Confessions of a smoker !!

Ding-dong, the doorbell rang. Anita rushed to open it; it was Aakash, her younger brother. Aakash returned from his evening adda with friends. Seeing his sister open the door, he tried to quickly slip into his room without exchanging much greetings – whilst busily munching on his chewing gum. The strong smell of tobacco gushing from Aakash’s breath couldn’t escape Anita’s staunch smell organ! “Why on earth do you smoke?”, yelled Anita at her younger sibling, as Aakash made way to his room amidst a flurry of questions thrown at him by his sister.

Later that night, after Aakash’s parents and his elder sister were off to sleep, he strolled up to the balcony of his room to light a smoke. As he took the drag, he reflected back to what his sister said earlier in the evening. “Why do I smoke?” Askash asked himself, as he intensely inhaled the smoke. As the light came near the butt, he put off the smoke and went to sleep.

At some point of life, seeing someone smoke, a non-smoker is bound to exclaim, “Why on earth do they smoke!!”, or “God, what’s there in a smoke!!”. Same goes with a smoker, who at times questions his/her smoking habit.

Ravi exclaims, “It’s all about the smell dude; it’s kinda refreshing!!”
Amit quips, “A smoke helps change the taste of the mouth from the daily kind.”

My cousin brother Sayantan, who is in his second year of engineering and took up smoking a couple of months back, says, “The fact that smoking is for-bidden makes it all the more luring and rebellious activity.”
“I usually smoke after my breakfast, as I plan out my day ahead”, is what my senior colleague Vivek has to say.

“The last smoke of the day is always special for me, as I can leave all the daily hassles and just enjoy my smoke,” says Raj my fellow room-mate.
Sandy, now a CA, adds in, “While at my last smoke before I call it a day, I reflect on the day that went by and plan for the next.”

For Amrita, a freelance journalist, “a smoke when lighted up is like a companion to you and you feel safe with it.”
Abir feels a smoke is more of a timekeeper. “Say you are waiting for a bus and have 10 mins in hand, or you are waiting for someone, or say you have 300 yards to walk, or you  have a download to complete, you light a smoke and before you know you are there,” adds Abir.

“It helps to keep you warm in cold times,” joins Paulami.
Tarun says, “Whenever my boss reaffirms my take on him, I have to take a break, have a smoke and un-clench my aggressive feelings.”

I recollect Chintu exclaiming during our college days, “Dude I can’t have my bowels movement if I don’t have a smoke!!”
Anjan working as a civil engineer says, “Smoke is like little prizes that I give to me. I set myself small goals during the day and as I accomplish them I give myself a token of appreciation in this form.”

Subhendu says, “Smokers are loyal to their brands and don’t embrace other brands readily. For some brands are also kind of statement. I enjoy the occasional ones while with friends.”
“Smoke is associated with a risk taking and a confidence element”, says Shweta. “I usually smoke before an interview, a meeting or a presentation,” adds Shweta.

When it comes to smoking, smokers have their own reasons going for it, which one cannot reason out completely.

P.S. Smoking is Injurious to Health. Quitting smoking is one of those rare times when you quit to win.