By Naba Bhattacharjee
Oscar Wilde’s quote that good new year resolution are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account, proves true from 1st January itself when the cheques start the year long “bouncing”. And 31st December marks total indulgence on activities which is schedule to come under the vow. By this theory my pledge to be home with family before 2012, collapsed under the influence of good wine, innovative karaoke, excellent food packaged by our host – a wonderful young couple and above all the “convincing” influence of my accompanying friends. As I was returning home, New Year had already set in and fireworks had started to peter out.
On reaching my locality there was a small crowd including a few policemen deputed to check unruly revelry, outside a neighbour’s residence. The lady of the house was pointing to the house opposite. Their car was blocking the road. In the din I could gather that well before midnight her husband had gone over into the house opposite to tell the owner that some of his guests’ car was blocking the lane. The neighbour was apologetic and led him to the bar. He sat there happily, chatting away, for over an hour before it dawned on him that his wife was sitting in the car waiting for him to clear the jam, so that they could go out. His “effort” rolled well past midnight as he came out hearing the commotion and one look at his wife instantly blew away all the spirit on realizing the jam he has managed to put himself into.
I hurried past, trying to gain control of the impending woe with a faint sobering affect that I was not the only one whose sense of timing had frozen.