"Hey, firetime buddy! Be quick. Everyone's out.", Roshan cried on from the door as I packed the rest of my clothes and looked at the new tracksuit I was wearing.
" Yeah, I'll be right there; you go.", I yelled back moving around the door and picking up my shoes. This was a gift from my last girlfriend. I paused, and threw them off on the floor. The shoes landed with a soft thud on the wooden floor, causing a small cloud of dust to rise where it had landed. The hotel clearly was not up to its claim of providing 'sanitary' accommodation service.
I went across the room to my beside and put my slippers on. My eyes fell on the blue spot on pillowcase, and turned the pillow over to hide the ink drop I had accidentally dripped on it.
" Come on, be quick. You don't want to miss it!", Roshan shouted again. I didn't bother to hurry. I put the scattered papers back on the small shelf beside my bed. I went to the door, scanned the room once and stepped out, closing the door behind me.
As soon as I stepped out, the cold air chilled me out. Nuwakot was hell of a place. I swiftly raced towards the open field shadowed by the three - storeyed hotel we were staying in on the moonlight. We had planned to spend the last night of our tour with a campfire.
I reached there to see all my friends either cuddled with a partner, or clutching thick blankets draped around them, the cold air chilling everyone's bones, even despite several layers of thick clothing. I desperately eyed a mini-mountain of wood, paper, and plastic. Trailok, our boss, planned to burn it and 'party' the night away.
Let me tell you something, I hate campfires. You see, I'm a bit touchy when it comes to sleep, and campfires have eternal enmity with sleep. Once again, I hate campfires!
Everyone saw me and the noise of their talks stopped. I walked over to Roshan and sat heavily next to him, on a log.
Trailok stood up and cleared his throat, breaking the eerie silence seeming to have appeared just since I came. "A'right, everyone here?", he spoke tonelessly as usual.
"No, sir. Sarmila and Preeti have not come yet.", Someone informed.
"Suyog too", another voice was heard.
Trailok sat down silently. Everyone started gossiping again. I quietly listened to the soft humm of the noise. Roshan elbowed me hard, earning himself a glare. Realizing he won't notice the glare in the darkness, I gave him a sharp frown, still wincing from the pain. The fat bull had some strength.
"Are you even enjoying this? This is the pay day of our tour; we'll be working like donkeys from the day after tomorrow. We're in the last day of our fun week, and you come out late. And what's with.......... '', I turned to the other side, ignoring him completely as he was still whisper - yelling at me.
''Ahhmmmm!", Trailok cleared his throat again, startling several of us." So, is everyone here now? ", he continued in his robot-like tone. No one spoke, meaning everyone was out.
"Then let's light the fire. Where's the kerosene? Hand the matches over , Sahaj. And Samira, your face looks good the way it is ; you don't need to burn your pretty made-up face. So, move back."
Sudip fished his pocket for a few seconds before finally passing the matched to Trailok. Samira backed, with a frowning face.
The campfire would last for about four hours, I guessed, looking at the mini mountain's size.
No sleep for about four hours!
I shuddered at the thought of it. I couldn't stay up till late hours. And we'll be up for at least three hours. About two in the morning!
By now, the mini mountain had been sprayed with kerosene and a torch was dipped on kerosene ready to be set on fire. Trailok lit the torch and backed away from the pile. Then he threw the torch into the pile and WHOOSH!!....... Two-storeyed tall flames were looking at us. Everyone backed away with their seats, yeah I mean the logs they were sitting on, unable to stand the heat.
Yeah, one hell of a campfire!
The kerosene had done its job. The flames so simply wouldn't reduce their size. Someone, clicked a photo, somewhere from opposite of where I was sitting, the flash blinding me for a while.
Seriously? Which fool clicks a fire?
" Now what, guys?",someone shouted after a while.
"Sing a song!", someone ordered.
"Dance, dance!", another boomed.
"No, Antakshari", a girlish voice screamed.
"What about jokes?", a low voice suggested.
Trailok finally spoke,"Well, Aakash, jokes could've been great, but they're too short. And we'll be out for long. We'll need something......... uh....longer."
