C - Casino

We live near a casino.So close that we can see it from our balcony, right across the road. Three years ago,it didn't matter. Because we were a bunch of morons , innocence writ large on our foreheads.For us ,gambling was a sin and we would be such misfits, saints that we were.

We took baby steps into the gambling world. We were first introduced to poker by our friends here.Every Friday, we would all gather at one of our houses, waiting for the guy with the smugglers-briefcase-type-looking-poker-suitcase.It was an addictive game that can be played with large groups..A combination of more of luck and a little bit of skill.I say skill because, it challenges you to take risks at the right time, study people's mindset and bluff at the right time. If applied sensibly, you can win a lot of chips.We were hooked to this game..played weekend after weekend, until dawn. We were so naive at that time that we refused to play with money.Even if it was just a dollar or a two. Play with money huh? We value money and don't play with it for God's sake !

That was two years ago.


And now.Here goes the story.

"Why are you late !?? I just asked you to get a couple of things from Walmart.What is taking you so long?" I was screaming into the phone.

"Er..I am in the casino.I got all your things. Dont worry.Will be home in a few minutes."

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A message popped up on my whatsapp. It was a video from Sush. I looked at the still image as it was downloading and immediately went red.I could think of a hundred curses I was ready to blurt out.The download finished and it showed some numbers reeling very fast and then saw "Jackpot" somewhere. The number stopped at 35000.Then I saw sush pull out a receipt that showed 350.00.

My expression changed as fast as the light of speed and I was glowing like a 1000 watt bulb.
I was so proud of him.

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Ofcourse we had to go to Las Vegas.It would have been such a sin not to.


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"Did you find a good hotel?"

"Oh Yes..It is awesome and it has a casino!"

This was 2 days after we left Vegas, and travelling to a different city.

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"This casino is not interesting anymore. After seeing Vegas, this one doesnt excite me much" , Sush referring to the fact that there were no human dealers in the one where we lived.They were all machines with the same women appearing in the same dress, looking the same and saying the same things.

I was delighted when I heard this.He is losing interest now!

"I should probably start going to Seminole."

I would kill this man someday.

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Casinos are really fun.There are so many interesting games that really need you to strategize how you want to place your bets.Like the roulette.Black Jack is my favourite.Its a simple game but very intriguing. The pile of money on your side fluctuates like a sine wave.The trick is knowing when to call it a day.If you are on a winning streak, know that it wont last long.

My man's funda is simple. To have fun. He plays until he has emptied his pockets. He usually takes 30-40 bucks and plays as long as Goddess Lakshmi is on his side.And if by fluke accident he wins and gets some money home, his hand and brain would be itching to go back and spend it all.

So why do people go to casinos?Why do they gamble their hard earned money?

1.Laziness.People are attracted to easy ways of making money. But what they dont realize is how much they had been losing before they made than elusive win.

2.Adrenaline rush. Because it involves a little of risk taking which you wouldn't normally take in your day-to-day life, it begins to feel adventurous.The sense of anticipation, your decisions going right create a sense of vanity in you and you end up taking more bold chances.

3.You are tricked.Casinos have many tricks up their sleeve to keep bringing back the customers. One of them being cashing in on the near misses . There is nothing worse than "Almost winning".You are made to believe that you narrowly missed that big win.From Slot machine cherries that repeatedly fail to line up by just one symbol to Roulette where the dice landed on the immediate next number, or the paltry wins that encourage you to bet one more time, everything is a huge manipulation and exploitation of human psychology.

4.Pure fun. For many people these days, its just one week of overtime work . What if you lose, you can recover it in a day.Or for some , its just another harmless way of spending money for entertainment.Its the same as spending money to watch a movie.You get to play as long as you stick.
The live music, food and drinks allure people to the idea of having a great night life.

Personally, anything in limits is acceptable to me. Gambling gives you a high, provides entertainment, you can even make some money if you are lucky, and sometimes you lose some. As long as you are able to resist the urge to there again, you are not in danger zone.

PS - Dedicated to Sush :)

B - Bitch

It all started getting clear to her. She was being such a fool.How did she even think that Akash was falling for her.
She felt nothing but rage as she recalled how smitten she was, completely blind to what was happening.


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"This is my best friend Meera.And Meera, this is Akash, my best friend" ,Shikha introduced her two friends to each other, winking at Meera.
Meera gave a slight smile.Shikha had been raving about Akash and though she never acknowledged it, Meera knew she had a huge crush on him.
"Hello Meera !Nice to meet you". Akash held out his hand for a shake..and as a reluctant Meera shook hands, their eyes met.A slightly longer hand shake and eyes that instantly connected, both knew something was brewing.Meera noticed it too, but brushed it off as her imagination.

That was the beginning.

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Her eyes were swollen and red with crying all night.The vodka helped her get through the night but it doubled the pain as she woke up to face her biggest fear.Akash was everything to her.It broke her to think that he never understood the "A" she had tattooed on her neck.How he dismissed her confession of love to him with that boyish laughter that day.How she had fallen more in love with him then.They were drunk ,yes, but that was the only time she mustered enough courage to express what she felt.

She felt more pain now.More hurt.And now it was giving way to seething anger. She felt worthless.She saw Meera's and her photo on the desk.They looked so happy.They were BFFs.Soul sisters,people used to say.She never imagined Meera would do this to her.She felt betrayed.

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The door was open.She barged inside, armed with a knife.She felt weak, but she had a job to finish and time was running out. She saw a blurred figure running towards her,she wasnt too sure who it was.

"Shikha, Shikha ! Help !"

