“What a bright day today is?”, I asked with myself.
Doing the usual activities of the day, times passes from your hand like water. “The more you try to grip it, the lesser you would get.”
“Anyway one has to keep on trying, maybe some day one would be able to hold both the grip and time.” With this thought I started from my house to take the bus for the office. “Office on Sundays ?? looks a bit strange. Well for me its fine, but the world see me with skeptical eyes.” Thoughts apart, I tell what happened today.
I was sitting on one of the benches put near the bus station, gazing the sky. The clouds look spectacular with the blue background. The cool breeze soothing your face every now and then. I wondered, “its so beautiful today that I feel like having a walk on the sea side.” With the end of this thought the bus 36 arrived. I was about to get in the bus when two men came running form back and entered the gate. I recognized one but not the other.
“So, how are you?”
“Oh, Gaurav, such a long time to see you. How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“You have become a little fat, how come? You was thin earlier.”
“Well you have also gained some weight since the last time I saw you.”
With a smile Latif anserwed, ” yes a little, but not much”
He introduced me to an Indian guy, who has come to visit ICTP for 3 months. It was nice to meet them and I felt really happy and good after talking to them. Otherwise till before I was feeling very dull and disgusting.
On reaching SISSA main building, I smelled some smoke from charcoal. I was expecting to see a Barbecue which my friends from SISSA have decided to put in Belavista building, close to where my office is located. But on reaching the place I didn’t see anything special not even a shouts and screams from the drunken souls.
“Good, I’m not in mood to make party today. I have to finish some work”, I murmured.
The office was as usual clam and warm, no one has come since last few days except me. I logged in my PC and then started surfing. Spending some one hour on net, I realized that now I should study. I was about to do start something, that I heard some voices down the street. I easily recognized them. I got an impulse from inside my mind to have a look from the window, but I overcome that impulsive state by good reasons of not joining them.
However, after few minutes, my mobile started buzzing in the trousers. I took out to check who is calling. It was my flatmate.
“Hi, Gaurav”
“Oh hi Erick”
“We are at Bellavista building main door. Could you open the door for us.”
“Ok, I’m coming.”
I had to go out, to help them and see what they need. However I didn’t know that it was a trick to call me outside and make me to join them.
I went outside. Some boys were trying to lit the Barbecue, putting charcoal and other inflammable stuff. The girls were cutting vegetables and making salad. The society is very much divided. Men chose or may be by nature, do the work which require some tediousness while girls do something simple.
While I moved from the gate towards them, I heard a series of conversations.
” Put this here. No we would not operate that part of BBQ as we don’t have sufficient coal.” One boy trying to put the coal in order, so that when burnt then according to him give maximum heat. Other was putting some white inflammable cubic stuff in between, to lit the coal effectively. One was trying to understand and watching eagerly. Second was not sure whether to be with girls or with boys, but since his outer body is like boy thus he decide to stay with other boys. 
I don’t know if it was him who decided this or the divided society.
I moved further and was directed by some to the area where food was kept. To my surprise there was plenty of food. There was meat, brinjal, sauce, sausages, bread, oil, fruits etc. It looked as though they wanted to make a picnic. Certainly it was a picnic.
I decided to stay at one area where no one could disturb me. People were talking to each other, mostly in Italian, sometimes in English. Occasionally they would throw a question to me asking, how I’m feeling, hows my sister wedding, hows everything going on, why don’t you try some food. When Italians speaks English, it sounds funny, but they are good natured and nice people.
I was felling a bit lonely, even though I was surrounded by the crowd and the joyous voices. I had to keep a smile on face to keep the mood of the party cool and rocking. Hardly anyone cared for the plastic smile that I was carrying.
The BBQ became hot, and they started putting stuff on the grill. Meat was the first thing to be put on the grills in front part, while some vegge girls tried to put some sliced brinjals on the end part of grill. Potatoes were wrapped in tin foils and were put in the warm ashes of the coal. It was looking very dramatic.
While the stuff was getting done, in the mean time people started eating bread with sauce. They couldn’t control the temptations and the excitement. In order to show that I’m not keeping myself aloof, I also picked some small pieces of bread to eat with sauce. Being a vegetarian it becomes quite difficult for me to carry on these types of parties. Generally I avoid going to such parties, but not always reasons can be given.
Soon the first servings of meat and veg was ready. There was excitement in the friends. Girls started running here and there, while some boys tried to collect the stuff from the grill. They all looked very happy and were in joyous mood. Girls were even murmuring some songs. Soon the stuff brought down from the fire was finished, even though it was damn hot, but then the fire in their stomach was even hotter . They were fighting for it, but still everyone got atleast one piece. No one came to ask me if I wanted to take some, well I was also not expecting either. However when I did try to take one piece of sliced and baked brinjal, some people saw me with skeptical faces. One can give a reason for that, since my contribution to that party was none, so in some sense I was not entitled to take any stuff. But I felt gratified as no one commented anything.
I was mostly watching the empty street, looking the clouds and sky sometimes, sometimes toward the train station situated near the area. The party was looking funny. Soon the second servings was ready. This time the people were ravenously eating. Their fire of hunger was boosted by the first servings.
People attacked on food like animals. It was a little funny to see the friends in that mood. I also joined them, not as an animal but as human. When everyone has taken his share of food, I went to pick a piece of baked brinjal and tried it with sauce. Certainly it was delicious. Guys were also drinking. After few minutes, one burped loudly. Girls started laughing at this.
I was not in mood to enjoy the funny party, so was looking for the occasion to leave them. While looking at them I wondered, why they are like that. At the time of party they don’t care about anyone or anything at all. They were free from any sort of worries or pain or anything that would make them feel sad. Or may they were doing all that in order to forget the worries, sorrow and sufferings.
Soon I find an occasion to leave. One boy wanted to use the toilets, so he asked me to open the door of the building in order to get in. I thus left, while the party continued for about 2 more hours after I left.
