Graduation day.... Revisited!

It was the day of my graduation! One whole grueling year had passed since I had come into DC. It was also my last day/night in DC before I left for Nepal. Mareea, my Bolivian friend, and I came to the US for the same accelerated program in Education counseling. The year had been rough as we both had fallen ill while practice teaching. And now, it was all over! Time to say goodbye to all and sundry and head back home!

"Chitara, les go aan parrti toniie!" said Mareea. "Wha abou hangin ou wee yurr Nepalee frens?". My Nepali friends were a group of Nepali guys, I used to hang around with playing basket ball and hiking; really cool, fun guys.... wonderful! Not having grown up with brothers, adored them. They had sort of adopted me when I had arrived at DC and took me everywhere except to strip bars and guy thangs! Many a times, I was also the butt of many jokes... especially while playing basketball. Every time I dribbled the ball they would hollar....watch out for her nails, manche ko hawa phuskai dincha! Or hiking ma, "Sitara phaint bhayo bhani bokney jimma kasko?". And in exasperation, I would threaten them to line them all up and put bhaitikka on each one! The answer would be, "euta bhako chwank le pani tikka lagayo bhane kaslai jiskaoone?" But they would back off.

So, here was Mareea asking to hang out with my wicked bunch of friends! I looked at her said..."Are you sure? Can you handle them? Their merciless teasing??"... She gave a wicked grin and said " Thriee me babeee!".

So, I called up my best friends, two who had attended the Commencement...." Aatish, Mareea wants to hang out with us tonight as she is also flying out tomorrow!". Aatish Jhan ke kam " Senoritaaaa Mareea, oooooooh babee! But Sitara, please don't wear your graduation ceremony ko saree to the club hai.... pheri you might be over-dressed ni! haha!" Kyaaaaa mora raicha. So, I thought ok.... I will just shock and awe them!

Late evening came..time for me to get dressed. I was still at the small studio apt in Dupont Circle/Adam's Morgan and my dad had come for my graduation. "Daddy, hajur ko shirt ra tie laoonchu ni!". I explained to my dad about my friend's comment on my sari and he started laughing.... "Hey, its your day...go out and have fun!". I wore his off-white shirt and took his best tie, black jeans and black combat-type boots with heels, a female terrorist in makeup! Hehe! boy were those guys going to get a shock! My dad took one look at me and started laughing. Then Mareea arrived.... she looked stunning in a little black dress all ready to go out and boogie. "Chitara, no baad! but, yu won be dancin too mooch too nigh!...if I ware a guy...I woo be scare too as yu..wee those boots!" she exclaimed in her Bolivian accent. I smiled wickedly and said, "you wanna bet Mareea??????"

*****************to be continued*****************

Atish and three of this friends arrived. They were still wearing the clothes from my graduation... with ties!!! "Oh ho Uncle hamilai ta club ma nai chirna didai na... Sitara ley garda, herdai kootla jasto cha!".... Kyaaaaa, I did not look that bad, I thought...just not a conventional club goer!

We started walking out into Adams Morgan.... The guys and I looked similar in our pants, shirt and ties while, Mareea tried to catch up with us going clippty clop! clippity clop! It was a wonderful May evening. Adams Morgan was abuzz with recent graduates, euphoric air and exotic aroma. I felt free, happy, but with a tinge of sadness. I was going to move away from this apt, this town and my friends. Dupont circle and it's International environment had always made me feel at home. Little coffee shops and book nooks were my favorites. Dupont circle, the capital of homosexuals and people with Bohemian lifestyles, has a charm... tolerant and friendly residents. But the club goers were usually from Virginia and Maryland.

Just then, two three guys walked by... we assumed they were gay as one of them were dressed as a dragqueen. Then, one of them (not the drag queen) turned around and pointed at me saying "Hey, you look cool!!!....and you guys too!". Aatish muttered, "Yo Sitara le, hamilai marne bho aaja.... Now the whole gay world will think ke ke!!!"... I grinned at him and said "homophobic hajur he!he!???" "No! not homophobic just paranoid.....! Khurukka little black dress nalagayera....!!!" Then he looked at Mareea and said, " Senoreeeeeeeta, You want, I carry you?" Mareea said, "shoor Aaateesh, you bee my peeg and geeve me piggy byaak ri???" Ha!ha! I nearly choked! Aatesh was speechless. Just then, Binay arrived he was Da Rambo of da group!

Binay was hmmmmm??. special. He had a good heart, extremely good looking and body building was his favorite pastime. He had an attitude, walked very macho... arms akimbo, and because of his heavy biceps and triceps, thigh-ceps swaggered a little. He was da looker but not da speaker! He spoke with a "Yo! who dis?" accent and a a very cute boyish smile. He was trouble, was in trouble, created trouble and tripped into trouble aaalllllll the time. Clumsy when it came to girls, great sense of humour, big ego and a short fuse! Going into their apt was hazardous to health as the door was booby trapped with weights lying on the floor, weight machines and GQ mags. But, he was really nice beneath his macho-ness.

