“So you really want to do it?” I asked
Pratik nodded in silence...
“But then no blame game, you are coming into this by yourself” I said looking at both of them
“Yeah united we rise else united we fall” exclaimed Sumit reassuring me
“Ok pass me the phone” I asked pratik
“Apne phone se lagana” whispered pratik
“Sigh”....I entered the number and clicked call
It was ringing....
“Ok, have you decided” asked kishore
“It’s on” I said and looked at pratik and sumit’s yellow faces!
Few hours ago
“It gets worse than this” said mani...looking at my face dripping with sweat
“I bet one cannot do sales here without travelling in a car...it’s so difficult here” I said...
Just then my phone buzzed, it was mom
“Hello” I said
“Did you have lunch” Mom asked
“Yeah just now” I said (actually I didn’t)
“Good, keep having lunch in time and also take fruits at 4’0 clock, seasonal fruits like”
“Yeah I am taking them, you had your lunch”
“Yeah we had it, I don’t know how you take care of yourself........sometimes I get worried about your marriage.....you are already 29 and still not settled”
“Ok I know where this is going...I don’t have time we will talk later”
“If only you had a better job and better salary....are you paying your education loan?”
“Yes I am, now please stop and let’s talk later” I pressed
“Ok take care...do call us post dinner” she said and clicked the phone...
Food, fruits, marriage, loan how many things she is worried about...even I think of them and I don’t feel any better thinking about them in this Chennai heat...
“Sir shall we eat” Mani asked..,
I looked around and we found expensive restaurants, I cannot afford for two peoples lunch here....
“We will go to T nagar and finish the call there and have lunch” I said firmly...
Post lunch I called sumit my roomy as a part of my daily routine
“Ssup where are you” I asked
“Nothing am just sitting and thinking” said sumit
“What happened why are you lost?”
“Nothing I had received my credit card statement....I shouldn’t have taken loan on credit card for my sister’s marriage
“Hmmm how much is it”
“Don’t ask...I am paying for one year and it still is stuck with the same outstanding”
“Well these credit cards are dangerous things” I judged
“Look at pratik...he keeps transferring balance from one credit card to another to escape interest”
“Yeah poor chap he is doing worse than us, listen I got to go...I will call you later” ended sumit
I finished my calls and reached my office. People were reading about the arrests of players involved in spot fixing and it seems to have become a rage this evening. People were seen cursing ipl and the greedy cricketers...
“Hi” a voice greeted me from behind
I turned around to see Kishore, my colleague.
“Hey what’s up....your ipl cricketers seem to have made big news again” I said
“Haha...these people will still watch tomorrow’s match...people are craven for entertainment” he said checking his mobile which just buzzed
“Is that an iphone5” I screamed looking at Kishore’s phone
Kishore gestured me to lower my voice “don’t scream like that...I just got it yesterday”
“Two months ago an HTC and now a brand new iphone5...But how?”
“Hmmm...nothing” he shrugged
“Dude, come on tell me the trick man” I begged
“See don’t tell or discuss this with anyone”
“Sure you have my word” I said
Tring Tring.....
“Hello” said sumit
“I need to talk to you for 2 minutes” I said
“Sure go ahead...”
Tomorrow is the final Bangalore vs. Mohali
“So”
“Who do you think will win” I asked
“Well Bangalore is the favourite however you cannot write off mohali”
“Ok here is the deal....5000 if mohali wins and 1000 if Bangalore wins...this is per every 1000 invested”
“But who will invest”
“.........Us”
“You mad...you want to bet ....dude you crazy...”
“I am ready to bet 2000 rupees on mohali...if you are willing we can invest 2000 on mohali and 2000 on Bangalore”
“And”
“Even if mohali loses we will get our money back”
“And if mohali wins” asked sumit, I could see that I had his attention
“We will win 10000, you keep 5 and I keep 5”...
There was silence for couple of seconds and then sumit finally spoke
“Is this safe”
“Well I spoke to kishore, he got an iphone doing this and he has been doing this for the second year”
“Police have arrested cricketers”
“Those are cricketers and bookies not the one who bets” and thus I silenced him...he asked me few more questions and dropped the call
In 2 minutes my phone buzzed and it was sumit again
“What if it rains” he asked
“Then we will forfeit all money, I checked weather report and if it’s right its bright tomorrow!”
“Done...am in...What about pratik” Sumit asked
“I don’t think he will join given his commitments to send money home every month...
“Yeah we will talk about it in the room tonight” said sumit...
For next 2 hours I only kept thinking cricket and money. Ten thousand is not big enough but enough to pay my rent and other stuff this month...same would apply for sumit. I started home early as I was not able to work with these thoughts. When I reached home sumit was already at home and was discussing to pratik and no need to guess what they would have spoke upon
“What do you think” I asked pratik
“You know me and my conditions” said pratik... “I cannot afford these” he affirmed
“Ok so what about you” I asked Sumit.
“Am in...”
“I hope you did not discuss this with anyone”
“None except pratik and...”
“And...”
“One of my colleague”
“Dude, you mad....this isn’t legal and we are risking it for easy money, this isn’t a gossip”
“Don’t worry I will tell him that it was a lie”
“Oh come on stop it now...just leave it and don’t discuss about it” I said and looked at pratik
“I won’t discuss” said pratik
“Ok then am dialling kishore.” I said
“Hi Kishore”
“Hi Raja...so what did you decide”
“I want to place two bets for 2000 each on Mohali and Bangalore”
“Oh sorry man I forgot telling you something important...the minimum bet is for 2500 rupees”
“............................................Oh...can I call you back in 2 minutes”
“Make it quick” said Kishore
“He says the minimum is 2500” I said
“What...”...”you see these things keep increasing....” said sumit looking annoyed...
“Well what do we do” I asked
“I am fine till 2k, it’s your idea and you invest 3k” said sumit
“What! My idea....I don’t think I persuaded you...you are interested and here you are talking to me” I responded
“Let’s ditch then...” sumit said
“Good you are already playing a blame game...nice to know such things before we started” I dismissed
Ten minutes passed and there was a pin drop silence in the room till a phone call erupted out of nowhere
It was kishore calling me....both Sumit and Pratik were looking at me but I didn’t answer the call as I did not have an answer to what he would ask
After some more silence Pratik, finally, broke the peace
“I was planning to buy a shirt anyways...may be I will put that here and hope to see...”
Sumit and I glanced at each other...we could not believe that pratik too came forward
“So you really want to do it?” I asked
Pratik nodded in silence...
“But then no blame game, you are coming into this by yourself” I said looking at both of them
“Yeah united we rise else united we fall” exclaimed Sumit reassuring me
“Ok pass me the phone” I asked pratik
“Apne phone se lagana” whispered pratik
“Sigh”....I entered the number and clicked call
It was ringing....
“Ok, have you decided” asked kishore
“It’s on” I said and looked at pratik and sumit’s yellow faces!
To be continued...
JPR$
