My phone was ringing. It was a friend. I checked the time,
1: 36AM. “That idiot” I thought. I answered the call and just when I was about
to shout at him, he said something happened to him. I straightened up and asked
him what happened. “I have been shut in
the Jail. I was going back home and the traffic police caught me for MaPaSe
(Drink and Drive). I tried to protest and they put me in the van instead”. He
went on for a while but my mind went blur. What he was in Jail? JAIL? Isn’t
that the place for criminals and murderers? I heard him call my name. I
shuddered as he asked me to get 1000 bucks and come free him from the police
station at Singhadurbar at 7 the next morning. I told him not to panic when my
heart was about to explode itself. I hung up and laid straight up on my bed.
After a while I received a text that said, “Please get a thick jacket if possible, I am really cold.”
I felt so bad then I wanted to throw the blankets out but then I thought again, Why were the policemen crazy to lock my poor friend up when he was not even drinking? And as far as I knew him, he was the kind of guy who would stay out of trouble.
Next morning, I left home at 5: 30, just not to be late. With my ATM card in hand, I marched up to Singhadurbar from Sinamangal and walked half the way as there were literally no vehicles and it was dark. However, when I was halfway gone, I got a text from him saying, it might get as late as 8/9 AM. I sighed.
This was the first time I was inside the Police station. Lame as it might sound, there were policemen everywhere. Dressed in combat boots and smart Light-blue shirts. I wandered around for a bit and went outside for a cup of tea. As I sat in one of the dark shops that served “Tato tato Sel Roti and Chiya”, a bunch of cops came in for their own breakfast. Slowly sipping in to the horrible tea, the already so very bored version of me popped up a conversation with the cops present there. I asked them what time the jailbirds would be brought to the Baggikhana to set them free. They eyed me down and asked me who was brought in, I told them my friend and before I could finish pronouncing the word, they exchanged sly smiles amongst each other and asked, “Boyfriend”? Policemen, I thought with a deep sigh.
By the time I was back to the Station, the inmates were brought over and I looked around for my friend. I then noticed some decent looking boys, and thought to myself, it was no time to check out boys but they sure do look like they are from good families. I spotted him- my friend and after filling up some forms and doing the needful, we headed out after his one hour-ed class. The day was forgotten and just a distant memory until last week.
After a while I received a text that said, “Please get a thick jacket if possible, I am really cold.”
I felt so bad then I wanted to throw the blankets out but then I thought again, Why were the policemen crazy to lock my poor friend up when he was not even drinking? And as far as I knew him, he was the kind of guy who would stay out of trouble.
Next morning, I left home at 5: 30, just not to be late. With my ATM card in hand, I marched up to Singhadurbar from Sinamangal and walked half the way as there were literally no vehicles and it was dark. However, when I was halfway gone, I got a text from him saying, it might get as late as 8/9 AM. I sighed.
This was the first time I was inside the Police station. Lame as it might sound, there were policemen everywhere. Dressed in combat boots and smart Light-blue shirts. I wandered around for a bit and went outside for a cup of tea. As I sat in one of the dark shops that served “Tato tato Sel Roti and Chiya”, a bunch of cops came in for their own breakfast. Slowly sipping in to the horrible tea, the already so very bored version of me popped up a conversation with the cops present there. I asked them what time the jailbirds would be brought to the Baggikhana to set them free. They eyed me down and asked me who was brought in, I told them my friend and before I could finish pronouncing the word, they exchanged sly smiles amongst each other and asked, “Boyfriend”? Policemen, I thought with a deep sigh.
By the time I was back to the Station, the inmates were brought over and I looked around for my friend. I then noticed some decent looking boys, and thought to myself, it was no time to check out boys but they sure do look like they are from good families. I spotted him- my friend and after filling up some forms and doing the needful, we headed out after his one hour-ed class. The day was forgotten and just a distant memory until last week.
So jumping on to what happened last week, I was out with
friends and after a glass of Beer each and the delicious French Fries from BK’s
we headed home. One friend left home on a cycle while the other friend offered
to drop me home. Just around Thapathali, the traffic police gave us a signal to
stop the bike. Without further questioning, the lady asked for the license. I
thought it was just insane. Well, not as bad as getting locked up but, what was
the blow-in machine for? And even if the machine did show some pointer,
shouldn’t there be a limit up till which the driver was allowed to drink? It is
bad- drinking and driving but shouldn’t there be a limit to that? USA allows up
to around 4 points. Drinking a glass of beer can go up to 2 points.
The policemen dont care about the pointers and people dont care about gulping down the alcohol in Weekend's name. This is Nepal.
The policemen dont care about the pointers and people dont care about gulping down the alcohol in Weekend's name. This is Nepal.
