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. 

Day 23 – Of Beer and Gourmet

This is not beer. This is Appy Fizz. Since everyone was drinking beer, I thought I should drink whatever comes closest to looking like beer. Appy Fizz was great. And it fooled you, right? Mission, acCUMplished.

23 Days done. My age that means. Yes. I am 23 years old. Only. Not kidding. Ask my kids.

Feeling great. Feeling better. Feeling healthy. Really. Ask my kids.

I don’t have kids. I am not even married. Ask my kids.

But you can’t really ask them. Trust me, you can’t. If you don’t trust me, then ask my kids.

Ok. Thanks. Bye.

Seriously guys. Ask my kids.

Okay. Two new additions to Sauratra.

1.       Join the gym. Yes. I am serious.

2.       Start saving Rs. 100 cash at home on a daily basis.

That’ll be all for tonight. Hope you had fun. I have a beautiful derriere. I could give Bruce Willis some competition. I could give Bruce’s Willy some competition. Have a good night. Have a wood morning. Kurta Pyajama.

Day 21 & Day 22 – Of Hopes and Fears

Tonight I feel like rhyming

It’s been ages since I did

And nothing too funny either

To my feelings I open the lid

There’s a lot that’s going on

I’m hoping for the best

At times I’m a little scared

But that’s the real test

What if I don’t make it?

What if I just fail?

What if I kill somebody?

Would YOU pay for my bail?

This Sauratra is important

Means a lot to me

I’ll prove a lot of things

Good times ahead I see

Keep it short keep it simple

Just like Sauratra is

With 2 more successful days

Cya, I’ll stop writing this

Day 18, Day 19 & Day 20 – Sauratra Scores!

Hooray! I have successfully completed 20 days of Sauratra. It means I have stayed smoke and alcohol free for 20 days now. Barring that 1 month in 2009 and the 10 days in 2010 during Vipassana, this is the longest I have gone without booze since I started drinking. I feel great and proud of this achievement. For me, personally, it’s a big deal. And I am sure a lot of those who know me, would agree.

Sauratra in numbers –

·         20 Days, 480 hours, 28800 Minutes and 1728000 seconds since my last cigarette and my last sip of booze – Miller Beer to be precise.

·         Rs. 1000 saved by not purchasing cigarettes. (I was averaging about 10 cigs a day)

·         Rs. 3000 saved by not boozing. (I spend around a 1000 bucks a week on booze. This I will continue after Sauratra. What the hell am I earning for after all! 4 days a week this man needs his booze)

These are just some minor achievements. The real achievements are probably towards my health, both physical and mental. Which reminds me I am not feeling well. I have a cold. It is 2 AM. I have work tomorrow. I must go to sleep. And I have a new toy to play with tonight. And I have not been getting a good response on my blog entries or the Sauratra page on Facebook. Will have to rethink the strategy this weekend. And I shall start by sharing the blogs during day time when maximum people are online and not at 2-3 at night when everyone is asleep. Adios!

Day 17 – Of the approaching common cold and the awesome Litchi drink

I can feel it coming tonight. There is this slight sensation in my throat and around the nose which gives me a clear indication of things to come. It is just going to get worse, unless I’m very lucky and some miracle happens. If not, I will be suffering from full blown common cold tomorrow.

And how is that related to Sauratra? For starters, the weird thing is that all the while I was smoking and drinking I never really fell ill. Just saying. Otherwise, it really doesn't.

I got another suggestion today from a fellow Sauratra supporter. He says that I should start suggesting what people should do if they’re off smoking and drinking. Like how to make up for the absence of cigarettes and booze in your life. And I think I should act on that suggestion and give out some pointers –

1.       Save money and start buying things. Create assets which will help you in the long run. I just bought myself a pair of Nike’s. My first pair ever. It’s a dream come true. I have always wanted to sport Nike shoes and now thanks to all the money I have saved, I have finally bought myself a pretty decent pair. It will definitely help in the long run. Both figuratively and literally.

2.       Start going to places for the food instead of the booze. You’ll discover some amazing and awesome things which you always missed out because you were busy getting drunk and spending all the money on booze and then eating a hot dog at 24/7.