"Yo Mareea, Binay!" Binay came up, his sleeves rolled up showing off his bulky muscles. Mareea took one look at him and rolled her eyes him saying "ooooooooooh! I lie(k) tha!.... you wanna be ma peeg, Aatish is scaare!" she winked at Aatish and me! Oh no! I thought, she was in for a night! Binay had two left feet...beeg feet that stepped on toes!!!


*********************to be continued**************************

Sitara,

bery bery intarrestting..!

Having said that, I would like to meet your friend Mareea. From your description, she seems like a charming lady with a lot of sense of humor. Ladies look sexy with a great sense of humor. uff that voice just thrills me by god! I get goose bumbs.!

Enjoyed it, my sweet!

"It was a wonderful May evening"---- hmmm

Wondering...Which year was that?

Quite a refreshing story indeed...............hope 2 hear more of it soon

[[[Can only wonder what my graduation ceremony would be like this June. [I wont be arsed to attend the formal program anyway.]]]]

Nice story, keep them flowing....

I wore his off-white shirt and took his best tie, black jeans and black combat-type boots with heels, a female terrorist in makeup! Hehe!

pic chaina hajur ko tyo din ko ?wanna see;)



keep it coming:)

I remember seeing you guys......walking down 18th street and then going to heaven and hell....then coming out of it and eating slices of pizza late at night.












Just kidding...

Binay stepped beside Mareea.... a happy smile on his face. He was "da one wid da gal!!!!" hehe!


The ?compliments-man?, the residential homeless, was there as always. " yo lady wid million dolla smile!" He hollard at me and "ooooh Lady, I love those heels!" at Mareea. "Ya riie, he always lookeein at my buuuth!". Mareea rolled her eyes at him. Aatish piped up, " oooooooh reeally? whats wrong with yur buuth?... let's have a look see!". I elbowed Aatish..... "Pitla tyahi heel le!" Aatish winked at me and said, "la la!". I whispered, "shhhhhhhhhh!!!!....Binay is trying to make conversation with Mareea!".

All the guys pretended not to listen! ya!

"Ahem! so you are from Bolivia.... dey sell drugs dere, right? hahaha!.....just kidding hahaha!!!!!" I winced! "Druuuuug? Boleevia, no same aas Colombia... and Mexico ees no same aas Colombia!!!", she glared at him! Aatish coughed, actually choked! The other guys laughed, " udhayo udhayo!" But Binay was brave, " He he! just wanna say you look beautiful! Came out wrong!!". 10 points for Binay, he got a smile from Mareea.

As we were walking, prom-wallas and wallis were hanging around the restaurants. Limousines were lined up and 18th street was packed with celebrating young people. We, Mareea and I had graduated! ...finally! I had applied for jobs but had not heard from them, yet; so, I was resigned to going back to Nepal. Unfortunately, my academic training was such that it would be difficult to find a job there. It had been the same for Mareea . She was leaving for Bolivia the next day too. I would miss her as she had become my friend and almost a sister.

We arrived at "Cities" Club and entered the festive place. There were seven of us; the other three guys were the shy ones; shyness did not stop them from looking though! But they were not very adventurous; all three needed company and a little bit of a buzz to go to the floor . As for approaching any girls, forget it! They were not wild, just jovial after a few drinks. Everyone got a drink, a Heiniken each and stood around the dance floor * checking out* the *scene*. The *scene* was a group of gals in itsy bitsy teeny weenies, tittering around doing the "oops I did it again" thang, eyeballing at guys and giggling. I looked at our guys and encouraged, "hey go ask them to dance!" They would not budge! "Pakhana!!!".

"Yo Mareea, wanna dance?" asked Macho Binay. "Surr babeeeee, lea me on!" said Mareea with a glint in her eyes. I tried to warn her with my eyes. Too late! she had been He-Manly swung off her feet onto the dance floor. Binay had firmly put his arms around Mareea and was trying to do some fancy steps. Now, the thing with Binay's dancing is that his muscular frame was not very flexible nor too graceful. He needed a certain circumference- space around him....arms and legs at horizontal position circumference. That always cleared the floor around him. His flailing arms and legs were Rambo-esquely lethal when in action. He was better off dancing "Everybody wants Kumfu Fighting!...."
Above his arms Mareea's eyes peered at me begging me to save her. Aatish was beside himself laughing at Binay's attempts at close-dancing. Just then, the "Macarena" started.... Everyone's cue to jump in!!!!!!! Safe stepping even for the shyiest one of us!