"Then a story, it be. A long one." Someone spoke to my right. I glanced to the side, and saw Roshan, standing. "What do you say, guys? It'll be fun.", he was still going on.
"Who'll tell a story?", someone inquired.
"Well, I'm standing,right? What does that mean?",Roshan counter-questioned in a duh-tone.
Roshan telling a story?Interesting!
" Well start, then!", someone grunted.
And Roshan snorted, snarling at the direction the voice came from." Don't you know what it means when I stand up?", he sounded nervous, nervous like he had to tell the story.
Wait! I know where this is going!
"It means Manoj will tell a story.", he stated, again with the duh-tone.
It took me a few seconds to take and process what he just said. When it hit me, believe me, it hit me hard.
Fuck you, Roshan!
Fuck you once!
Fuck you twice!!
Fuck you thrice!!!
Fuck you forever, Roshan!
I went on fucking Roshan mentally few more times before I realized staring eyes on me, even in the dark.
I came back to myself with Roshan's another whack on my head.
The inglorious bastard!
I wasn't even enjoying the night, leave alone storytelling. And I didn't know any story anyway. So I figured it was high time that I got myself out of this somehow........ anyhow.
Fuck myself!
"Well?", I heard him snicker earning him another glare.
I couldn't tell the few moral stories I knew, any campfire story was our of my knowledge. Okay, now I had to get myself out of this.
"Hey, guys, why am I even selected? I mean why not others?", I tried to protest,but I'm sure I must've sounded like a crying child.
As I'd half expected, Roshan butted in,"You're the one with the most GPA than any of us. You were the one with the highest marks is the language and literature subjects. You're the one who have read more books than any of us here. You're the one with the best speaking and presentation skills in our department. I suppose this much reasoning is enough bro!"
As I was trying to take in what he just said, I heard a thunder of claps!
Okay, Manoj, there's no escaping it. Just tell a goddammit story and be with it!, I instructed myself.
My mind raced, as I searched for any story I could tell for a campfire night. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Is this what a campfire night is actually like?
Calm down, Manoj. Just remember, or even make a goddamn story, and spit it!
I did try to make a story up by myself and be done win it, but in vain. My mind shifted and changed its gears, with symphony to the fire dancing before my eyes.
What kind of story was to be told in a campfire anyway? I had no idea. Sure, I've read a whole lots of books in my life, but seriously, who reads a book of campfire stories? No book I've ever read could help me now.
My thoughts started diverting from thinking of a story towards Roshan with frustration building up inside me.
The asshole!
I'll make sure to stick a thick stick up his thick arse once I get over with this story telling. The bastard turned everyone against me, democratically. If only he wasn't my friend since my teenage.........
Wait, teenage! That's it! The small spark lit in my mind grew into the huge fire before me.
I stood up again; this time with a smile. Then turning myself serious, I spoke,"Ok, so I've decided to tell you a quaint story, the story of my love life." i gave albeit dark tone to the last part, trying to make myself sound dramatic.
I guess the dark voice did its job, I heard short whispers and murmurs around me. Everybody looked surprised on my sudden decision. There was a justifiable reason for that. Even Roshan, my best friend, didn't know even a bit of my love life. I tried to scan the faces around me on the firelight, just to see all eager faces with their fixed on me. I could still hear some "Oooooh"s from behind me.
I sat down back on the log and cleared my throat. I was ready now.
I cried out aloud," OK guys, before I I start, I need you all to promise me, that this story will be kept secret and not a single soul except us will know about this. You will also never ask me about this ever again. Do you agree?"
Yeah, like someone would disagree...
"Okay, I agree."
"Yeah, me too."
"I never gossip about anything like this!"
"Why are you acting like you murdered someone?"
"Okay, I promise in the name of Emma."
I recognized the last voice as Roshan's. I didn't care much about the others' comments, I won't have any problem with them. And as for Roshan, he just promised in the name of Emma! I turned my head downwards, smiled to myself, and took a long breath.
Okay, Manoj. Time to start. Let's do it.
As I instructed myself, I fixed my gaze in the fire before me eyes and started the story.
