The Diwali Party: It’s time to play cards though winning is hard

My mom has just returned from the neighbourhood market place and she is complaining that how the entire market place is full of rush. The vegetable shop is crowded and there is hardly any space to park the car. This scenario in Delhi starts just a fortnight before Diwali. The roads are overflowing with traffic and if you have to visit any place you need to keep a margin of at least 2 hours.

It’s Diwali time and if you don’t get an invitation to a Diwali party then you have not arrived in life. I am also one of those lucky ones who has got 4 invitations for the Diwali party. However, the phrase “Arrived in life” is not true for me as I am still far from that destination.

The bookings for a Diwali party is made at least a month back. The host plans a party and sends a “Save the date” message a month in advance. You are a bit surprised as you have received “Save the date” messages for weddings in the family but this is the first time you are getting it for a Diwali party. The reason is that these parties are held on weekends especially Saturday. And since there are hardly 3-4 Saturdays after Navratras, there is a first-mover advantage in booking the date in advance.

Getting an invitation to a Diwali party

The invitation to the Diwali party is from two sets of people – Friends and Relatives. You have to walk a very thin line with extreme caution. If you agree for only friends there are chances that you may get dropped from your relatives list the next time. Though the reverse doesn’t happen.

Being a weekend, you don’t mind saying yes to the Diwali party. However, your wife is not very pleased. One she is not too much into cards. The second reason is that for 4 different parties she will need 4 different sets of dresses. And she has not purchased a single new attire since last month. You start thinking that attending these Diwali parties will cost you a hell lot of money. Even before you can think of winning in the cards you are starting on a deficit. It’s like tax deducted at source even before your salary gets credited.

The Diwali party day arrives

It’s Saturday and you start getting ready after the afternoon nap, for the Diwali party. The estimated time of departure gets delayed by 45 minutes as your wife has not been able to decide amongst the two shortlisted evening wear for the party. The host has already sent you the location on WhatsApp as well as a reminder to reach by 8.30 pm.

The traffic delays you even further and you reach an hour behind schedule. You meet all your friends after a long time and the warm-up session is focused on what all is happening in everybody’s life. The spouse session is all about appreciation. Everything from the saree, the salwar suit, the make-up, and the accessories are appreciated.

The thirsty souls, while continuing their discussions take a strategic position in front of the bar counter. After all, it is easier to refresh your memory once you have gulped down two Chivas or Single malt one after the other. Now you can handle all the arguments on the Indian economy, Article 370, Modi’s policies, US vs. China relations, Xi Jinping meeting with PM Modi at Chennai, etc.

Getting ready to play the cards

Meanwhile, somebody reminds that guys we have to come to play Diwali cards and suddenly people are ready to take their positions.  A special sitting area has been created with a big glass bowl in the centre. People prefer sitting on a raised platform like a stool or a modha (A bamboo stool). Since these are people who have arrived in life, it is easier for them to be on a raised platform. Sitting on the mattress is also slightly inconvenient for getting the glass refilled.

Setting the rules of the game

The first round of discussions is on setting the rules for playing teen patti. The board amount is fixed. The first round is compulsory blind for everybody. There is a ceiling to the maximum amount a person can bet. Only three rounds of blind are allowed.

The game starts. The deck of cards is shuffled. Every group has one expert who shuffles it as if he has landed straight from one of the casinos of Las Vegas. There are 7 players in the game. 2 have great skills, the other 2 are seasonal players while the rest 3 are in the game because they believe in team-building with some basic knowledge. Now the three with basic skills are the ones who act as a catalyst to slow down the reaction.

The Game gets serious

The game is not able to gain momentum as these three keep asking for advice from their nearest player. At times the three also get a warning from the players with skills to focus on the game. The game gets serious. Out of 7, only two are on a winning streak while the rest 5 seems to have come in as a Venture Capitalist to fund the game. The one who is losing the most is the one who tries his best to recover the loss.

Men tend to get bored quickly and love playing variety. So the game changes to variation. The anchor for variation round is the one who is a skilled player. All the players get a brief 5-minute tutorial on how to play the variation round. Only 50% of players understand and the rest go with their luck. There are a couple of friends who abstain themselves from this gambling session. They play the role of a bartender and also serve snacks on demand.

In this world of equal rights, how can the ladies be behind? So, a small group of 5 ladies also start a parallel group. This is a more noisy group. The ones who are in the game are busy focusing while the ones who have surrendered their cards get busy gossiping. After all, they are good at multitasking.

Dinner is served

It’s half past 12. People realise that they also have to go home. The dinner menu at the Diwali party is an exotic one from Mutton biryani to Butter chicken. The vegetarians are also pampered with Kadhi, Aloo- gobhi, Shahi paneer, and Bhindi. After a heavy snacking round people have lost their appetite and the dinner gets over fast.

But how can an Indian dinner end without a round of sweet? There is Indian Kheer, a traditional Indian sweet along with a combination of Gulab Jamun with Ice cream. For diabetics, there is a small portion of sugar-free Kheer.

Before everybody says goodbye, people take stock of who has won and who has lost. In a game of 7 players, normally there are 2-3 winners, 1 no-loss, no profit, and balance losers.

The Diwali party is a big success and people leave with a promise of meeting again at the next Diwali party.

Read such similar stories on my blog. Click on the link below:

Dussehra and Diwali: Festivals were fun with Dad and Mom

Jim Corbett National Park – A weekend break with friends