Days 86 – 114: Victory!

It’s the 15th of July 2012, Sauratra is over, it’s a Sunday and I am sitting in my room with the air-conditioner switched on, listening to some dubstep (Zeds Dead – White Satin) and sippin’ on some beer (Budweiser). I’ve come a long way since I started this “oh-so-impossible” movement called Sauratra. What started off as a publicity stunt eventually turned into an actual campaign. And here I am, 114 days clean (smoking cigarettes), back to drinking, feeling much stronger and confident about life.

It was a great journey with a decent amount of ups and downs. Most of the days were pretty easy to be honest but then there were those bad days when I wanted to give up. There were times when I was just bored and wanted to have a drink. Then there were times when I thought that the whole purpose of Sauratra was achieved and that I could start drinking again. But somehow I managed to stay strong and stay true to my purpose. I wanted to complete it. That was the most important aspect of it towards the end. I had proven my point that I could stay off the nasha, so instead of 100 days I could’ve just ended it in 90 days. The last few days were tough in this respect and I really had to keep myself mentally strong.

But then it was a lot of fun too. I got to try a lot of mocktails, juices, shakes and RED BULLS! I ate a lot of food at a lot of good places. I could drive around on the streets at night without fear of getting caught by the cops. I saved a lot of money. More like I didn’t spend a lot on booze and smokes than actual savings. I got to know how it actually felt like being an outcast. It was great.

And now it’s all over. I am happily back to drinking again. That was the plan. I am off smoking cigarettes. It’s been 14 days since Sauratra ended and I have been drinking every single day. Honestly, I haven’t missed even one day. But I have had 2 weeks of fun after Sauratra now I shall regulate my drinking pattern again. I have enrolled for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon’s Great Delhi Run. Need to start training for that. 76 Days to go. Another Sauratra of sorts maybe? We’ll see. Hope you all enjoyed the journey. Thank you everyone for being a part of this and supporting the cause. I shall keep entertaining you till my last breath, be it this or BT or nanga naach after some booze. Till the next. Here’s me signing off.

Days 52 – 85: Of Lost Friends and 'Acceptance'.

Sauratra is almost over and with it will come to an end a 100 days of cleanliness (which is close to godliness). Accompanying that would be the Euro 2012 final and my 26^th birthday.

When I say a 100 days of cleanliness I do not mean that I have kept my surroundings clean for 100 days. That I have been doing for I don’t know how long. I don’t litter. And I don’t like it when people litter. So that’s that. What I mean is a 100 days of no smoking (up too) or drinking.

The EURO 2012 and my birthday falling on the same day as Sauratra gets over is just good planning. For one of which I get the credit and my parents for the other.

We’re almost there guys. 86 days and counting. I have successfully stayed away from nasha of any kind for over 85 days now. Though I will admit that there were some days when it was really hard for me to control the urge, but it’s been a pretty smooth ride overall.

One very interesting thing I’ve come to realise is that the frequency at which I used to meet some of my friends has gone down drastically. No one’s to blame though. It’s just the circumstances. I do not think we are any less of friends now that we were before. I get it. I don’t drink or smoke. And that is the primary thing we do these days at any social gathering. Yes. That’s the hard truth of adulthood. Don’t live in denial. We’re incomplete without some kind of a high. To make our mundane social lives a little more happening we need to indulge ourselves in copious amounts of alcohol or grass just to tolerate the bloke whose party you’re at. Not saying that ‘acceptance’ is the only use of a high, but it IS one of the most popular ones I’d say.

But then again, as I said earlier, it’s not like I am never going to drink or smoke again. It’s all happening soon. Maya will be back. Maya Bar shall be reopened. And god willing there shall be a beer rain on the 2^nd of July, 2012 at 0001 hours. Be there. Gates open for all. 

Day 36 – 51 – Of Golden Jubilee And More

They say it’s a lot easier to win an EPL title than defending it. Manchester City won the title today in one of the most exciting seasons I’ve ever witnessed. It definitely is a great achievement but we’ve all seen clubs randomly winning leagues and competitions and then finishing in the bottom half the next season itself and taking another 10 years to reach the top 4. I am not trying to say that this is what is going to happen with City, but you cannot deny the possibility. Anyway, hearty congratulations to them for what they’ve done today. Being an Arsenal fan, it makes me quite happy.

