed the lighter from the guy at the counter and lit the cigarette.
He then came and sat in front of me.
“Do you want to smoke?” Arjun passed the cigarette to me
“No thanks”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to smoke. Do you know what Dr. Johnson wrote about cigarette?”
Arjun shook his head
“A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end and fool at the other end”
“Funny! Who is Dr Johnson?” Arjun asked
“He was a great english writer, he wrote a dictionary..”
Before I could complete Arjun Asked
“Dictionary? What is the big deal about writing dictionary? You call a dictionary writer, a great writer? come on Nina, anyone can write a dictionary!”
I considered taking the beer bottle and smacking his head. How do you explain to someone who just can’t see the greatness in others? It takes a great man to write a dictionary of english language.
Since I couldn’t hit Arjun with the bottle I decided to hit the bottle. I must have been thirsty too. But I had not forgotten the last time I had ‘women chipping rocks in my head’. So I was very very careful this time. I ate the food and drank the beer. No beer on empty stomach.
Arjun was talking about his friends and I laughed every time he laughed and nodded my head every time he looked at me.
I was trying to remember alcoholic intoxication.
I tried to remember all the stages of alcohol intoxication.
Dizzy, delirious, drunk and finally dead.
If I didn’t die of alcohol, I realized, I surely would die when I go home and meet my mother.
Why do I never think before I do something drastic?
“Shall we go?” Arjun paid the waiter.
“No” I can’t go home now. Amma would know that I drank beer.
“huh?”
“my mother will kill me if I go home now”
“So what do you want to do?”
“Don’t know”
“chal I know where we can go”
“ok” I didn’t bother to ask where he was going. I didn’t want to face my mother right now.