3.       Indulge yourself in productive activities post work. Since you won’t be getting wasted every day, you can actually end up doing productive things on a regular basis. Be it after work, or even early in the morning.

4.       Drink lots of Fresca Litchi drink. It’s awesome.

5.       Eat more Crax, guilt free, because you are saving money on both the smokes and the drinks.

6.       Eat more food and eat more expensive food. Now check out all the restaurants that you had been avoiding all this while because they were a little out of your budget. You are saving a lot of cash by not drinking outside. Use that money to explore all the good food your city has to offer you.

7.       Go out on a Saturday night to the most happening pub or a disco or a club and drive back home safely. Be that assigned driver for the night and ask your drinking buddies to sponsor your food for the night. They’d be happy to do so as they’ll be more comfortable with you and they’ll end up saving a lot of cash on the cab.

8.       Inspire other people into cutting down on drinking and smoking. But do not preach. Ever.

9.       Hype it all up and fleece everyone and create a fake movement like Sauratra and hope it goes big.

10.   Do not talk about Fight Club.

And with this my gyaan session for tonight gets over. 17^th Day completed successfully. All you detractors stay tuned, for there is more to come. On the 2^nd of July, you’ll all get a personalised message from me, in my moment of glory, when I will be in the position to say ‘I told you so’, but I will refrain, and gracefully thank you for helping me achieve all that I achieve.

Thank you.

Day 16 – Sweet & Sour Sixteen

Today has been a weird day, as the title suggests. It’s been nice and then it’s not been all that nice either. Yet again, I had to fight the urge to smoke. And yet again, I won. One more day; one more achievement. I’m just surprised I don’t feel like drinking too much. But don’t want to think too much into that either. So just let it be.

As per my blog post from yesterday, there were two additions to Sauratra. I faltered on the first one today, just once though. And I am yet to start work on the second. But I will. I will take care of it. You have my word.

Thanks to the ‘not-so-nice’ parts today, don’t feel like writing much.

Sauratra continues, strong as ever. But it’ll get more and more difficult by the day. Especially after the 2 additions made last night. I need your support more than ever, more than you think I do. I need lots of motivation and lots of positivity.

Have a good week ahead. 

Days 11 – 15 – Of Work and a Trip to Amritsar

The last 5 days have been quite busy for me. Initially it was work that was keeping me busy, it never failed to keep me awake till 3-4 in the morning. Once I was done with work, I had a 1 day trip planned out for Amritsar. That meant, 2 nights in a train and 1 day IN Amritsar doing around 20,000 things. Came back home with lots of aam papads, aachaars and loose motions.

But I have had quite an eventful week I must say; with all the work and deadlines and the trip and all. And in terms of landmarks, there were a couple of interesting ones. Firstly, I went to Amritsar right after I completed 12 days of Sauratra. Next came the 2 successful weeks of Sauratra – 14 days of no smoking and drinking. And now I’ve been completely clean for 15 days. That’s about 360 hours and counting.

But the BIG news is that there are going to some substantial additions to Sauratra. And those will be as follows –

1.      Control over randomness – I’d like to believe that I have a pretty decent sense of humour and can be quite witty at times. I have the ability to amuse people and I try and keep people around me happy and laughing. But I need to know where and when to stop.

At times I do overdo it, I cross the line too maybe; but then it’s all for humour and it is not to be taken seriously, so I keep on doing it. But then it’d be much better if I keep it controlled.

This does not, in any way means, that I am unable or incapable to have a serious and a sensible conversation. I very much can do that anytime of the day. I still am the gyaan baba you know. But other than gyaan too, I am open for any discussions or arguments or debates. Not on the stage, but a casual one among my peers. With my beers. But that is where the problem lies, thanks to me overdoing this whole being funny thing, people have stopped taking me seriously. Need to change that.

So I have decided not to be over sarcastic. I will answer normal and not the opposite of what I should like I usually do. I will not try and be funny all the fucking time. I will instead channel this humour and wit properly and maybe bring it all out in my writings.

But I still will be sarcastic if someone is over-dumb. I will still be funny when the need be. I will not be a complete bore. But I will make a conscious effort to not over do it.

