You dont drink!!!

Does anyone remember the old ad – “Arey yeh PSPO nahi janta where everyone exclaims & looks so astonished & the guy who asks about PSPO looks so embarrassed & fool…Well, every time I go to a party, I remember that ad because of the exclamatory reactions which I have to face from the people. Last week also I went to a party & again faced the same problem. I was being offered drink & I very courteously told that I don’t drink & again the same exclamation – “AREY, YOU DON’T DRINK!!! WHAT, YOU DON”T BOOZE!!! COME ON YAAR, SO OUTDATED!!! YOU ARE LIVING IN GANDHI’S AGE!!!” These are few of the comments, which I generally come across. Every time, someone offers me a drink & every time, I have to listen to one of these or similar kind of sentences. I face similar reactions in almost every party I go & if it’s a corporate party, then toh you are completely tagged as archaic, antiquated, unprofessional & what not. Frankly speaking, I think I still get to listen to lesser comments as being a female, not drinking is somewhat acceptable in India but if you are a male & if you have gone to some parties especially corporate or professional parties and if you don’t drink then toh forget it. You will not only be tagged as antediluvian, unprofessional etc. rather people will start expressing doubts on your masculinity too & will pass comments like -“BE A MAN YAAR“. The worst is that those who drink will make sure to convince others for drinking by giving some illogical & out of the world reasons. O.K. you love boozing, then carry on, why do you convince others for considering such drinks as if its elixir of life kinda drink & why do you attach some kind of weird stigma to those who don’t prefer to drink? The worst is that I find many people giving in to the pressure of such peers & friends & start drinking as they think that if they will not booze then they will be considered conservative & unprofessional. Well, till date I am not aware of any study or research, which proves that boozing enhances your intelligence or professionalism. Also not heard of any report, which testifies that if a male doesn’t booze then that means there is some serious problems with his masculinity or any formal analysis which concludes that if a man doesn't drink then he is not a man enough. Still so many people find it to be such an important code of conduct for parties.
Well, I seriously wonder if boozing has really got some connection with being modern, forward, progressive & professional? Is it really such an “in thing” which can’t be avoided at all??? Why can’t those who don’t prefer to drink accept it openly? Why do people especially males need to give some lame excuses for not drinking? I don’t want to sound like a wisdom tree but believe me, I am not aware of any of the benefits of boozing, but yes, I am definitely aware of the tremendous hazards & terrible aftermaths of boozing…