It was the Saturday before Diwali, so there had to be a thousand parties being thrown across the city. For a change, we happened to have a personal invitation to one such card party at a friend's place. Little did I know it would turn into an all-night affair.
So this party's being held in a nice big house in Defence Colony. We park the car and enter the courtyard of the house to find caterers dishing out some awesome-looking food at break-neck speed. Intrigued, we enter the house, to be taken up the beautifully lit up stairs by the gracious host to the party floor. And by God what an ambience. The table bang in front of the entrance stands brimming with drinks of all hues and tastes. Food, as I mentioned above, keeps coming in, in what seems similar to truckloads. The whole house is dimly lit, and for a change, little kids are not to be seen running around toppling over stuff. Some nice party that. Not that I really have much to drink or eat at such parties though.
We sit for a while and chitchat, and then get up to take a tour of the house. We find cards being played with full gusto in two separate rooms. Why two different rooms, I wonder. And then the difference makes itself known. In one of the rooms, with a proper table laid out for the serious players, games are being played at high stakes. Stark silence envelops the players as they cast sidelong glances at each other and look at the cards in their hands with smug expressions. An insane amount of money lay piled carelessly in the center, in no hurry to be won over by any of the gamblers. It totally freaks me out. I quickly make an exit.
The next room I visit has a more casual setting. A bed surrounded by comfy chairs and sofas with mostly ladies occupying them and sounds of laughter and fun talk filling the room. Oh yes, not to forget, small-stake card games and food and drink to accompany. I have finally found my place in the house. I sit down and observe. Oh, did I forget to mention, I don't play? Well yeah, I don't. Not that I am averse to it - it sure is a fun game if played on occasion under control. Just that I was never much into it. So I sit and have fun observing the game dominated by lady players, gossiping, eating, helping the erstwhile non-players, all the while dealing cards and losing/gaining money. Light music completes the ambience of the room. And I forget to look at the time.
Only to realize after a while that it is way past one thirty a.m. Slowly and steadily people start streaming into the dinner room to feed themselves, in order to gear up for another round of cards. God, how excited can people get about their gambling! It really is a new concept to me. Anyway, I finish up eating as people are taking their second helpings, and visit the washroom to look into the mirror. Yes, I'm looking beautiful tonight. And that's all that matters for now. I don't play, don't drink, don't eat much either, so might as well satisfy myself with looking good if I'm at a party.
As the food goes down people's food pipes, they get chatty. And my mother kinda mentions to someone that I sing. That is all that is needed. I am asked, rather forced, to sing for the gathering. Now that is certainly embarrassing, to put it in really subtle words. There's only one word written all over the walls of my Hypothalamus and Cerebrum - F. But man do I suddenly turn into my super confident self. My music does that to me - it brings me confidence, enough to be able to sing in front of a gathering of twenty, or for that matter, a hundred. And so I sing. Only to be hounded by encore requests. I sing another number. Then someone else sings, only to be followed by me again. And yes, a decent amount of appreciation follows. I get tired, and I suppose so do the audience, thankfully. And so the
mehfil disperses as people slowly start turning back to their card tables for some real action games now. Few people start to leave. So do we. It's already nearing three a.m. We say our bye-byes and tatas and leave with this cute box of awesome dark chocolates as a gift. As I return to my abode in the car, I surmise - not a very bad way to spend an evening (okay, night) during the festive season, is it? I did have lot of fun. And that's all that matters, right? Well, I become happy. And I decide to write about it. Not in such a boring way as I just did, but well...I did write!
So, mi amigos, I'll take your leave here, with heartfelt wishes for a prosperous Dhanteras (it's today!!) and a great and harmless Diwali. Stay safe, stay blessed! :)
