Make it a LARGE!

It had been five long years. The last time we met was after the 10th board exams. Then I had moved out to Delhi, leaving behind Sus* and Sub* in Pune. The movement was inevitable, as my dad got posted to Delhi.
It was the summer of 2007; I had come down to Pune for my end semester holidays. I somehow managed to contact them and checked on them. They were in town, and that gave us ample reason to celebrate, a get together gala after five years.
Sus* had his last exam after two days, and hence it was decided that we should go in the evening after his exams. I blissfully agreed, little did I know what was on their minds. He proposed we we'll go to bar and celebrate. I was bewildered.
I had never been to a bar before. The idea of getting boozed up addled me, never had I tasted that golden liquid, just seen people getting drunk on T.V. I acceded since they were, and are my best buddies. The venue I didn’t know, what I knew was I had to be ready by 9:15 that night and yeah, I had to take the house keys. Sub* said he would pick me up from home. They thought of getting drunk never abated, so I thought of asking my dad for some suggestions. My dad told me not to take more than two small pegs of whisky. More than two would tend to make me go berserk. I carefully made a mental note of that. The time had come, and I left home with the keys and cash. Sub* picked me up from the main road; he was the same surd I saw five years ago. The drive was fairly comfortable; we had a bountiful distance to cover, before picking up Sus* who stayed at the other end of the city. The clock struck 10 and that’s when I met him, he had thinned down a bit, his face was more angular than before. A cigarette popped from his mouth, he greeted me, and the bar was destination next.
The car raced, and we reached the bar at 10:30 sharp. I had no clue to where I was; never had I traveled that extensively. We entered the bar. Actually it was more like a restaurant, with servings given on the table, contrary to what I had assumed.
The waiter came to our table, and sus* took the liberty to place the order. He ordered a large RC for himself and a beer bottle for Sub*, he looked at me, I recollected, what my father said, and a small peg was on the way for me. Sus* popped a cigarette again and the smoke was all over my face! As the smoke abated, I changed my place without offending him. The snacks were ordered next, groundnuts and chicken something. I have an abstemious diet. Endless loquacity followed next, the drinks had arrived, and the soda bottle and ice too. The waiter poured soda into my drink, the golden color fading out, then the ice dropped in and a hiss came out. My drink was ready, I was staring at it for a while, the paranoia of getting drunk surrounding me. I am no inveterate drinker.
Their drinks were ready too. They adjured me to take a sip. I did exactly that.
I felt the warmth of the acidulous fluid slid down my mouth into my empty stomach. The queasy drink made my head go in for a spin. The snacks that I thought were adjunct, helped me regain control. A tyro at drinking, I took the glass and gulped the rest, burning my inside, emptying my glass. “That’s strong” was my first remark. By then the second round, what they call repeat, had come, I gracefully swallowed it, hoping that I don’t regurgitate. I had decided I’ve had enough and would never drink again! Two bottles of beer, my friend Sub* had consumed, and four large pegs is what sus* had. I thought, they would go berserk any moment, and I would be stuck in this unfamiliar place with a drunk driver, but they had room for more, I said no more, and I was forced with a glass of a cola drink. By 12:30 they had their fill, I was wondering if they would be able to stand after the amount of drinks they had consumed. I was taken aback when I saw that both of them were normal and fine. Maybe it was a weekly affair for them. It was one o clock by the time we hit the road, the next stop: dinner at a famous conglomerate of road side push cart outlets. They aren’t allowed to operate after midnight, but we went there any way to try out our luck. We reached there just to see the police patrol van go past by. The police van made my heart miss a beat, the last thing a needed would a night behind bars. But the police van whiskered away and we enjoyed our dinner.
We had to drop of Sus* at his place which was really far from this place; Sub* drove well in spite of drinking like hell. The journey was uneventful, but for the incident where we hit a dog crossing the road. Poor dog! Must have got hurt.
When we reached sus*’s place, sub* had the sudden urge of drinking some more beer. I some how adjured him to take both of us home. A long drive, with trucks seeming ubiquitous. We broke off from the highway and came to the famous M.G road; it was deserted at that time, but would be swarming with people through out the day.
I could see a man in white standing with a stick, and motioning it towards us, Oh! My God, A cop, I am finished today, I thought.
Sub* stopped near the cop, my heart was beating like an overloaded pump, my bowels loosening, sweat pouring all over. He showed his license and other documents, I thought the cop would catch the stench in his breath and arrest him and then arrest me. Jail, bail etc. The reverie had initiated in my memory. He asked a few questions and let us go.
That was close, I thought. My home came near by and one of the car's tire had deflated, he preferred to drive back home and get the vehicle fixed up there. I thanked him for the evening or night.
I reached home to find all the Lights on, I was surprised as I told my parents I would be late and they need not stay up. I had no balance in my phone so I didn’t call.
I approached the door and suddenly it opens, a sleepy lady opens the door. Hi mom!
I got blasted for coming in so late, but the fun that I had that night would always remain green in my memory lane. That was my first, and hopefully last gulp of liquor.
* name changed.