And there are those who somehow make it(Complete)

NOTE: I can only apologize that I had kept this story incomplete for over six months. But, as with most other stories, I couldn’t come up with a proper ending. If the second part seems as if someone else wrote it, well all I can say is that it was a different me who finished this piece of whatever I think it is. There’s another point. I had never intended to end the story in this manner, and as a result, I’ve had to turn the title a complete 180. But I hope you enjoy it anyway.
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I'd be dashed if it didn't turn out to be a cracker.When Ritesh says its a cracker it is.Not for once in our long years of friendship did I get the chance to accuse him of having done injustice of the slightest sort to words like 'cracker','wheezer' and 'the ultimate dash'.So imagine my pleasant surprise when Ritesh called me up this morning and said,"Absolute cracker at 6,what say?"
Adrenaline pumping stuff.
Of course,crackers at 6 come with pricetags.Price tags like missing physics classes.But the break in the rule wasn't entirely unwelcome.On the contrary,any reason to avoid physics classes are most welcome.So at quarter to 6,there I was,standing at the corner waiting for Ritesh to give me a pickup.I was running the list of all the rock concerts going on right then.I spotted his car making a turn.Have you ever had the tingling feeling spreading across your skin when you know something really really(I mean..you can never over-emphasize)good is coming at you at 60 miles an hour?
Now,I feel it is the best to describe Ritesh now so that the reader can share my view at the end of the story.To say that he was(I said was,mind you) an absolutely reckless boy would be an understatement.Rash,was how the parents was how the parents described him.To us,he was a Norse-god.I wasn't without my own li'l frenchcut-goatee.But his was on an entirely different level,James Hetfeild.His outlook was "Frown at me and be damned."He would love to wear a sleeveless on the coldest day of the year.Walking down the street in that,he never failed to draw looks of astonishment,shock and admiration alike.But he remained oblivious to all that.He once told me,"The moment you start noticing the people looking at you, you start feeling the chill."Nevertheless,Norse gods come with limitations themselves.Ritesh is never a success with girls(they always got frustrated with his non-committed nature).What he doesn't know about chemistry can fill up an entire library.
Cutting to the chase,Ritesh brought the car to a halt in a remarkable manner considering that he had been openly flouting the speedlimit.All that was very normal for Ritesh.But I got my first shock for the night as I got inside the car.An overpowering smell nearly knocked me out.Smelled like a tropical forest inside the car."Egad!What is that smell?!",I asked ,getting my breath back after lowering the window.Turning at Ritesh I got my second shock of the night.Gone was the Hetfeild look.So was the punk tee.Sitting at the wheel was something that my mother would kiss and call an ideal boy.Hair plastered across the forehead,he was looking at me with shock on his own face.
"Ritesh!"
"Wrik!"
"The goatee!"
"The shirt!"
This last comment forced me to take a look at my shirt.I saw a handpainted gesture that my mother would have raised objection against.Fine,fine,there was something on the back too.But with the original Ritesh around,the good old shirt would have reminded you of civilisation.Of course,this new good-boy version was wrapped up in a suit. Somehow,I never imagined Ritesh in a suit.After we got over our initial shock,I saw him look at me with distinct dissaproval.This hurt me...and to think that we were friends.He got the car moving.Conversation had died an unspectacular death a long time ago.As the polluted city air blew through my hair,I suddenly remembered the horrific smell that had greeted me when I had entered the car.
"Ritesh,whats that smell hanging around your side of the car?",I asked mildly.
"Huh?Oh,you mean the perfume?You like it?"
"Oh sure..how much did you use?The entire bottle?"
I caught a frown playing beautifully with his brows.Come to think of it,it had been there for as long as I had seen him that evening.I could see a struggling look on his face as he negotiated a turn.He was trying to say something.That much I could gather from the way his mouth kept opening and closing like some sick fish in an aquarium.
"Wrik,I gotta tell you something",he said,after having done the perfect imitation of the fish-on-its-death-bed.
"Shoot"
"Remember all those times when I told you that I didn't give a damn about what a girl about me when we broke up?"
I could see he wasn't wasting any time beating around the bush."Well,I've met this girl and...and...well,I just don't want her to leave me."The last part came out in a rush.
