Himanshu's Birthday @ Champar

It begins with a dark (because it's nighttime) and stormy (okay, more like rainy) night.

A dark corridor along which empty hostels line, that cursed of the dark powers - frogs, roam with impunity all over the campus.

And then you get this. This is what a camera with a flash catches. Everyone is actually sitting in the dark. Plastic cups adorn each palm, a offering to lips of lukewarm mixers laced with spirits.

Summon the birthday boy, and there he is. Preceded by his entourage of Hairband Boy and The Philosopher (no, we don't really call him Hairband Boy, but yes, we really do call him The Philosopher).

Angeleigh Khoo unable to say no to a drink. Here she attempts to smile at the camera and make me take the drink off her hands.

She realises this is futile and pulls Bat-face on me. This unfortunately for her does not work as well. She's stuck with the drink that was thrust upon her. It's only Sprite and Smirnoff. Sproff. Haha, I'm so funny. Oh damn it.

This is the Horse. The Horse is so called because that's what one could term his animus. The Horse is from Ahmedabad which is a dry state and this would explain a lot about the rest of the night. And also explain the constant handshaking, and the shirt-disappearances.

Not to mention self-loathing and falling down.

Our favourite barkeep (who provided the alcohol but stayed away from it the entire night). This is where we let it all hang loose after a long arduous day of hard work in CCC class. Yes, we head to our favourite pub, affectionately known as The Champar-Makeshift-Hostel-Room-Pub.

I brought nuts to complete the atmosphere. What's a makeshift pub without nuts eh?

Artsy photography to reflect what most of the drunks were seeing last night. If you must know though, that is Mehul. I don't really have a nickname for him, one could call him curly by the mountain of curly, floppy hair that he's got. Speaking about floppy hair, Yaqin, you'll love his hair.

Birthday Boy, his girlfriend, RCM girls, The Silence.

The Silence: He is busy playing Need For Speed here, but later on in the night he'll be completely intoxicated and entertaining Leigh by merely completing entire sentences. On a daily basis he's really really quiet, but add alcohol and cigarettes, well, it becomes a very good night.

The night progresses. The lineup changes as people move around to get drinks, Kah Shin constantly shrieks next to me and people begin handshaking.

This photo should demonstrate a lot. The Horse was literally having a spinning head, and Robin (next to him on the right) who didn't have a drop was completely sober and entertaining him.

Shadowy people. This was earlier in the night when Nuria was around. Deepak the Giant is next to her.

This is when Ritu came with Kah Shin. Or followed, or whatever.

A very blur picture of Sumona (?), one of the RCM ladies.

This is at Chhota, that is Simon the Cat. No, that is not an affectionate term, as you can see, he's really a cat. And no, I don't have any idea why he's called Simon, I call him Limpy, cause he's got a major limp from an angry bleeding injury he had months ago.

This is Nuria. That is all.