The passion

In my last blog on Mahuli trek, I mentioned about playing cards. I’d like to speak few more words about it here. For us, playing the cards is not merely a game but like a cultural part of our life and a pleasure to share with our relatives.

As said we are nearly gamblers and I’m saying it nearly because we usually avoid cheating others because for us passing the comments, quarrelling is far more important than to win. That is why I said that it is a kind of a family gathering where we all sit together night and day just to play cards.

Yes, few of us do tricks, hide the cards, lie or signal partners but number is very less. But most of us prefer to play fair game with trying to remember played cards and thinking of forthcoming expected moves. But most of the time our thinking and partners’ thinking do not match and there starts the quarrel. And if the husband and wife is partner in the particular group then there is an additional fun to see their quarrel.

Also none of us like to deal the card, and distribute it since most of the time the players are 10 to 20 and distributing so many people at a time is boring job. So usually the loosing team deals the card set turn by turn. And the winning team teases the loosing team members by passing comments.

Also we prefer that while playing cards, mouth must be busy not only with talk but in eating as well. The Spicy flakes (Poha Chiwda) and Chakli are our favorite most.
It is a great fun especially when we go to our native place. Our native place is in Jungle and the electricity was introduce there just few years ago but still we do not have television so in the evening our favorite time pass is playing cards.

Also at my Maamaa’s place which is adjacent to sea and on the mountain top, there is nothing to disturb us but only sea cool breezes and also since there is a great danger of Snakes and Scorpios outside we prefer to stay inside and play the cards whole night.

We mostly play Mendhicoat, 304, Ladees and Canvesta if the group is large. Rummy, Zabbu, Gulam-chor etc. if the group is small and if the children are more then Badamsaat, not at home, challenge etc. These are all local names since we do not know their official international names.
Also we can play cards anytime, anywhere viz. standing in the bus depot, train passage, sitting in the coal truck, at the mountain top, in the jungles - simply anywhere.

And whenever someone in our relations says that we do not know how to play cards or say that playing the cards in our house is totally banned we look at them with so much pity that our glance says them what you have earned in life? Your whole life is waste.

Original post : The passion