Thekas to the rescue: I-Day no dry day for Gurgaon

Independence Day, many now say, is ‘just a chhutti’ for them, with late mornings, leisurely malling and the going out that makes up Sundays. But there are some for whom this I-Day is also a party occasion, falling on a Friday, at the start of a weekend. While Delhiites say they’re stocking up on booze ahead of the dry day, which is strictly enforced there, some Gurgaonwallahs are going the ‘illegal’ route and planning to pick up booze from thekas here that will be operational illegally.Both Delhiites and Gurgaonwallahs say they plan to take advantage of these thekas, which dispense bottles from behind closed shutters even on such dry days.
Booze easily available in Gurgaon, but at a higher price than Delhi
People tell us that places in Gurgaon where liquor is “easily available” at any point of time include the Gurgaon-Delhi border, Iffco Chowk theka and Golf Course theka, among others. Manjeet, a Gurgaon resident, says, “I- Day means dry day, lekin Gurgaon mein koi problem nahi hai... yahan easily daaru milti hai. Bas kuch Rs 100-200 extra dene hote hai. The prices of liquor bottles as compared to Delhi are slightly higher here, but kya fark padta hai? At least mil toh jaati hai. People seem to have no qualms drinking openly on the roads in Gurgaon – yahan koi rule nahi maanta.”
Shutters are down, but a person stands outside to cater to customers
Shivani, an IT professional from Gurgaon says, “Last year on I-Day, there was a huge rush in Sector 40, which is next to my place, and shaam se logon ki bheed lag gayi thi theke pe. I had gone to the Sector 40 market and was surprised to see that the police was doing nothing about the rather obvious liquor sales. You will usually find a crowd in the evenings at the thekas. Waise toh subah se shuru ho jaati hai, but it all depends on your ‘setting’ with the thekawala. Liquor shops ke shutters band hote hai lekin there is a person roaming around near the theka who’ll take your order, and then, after some time, get you the bottle in a plastic bag.” people say Gurgaon mein 12 mahine daaru milti hai.
Delhi-based businessman Rajeev Singh says, “On I-Day, all liquor shops are closed. Even clubs and eating joints in the capital don’t serve you liquor, tab log kya karenge? Ghar baithkar hi daaru peeyenge.” “We usually stock up on liquor in advance, aur agar khatam ho jaaye toh we drive down to Gurgaon to buy more booze. Gurgaon mein toh 12 mahine aap ko theke se daaru mil jaati hai... wahan na koi theka band hota hai aur na hi koi kuch bolta hai,” Rajeev adds.
Gurgaon ke theke mein bas jugaad hona chahiye
Apparently, people tell us, not only do Gurgaon thekas sell liquor illegally on dry days, they also do not check the age of those buying the booze. Akhil*, a college student from Delhi, says, “It is very boring to stay at home on I-Day in Delhi. Instead, I usually go out with my friends on a long drive. It’s convenient to buy liquor bottles from Gurgaon thekas and then go for a long drive on the Jaipur highway. On I-Day, the Gurgaon thekas are partially closed. Bahar se unka shutter band dikhta hai lekin there are people inside who supply liquor to customers throughout the day through a small window-like opening in the shop. It’s not that difficult to purchase liquor from the thekas – bas jugaad hona chahiye. It’s just that you have to be smart and have a good ‘setting’ with the theka person.”
Liquor sale higher on a dry day in Gurgaon?
One theka owner, on condition of anonymity, told us, “Dry day ke din bahut bheed lagti hai theke pe. Kahan kahan se log aate hain... lekin humein bahut chupke se aur chalaki se kaam karna padta hai. Bas fayda yeh hota hai ki baki regular dinon se daaru ki sale badh jaati hai. Thoda zyada paisa ban jaata hai. Jo regular customers hain, woh phone kar dete hain toh hum unke liye stock nikal ke rakh dete hai.”
We communicate with our customers in code
Another thekawala told us, “Police ki checking toh kaafi hoti hai, isliye humein safe khelna hota hai, nahi toh challan kat jaane ka chance hota hai. Isliye hum customers ke saath code language mein hi baat karte hain. Koi customer agar car mein aata hai, toh woh apni car ka sheesha neeche karta hai, apna code sign dikhata hai – jaise chhota bottle chahiye toh woh signal kar deta hai, aur hum samajh jaate hain.”
Buying liquor like this is risky People tell us it’s risky to buy liquor like this, but it’s not being caught they’re worried about! “At times, there is a bit of a risk in buying alcohol on a dry day. The liquor shops try to clear the old stock they have in the godown. Last year, my friends and I went to pick up booze from one of the thekas near the border on a dry day. We had the drinks, but the next day, we were both down with food poisoning, and that was a terrible experience,” adds Shyamal, a college student.
Daaru stocked in villagers’ homes too!
Besides thekas, local villagers who live near the Gurgaon and Faridabad highways also do good business selling liquor during dry days. Says Amit Kumar, who lives on the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway, “Many a time, it’s difficult to get stocks at the thekas. Tab hum local villagers ke ghar mein jaate hain – unke paas sab videshi branded daaru stocked rehti hai, aur woh theke se kam daam mein bechte hain. Unhe pata hota hai ki dry day pe daaru kahin nahin milegi, isliye woh pehle se gharon mein stock karna shuru kar dete hain.”
* Name changed