I gamble away my month’s earnings before Diwali

It happened in Kanpur where, one night, I gambled away my full salary – I was gradually maturing and, for anyone who starts to live a life away from the comforts and bindings of home, he is bound to encounter innumerable pitfalls. I was no exception.
It was the period of life when one wants to gain experience – good and bad. It was the time when one is keen to add to his knowledge bank and learn the ways of life. At heart I was a writer and wanted to keep adding tidbits of information to my bank that would be useful to me later in my journey through life.
And – one of my gains was teen-patti – a game of cards where one’s luck depended on the fall of cards. Just three cards could make or break a man. If he held three Aces, he could buy out any one and, that is what every player at the table dreamt of.
It was not that I was new to cards. I used to play games like Patience on my one, or rummy or ‘29’ with my friends. They helped to pass time and games like ‘29’ used to be a rage in picnics or while spending the night at the railway station with friends as we waited for the counters to open in the morning - for bagging the reservations.
But – some of my friends would sit at night playing the teen-patti for stakes – it was clear-cut case of gambling and, at times, the game would go on till early morning. They would sit after dinner and would have bottles of XX Rum for company.
I normally maintained a distance from this bunch but, curiosity is what egged me on. I wanted to learn the game and sat with the gang. I learnt that irrespective of the cards you hold, you must always present a wooden face – no one should be able to guess the cards you hold. And – of course, play blind at times. This means do not look at your cards – leave it to Lady Luck.
Well – after watching them for some days and understanding the game, I decided to take the plunge. My friends were delighted to welcome a novice and it was good going – some days I would win, some days lose. The amounts were never more – the stakes were all in terms of paise!!
However, one day I became greedy and paid the price. It was just before Diwali – I had planned to go home and, it was after payday. I had the month’s salary in my pocket and held a set of three cards in my hand that, in my opinion, could fetch me the Moon.
Well – it did not and I gambled away my salary. I had to borrow from my roommate to make the trip to Kolkata. And – took a vow never to again ay teen-patti. I have maintained it till date – but, the game has peeped into my stories. (to be continued .. )

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