A question of space and time

Suppose you have two tables and four benches arranged around them, each of which can comfortably seat two people. Add several large vodkas, a dozen tequilas, and obscene quantities of beer. Now, put up a video screen. Of course, some earsplittingly loud rock music is in order. Also, a crowd numerically strong enough to make jostling the only form of movement possible, and numerous heads in upswing-downswing motion to the beat of the music. Add springs under the tables which give a particularly woozy feeling if you stamp stoutly on the floor. Suppose you are holding these two tables.

This scene is routine. Welcome to a Saturday night at Styx. A trip to Bangalore without a night at Styx is like going to an amusement park and not riding the roller-coaster. In fact, for people like me, it's more than that. It's almost a teerth sthan.

Now the question: Can you fit in sixteen more people in the 20 sq ft or so of space that you hold?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes. And it's been experimentally tested.

Over the last two weekends, taking a break from it all, I've been chilling out in Bangalore. It isn't very surprising that I probably know more of the city than I know of "hometown" Chennai. Aur kyon na ho with Banner, Jha, Takli, Dumbo, Lala, Naan, Dil and Bachi all staying there in one flat?

The first time I went there was with Banner. Now a full engineer with more than just a muttocked-up project to worry about, poor Infy-placed Banner had gone to Blore to attempt placement at Yantra. The abovementioned party took place right after the interview, and soon news arrived that the poor Yantra-wallahs had actually agreed to employ him.

What Infy had lost, Yantra had gained - One BTech Banner and my wholesome and heartfelt sympathies for the millions of dollars they could otherwise have made.