*********** To be continued***************

चम्किरहेछ नील नभमा सितारा
रानी तलाउ किनारा ।

interesting stuff. anticipiting more in a rather dramatic way.

....Ok Makarena was not my thing, neither was the electric slide... I wanted to stand those out and people watch. Fortunately Retro clubs have a variety of music for every palette. Yep, I love doing that, quietly observe the environment. Incredible how you can see the shy unwind, the combustible become volatile and the quiet ones just enjoy looking....swaying in their own private world. Notice the body language, the innuendos the pickup lines and the come hither looks! It was also my cue to transform from a ?terrorist look? into the ?GAP look?. I unknotted the tie and let it drape around my shoulders. Then, I undid the top buttons of my dress shirt just enough so the top of my white halter top and chunky silver jewelry peeked out. Voila, the GAP look!
"Sitara, come on join us!" Atish yelled over the din. I just smiled and shook my head. "Go, rescue Mareea, she needs to be danced away from Binay!" I said indicating toward a relieved Mareea . Aatish needed no second coaxing. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes...

The music changed to "Evil Ways" by Santana. Ok, Carlos Santana gives me a high.... the music, the beat, the guitaring and the teasing lyrics. " You make a pretty interesting sight, standing with eyes closed and dressed unlike any other girl in the room!" Startled, my eyes flew open and in front of me was a tall man looking quizzically down pointedly at the unknotted tie. "Oh! was listening to the music!.... Why, do you have a problem with the way I am dressed?" I smiled and shot back. "No, actually you stand out.... cute! confident!...need I go on?" He smiled back at me. "Hmmm, not a bad pick up line at all! Now that I am thoroughly flattered, you may stop!" One eyebrow raised (my trademark, mind you) I laughed. "You like Santana?...Wanna dance?" I replied "Sure!". He was a good dancer, pleasant and nice looking in a "preppy/geeky" way. "So, where are you from?....Middle East?" I shook may head "Nepal"... "Oh! and why are you dressed like this...If I may ask?" I smiled but did not reply. He took the hint and asked no more questions. We danced two more dances before he introduced himself and asked if he could buy me a drink. I declined, and since the fourth song was a slow number, I thanked him and walked off the floor back to my look nook.

Mareea joined me, flustered. ?ooooh baaabe, you look deefferen(t)! But, Chitara, I weel keel you! You no war(n) me abou Beenay!... I waas worri abou my feet! He caaan(?t) foorking daance! " I laughed, "Hey why don't you teach him ....you like how he looks!" "Ya Rai!...but yurr frens aarr reel cool, a leetle shy !"
I looked at the guys; the three shy ones were clustered together swaying away. Binay, was macho-ly edging towards the group of giggling gals. Aatish was just dancing...he loved dancing, attractive, confident and very much unselfconscious! He caught my eye and waved to us. "Chitara, I don wanna go baac to mai coountri...there ees no jobes fur mee...an eet's no goin to be the saame." It certainly was a sobering thought. I just nodded and didn't say anything.

"Hey guys, don't looks so glum!" Aatish came up and put his arm around my shoulders...he had always been there "brothering" and protecting me. "On second thoughts, good riddance to you Sitara... now, we won't be harassed by your wise-cracks!" he winked at Mareea and led us both to the dance floor. Binay had managed to hook up with a pretty, voluptuous girl and was engrossed in gyrating toward her?inching his way in with every step, while she kept a safe enough distance. He seemed a little more than just buzzed or was it just his lack of coordination...I don't know. But he did seem a little hyper! I nudged Maria and glanced toward our three shy guys and with a wicked grin, she twirled right into the cluster. Boy, were the guys surprised, flustered and flattered. Oooh and Mareea loved the attention! Next thing I know she had them dancing with abandon.
"Hey, I'm going to miss you!....You are the craziest girl I have ever met.... who makes *some* weird sense!" Atish said with a laugh. But his eyes did not. Then he swept the hair from my face and said softly, ?Taara, don?t go! You know my offer still stands!? I moved my face away from his hand, ? You know, I have to go. There are things to be sorted out back home.?
******************to be finished off!*********soon!**********

ohhhhh the suspense is killing me......how soon is soon???

you got to change your evil ways, baby
b4 i start loving you
you got to change, baby
n every word that i say is tru

u got me running and hidin all over town
you got me sneekin and peepin all over town
this can't go on...lord knows you got to change, baby

By the way, i was listening to this program on NPR, and apparently this song written by his wife, as a warning to carlos santana, who was "fooling around town" . So this song was a warning to him to change his evil ways ...

i would like a wife who writes songs. preferably one who plays lead guitar. girls playing guitar is sooooo sexy..but i digress...

i am eagerly awaiting your next installment...

