“Hey Sagar! When did you come to Delhi?” Vikas was surprised to see Sagar in the Sunrise Guest House canteen.
“Yesterday evening. We’ ve an appointment at 11 with N.I.C,” replied Sagar.
“How many of you are here?” asked Vikas.
“Three. Getting ready to leave in 10 minutes.”
“I am in Room No. 306. Do you know Prakash and Ramanathan are also here? They are in Room Nos. 405 and 407. “
“Santosh talked to me on the phone. He is straightway heading for I.A.R.C. from the airport. He will check in the evening.”
Many young executives at different levels in the established organisations had made The Sunrise Guest House their base camp. New Delhi was the centre of decision-making offices. Organisations from various parts of the country regularly sent their executives to New Delhi to promote their products and services.
After the day work, the young executives used to unwind together relaxing over drinks and card games followed by a nice dinner. The young executives, not really knowing everyone, used to get acquainted in the evening get-togethers.
That evening after the day’s work, the executives got together to relax. Some eight or ten of them in their thirties sat around a round table. One of them began shuffling the playing cards. Another man uncorked the liquor bottles and started making pegs. Yet another person ordered delicious snacks to accompany the drinking session. All of them took their seats and started playing rummy. Some unacquainted executives from different companies were introduced to each other.
With lots of leg pulling with known and unknown individuals the game went on. The liquor was showing its effect then.
“Ay, come on. This game is not adding any thrill to the situation. Let us switch over to flush- the three-card game,” someone suggested.
“Yes. Let us start flush,” another added.
And immediately the scene changed to a more dashing game-flush.
“No upper limit to stake.”
“Of course, no restrictions.” The rule received full support.
After a couple of interesting games, there came a real thriller.
“Here I am. Hundred rupees. Blind.” Sagar thumped.
“Okay. I am seen. Here is my two hundred rupees,” Prakash quietly continued.
“My five-hundred rupees. Blind.” Vikas raced.
“I am also five-hundred blind,” said Sagar.
“In that case, I am one-thousand rupees seen,” said Prakash
“I pack up,” Ramanathan said.
Vikas also could not hold his wits and withdrew.
“I am with five-hundred rupees. Again blind,” said Sagar.
“Come on, Prakash. Ay,Son-in-law of Nashik. Show your strength.”
“Son-in-law of city Nashik means his wife is from Nashik. My Nashik.“ Sagar thought. He was a bit hesitant to continue.
Sagar was dragged into his memories of college days.
He had joined a tourist group for a trip to the North United States of America.
He was visiting the Corning Glass Museum. He was amazed at watching the artefacts made out of glass expressing the feelings of various artists. In the contemporary section, the exhibit “The Spatial Negotiations” enthralled him. The artist Stacey Neff blew glass into gesturalforms. Sagar looked at the artefact from multiple angles and was dragged into the imaginative sphere created by Stacey Neff.
Sagar realized there was one more person who was overwhelmed by the same curio.
“A wonderful piece, isn’t it?” Sagar said when he was near her.
“Indeed. It seems full of movement as if they were in the process of transforming into something else,” replied the lady.
“You also liked it?” asked Sagar.
“Yes. It is hypnotic,” replied the lady.
But then Sagar realized that he did not know that lady who had coincided with his ideas.
With a pleasant smile, he nodded and said, ‘I am Sagar.”
“I am Leena,” said the lady.
“Are you with Kesari Travels?” Sagar asked.
“Yes.”
“I am from Nashik but have joined from Mumbai with my brother. And You?”
“I have joined from Nashik.”
“The group is big. So, we have not been introduced to each other,” said Sagar.
Sagar remembered that was the beginning of their relationship.
It flourished when he took admission for a Masters in Computer Science in Veer Savarkar Vidyapeeth in Nashik.
“Come on, Sagar. Don’t withdraw. Keep the challenge up,” said someone from the group.
Sagar was pulled back from his college memories to Delhi and into the game of flush.
“Okay. My five-hundred rupees. Again blind.” Sagar pushed his stake forward.