And congratulations to me too for successfully completing 50 days of Sauratra. In fact, counting Sunday the 13^th, I’ve completed 51 days. Not so unlucky after all.

The job is only half done though. I feel like Manchester City today. I feel like I’ve achieved a lot but I also realise that I need to stay grounded and not get carried away and give in to the temptation in the coming days. The second half is the most important one and I need to step up the pace a notch.

I clearly should’ve written more. I definitely should’ve started exercising. I’ve done neither. I’ve tested myself with booze and cigarettes. If I can deal with them, I am sure I can deal with exercising and writing as well. So here goes –

”I shall, Monday to Friday, till Sauratra gets over, wake up at 0630 hours each day and exercise. I shall, come what may, finish my book before Sauratra gets over. You have my word.”

I know it is easier said than done. I am not guaranteeing that I’ll b successful, as I said about Sauratra too in the beginning. But Sauratra seems to be going in the right direction so it gives me the confidence that I can do other things as well. 

Also, I will never smoke cigarettes again. I won’t. Though I will continue smoking other substances after Sauratra. In fact, I will also buy a hookah.

I will continue drinking once Sauratra gets over. Oh yeah. In fact, I might just bathe in beer the moment Sauratra gets over. 

But what I will ensure is that I do not go back to my old ways of drinking like crazy all the time. Although my scene’s been pretty decent since I’ve come back to Delhi. Just need a little more discipline. And that I’ll definitely get now.

I got a new partner for Sauratra today. Joining me for the second half. And another was supposed to join too. And there’s a third that I personally want joins this movement. If not a 100 days, there’s always the 50 days that you can work on.

And thanks again to all my followers and believers. Also a huge round of sarcastic applause for all the non-believers and detractors. Dude, happens, don’t kill yourself over it. Up yours though.

Not a very interesting blog post, this. More of a factual account of what’s been happening with Sauratra. But, who cares. I am just happy about my achievement today. It’s been quite an eventful and a happy weekend. Hope yours was good too.

Here’s a little gift for... Well... You’d know!

Day 31 – 35 – Nothing Is What It Seems

People often misunderstand Sauratra. Some think it’s an annual religious rite that I’m following, some feel it’s just 100 days of no smoking or drinking, and most think it’s a whole lot of bull-crap. The last category is the one I love the most, because I know I’m going to have the last laugh. Although it IS a whole lot of bull-crap, but deep down inside it’s got substance. At least I’d like to believe so.

It is more than just quitting smoking or drinking. It’s also not religious, AT ALL! It’s more to do with the basic human nature of being a little undisciplined and lazy in life. It’s about testing your will power. It’s about getting that discipline back and giving your life a new direction. That new direction could be a smoke-free life, a new job, a change of interest, development of a new skill, discovering a new hobby among innumerable other things. It differs from person to person.

So Sauratra, simply put, is about a quick 100-day trip where you challenge yourself to complete a task (s) successfully and come out of it a better and a happier person.

Hence, nothing is what it seems. What might look like a stunt from the outside, could be a well-thought of activity of the subconscious mind. What might’ve started off as a farce could really be something big and life-changing. You never know.

Enough about Sauratra, right? I just wanted to clear the air, you know. I’m done with it now. I’ll get on to other things. Like my writing skills for example. (Beware; this is going to be a long one. I do not expect too many people to read this one completely. But it’s fine. Tonight I feel like writing.)

I write professionally. Currently writing is the thing I know best. I might not be very good at it, but I’m pretty sure I’m getting there. So when one tells you that the level of your writing has gone down, you really need to pause for a bit and analyse where you’ve gone wrong. You cannot ignore such a warning since it affects your life completely. Especially when it comes from the person who was amongst the biggest advocates of your writing skills to begin with.

This rude shock came to me recently and rather than trying to justify the fall in the quality or making excuses, I thought over it, and decided to fix it instead. I saved all the justifications and excuses for the writer in my. I had a long chat with him and we figured out that the best way to fix this mess is to come back with a bang and answer your critics. Because, in the end, your critics are your best friends. It’s them who make you write better. P.S. I am talking about people I trust and people who give me a constructive feedback. Sell out bitches writing for a sell out newspaper don’t count yo.

