I only know one thing I gave up drugs a few months after my marriage in 1977 but sadly could not give up booze it took me many years ,,and I have been both out of booze and drugs since many years now.
I started smoking reefers and chillum with Keith Kanga Atomic Forest .. when I stayed with Keith before my SSC exams ,, and it became strong once I entered college ,we mostly smoked in the corridors of the archives at Elphinstone College ,, we were born dreamers , our adda for getting hash was behind Rhythm House , close to my friends South Indian restaurant ,..and it was at this time I met some more hardcore friends and the smoking became heavy buying stuff from behind Taj ..sometimes the garden near Liberty cinema ,,, and my friends brother in law was a Kashmiri don at Shuklaji street , he had a rummy club .. they smoked chandul I smoked the chillum , 14 balls with my other friends ,, there were times after a smoke we added sugar to country liquor and jumped into the sea at Gateway crazy days ,, crazy times all came to an end ,, soon enough after I was doped to my gills in my commerce exam finals ,, boozing would not stop because of these friends where I worked at the Taj.
Now looking back.. I wonder , I saw Porus my best friend chase beers with brown sugar at Wales Bar , he told me to try it out for kicks but I preferred hash..
Porus became a vagrant begging on the streets he lived at Cuffe Parade , a lot of friends became hardcore alcoholics I attended a few funerals ,, my turn had not come yet ,,
Once I gave up hash and began documenting the Rafaees , they smoked a lot , and had one grouse I did not share the chillum.. Hassan Ganda bought the best Afeem from the jungles but it was not for me I did not partake in his poison.. I simply shot them and photography was what helped me get of booze , it became a more intoxicating drug.. than what I drank... we came from Colaba to drink at the Pali Auntys joints near Union Park.. jeera and water pickle .. or Danda for fresh country jambool.. and actors came to drink in the house of the Kolis that were booze joints too.
And now after so many years ,there is no urge no yearning for the forbidden stuff that saved me from the gutter and early death and it was my wife who bought me out of this Unknown Zone .. without her I think I would have not made it this far ,,
And married now since 1977 ,, these are stray thought a day before my wedding anniversary.. tomorrow .
ps I went to Muscat in 1980 to get away from booze found there was more drugs and booze in Muscat Muttrah where I stayed ,,so came back defeated back to more heavy drinking and chaos.
