The coming-of-age pub

I wanted to take a break from my sober lifestyle and decided to go 'partying' one evening. It was not difficult to get my friends enthused about the idea, who are of the opinion that I'm a party animal. They are convinced that I have a secret, wild lifestyle that should help counter my sober, reserved and objective facet that they grudgingly put up with.

We reach a well-known club, not without it's share of pretty welcome sights, a gimmick aimed at planting an idea in our heads that culminates in making us the most enviable pack of guys for the night, if not forever. Spotting a bunch of single guys, the organizers gave us an offer that we could not...accept. I thought the price I had to pay to enjoy the remote possibility of well-mannered damsels shedding their inhibition and encircling me on the dance floor was a bit too high. It was comforting that my friends concurred with my judgement lest I justify my call with objective analysis of the situation.

In the next half hour, we found ourselves in a watering hole that I'd like to term the 'coming-of-age' pub. I'm not sure if I'm ossified about the kind of ambience that's attached to a pub, but nothing seemed right about this place. For one, it was brightly lit. Maybe to ensure that people don't commit any 'mistakes' or to help them navigate their way around the place. Secondly, the crowd consisted mostly of middle-aged men who were in no hurry to go back to their families. Just when all of this got depressing, I took note of the third and the most ghastly aspect of the place - the music. We were greeted by the music of the most hummed item number of our times: "Sheila ki jawani". I shuddered at the thought of having to spend the next hour or so in this place, but decided to put my friends' interest ahead of mine, whose only interest was to get 'high'.

With the exception of the taste of the beer and for the time when our request was honoured - when some Classic rock music was played - the whole experience was uninspiring. A bunch of college students strode into the place in style, downed a few cocktails, shook a leg or two to desi music, and walked out in a hurry. It was as if they needed the impetus to go and indulge in activities that seemed important to them. They returned in a short time, this time with companions (read:ladies) and seemed to enjoy the drinks and the music.

Here I am thinking about never returning to this place, and there are these guys who come back within an hour's time. Hey, with the right combination of drinks, music and girls, who wouldn't come back. And no points for guessing what they needed the impetus for.