“That means the battle is shifted to Nashik. Prakash – Son-in-Law of Nashik. And Sagara Nashikkar himself.”
Sagar and Prakash looked at each other.
“The two warriors. Sagar Guptey and Prakash Shinday. Both are related to Nashik.”
“Let us see who wins.”
Prakash remembered his wife Leena had finished her Masters in Computer Science in 2016. She had mentioned Sagar on many occasions.
“Is this Sagar Guptey the one who was Leena’s crush in her college days? “ Prakash was lost in thoughts.
Prakash was immediately taken with Leena when they met for the first time after he had approved her photograph. Her confidence, soft-spoken nature, and pleasant demeanour made a strong impression on him, leading him to wish for her to be his life partner. This moment seemed to capture the essence of love at first sight and the hopefulness of a new relationship.
“Come on, guys. Lost the courage? No. The fight must be tooth and nail. The end must be exciting. Come on, Sagar. You may be a Mumbaikar now. But you are originally a Nashikkar. You must win.”
This dialogue brought both the contenders down to earth.
“I am in with one thousand rupees. Seen,” Prakash said.
“Sagar, don’t continue blind. Prakash is in the game, seen. Why don’t you see the cards and then decide? The stake is much bigger now,” one person said.
Sagar remembered his association with Leena during his Masters.
An intercollegiate competition was announced for the final-year post-graduate students. While Sagar’s team chose a project based on Quantum computing, Leena’s team selected a project based on Artificial Intelligence. Both projects had reached among the best five projects.
In the final presentation of their innovative work, the results were announced. Both the entries from Veer Savarkar Vidyapith won the top two positions. Sagar Guptey won the Gold Medal while Leena Joshi was adjudged for the silver medal.
These kudos made these two students interact more frequently.
Sagar was planning to go abroad to do a Doctorate in Computer Science while Leena was searching for an appropriate job. Nashik was developing as an I.T. hub and she got a good position in Nashik itself.
Leena’s father started looking for a match for her. When Sagar was in the US, doing his doctorate, he heard from his friends the news of Leena getting married to an IIMA MBA graduate. No further information reached him.
Sagar was absorbed in thoughts. “Is this Prakash the MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad, who married Leena?”
Winning the game was then overshadowed by thoughts of Leena in both the warriors’ minds.
“I am in with one-thousand rupees seen,” Prakash said.
“Sagar, don’t continue blind. Prakash is in the game, seen. Why don’t you see the cards and then decide? The stake is much bigger now,” someone suggested.
Someone volunteered and counted the kitty.
“Thirty-five thousand.”
“Oh my God!” Many hearts sank.
“One-thousand rupees. Blind.” Sagar remembered Leena and continued.
“Two-thousand rupees. Seen,” said Prakash.
“Five-thousand rupees. Blind.” Sagar was determined to make Prakash withdraw.
“Ten-thousand rupees. Seen.” Prakash did not want to give in.
Now Sagar, after a pause, picked up his cards and slowly had a look at them.
Ace of Hearts. Sagar peeped at the second card.
Ace of Spades.
And with a deep breath, he looked at the third card. That was Ace of Clubs.
That trio of aces meant a certain win.
“Vikas, do you know Prakash’s wife was a brilliant student of Nashik? She won a medal for her project in M.Sc. in Computer Science in 2016,” Santosh whispered in Vikas’s ears.
“Yes. I saw it as it is displayed in the living room of their house in Vadodara,” replied Vikas.
Sagar overheard them.
“That confirms Prakash is Leena’s husband.” Sagar concluded.
He did not wish to dishearten Prakash, his crush’s husband.
Sagar mixed his cards in the rest of the cards of the game and looking at Prakash, in a subdued voice, said, “It’s yours.”
Sagar celebrated his unheralded encounter with Leena’s husband, Prakash.
There were cheerings for Prakash.
Prakash collected all the money on the counter. Fifty-eight thousand rupees.
Prakash shared his victory by announcing a grand dinner in a lavish restaurant in Delhi the next day.
Prakash shook hands with Sagar. Sagar responded with a pleasant smile. Leena was present at the bottom of the hearts of both contenders.