Woman trouble.I should have known.I mean,don't get me wrong.I am happily falling in love with girls of all sorts,even those older than me by a couple of years.But the serious commitment isn't my cup of tea.I mean,to give each other reasonable time is a good idea, but to be absolutely besotted isn't my idea of love,much less Ritesh's.I could see that the evening wasn't short of surprises.After what seemed an eternity,he spoke again,"I'm taking her on a date tonight,at Leopold's."Perfect setup.Leopold's was the perfect place to woo,or so one of my friends had said.But a thought brought the entire sequence in my mind to a screeching halt.
"Ritesh,if you're taking her on a date, then why exactly am I tagging along?"
"Because,chum,I don't want it to look like a date.She's a very shy girl and the first inkling she gets of this being a date,she might call it quits.Thats why you're tagging along."
I couldn't quite follow his line of thought.The only thing that could stop her from feeling that she was going on a date would be to hope that she was blind.Of course,Ritesh wouldn't love her if she was blind.But good man that I was,I asked,"You sure I won't hinder you two?"
"Quite the contrary.You were goofing on the streets and I just happened to run into you and, hence,I picked you up."
"But I wasn't-----ah,you're going to fib in front of her",I said as the cogs up there made an arduous rotatation.But this wasn't making any sense.Ritesh was going to make me sound like a loafer of the finest degrees and even by my limited knowledge of girls,I doubted that would of too much help.Of course,I wasn't going to upset the poor fish by saying all this.There was enormous pressure on his un-enviable brain already.
I could see that we were about to reach the exalted Leopold's any second now.I tried to straighten my hair but soon gave it up as hopeless.If the principal of my school threatning me with suspension wasn't able to flatten the tropical forest clinging to my skull, what did I care about pissing off some girl I didn't even know?
Leopold jutted out from the rest of the block by a mile.I've always wondered why they made it like that.I really don't have the answer to that.Maybe they built it like that so that you could see it coming from a mile out and feel that there was always enough time to pull the brakes till you pass right by it.I'm not too sure if that happens to everyone, but Ritesh was clearly a specimen suffering from the 'there's-enough-time-to-pull-the-brakes' syndrome..and guess what?Yes, we passed right by it.We had to come back in reverse and imagine my chagrin when I had to step out of the car.Ritesh was of course the picture of indifference, more so today, to the world minus his girl.Miraculously, no one seemed too intereseted in our comic entry.Turning to my side, I caught Ritesh standing on his toes and scanning the place for something.He wasn't really tall and standing on his toes wasn't helping him too much.Even I had a solid two inches on him.Just as I was going to remind him of the fact, he seemed to jump three feet into the air as if he had been living on rocket propellants for a week.He was waving frantically at someone. Following his eyes I caught sight of a rather pretty girl."Thar she blows...".I muttered to myself.Ritesh practically dragged me along to meet her."Sweta...I'd like you to meet my friend Wrik.He's..um...a very..good friend of mine. He was dying to meet you and..um..so I brought him along today.I hope you don't mind?"She waved it aside."Wrik,I'd like you to meet Sweta, the most wonderful girl I've ever met."
I'll bet she was if she could inspire him to take a shower in perfume.
As we walked into the resturant foyer, I muttered to Ritesh,"What the hell happened to the wrik-was-loafing-the-street idea?"
"Moment's inspiration."
We walked up to the reception counter.The concierge was a sleek man with a thin moustache.Ritesh tentatively walked up to him and said,"We have a reservation...Mr.Ritesh Mukherjee?"
"Ah yes,Mr.Mukherjee.Table for three..our waiter here will show you the way to your table."
Now,all this while,this concierge was giving me very distasteful looks. As the waiter was guiding us into the main hall,I realized why.
"One moment,sir.I'm afraid your shirt is not permissable inside the resturant."
Guess who was he talking to?Yep, me.Now this complicated things.Ritesh was turning a deep shade of beetroot red.Chagrine?Anger?Take your pick.
"Look, its just a shirt..it won't bite anyone.",I countered.
"I'm sorry sir. It is customary that you wear a suit to Leopold's."
Ritesh took me by my elbow and walked me a couple of feet from the scene.
"Okay bud,that shirt has got to go.",he said.
"But how am I supposed to walk in?I'm not Salman Khan!"
"Okay okay!There's a garments shop right on the other side of the street.Get yourself a shirt and a suit.You'll get a free dinner!"
As I walked out, I turned to find a smug look on the concierge's face.Sure, he'd won the battle.
