The Dreadful Question – “Hey Dude, What Plans for New Year’s?”

So scene kya hai?

“So what plans for 31st?”

As soon as December kicks in, this becomes the most asked and certainly the most dreaded question in conversations. Agreed it’s a decent awkward silence filler. It is, in fact, in the same league as classics such as, “God it has become so hot or cold or wet or humid in the last one week/month.”

But the difference is that a standard response such as “Yeah, the weather is horrible”, to this standard line of enquiry is enough to fulfil the requirement of a farcical polite conversation.

But when one is asked about plans for New Year’s, it is not as simple as any weekend plan. Not planning a ‘fun’ weekend ahead can be interpreted in several ways – you are a successful and busy professional and unlike other redundant human beings, you actually carry the load of the world on your shoulder and that load does not come off just because it’s a weekend.

It could also mean that you have worked so hard during the week changing the world by keeping an accurate account of your company books that now you need some ‘me’ time. Fair enough!

But none of these excuses, I mean none of these reasons, work when asked about a New Year’s Eve plan. A New Year’s Eve plan has to be bigger, better, shinier than a regular weekend. Although, technically, it is just another day.

On a regular weekend, you may be coming back after a hearty good meal at 10 pm and wondering why the most glossily dressed crowd of the city is going in the opposite direction as you. But on New Year's you are honour-bound to be a part of the crowd, though deep down you wouldn’t mind sitting in a restaurant and eating your regular thali one last time before the year ends.

Every advertisement nowadays promises you the ‘time of your life’ with random DJs and singers. And if you haven’t bought the gazillion rupee pass to these parties already, then what is the meaning of your life? What will you have to show for when all your cool acquaintances on insta and uncle/aunty’s friends on Facebook are posting photographic evidence of how fantastic their New Year’s was.

Will you spend this New Year’s like all other New Year’s in the last decade with your same old lame peeps getting drunk in a living room and dancing on “jeene ke hain chaar din, baaki hain bekaar din”? Where the evening begins with love thy neighbour (Pakistan) to abuse thy neighbour. Where all the Tharoors of the group after three drinks start talking like a belligerent Big Boss contestants.

The pictures from these sad affairs are hardly ever worth sharing on any social media platform, but are absolute goldmines for any future blackmail plan one may hatch. Agreed that these not so photogenic living room soirees are definitely more fun than being at a random club/restaurant, where in the end one though gets the bragging rights of having been to a great party, but almost always ends up feeling a bit shortchanged.

So decide wisely and take your pick how you want to usher in the New Year. ’Cuz end of the day (or year) it’s the memories that you’ll take forward the year ahead... So have a very happy New Year’s!

(Shivangi Rai is a development sector consultant with a passion for writing.)