Friends etc

Over the past (elongated) weekend, i got to spend some extra hours with my engineering friends. As usual, the dusk called for drinks and music. And the ambiance was filled with lame but hearty jokes, mellifluous songs, riffing guitar, nostalgic yet heartwarming stories. Got to admit that being a teetotaler has its share of drawbacks. The primal one being that you'll always be an outsider when nine other people in the room are given to liquor and cigarettes while you aren't. Fortunately, my circle of friends who tend to meet once in a year—if not twice—are warm. So i try not to behave like a chief guest. Besides, it's wonderful to be with them. You tell them about your routine life and how you're finally stepping into a relationship. They initially roll eyes before handing out reluctant tips on how to sustain it. After all, almost all of them have gone through heartaches. One after seven years while another, three. You learn a thing or two about yourself in the consequent conversations. You get to understand a bit more about them too. The story behind that beautiful tattoo on his arm. The cute mark on her face thanks to a football during her school days. The disturbing reason why he drinks milk all night but doesn't sleep at all. The change in his behaviour as he's more into books and poetry now. The lyrical flair that you completely overlooked when you first met him. The ironical quietness of the tallest guy in the room. The red-shot calm eyes before he breaks into a rap about the prejudice rampant in our society. The rare drumstick fingers he conveniently hid all this while. The fairest guy who would not only surprise you with his singing post-1am but also later take out his car at 4am and drive his friends back home safe. Maybe these random observations is what epiphany is really all about.