2.      Book – I will complete my book before Sauratra ends. Yes. I will. 

So that is what is going on. Hoping to not be too busy from now on. Want to write a separate blog post for every day that passes by in my quest to achieve the impossible. Want your support to continue. Want this world to be a cleaner and a better place. Want me and my loved ones to be happy. I want to be smoke free. At least cigarette free. Want to get back to drinking soon. And that I will for sure. 2^nd July. You’ll be mine soon. Till tomorrow. Here’s me signing off. Love to all. Cheers! 

And here is the image for the night. Can you spot my glass of Aam Panna among the Vodka?

Day 10 - Of Landmarks and a Cooler

Another day, another achievement. I have successfully completed 10 days of Sauratra. It’s been around 241 hours and 45 minutes since I last smoked or drank booze. Although I still remember the sweet sweet taste of Miller! Blissful. But cigarettes, I do not miss. Because I am awesome.

I was having a conversation about Sauratra today and I was just thinking about all the good that was happening because of it. The most obvious is the amount of money I am saving. Or rather, the amount of money I am not spending on cigarettes or booze. Eventually, I, just like you, find other ways to spend money. There are always other ways. Way too many of them actually. You’ll never run out of ways to spend your money. No matter however much you earn.

Now for the health benefits. I have just noticed and realised that my hands tremble a lot less. The tremors have gone down visibly. They never used to shake too much, but it was still visible and people could point out. It scared me to some extent as this is not the age to develop these kinds of problems. And considering the fact that these things kind of run in the family, there was reason to worry. The doctor didn’t bother too much, said it as alright, but I still worried a little. But now that the situation is much better now, I feel happy and relaxed. Just need to exercise along with Sauratra and I’ll be on the road to recovery.

This one is a little weird, but yes, my snoring has gone down too! I know, because they said so. Both of them. And my doctor in Pune had told me once that I just need to lose weight, cut down on the booze and stop smoking altogether and my snoring will be fixed. I have lost weight, I am not smoking or drinking these days, and I can already see the different. Now that is what I call cool!

So yeah, a happy day it’s been. With happy realisations. Feeling better and better with every passing day. And getting stronger too.

Oh by the way, check out my new and awesome and sexy cooler yo! :D

Day 07, Day 08 & Day 09 - Of empty ashtrays, unused lighters, lots of matchboxes and no cigarettes

First of all, I’d like to apologise to all Sauratrians for not blogging these past two days. One of the days was pretty bad so I wasn’t really in the state of mind to write much, and the other was busy due to other happy reasons. And I shall leave it at that. But the fact that it was a weekend, I am sure my absence is justified. It’s not like if I don’t drink or smoke that I don’t have a life. I can still have fun I’ve realised. Which is good, right?

Day 07 was the real test. Had one of the worst days ever. It wasn’t because of some tragedy or travesty or anything of the sort. It was just that nothing was working out. Those little things that bother you kept piling up and I was getting irritated to the core. Work, personal, home, food; everything was out there to just irritate me that day. And I shit you not; I was fuckin’ tempted to have that soothing cigarette or the medicinal booze. But I somehow managed to control and I came out victorious. I looked up in the sky and yelled “FUCK YOU GOD!!” And I smiled and went to sleep. But, I forgot to write my blog. My bad. Your bad. But Sauratra remains, so no harm done!

Day 08 continued somewhat on a bad note. The crap from the previous day continued as all my plans for Saturday came crashing down and I had to work from home. Firstly, I so badly wanted to go for that blood donation bike ride <link>. Could not. Had to work. Secondly, I also wanted to check out the ‘1st Annual Indian Comedy Festival’ and see what stand up comedy was like. Again, screwed, because of work. But no complaints against work, happens to the best of us. I somehow managed to control my temper and continued working. In the middle of all this bullshit, I realised, is all the irritation and crankiness because of alcohol withdrawal? Quite probable, I thought. Maybe it was. But it shall only be confirmed with time, if my mood gets crankier in the coming days. After I was done with work and pondering over life, I stepped out of the house and took my bike out for a ride. During the journey I was eyeing all the paanwallahs, checking if the booze shops were open; I guess it was a natural thing for me to do considering it was a Saturday night. But I was out on a Saturday night which was not going to end with me passing out at someone else’s house and not remembering the journey back home and waking up to find 2 African American men sleeping next to me in my bed chanting the Namokar Mantra and rapping the Gayatri Mantra. Those days are gone. Instead, for a change, I had a long and sober night, where I just couldn’t find the time for the Sauratra blog. So here I am now.