Inside the garments store, I was lost. The rows of suits and shirts seemed never-ending. I was having second thoughts. Just as I was about to turn back, a voice right behind me spoke out and scared me so bad that for a moment I thought I must have beaten Ritesh in the high jump record. Shaking, I looked behind. It turned out to be one of those blighted folks who hang around garment shops with measuring tapes around their neck. But you could never trust these people completely. They'll take crappy measurements if they take a strange spiteful attitude towards you.
"I said, can I help you sir?", he said, pretty harmlessly, I have to admit. With a smile, even.
"Sure...do you um..have teeshirts?" Even as I asked it, I knew it was a dumb question.
"Yes..as you can see..we have quite a few shirts. Could be a little more specific about your desired shirt?"
My desired shirt was the one that would let me into the resturant. But sensing that it would not do to be so cheeky to this man, I said," I dunno...I'm supposed to be be at this place that wants you in a formal shirt...oh yeah,I need a suit too."
"Then may I suggest a forget-me-not blue shirt?Makes a good first impression."
"Cool with me...what about the suit?"
"In a moment and all in good time."
It really took a moment. I mean, one moment he was gone to get the shirt, the next,pop, he's back..yes,with the shirt. As I tried on the shirt, I had to say..it looked good.
"Most appealing ,sir" the guy-with-the-measuring-tape said.
"Cool..now the suit."
"Ah yes...but first we need specific measurements." Saying which, he took out the measuring tape and started measuring all sorts of stuff. All of this was taking too long.
"Step on it!"
"All in good time."
"What do you need to measure my waist for?"
"It helps in selecting the suit,sir."
Then making a few more measurements, which were really unnecessary in my opinion, he went off to get my suit. A couple of minutes later, he came back with a dark suit.
"That black?",I asked.
"No..this is navy-blue. This is black",he went off to get another suit.
I couldn't waste anymore time in this three-ring circus.
"Okay..okay..I'll take your word for it."
I donned the suit and was about to dash out when the man said,"One moment sir, aren't you forgetting something?"
"Oooh man.....now what?Spit it out!"
"The bill,sir."
Okay,okay fine. I paid for it and ran across the street and I was in the resturant in under thirty seconds.
"Free diner, here I come." I muttered.
At the counter, the concierge gave me a fleeting glance. But as I was about to enter the hall, I realised he wasn't going to play easy.
"One moment sir. Do you have a reservation?"
"Reservation?!! Whoa whoa whoa! I just came here half an hour ago...remember???"
"Lets try that again, shall we? Now, do you have a reservation?" That sick smile was still on his face.
My dinner was getting cold, assuming Ritesh had the sense to order for me by now. I couldn't waste any time.
"Okay..no..I don't have a reservation. But my friend does. Ritesh Mukherjee. He's probably waiting for me."
"Ah yes...Mr.Mukherjee. Please go inside. I hope you can find your friend?"
"I got eyes." Saying that I dashed into the hall. It hardly took a second to locate Ritesh and whats-her-name cosing it up nicely.
Sliding into my chair I heard Sweta agreeing with Ritesh on something. On exactly what, I had no idea. But if they agreed on it, full marks to Ritesh for having gone for it.
“You look great in that shirt! Why couldn’t I get one in that shade?” remarked Ritesh, waving the soup spoon at me. His Stranger at the Table act was getting hard to cope up with.
“Um...well, you…uhh…did you order soup for me?”
Quite honestly, it had escaped my attention that I should have thought up some lines for this one-act play. But the soup line always got you room.
“Well, Sweta did.”
“Ah, I ordered clear water asparagus soup for you. Is that okay?” Sweta asked.
“Quite quite…topping!”
Conversation was jerky at best with Ritesh making a brave attempt at starting about all the topics he knew about. He was over with the starters (do you like dogs?) when my soup arrived. Now, the clear water asparagus soup belongs to that species of soups that have funny things floating in the clear water that the doctors keep advising you to stuff the refrigerator with. If I’d known that the clear water asparagus soup belonged to this strain, I would have jolly well got up and asked the chef to leave the asparagus part and give me the rest of it in a bottle. Just as I wondering if I might have to dredge the bottom the bowl to get to the part that the better part of the human population called “clear water”, I caught a very loud “My boy!” I shut my eyes, waiting for disaster.
