smoke on the waters

They say history repeats! And at times the statement becomes so glaringly obvious and true. With a bit of ramifying touches of urban modernization, the ‘old’ is hitting Vogue Street thick and fast. No guesses for figuring out that it’s the ‘generation next’ that has been hit by wave, finding vicarious pleasures reliving those ages of the empires, in their own self-defined way. From the 60’s styles glazers, to bell-bottoms, to the mafia back-brush youths seem to have embraced history in their own ‘cool’ way.
However here I wish to share the experience of my first puff at the ‘hookah’. Another of those ‘blasts from the past’ that has become increasingly popular among the teens. Now as you hit the streets of Calcutta and look around, you will find a hookah parlor at every nook and corner. Even the café coffee day outlets have hookah at their out-chambers these days to meet up with the increasing number of teens trying a puff or two. I must admit that smoking at the hookah is absolutely innocuous. Albeit I don’t think it will take over the cigarette because of its clumsy size and the price tag it comes with. Its like dilettante smoking.
For all those wondering how the stuff looks and works, its basically a long water chamber which filters the coal smoke as you inhale it through a long serpent like pipe. Most importantly its tobacco free and hence, not so injurious to health. Its actually quite a regal feeling as you lie on the cozy couch, smoking at the pipe and trying to make smoke halos out of it. The smoke that you exhale is very dense I must say. Oh! and I also forgot to mention that the hookah comes in various flavors---peach, lemon mint, chocolate mint, chocolate brown so on and so forth. It’s the smoke that carries the aroma.
As I entered ‘seed beans and aroma’ I found a group of guys and girls engrossed in smoking. At first sight they looked like college goers, however I was proven wrong when I came to know that they were high school students. When I was in school these things were not around, and even if they were I don’t think I would have been allowed to go there. But it was really nice to see school students enjoying life just like me…something I had not done when I was in school, rather I could not do when I was in school.
Quite a concoction of thoughts I must say at first sight……as if in a time machine people have traveled back through the ages and living life in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries…..just that instead of robes you have youths in casuals and jeans. I tried to be a bit opulent with my style of smoking-----twisted my wrist, curled up the pipe from the side and held the smoke in for as long as I could before languidly exhaling. I achieved my intention which was to get a bit high……the sensation was quite soothing I must say. With light music echoing in the background, dim lights and the smoke, it was pretty close to heaven of my imagination. Being on vacation after four months of drudgery, I was enjoying life like never before.
We walked out, headed straight into my friend’s car and like as if I was playing nfs, everything passed by me like a blur. God………some experience. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed. I don’t want to falls pray to the lure of the hookah. Not because of health concerns or moral trepidation, but for pecuniary concerns. An hour at the parlor and a hundred bucks just smoke away from the pocket like the smoke of the pipe. But who cares about the money?...i guess money outflux is just to ensure money influx. So for you guys, hit the road and get a taste of the sheesha.