I am hoping this blog post would be a slight improvement over the other random blog posts from the past. This might not be as great as you would expect, but at least this would bring out the fact that I acknowledge the fact that the quality of my writing has gone down and that I am working towards fixing it. I am not giving any excuses, I am not justifying anything. I am merely acknowledging and trying to get better than I have ever been.

Just because from the look of this blog it looks like that I can’t write anymore, does not mean that I really can’t. Again, nothing is what it seems.

Hulk is not a monster, he’s just messed up. A priest might not always be a saint. A father is not always the best protector. A friend could fuck you over. I may not always be there, but as I said, nothing is what it seems.

On a lighter note, here’s a comic a friend of mine made for Sauratra. Hail! :-)

P.S. Follow Hail here - https://www.facebook.com/hail.comic

Day 25 – 30 – No Word Rhymes With Month

I feel like rhyming again

A good long rhyme this time

The weather’s sweet, all is well

Staying sad would be a crime

In a couple of hours, I’ll complete a month

Of you know what, I hope you do

In case you don’t, doesn’t bother me much

But if you did, if could help you too

Hardly anyone reads this, I know that

I still keep going, it’s just how I am

If it’s worth something, it’ll get its due

Become really big, like boobs of Pam

Thirty days strong, I’ve equalled my previous record

And in a couple of more days I’ll be one-third on my way

Let’s hope I don’t falter, cuz the cravings kind of kicking in

Don’t wanna give up, till my birth day

Oh yes, did you know this ends on the first of July

And on the second of July I was born

Which my parents must’ve had sex

On the second of October, while watching porn?

That was random, but not pushing it too much

And that aspect I have taken care of in life

Work on book has yet to kick-start

It could be my key to end this bloody strife

So smoking drinking all under control

Randomness in control too

Just the work on the book is left

Then I’ll be a who’s who!

Anyway, I’m off for a bike ride to have ice cream

Sauratra makes these little things seem so much fun

So stay tuned guys, please spread the word

For I will try not to bore you, there is always more to CUM! 

Day 25 – Of Achievements and More

I am proud to announce that today I successfully complete the silver jubilee of Sauratra. I have now been 25 days clean. This simply means I haven’t smoked a cigarette or had alcohol in the past 600 hours. From averaging 10 cigarettes a day and approximately 4 drinking days a week, this is quite an achievement for me.

I was thinking of a special blog post and some sort of a celebration, but I am way too tired to be doing anything of that sort tonight. Since I went on a jog after ages today, I’m in a behoshi ka haalat right now.

But the celebration is happening in full swing inside my mind. #LikeABoss

I also held a Sauratra contest on Twitter today wherein I gave away Old Monk rum to the winners. Ironic ain’t it? That was the fun part.

That’s about it I guess.

Hope you’re all having fun.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

J

Day 24 – Of Coming Back to Sanity

After writing a pathetic blog entry last night and reading the much deserved scathing reviews for the same, I have decided to opt for the path of sanity and write something ‘normal’. I am sorry for disappointing you all, as I truly believe that it was indeed a pathetic display of writing.

I think I was in a weird mood last night, not in the negative sense though. I was around people who were drinking and I was just sipping on Appy Fizz all the while. I think the lack of alcohol acted up and I was high of a different kind. Not of the excess of booze but in fact of the lack of it. It’s weird but I actually think it happens. I randomly start acting random. Even the other night I started acting crazy. And this makes me think that I really do not need alcohol to let my crazy side out. I can do all those things sober as well. I wouldn’t need the outlet or the excuse of alcohol to pull my crap. And the good thing is that my crap will be well under control when sober. Lucky you guys right?

So I will be taking all my words back from last night. I will not get carried away and promise to join the gym and actually not join it. And I will not say I’ll save 100 bucks a day and then not do it. So I undo all of that and clear it out right here right now – I am not promising to join the gym and I also won’t be saving those 100 bucks a day. I will instead try and start jogging pretty soon, and generally save cash in life. But that has nothing to do with Sauratra. So I am not accountable for that. 

Hope this sanity check is well received. In about 14 minutes I will complete 24 days. Celebration tomorrow and a special blog post too. Till then, play safe.