Chaudhry vs. Chooha

 You know how they say you get your best memories with your best friends. Our lives are no wonder full of hardships these days and it is very difficult to take time out for ourselves but it is also important. My buddies and I made a trip to Malaysia back in 2019 which gave me some of the best memories of my life to sit back and reminisce. Every time the trip crosses my mind, I’m left with a surge of happiness and I instantly feel a little lighter.

It was a semi-official trip with a group of more than 30 people. We all went to Langkawi and then also spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur. The whole group stayed in the same hotel for a few days. The hotel had its own vibe and environment which obviously added to our delight.

All participants of the group tour

Most of the group left as per the initial plan but my best friends and I planned to extend our trip. Who knew those five days would become the best five days of our lives. Six of us stayed back for longer to explore further, we decided to check out from the hotel and rent a luxurious apartment in Fahrenheit Suites, Bukit Bintang. All of us moved there with our Chuadhry Saab leading us because of course, who else would do it better when he is around?

Chaudhry Musaddaq Salman (second from left) - Hero of today's story

He is one of the most composed people I know about but on that trip, we saw a side we never knew existed. One fine night, we woke up to him aggressively barging out of his room, abusing someone real hard. I was the first person to see him like this and I was startled and really worried, as well. I mean it was definitely not something our Chaudhry  Saab would do! He is literally known for his kindness and how he never gets a frown on his forehead but I think things were headed in a different direction that night.

All of us gathered around him to figure out what went wrong. It took us all a few minutes to absorb it was really him doing all the yelling and abusing but it was confirmed when his anger started diverting at us. “Are you all really going to stand there and stare at me instead of actually lending a hand?” he said. It was scary. The look on his face, the tone, everything was terrifying; but he was also terrified. And guess what the problem was? Our beloved Chaudhry Saab heard a rat in his room. A RAT was the reason behind all that yelling and abusing. I still can’t forget the bursts of laughter we all had after that news. But of course, a friend in need is a friend indeed so we all headed to our buddy’s room to find out the despicable rat.

Chaudhry’s room looked like it had been turned upside down. The window blinds were wide open while the bed sheets were all taken off and piled up on a corner of the room. All his clothes and luggage looked like it just took a flying trip all across the room. No wonder our poor friend was traumatized by the rat. After hours of unsuccessful hunting, we gave up and curled up on top of the sofas and tables, in case the rat appears and plans on eating our legs.

The room was completely silent when Chaudhry suddenly yelled “Hear that! It’s that jerk again!” His red face showed how much he wanted to kill that rat but we were all still confused because we missed the sound. It happened again. And then again…

We were about to jump back on the floor and continue our hunt with our weapons but we heard someone from the washroom saying: “You guys need to see this”, so we all headed to the washroom, hoping to see a dead or at least trapped rat.

However, all we saw was an automatic air freshener that had been making the “rat sound” all along. Yup! There was no rat. Just an air freshener doing what it’s supposed to do. We stood there in complete silence for the next ten seconds and then came our fits of laughter. The apartment echoed with our voices. It was six grown-up men laughing their hearts out in an apartment washroom. Just imagine the sight! God it was one hell of a moment and even till this day, it lives rent-free in my heart.

Who knew the mere thought of a rat could turn six fully grown men into terrified little kids who wanted someone to come and kill the rat in their house. It was hilarious. That moment was just like the college days, my boys and I laughing on the most random things with no worries at all. It was nothing but wholesome.

I know we are all busy in making the most of our lives and doing the best we can to move ahead but it’s always a good idea to pause every now and then. It’s equally important to take out time for yourself, do things that give you joy and contentment. Do things purely for yourself. There is no point in earning or being the best if you don’t sit back and enjoy every once in a while. Find your true people and be grateful for them. For me, my true people are my friends and I couldn’t be happier to have been able to go out with them again after so long, just like the old times!