Once upon a new year party.....

Sometime during the college years a celebration of sorts or partying to usher in the New Year became a done thing.  Post babies, I have never stayed up past 10 pm, except this once, because I'm posting for JaBloPoMo:)

My first hostel had strict rules of lights-out-at-10, so for new year and even for birthdays we would meet in the corridors in pyjamas, celebrating with chocolate horlicks and Parle-G, giggles and disperse types. Such innocent fun, and someone would always be on the lookout for the warden. When I moved to another hostel, it was a little different. The end of 1993.  All our friends were home or away during this time. There was only my cousin and me. We had a tolerant relationship.The previous year we had shared a room and it did not go well, more for her than me, but this year we were in different rooms and were happy cousins:) The hostel was pretty empty those days. Mess would not make half-decent food, too few people so why bother, and we could've gone to our Masi's but that wasn't very exciting. 

So when some of our super seniors invited us to a party, Cousin was excited and accepted. I was hesitant but she would not go alone. So we ransacked her friend and roomie's wardrobe (yes, this was pretty much done) and got ourselves outfitted. One of the them picked us up from the station and brought us to the venue. We entered a flat where people were sitting peacefully in the living room against the wall and by the looks of it pretty far gone. There was one person in charge of music and he played great stuff. Cousin whispered that I should not drink and watch out for her, not that I was planning to in any case. So she went a-dancing and mingling, while I took an empty place next to a guy who someone was kind enough to introduce me as Bastad (well, that's what I heard in all the sound) and I could not address him as that - so no conversation, just sat and listened to all the music, though I was curious about his name.

The whole party atmosphere was almost trance-like, as if we were  in the midst of some silent-music-worshipping  cult. There was fruit punch and some dancing if you wanted to. Strictly no food. People got up periodically and filled their glasses, most did not even bother to do that. There was another room where people would go in and come out from time to time. Rolling joints - my cousin clarified.  Then  at the stroke of 12, some people came out from the inner room and everyone wished everyone in turns. One girl pecked everyone on the cheek. All was pretty much in keeping with the comfort zone of the greeted. Some people left and the party hoppers (new word learnt that day) came knocking in. One of them was this captain types or dressed like one who kept asking me to dance. I couldn't refuse after a point of time, so I did my 2 left-feet shuffle for a while. I recollect he reeked of garlic. Cousin and another of our seniors kept dancing around us to make a protective orbit of sorts. I escaped as quickly as I could and took my asana for my one-night of intense music appreciation - Seal, Jethro Tull, Pink Flloyd, Doors, Men at Work, besides the usual suspects.

At some point in the party Cousin became a bit tipsy and I a bit worried. A scandalous moment was when a girl appeared with an almost transparent shirt and we did a double take. The others did not seem to notice at all. I started looking at my wristwatch superstitiously because there was only so much music I could listen to in one night and I was sleepy and hungry. We had to wait till the trains resumed service. Soon we waved goodbyes and got an auto to the station, munched on some Parle-G, and felt lots better. The boy's name was Bhaskar, as I learnt later. I never met the same group of people altogether again, though we would bump into a couple of  super-seniors at some trek or nature camp. We would talk about pug-marks and butterfly species  but never about  the party!?!

This in particular made a big impression on me for a while - my first adult party, and pretty much a silent one too-  till it got pushed back into memories. This is my first entry for the Jan 2013 blogging marathon. Do you have any favorite party memories to share?