'Expensive' Whisky!

Dhiraj Kumar Barman

My friend from Shillong had joined Doomur Dullung Tea Estate sometime around the late seventies. After about six months of his joining,  three friends decided to visit him all the way from Shillong. Some of us were studying, or on the verge of looking for a job.

Though our pocket money was limited we made up our minds to visit him at Doomur Dullung T.E. (Moran) by some means. Those days roads were poor and there were practically no telephone services - not to talk of garden telephones. We travelled by bus from Shillong to Guwahati and by train to Moran Railway station. Somehow we managed to inform our friend about our arrival. 

We were shabby, with cheap cigarette packets in our shirt pockets. When we saw a person with a white cap and white safari suit with a shiny "Doomur Dullung TE" embossed brass plate on his chest pocket, we were at a loss as to how to react. We whispered to each other and decided to throw away our cheap cigarette packets. We bought "Wills Filter" instead, which was the expensive cigarette then at Rs.2.00 for a packet of 10.

The chauffeur greeted us with a "salaam" and informed us that "Burra Saab ne gari bheja hai"(Burra Saab has sent his car). He led us to the sparkling white Ambassador car with white seat covers, parked outside the railway station.

We were dropped at the Chhota Bungalow and the Chauffeur left with a "salaam".  

After nearly an hour our friend arrived cycling and perspiring as we were sitting on the sprawling bungalow verandah, trying to show off  to the bungalow servants who brought us water followed by tea and biscuits. We were stunned to see our faces reflected on the Red Cardinal polished, slippery floor of the verandah.

As the evening approached, we all decided to go to Moran Polo Club nearby where we were introduced to Mr.Bipul Barsaikia, Mr.Siban Mazumdar, Mr.Phunu Das and later many others who arrived to celebrate our visit.

We all were informal, as it was not a club evening, and we decided to sit on the verandah. The drinking session continued with rum glasses lining up as the "Bearer Ghuraow"* continued. As mentioned by someone, rum was the cheapest drink available in the club, and whisky was unaffordable for young assistants.  For the bachelors those days, the club bill used to be higher than their pay packets.

The following evening Mr.Bipul Barsaikia brought two bucket full of "first cut Haspani" (first distilled local Assamese brew) and kept it in the massive "Electrolux Kerosene Refrigerator" of the Chhota Bungalow. He declared "Haspani" is cheaper than whisky or rum.

The drinking session with "Haspani" and the merry making continued till late at night. Suddenly someone suggested "Let's have Mitha Paan!"

In the middle of the night, we all drove down in Mr. Bipul Barsaikia's car to a Paan shop in Moran town which was open in the middle of the night. Thanks to the organised bachelors of those days who enjoyed life much more than thinking about their pay packets.

*'Bearer, Ghuraow' - instruction to the bearer to serve a round of drinks.

 Dhiraj Barman adds : The names mentioned in my story "Expensive Whisky" are all real names. Mr. Bipul Barsaikia, a tea planter, a body builder and at one time "Mr. Assam", passed away at a rather young age. Mr. Siban Mazumdar left tea long ago. Mr. Phunu Das opened his own tea garden in Upper Assam is doing well.