Playing Cards

Playing Cards​

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Every Sunday we play cards.We are a group of 8 friends.We meet every Sunday,and play from 3 to 7 in the afternoons,after lunch and before dinner.Kids and wive's not allowed.It is held by turn in everyone's house,and last Sunday was my turn to host.I put on the Ac in the hall,and we sat down to business.I wanted to take pics of my friends,and make a blog,but it seems my friends are shy and dont want publicity,so i must respect their wishes.



We are playing since the last 20 years,the same group.It smore of a fun than gamble,with the approval of wives and parents.The parents know its useless to stop these bums,better here than at a club,where they may get attached to more vices.And we horse around more than we play cards.Jokes and SMS's fly around,and if u see us playing it will seem that it is a gathering of boisterous schoolkids,rather than old gamblers.We exchange gossip too,and come to know whats happening.



We are all close to 50 or nearabouts and kids have grown big and wives smarter.If the hubby wins, the wife wants a cut,and if he loses,she refuses to make up from her household expenses.This is not fair,really.And yesterday in the local papers,it was reported that a group of guys were caught playing cards,and their names were like Ramesh Sindhi,Prem Sindhi,Radheshyam, Ghanshyam,Naresh Sindhi.The police recovered 5000 bucks, a few mobiles and a few cars,and rounded up the gamblers off to the police station.I dont understand why they write Sindhi behind every sindhi they catch.They never write Mulliner Marwari, KamalGujerati,Keshav Punjabi,or Das Madrasi.I must complain to the Human Rights for the discrimination shown to Sindhis.


My friends are always scared that we will be caught one day,and be off to the police station.I tell them not to worry.Playing cards are made to gamble,simple.That is why they are sold all over.Why get scared really.Those joints are raided,who hold the sessions and charge the players per head.Thats wrong.Here we know each other,and play at homes,but who is to tell my friends.


I tell them even if we are to get caught, If i am outside,and they inside,every day ,God promise, I will bring them chicken and mutton and the works for lunch and drinks and dinner too at night.and i will manage to smuggle in cards for them to play,and if the cops want to join in, fine.But we have to make sure the cops win a little bit,so that they are kind to our friends.God forbid if a cop loses to us.You can imagine where the long baton of his will dissappear.


I used to joke with my friends, about 15 years back, that our kids are small now,so they tolerate us playing cards.But when they grow big,and when they marry there is trouble for us.They will grudge the oldies coming in to their houses to play,and with someone coughing, or sneezing,might disturb the son and the Bahu sleep ,and we might get a mouthfull one day.


So I suggested to my friends , lets buy a small bunglow in an ordinary area, which was for 3 lakhs those days,the govt made ones.We would all share the cost,and register it in 8 names.I said none of the wives or the children would have any share in this.We would meet every day after retirement,after lunch and play cards in our own bunglow.We would call a lady to clean the house,and make tea and serve us snacks.


We could pay the lady 100 bucks for the Sunday few hours work,which would not be too bad for her.And if she is enterprising, she could even shuffle the cards for us,and make the packs for the next game.and the guy who packs up, can get his head massaged in the meanwhile that he is idle,and tip her 10 bucks for her labour . And we can have a computer, where in if i pack i can check for the comments on Indus too.


My friends did not listen to my wise council,and today the house is worth 25 lakhs at least,and we lost a fortune.Their main problem was whom would the house ultimately belong to.I told them, to the guy who remains alive while all the others are dead.Simple solution is'nt it ? My friend Alok, says that Kamal if u go the bathroom, one of the guys might be tempted to put in poison in yr tea,so u go first,and are out of the way.


Well,I seriously thought it over,and knowing this Maya Jaal of the world, for a Few Dollors more, we friends could kill each other,instead we killed the idea itself.And its been so many years we guys are hale and hearthy and Alive.God bless us Gamblers.

KAMAL MAHTANI

 

Chitraji,

Glad i reminded u of yr bridge palying.We all need some diversions i suppose.Thanks for yr first comment on this blog.It has just 2 hits.HAHA.Regards.kamal