She saw Meera stumble out of the room, all bruised.Akash dashed after her.Something didnt look right.For a split second, Shikha saw fear in Meera's eyes and instantly realized what was happening.
She suddenly felt dizzy.. and everything around her was whirring in fast motion.Before she knew it, everything went dark.Blood was oozing out of her nose.

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Life is such a bitch.

A - Autumn

Autumn - the beginning and an end.

She saw the leaves change color.The warm summer air was turning crisp and chilly.The streets looked vibrant. As if nature dressed up colorfully in bright orange  and magenta and decided to make the world a beautiful place.It was that of the year yet again where she felt mixed emotions. Of being inspired and sad.

For her, its a reminder of how change is the only constant thing.It brings in her a feeling of helplessness as she tries desperately to hold on to things she doesn't want to let go. Her friends, family,her small yet beautiful,cozy home, the city that she called her own. She felt so much at peace here.Its probably the comfort of knowing.Knowing that she will be happy here.

She always wondered how the tree felt, when a leaf changed color.A leaf that started out small and young, but strong now over the months.Which it nurtured and nourished every day. Knowing that it was only a matter of time and a gust of wind for the leaf to break off and fall lifeless to the ground.Knowing that it would be stripped and naked to the core.

Autumn taught her that all things come to an end.She was amazed at the way they accepted their fate.How they spread cheer and happiness until the last leaf.How they braved chilly winds every night , fought to see one more morning and then gracefully succumbed.Succumbed to the way it is always supposed to be.Bare and lifeless.

It taught her to let go of the warmth and embrace the winter.

PS : Fall is always beautiful but I cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness that the beauty is going to give way to a much sober landscape, stripped of all the glory.Its as if I am yet to come to terms with the circle of life.

This is the first post from A-Z challenge .This is the first time I am doing something of this kind.Lets see how it goes. Self imposed deadline - Feb 15th.

The noose got tightened, for women.

The 16 year old Delhi "child" who raped and killed a girl is let loose. Because he is a juvenile and has a chance to reform himself.

Dr. Achal Bhagat says punishing rapists is not the solution. All criminals should be allowed a chance to reform and society should help in creating such opportunities.

Bullshit.

I say kill them point blank. People who are capable of performing such heinous acts should not be allowed to live for a second. We are not at a point where we value such people's lives. We have a growing abundance of population, creeping into such uncontrollable numbers that a few dead criminals wont topple the world balance.

What do you make of the case where a young boy who raped a young girl brutally and then killed her, has been let go because he was not 18 yet? If he is not punished deservingly, what message are you giving to other under 18s? Why do you need this guy to transform and live a respectable life? What good is he to our society ? Even if he doesn't commit another rape, more out of fear of punishment, it is justice NOT delivered. If the girl were alive, how do you explain to her why the guy who tore her apart and threw her on the road is free now."Nirbhaya, he is just a kid. Give him a chance, will ya? You are anyway dead." 

Are you going to argue that karma will take care of him ? That God will punish him for his deeds ? That what goes around comes around? Then why are laws made? Why are there jails and courts and trials ?

Don't you want to send a strong message that such acts wont be tolerated ? Not by returning awards, but by actually punishing the offender. How about killing him ?Or better still, break his arms and legs as a reminder of what he did to a girl.As a horrifying example of what the fate would be of those who have no qualms tearing up a girl's intestine or pushing a rod through her vagina. How about treating criminals like criminals for a change?

I recently watched a Telugu movie, Kumari 21 F. The husband of the heroine chains his four friends in a secret place, feeds them Biryani once a week and then would beat them to pulp.Every week.
Because the four friends raped his wife.
I never saw a more fitting vengeance. Death is an easy punishment. Instead, let them live, and make them die everyday. I truly believe in "What you sow, so shall you reap". And helping Karma do its bit before it is too late.

Sorry for my violent thoughts, but my only concern is that the punishment being meted out is not proportional to the crime that has been committed. More emphasis is being laid on the hope of bettering the criminal than providing justice to the victim. The pain and anguish of the family of having lost their girl to some animals has no relevance in the books of justice.By releasing this criminal, the noose around a woman has only tightened.

There was an ad doing its rounds on facebook. It was trying to promote that the women in a family must share the uncomfortable situations they face on the roads with their sons, husbands and brothers. To create awareness in them on how it feels like to be treated like that.

It really is a good idea. But I just hope she is not held wrong for what happened to her. It somehow always is a woman's fault.

A glorious day!

I stepped on the weight scale with guilty nervousness. I had been gorging on food for the past few days and haven't been exercising. I was bracing myself for impact, getting ready for a huge disappointment and a bagful of regrets.

But voila ! It read 58.5 kgs, an all time low in the past 3 years! Dont ask me how ! Sush didn't believe me , so he asked me to get onto the scale again. It showed 58.9. I have no clue where those 400 gms got added from in one minute, probably my happiness enlarged my shape, but that number was still awesome.

So it was a great start .

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Then later in the day, I saw happiness , pride  and a sense of contentment in the eyes of the one person I admire and respect the most. Okay, I dont know about the last two, but I definitely saw happiness :D And you don't know how that made me feel. I was happy like a child, reliving that scene over and over in my head. It made me think I am finally good at something and the best part- I started to believe that !
Most of the times it so happens that, when people tell me I am good at something, I don't trust them. Or, I don't trust myself. I always wonder if it was little bit of luck that contributed to whatever perception I was able to create.

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And then J.O came over and said he missed talking to me ! With that boyish smile and eyes ! I was floored !

"I feel I don't get to talk to you anymore..."

"Why not..."

He shrugged and said.." We used to talk a lot more often before.. not anymore.."

I just hope I don't do something sheepish *_*

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Just when I was wondering how come Monday turned out to be so wonderful, I realized it was not Monday. It was Tuesday!

Anyways - cheers to a happy day!