"DAMN!!!!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!THIS PLACE IS TOO CROWDED! LET'S GET OUT!" Startled, both Atish and I looked at Binay...he was angry, rejected and wounded with a bruised ego. I caught sight of his dance partner walking away in a huff. That was our cue to get out of any club. When Binay got riled up, it was better to leave the premises and get him to cool off in a corner. Atish got visibly upset that he was ruining our last night in DC. and was trying to quieten him down. Mareea, took one look at the situation and flicking her hair back said, "Binay babbee, how abou one las daance?". Of course, our He-man could not resist such feminine charms and lurched towards her with "Mareeaaaaa, boneeta, aai caarramba! anything for ya babeee!". Binay was not bad; just a guy who needed/demanded female attention. However, when his bruised ego convinced him that girls who did not want to dance with him were all Gay, it was definitely time to leave !!!!! Well, Mareea saved Da Rambo, his EGO, women's sexual orientation and Our Last Night in DC!!!!

Back at my apartment, I picked up my mail as I walked to my room. My friends had dropped me off amidst tearful goodbyes and big sloppy hugs from the guys. Mareea had driven back home wailing and I walked away, hoping no one had seen my brimming eyes which I conveniently hid behind my hair. "Hey, Sitara.... we'll see you at the airport .... just to make sure you are leaving!!!!" Aatish yelled hoarsely, as he walked back to his car.

Safely inside my apt, I roughly brushed off the tears with the back of my hand as I fiddled with my mail. I froze in mid-motion... one letter was a job contract from a private school in Maryland!!!

It was not to be my last night in DC. I was returning!


*********************The End******************************

For those graduating this summer, Congratulations!

For those who spent time reading this anecdote, Thank you!

Frost: Mareea was a breaker! You'd be spending far too much time writing poetry! :)
As for the humor, it works for guys too. Guys with a good sense of humor are sexy!


"Wondering...Which year was that?" Kiwiland
Kiwiland ji,
" A long long time ago, I can still remember how That music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance, That I could make those people dance, And maybe they'd be happy for a while."

J Bhoot. Congratulations and Good luck on your endeavors!

Ruina:,The pics were confiscated by INS! :P

Bedrock, Never hung out in "Heaven and Hell". Too many hell's angels hung out there I believe.

Newuser, Thank you, I have read that piece before but can't place it. Kasle lekheko hajur?

Zalim, Didn't know, the song was written by Santana's wife. But, I 'll bet he had some "real wicked ways"! Another one I love is "Black Magic Woman".
Well, on this approaching eve of the new year, I wish that your desire for a song writing/lead guitarist wife be granted.

Heart breaker*

Sitara sis, didn't u post this story earlier too, by earlier I mean some months ago? Either that or I have read this story somewhere.

READER'S NOTE: Do not confuse Mareea with Meera. I don't know about Mareea but Meera is this nice (gyani) gal :D :D

As usual, I enjoyed reading your post again - seems like I am addicted -- Lekhdai Garam na..

Piscis and Meera, Thank you! lekhdai garumla.
Meera, I have written a series of small anecdotes which I have posted in here from time to time. This one may have been posted a year and a half ago. The last one which created much controversy and similar to this, was "Girls Night Out". Amazing how time flies hoina?

Once again a beautiful piece from you sitz.. yeah I remember reading this when I first joined sajha about 2 years ago was it? yeah how time flies :-))

hope to read more from you

have a great day!

Wah wah!!!! kya lekhchau timi pani sita-ra. :)

Accent eh? Mostly cute but at times annoying:). I mean 'those' accent. And yeah 'Macarena' tyam ko gana bajne bhanchi alik tyam agadi raicha. Macarena re. LOL hahahah.

Ma pani timro sathi haru jastai lajaune pare Sitara:(. Kyarne, auda kheri plane bata kattu ma poko parera faleko laaj, ali ali baki bhera haraan.

Binay sounded like a Rhino-esque pea brain. Hehe.
No offence feri Binay broda, padera hunt garla feri. :)

Ani Sitara Atish le ke garyo re:p, swept your flowing hair off ur face and reminded you of his affaer?? Kasto 'Affaar' ho tyo. Sutukka bhanam na. I guess you can easily drop kehi 2-4 episodes haru tyasma ;). Ani mukh hatai dine bhane jhan haat bata. Damn, chot lagdaina manche lai? Hehe.

Aru kura hoina, ma ta tyo 'Affaar' and Atish and Hajur ko, daya baya yeta uta sunna padna utsuk chu. Kripaya kehi sabda koridinu holaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. " Ot am I wrong in believing in you". Haha.
Lucky pani raicha, janu ekdin agadi job letter. Bhagemani ko bhutai kamaro.

La la mero prathana lai swikara ani kora kehi haraf haru. Timro tyai dabar aula ko kamal le bhayeko kalo ghana kess ko kasam.

IndisGuise:)