It was a pleasant change for me to experience a hangover-less Sunday. Slept till late not because the light was hurting my eyes thanks to all the smoke and booze the night before, but because I just felt like chilling a little longer in bed. Woke up post noon to find the mother chilling with some beer. It was my natural instinct to open the fridge and grab a bottle for me. But I did not. I could not. I did not even want to. That was the best part. Instead I made myself a serving of home-made Aam Panna, which is legendary just so you know, and gave my mother some company. The day became lazier with every passing fart, I mean minute, and that is how Sundays are supposed to be in my opinion. Got some work done on the car late evening, went out for dinner with parents, and that was it. Now I am back home chilling yet again and writing this blog. And I am quite enjoying all of this to be honest.

But mind you guys, this is not to say that I am all against nasha. I will continue drinking the moment Sauratra gets over. I actually can’t even wait for the moment and I am quite afraid I might give up on Sauratra in the middle. I shall try my best not to give in to temptation.

And dear hangover, you are not all that bad, you are just a part of the whole drinking process and having fun and getting drunk. I have nothing against you. Getting drunk won’t be the same without you. True story.

And also, the cooler has been installed and is being used. Save electricity, same money; ditch the AC, use a cooler. Jai ho! And the Sauratra continues....

Day 6: A day well spent

As I was eating lunch with my colleagues, my boss was around for a change. There were slight awkward moments because we're not really used to... you know... chill around her.. at least when at work.

So we were talking for a bit and the obvious topic of Navratras came up. And you know what comes after Navratras. I was pleasantly surprised to know that my boss was aware of this concept. Maybe not in its entirety, but she had a vague idea that i was off booze for a while. I was a little shocked wonder how she came to know. It does not mean I did not want her to know, but it's just that I hadn't really told her about it till then. I was anyway going to tell her then only. Anyway, I corrected her, told her about the whole deal, she didn't seem to impressed, but it doesn't really matter as I am not doing this to please anyone other than me.

That was the highlight of the day. Lunch was good. So was the bhel puri in the evening. And t he dal roti sabzi at night. Day at work was fine. Went out a couple of times with friends at work for they wanted to smoke. No craving whatsoever. But I keep getting the feeling that not drinking is going to be a tough task.

But I'll do it.

Yes.

You'll see.

Good night.

Day 5 - Of Unforeseeable Circumcision

A successful day 5. Sauratra going on fine. Had a strong urge to drink and/or smoke tonight, due to unforeseeable circumstances, and not circumcision. Curbed it. Feel proud. And a short blog post for tonight. Had a long and busy day at work. Hectic is the word. Had a long night as well. So this'll be it for today. Sauratra still going strong. Better days ahead. Cheers to all. Love to all. Peace. 

Day 4 – A Motorcycle and a Red Light

Today I received a message from an unknown number about Sauratra. I could faintly recognise the number, but I was still quite amused. I usually don’t delete contacts from my phone without any reason. So it was bound to be someone who had not shared his/her number. But he/she automatically did (share) by sending me that message about Sauratra.

So I enquired as to who this mysterious identity was, who, apparently, was quite excited about Sauratra. I did find out in the next message SHE sent and the mystery ended there. But for you, the reader, it shall forever remain a mystery. Tough luck, yes. But what I’ll do is, I’ll tell you the content of the message, and if you can correctly guess who the person is, I will buy you 3 bottles of beer. Miller beer. After the 1^st of July though. How ironic though, talking about gifting free beers during Sauratra! Wow!

Let us refer to the mysterious messenger as She. So She had a pretty interesting proposition. It basically translated to SauSuhagRaatra. 100 Nights, 100 different guys. I was so impressed with the idea that I actually thought that it could be turned into reality TV show or something. I called my contact at Balaji Telefilms, but they were not too keen on it. She wasn’t disappointed, as she didn’t want fame, which is also the reason behind her anonymity here.

But just think of the idea. 100 days and 100 different sex partners. Or maybe 100 days and sex everyday with the same partner. Either way, sex for 100 days in a row. Now that’ll be some accomplishment. At least for me. And hopefully for other normal guys as well. So yeah. Pretty interesting episode with She today.

