PHOTOS AN IMPRINT OF MEMORIES?
“Why do people do that? Why do they keep someone’s picture in their wallet or stored somewhere in the gallery of their phones, people who will never come back into their lives, people whom they might never even see again, what’s the thing, that thing which still compels them to stick onto that old photograph, that swipe of their thumb, that smirk on their face, what?
12.45 p.m.
I was doing the tricks with the smoke in the gloomy ambience of Ministry of Booze, encountering needless thoughts and provoking my tastebuds to have another go at the Bottle of Budweiser. I saw Ahana and Priyanka with their mouths open in awe to my smoke rings, Sarthak was busy exploring my camera and snapping me randomly doing tricks. I saw a man in his late 40s sitting in his solitude and enjoying his apple Martini in the table opposite. I got my subject of interest and started observing him. He wore a grey formal shirt and Black Chinos. Non-Alcoholic, depressed, Introvert. I wonder if I’ll be that guy when I’m in my 40s.
Ahana: Dhiman, let’s not go to college now, it's so much fun here.
Agreed, the bar was more soothing than the hustle and bustle at the college fest.
Priyanka: Bruh! Dhiman is going nowhere until he is done showing off his tricks with the hookah. Btw he’s doing so just to impress those ladies in the bar table
I turned my head and saw two ladies in their mid-thirties gazing at me looking impressed. I gave them a smile and peaked my eyes towards Sarthak. Shifted attention you see?
Ahana: Lol!
Dhiman: Guys! Let’s go back to college. I cannot handle you guys drunk at the entry gate.
3:40 p.m.
The college was packed to the brim with people. I took out my camera and started shooting random subjects. Our group to four soon became a district of thirty . I could see my #amitykibhoot coming towards me at the pace of bolt. I preped myself to get my bones shattered by her squeeze. She hugged me hard enough to take my lungs out .
Bhoot : Bhai tu aaj bht cute lag raha hai.
Me: Ha! Ofcourse lag rahe hai akhir humare behen ne jo kaha hai
She gave the widest smile and squeezed me once more. Though I loved her but it’s universal truth that not a single soul on planet earth let alone living Homosapiens can tolerate her cuteness for more than 3 minutes or 120 seconds. Jhilam if you’re reading this remember you’re the best.
I saw this girl at around 60mts distance from me doning this angelic wine red dress. She touched the epitome of magnificence and made tiny tiny bubble blop in my gulabi dil >❤️💘❤️<. She was with this man who looked in his early 30s (he’s 21) looking formal as fuck. He looked a tad little stressed under the wrap of the smile he put on display in public. They were engrossed in a deep discussion.
Sarthak : Bhai, bore ho rahe hai !
Me: Hmm. Amphitheatre chal bethte udhar adda jamate hai
We took cofee from the canteen and sat on the tiles of the Amphitheatre with the exit gate of the college directly in the line of view . Sarthak noticed something on the tiles
Sarthak : bhai, yeh dekh kisi pagal ashiq ne becahre se tiles mei imprint bana diya.
I looked and knew कि ये कलाकारी किसकी थी।
Me: It looks cute though.
Sarthak: Nahi bey! Fifth Standard ki drawing lag rahi hai. Pata nahi kaisa banaya hai. Water colour?
Me: Chai.
Sarthak: wtf!
7:00
Random handsome bloke shouting in the Mike
I say sub , you say space.
Bloke: SUB
Crowd (like herd of sheeps): space
Bloke : SUB
Crowd: Space
Sartak : Lawda
Me : Lassan!!
This was followed by 2 hrs of random step massacre.
I have my gallery filled with photos of all this people. These are 10 MB jpeg files for now but after a decade this will be memories worth life. Maybe after 5 years I’ll swipe through each of this picture with a smile on my face and eye’s embracing Nostalgia. But, I know this won’t happen because I am many things but a man living in nostalgia is not one of them. I never stopped. I penetrate into hearts and later leave that space as a void filled with Vaccum. Those people do know that I’m just a call away but they grow the hesitation that leaves no trace of me. I give them enough sweet memories to leave any space for anger or hatred. I will have to settle someday and surrender to time. This race against time is a lost battle which I took upon my sleeves.
People can be replaced but memories?
