The name is " Sutta"

Hello!! welcome back to Fata Dhol. Well finally I have decided to take a break from my train journey, am not gonna do any more favors to Indian Railways ;).

People join college to learn, to earn a degree, to get a job, to enjoy the best part of their lives, to grow up. I had a different reason altogether, to remain myself until the end of my 4 years. They say people get spoiled: get bad habits, since for most of them its the first time, getting away from the shadow of their parents. So thats what was my challenge to myself- "To be what I used to be".

I got the scare of my life when I entered my University. Different species of guys: long hairs, tattoos, jumpers, hunks, jazz, hippies, rockers, scars...you name it and u get them. Girls were no behind either: I better leave this part :P.....taboo u know!!!!. Anyways I was lucky enough to find my gang - guys who believed in maintaining a low profile and not get carried away with the wind. Introducing Sid, Garry, Ashu.

1st semester went off well. Enter 2nd semester: Guys started feeling that "life isn't very happening u know!!". That its just once in a lifetime we are in a college, why waste it??? We are gonna miss out all the fun once u graduate out. Then started the saga: Ipods to class, long hairs, tattoos, goaties and finally " SUTTA" : believed to be the ultimate personality enhancer.

Sutta is the local name for smoking. They started with once in a week....then once a day....the rest is history.True to my promise I strongly decided against it, however couldn't stop the rest of my gang. I loved every one out there and hence I felt a guilt not being able to stop my friends from doing something I considered wrong. Finally I told them what I felt but by then it was too late. U wanna hear the reasons:

1) Exams yaar...it helps us concentrate.

2) It helps forget my pain u know.... Life has been so cruel

3) Am not an addict dude...dont worry its just for few more days..then am gonna quit

4) U scored the highest in Env. Bio in CAM -1 bro, so its for your success party

5) It makes us a true MAN.

Among all Ashu was the one closest to me, being my room mate. I had a big influence on him. Believe me he is so thin u can blow him literally. One fine night he took a challenge and puffed more than he could take. He was down and out. I saw him shaking like a drug addict, unable to maintain his equilibrium.I had enough that day, I shouted and even man handled him. Finally I threatened him, " if you don't call it quits am gonna take it up with your parents". That was enough.... 1 down :). Although he still longed for it after few more days but couldn't dare to smoke again with me around.

But Ashu was the only success I had. The rest continued contributing to global warming. I had periodic fights with them but to no avail. Finally I called it quits. After all its there life. People don't even listen to their parents at this age why the hell will they listen to me? Why to be so nosy and interfere in their personal world, there is always a limit. By then other personality enhancers too had gained access to my once holy group.

I started off showing them videos labelled as:

1) Smoking helps lose weight!!!, it reduces your lungs!!

2) Girls feel safe in the company of guys who smoke... Smoking causes impotency!!

3) Sutta has 599 chemicals, good enough to kill you: see this

http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/nicotineinhaler/a/cigingredients.htm

2 years later: Garry started coughing badly every day, as soon as he woke up. That was so bad, none in the corridor needed alarm to get up. He was even advised by the doctor to give up but nothing worked. Another interesting aspect of Garry is he was a strict vegetarian earlier but slowly had started tasting bits and pieces of Chicken (I am the culprit). One fine day all of us had a heated argument over his status: Whether he is a veggie or NV?? We made so much fun of him that he promised he wont ever taste chicken. He never did!!!. I was so impressed, it gave me a ray of hope if he can quit Chicken then why cant Sutta??? He seemed to be a man of words.

Yesterday morning (Yes u got it rite, yesterday) he again coughed like a TB patient. While I was passing by his room late at night I smelled smoke and entered his room to see the horror sight. I boiled with anger and just left without saying anything. Thoughts of good times flashed in my mind....times of laughter, dancing, parties, making fun of teachers, bird watching, fights, arguments, forcefully feeding him chicken and all of a sudden thoughts of an ailing Garry overshadowed all of it. Why the hell are you so keen on destroying yourself Garry?? You have not even started your life?? What is it that makes this s*** so cool? I whispered to myself.

I wrote a message " See garry!! we are friends, good or bad we are somehow very deeply attached with each other since last 4 years. Honestly I feel bad when I see you among smoke even after this condition. I know I have no right to interfere in your life but at the same time I can't be a silent observer any longer. I have decided strongly that I wont be a part of your destruction, hence from today I wont like to have any sort of contacts with you.All the best. Take care. CD" . I cried a bit, I dont know why, it just happened....and send him the message. I didnt received any reply for next 2 hours and thought he accepted it.

Two hours later he pinged me online. "What the hell was that dude?" I swear by "You" I will never touch Sutta from today..... were the next few lines from him. I got so scared..... I dont wanna die Garry!! please don't swear by me.... Don't make my unmarried wife a widow, was my reply. He assured " Its a word" I wont do it ever again.....I said I trust you. Yuppiieee 2 down.

Well they say one man can do a difference. Each one of us can.... Just give a tight hug and say people around you how much you love them, and that you don't wanna lose them to sutta. Do you think Government's idea of taking cigarette stores 100 meters away is doing any good? People who are addicted are always ready to walk that extra mile...in fact they are just getting healthier after a 200 meter walk. Good enough to live 2 more years and smoke 600 more packets and melt another 1 tonne of polar ice. Its we who can make a difference. Love all the smokers around you....I bet Love is a deadly addiction...nothing can beat it .... cheers :) CD