Illustration/ Amit Bandre

I walked unsuspectingly into one of Churchgate’s Chinese Food restaurants. A young Chinese waiter, a worked out Mao Tse Tung lookalike, asked what I’d like. “A Chicken Wanton Soup and a beer,” I replied. “Soup, yes, beer no,” he answered curtly, with a hint of that slightly judgemental, ‘Man, you should be like me — 1,000 push-ups daily and pure soya diet’ tone.

“Why no beer?” “Dly day” “Why dly...sorry dry day?” “Ekadeshi,” he shot back, with that, ‘You Indians are even crazier than us Chinese’ facial expression. I exited the restaurant hurriedly and headed to the eatery no. 2. I repeated my request to the Maitre D. “No beer, no alcohol, sorry sir,” he informed me cheerfully.

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“But beer is not really alcohol, it’s like vegetarians eating eggs,” I attempted to reason. The steward responded with a sweet, ‘I appreciate your logic, but I have my instructions’ smile. u00a0Then he added, “Tomorrow dry day also. Thane elections. And day after — Bhayander Teachers Union strike.” I left and decided to try my luck one final time at a bar that has a 24/7 board that read ‘We serve alcohol even on dry days’. “Uh I’d like a beer please,”u00a0

I asked the bartender. “Sir, please show me liquor permit.”u00a0I triumphantly showed him my slip of paper. He inspected it and then said — “No beer sir, dry day.” “But why did you ask me for my permit then? And your board says otherwise,” I said. “Yes sir, but that was before all this police raids. Instead, I can give you Virgin Sex on the Beach. Want to try?”u00a0“I don’t want a virgin sex on the beach.” “It is very good mocktail, all teenagers, and foreign embassy peoples are liking.”u00a0“I don’t want a damn mocktail!”u00a0

The bartender then leaned over and told me confidentially, “I make other drink for you, saab. Not on menu. It is my bartender’s special, it gives solid kick, like Red Bull only. Kaafi punch hai, taste karo.” He handed me a brown coloured, angry looking concoction, with a plastic hockey stick stirrer dangling from the side. “Is there a name for this frightening looking drink?” I enquired. “Yes, sir, it is named Dhoble’s Double Trouble.”

Rahul da Cunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, photographer and traveller. Reach him at rahuldacunha62@gmail.com

The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those f the paper.u00a0u00a0