THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "Stay in front of me and move along the line as fast you can,’’ was the tip that an old man gave us when we were at a fully-crowded Beverages outlet near Bakery Junction. Posing as buyers, we were trying to put to test the hypothesis that hartal day was also a day for booze parties for a section of city people.Hundreds of people of all ages were thronging the counter. Many with a helmet still on and some others masking the faces with handkerchief. Saturday being a hartal and Sunday a public holiday, the mood was upbeat for the Beverages crowd as if it was Onam celebration -Part Two.Being teetotalers, the situation turned out to be a little awkward for us as we tried to turn away our face to escape from the stares of passersby. Women of the species travelling in buses and autorickshaws were the eager lot as they popped their head out of the windows to know what the hell was happening in front of the old building.The crowd was so bizarre that anyone who didn’t know that it was a Beverages outlet could easily be misled. With trouble brewing in various pockets of the city after a protest march turned violent, their curiosity was justified.Coming to our rescue was the same old man, who with a sorry look gave us a spot in front of him and also advised us to buy as much as we could, the next day being a hartal day. The hypothesis was almost proving correct.A gentleman, residing at M P Appan Road, Vazhuthacaud, was trying to gain balance. Yet, he did not stop drinking ‘water’ from his 750-ml water bottle which he had consciously mixed earlier. He closed his eyes as if he was on nirvana.After having a boiled egg outside the outlet, he scooted down the road carrying two bottles of Old Port Rum as ‘holiday quota’.Another youth from Kochi was pleading with his friends to come to the counter. “If you want an extra bottle, then come out of your bed. More people means more bottles. We can have a party,” he said.A little more time at the counter revealed a weird truth that your petty underwear can serve a unique purpose. An autorickshaw driver returned from the counter and paused before his auto, pulled his ‘lungi’ up and put two bottles of Bagpiper (BP as they fondly call it) in the pocket of his boxer shorts. Noticing us still lingering around, he returned and enquired what we were waiting for. “Not to worry if you don’t get enough. Come to Van Ross Junction tomorrow and have as much us you wish. But, don’t go to Rajaji Nagar Colony. They might harm you for money,” he enlightened us with a concerned look, which can only be seen in revered places like these.
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