As I later gathered, Sweta was the only one in our party who had bothered to turn to the source of the rotten “My boy!” Ritesh had somehow managed to choke on his soup spoon. At least Sweta didn’t see that. At this point it is best to explain why that very loud “My boy!” caused the males in our party to shut our eyes and get choked with soup spoons. The source of that very loud “My boy!” was known to us by the name Ricky. Ricky was an infliction on us by way of being a childhood friend. If Ritesh was known to be reckless, Ricky was known for giving friends wedgies by way of birthday presents and touching you for a tenner irrespective of which day of which month. He had gained much renown for having been slung out by his ear from five pubs on the same New Year’s night by the ear for unruly behaviour. He also had a slightly trying way of addressing everyone, irrespective of age, colour and creed by the feudal title of “my boy” This very terror was in the vicinity.
Turning, I found Ricky coming straight at us, causing waiters and tables to clear out of the way. How on earth he had landed in a suit failed my already tired and groaning mind. Glancing at Ritesh, I found him turning a nasty shade of green. Sweta was still looking at Ricky home in on us.
He sidled into the empty chair at our table, all the while giving me and Ritesh the well-well-well smile. I made it a mental note to take it up with the hotel management as to why there was a fourth chair at a table for three. But for the moment, I could sense that I would have to come up with a plan worthy to be called a corker by Caesar. Ricky got the ball rolling.
“Well, well, well my boys! Fancy finding you two here!” said he.
I had stumbled, but Ritesh kept it going.
“Yes… Ricky, I don’t think you’ve met Sweta?” he managed.
“Oh, no…I haven’t. But better late than never, that’s what I say! What?” Ricky replied.
“Y-Yes…nice to meet you.” Sweta said. I knew that was about to change.
“Nice to meet you too,” said Ricky now turning to Ritesh, “so she’s your new one? Oww!”
The kick under the table was the subtlest thing I could manage under the circumstances, but the damage wasn’t completely averted. I could see the first signs of a displeasure appearing on Sweta’s face.
“What was that for, you mutt-head?!” Ricky said to me.
“Oh…um, I think I’ve got the umm…on my leg.” I countered pretty lamely.
“Well, you better get the umm out of your leg or there’s going to be a nasty one on the face!”
This wasn’t going entirely according to plan. It would take more than a kick under the table to make Ricky see light.
“So Ritesh, dude, Sweta’s your steady for the moment, eh?” The guy was on a roll now. Point in case: Sweta was definitely getting red around the higher contours of her face.
Still in no mood to stop he continued, “But I’d say Pooja was better looking. Dumb, sure. But that was a hot one- okay that’s it, you dung beetle, what on earth are you kicking me for?!”
If seeing Ritesh score once with a girl he obviously cared so much about meant me taking one, I was damned if I let Ritesh down. But Ritesh had other plans. I could see that he was in one of his Brutus-like conflicts again, but he was making more progress than the Roman.
“Ricky, if you wouldn’t mind, could I see you in the restroom for a minute?” he said.
“Well, my boy, you can see me right here. I’m sure Wrik can mange what you have to say!”
“Yes, well you see, there’s also Sweta and I’m not so su -”
“Oh save it up for later then! I think me and Sweta should get to know each other a bit. What say?” Evidently, the ill-effects of Ricky were starting to tell on Sweta when she dropped her spoon on hearing Ricky’s words.
“Oh? I-I’m sure we c-could do this s-some other time…”she had started. But Ricky was a hard man to cut down.
“Pshaw! The night is young and you’re almost pretty-”
“That’s it Ricky, out you go!” Ritesh had had enough. Now Ricky was confused. Now he was starting to see light. Well, almost.
“What? What’d I do?!”
“I don’t care what you did, darn it! I jus want you ten miles away from us at the moment!”
“Oh I see what’s going on here. You think I’m not good enough for-”
We never got to hear what Ricky had to say. An orderly had come up to our table and had witnessed the scene for the last couple of minutes.
“I’m sorry sir, but the Leopold does not require this sort of behaviour. I have to ask you to leave.”
“Oh, this gentleman was about to leave our table,” I started pointing at Ricky, “so, umm…I’m sure we could-”
“I’m sorry sir. But the entire company has to leave. Your bill is here.”
And with that he was off. Ricky got up and gave us both very nasty looks. It was just me, Ritesh and Sweta now. She looked rattled. Well, we had to leave the place right then. It was getting pretty late anyway.
As Ritesh was hauling for a taxi, he looked really forlorn. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the chap. His entire evening had gone haywire.
“Sweta, I’m really sorry that the evening had to-”
She kissed him gently on the cheek and said “So we need to go out some other time again. I’m sure Wrik could manage some time. Well, my taxi’s here. Bye.”
I remember having driven Ritesh home that night.