Other than that, I had a chilled out day for a change. Not too hectic at work. Left from work on time. 

Reached home to find my parents awake. Had dinner with them after ages. And now I am writing the blog at 11. Even planning to sleep on time and wake up all fresh and on time tomorrow. Been ages since I reached work at a proper accepted time.

The positivity, the freshness, sab jhalak rahi hai. It feels great without smoking. Even 4 days are enough to make me feel better. But I will reiterate this fact again, I am scared as to what is going to happen in the coming few days. I know I will crave for booze. I drink 3-4 times during a normal week. And 14-18 times during a Goa week. But come Saturday, a week off booze, I come home, and do what? I’ll find something. But what if I have a bad urge? How the heck do I control that? That’s the challenge I am most excited about actually. It might not be as bad as I am assuming it’ll be. But I want to prepare for the worst.

And at 0400 hours tomorrow, i.e., 28^th of March, I’ll complete 100 successful hours of Sauratra. I say ‘successful’ prematurely because I am a premature ejaculator. Famous for that. Naaahh!! Just kidding. Or maybe not? Who cares.... Hope YOU don’t..... But I say it because I am at home now, all comfortable and chilling in my room, without any smokes or booze, except for the beers in the fridge, but I am not interested in it as such, and trust me, I wouldn’t cheat. So I can quite confidently celebrate my 100 hours of Sauratra right now. It’s been nice so far. And I hope these 100 hours go on to become a 100 days. Not saying soon, because a 100 days will take a 100 days to come. Just like I take a 100 seconds. Ok not. Shouldn’t talk about how cool I am in bed.

To quote Lonely Island “You say I am premature, I say I am sensitive. Jizz in my pants.” Or something on the lines of that. Whatever. More to come. Stay tuned. 

Day 3: First day at work

I was a little worried about my first day at work during Sauratra. Since most of my colleagues smoke, it is kind of difficult to not smoke even when you don’t feel like smoking. Then the kind of work I do at times, actually the amount of work I do at times, makes you crave for a smoke when you get a little frustrated. You know, that pissed off moment when you wake up from your station and yell “Banjo chalo yaar koi sigart peene dimaag ki dahi ho rahi hai!!!” I was wondering if I’d even survive a single day at work without smoking.

Day came, they saw, I conquered. Again, it was quite an easy task to survive the day without smoking. Although prior to this, I’d promise myself every night that I’d quit smoking the next day. But every day, the moment somebody asked me if I wanted to smoke, I just couldn’t say no. But times have changed. They asked, I said no. They went out for a smoke, I even gave them company, but didn’t even feel like taking a drag. And I am hoping it continues like this.

It looks like not smoking would be easier than not drinking. I wonder if I can deal with it when the craving for drinking kicks in. Haven’t stayed sober in quite some time. The last break I took was when I was doing Vipassana. That was 10 days of no drinking, besides a LOT of other things/restrictions. I couldn’t even masturbate. A guy hasn’t had sex in over 2 years, and you ask that guy to not masturbate? That’s just not cool man, hey Buddha, it’s just not cool yo.

But I am happy with my progress. I feel better already. More energetic, fresher, more cheerful and active and not lethargic at all. It’s working fine, let’s just hope it continues.  

I was even considering not shaving or cutting my hair for these 100 days. But that’ll be pushing it a little na? Do let me know what you think about it. 

Sauratra – Day: 2 – Of meeting relatives and cooking Fish & Prawns

After a successful Day 1 of Sauratra, I am proud to announce that I have had an equally successful Day 2. It wasn’t much of a task; it wasn’t expected to be either. Two days without smoking and drinking I’ve done before and can do it again. So no big deal. And the fact that it was a Sunday, which simply means I did not have to go to work, where I smoke a lot, smoking was out of the question. Meeting my relatives in the morning and staying there till evening, which was not that good an experience, but that is beside the point, helped me in keeping off the booze and smokes.

Came home to a boring Sunday evening in prospect, decided I should cook. Gave seafood a shot and it turned out to be pretty decent, if not great. Fish and prawns it was.

There were 3 bottles of my all time favourite Kingfisher Premium Lagers just staring at me every time I opened the fridge. My arms brushed the bottles as I looked at them but I controlled the urge and took the ginger garlic paste out. The cooking continued, and I could hear the bottles inside sob a little. I had to be strong.

I ate a lot eventually, had I had beer before dinner, would’ve eaten even more. Thankfully that didn’t happen.

A good day. Smoke and booze free. Hoping for many more to cum. But please use a condom. Cheers!

Sauratra - Day: 1 - Easy Peasy

The Day 1 of the Sauratra has just ended. It was a pretty easy day first day actually. Slept through the night, woke up and immediately went to this work related event. Came back in the evening, dozed off for a while and just to get a feel of ‘Saturday Night’, went out for ice cream.

No booze. No cigarettes. 24 hours. Good progress I’d say. And today being a Saturday. I’m happy.

But it is just going to get tougher each day. Summers approaching fast, beer will be a necessity throughout the months of May and June. A couple of long lost friends are coming, a couple of birthdays here and there; how will I stay off the booze then? And worst of all, EURO 2012!!! A whole football tournament without beer! How is that even possible!? And perfect timing. The final match of EURO Cup is on the final day of the Sauratra. 1^st of June. Perfect timing I’d say. Well played God of luck.

But that’s just a small cost I’d be paying for the world of benefits I’d be getting if I successfully go through with Sauratra.

Stay tuned for daily updates. And for hourly updates, follow me on Twitter @rachitmaya.

Join the movement if you want. Anytime. Everybody is welcome. Need all the support. Together we can achieve a lot of things. Be it quitting smoking/drinking or maybe you want to go to the gym or even finish a long due project, it’s all happening here at Sauratra.

And all the detractors, please continue laughing at this attempt, as it will only make me stronger and more motivated. As Peter Griffin once said “Whatever kills me makes me stronger”. Amen to that.

Cheers!

What is Sauratra?

People across the world are celebrating Navratras these days. Religious nuts I say.

But taking inspiration from these believers and from Kevin Roberts, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi, who I had the pleasure of listening to while at a random ass conference recently, I have decided to celebrate my own version of Navratras.

Why just 9 days? Why not a 100? Kevin Roberts said that 3-5 year plans don’t work in today’s time. We need small 100 day plans for quick actions and instant results. Logical enough.

Hence I thought of Sauratra. Just like your Navratras which happen twice a year, I shall be celebrating Sauratras, just once this year.

Starting today, i.e., 24th of March, 2012, I shall abstain from smoking and drinking for 100 days. It perfectly coincides with my birthday on the 2nd of July as the last day of the Sauratras would be the 1st of July.

Sauratra

And why am I doing this? For starters, I will save truck loads of cash. If I go smoke free for 3 months, I’ll stop smoking altogether. I will regain my health and stamina. Major body detox. My body can do without some booze for some time. It’ll be good for it actually. I’ll get time to do other productive things after work. No more distractions. I can write more, for me, on a personal level. I can read more. It’s all I, me and myself here. It’ll get a sense of discipline. A sense of achievement. It’ll clear the tag of a sharaabi which I carry with myself wherever I go. And lots of other things.

But. A very big BUTT! All this will happen ONLY if I successfully pull this thing off. Now this is a very big assumption. And considering the sharaabi I am, it’s highly unlikely that I even last a week. I was not smoking for 10 months recently, it was fine. But I haven’t had more than a 10 day gap in the last few years when it comes to drinking. Now that will be a task.

Can I do it? I don’t think I can. Do you?

No Smoking. No drinking. For 100 fucking days. Impossible. I say I last 3 days and then I give up. Or maybe 10 or even if I last for a month, uske baad to gaand lagegi hi. I could just start smoking and drinking again on Sunday. You never know. Even I don’t know. But if I do it’ll be one of the greatest achievements of my life.

So I give it to you right now. I might stop in a couple of days. Or I might just be able to pull this feat off.

Let’s see who has the last say.

Cheers!

P.S. – This was written while sipping on my 3rd bottle of Miller beer.

Butt wish my butt some luck! I want to do it. I have the inclination. Just need some motivation and support. So are you with me? And everyone and anyone is welcome to join the movement!