CALLING IT QUITS

I turned off the phone after reading all the messages, they were the same notes, the same notes on the winning Chawla being the typical sindhi that he is even wrote about the accounts, and how much he owed me, the total that I would make in this deal after all the cuts would be approximately 2.5 crores and that with my 3 crores that was arriving from Arvind and Sridhar, I was good 6.5 crores ahead in the last few months, it took a lot of energy away from me and I felt tired and wasted. I felt empty and lonely, inspite of having all the money that I had hoped for, there were accounts to settle from tomorrow and I would be over and done with. I tried to sleep but very excited and I smoked the last of the joints sitting on the terrace. Maybe I should somehow forget all these people this was more than what I had really hoped for in life. I had to call it quits and focus on my studies and do what it takes to get my degree. I felt robbed and guilty at the end of the day. I should have been happy and ecstatic but I could see the mood swings for a few minutes I felt happy and then there was this fear of the money coming in tomorrow. I dint know of a place to stash all the 6 crores that was going to land up at home by tomorrow evening. I thought I will distribute 50 lakhs to Arvind and Sridhar and also get Sridhar and Geetha to Bangalore sometime in the next year, they could stay there just like she had hoped for and there would be no more racing or their fathers problems in their lives, just like the way Geetha had hoped for. I hit the sack in a few minutes with the joint taking its powers on me I was lost in gentle sleep. I knew what I had to do the next day.

I woke up to the sound of the door bell and Sridhar and Arvind were standing with a couple of suitcases in their hands, not like briefcase, big large suitcases I am sure it was heavy as well. Sridhar looked around the house, and made a face, I knew that sign it meant if anyone was at home and I just invited them inside. We hugged each other this time triumphantly and then they laid out the contents of the box on to my bed for a few moments the piles of money neat bundles of 1000 Rupees and over 400 of them was mesmerizing, we watched it with a sense of pride, joy and satisfaction not knowing the exact words to say we stood there in silence watching it lie on my bed a big heap of it. I counted out 100 bundles and gave away 50 to each of them and we packed the suitcases and headed to the terrace to smoke a joint.

When I told them that I would not be interested in racing anymore and that I have decided to call it quits, they both looked at me with surprise, I knew each of their worth, both of them were worth over a crore each and that would get them to do whatever they wanted as soon as we had finished our studies in the next couple of years. I knew Arvind would make good use of it and make sure he got himself a good future, he was a nice guy and was talented enough to know his own limitations and he would even possibly wait for me to run the next gamble or scheme and make more profits without indulging in this money at the moment, however I am not too sure about Sridhar, he may be back at the race track tomorrow with all the money and wager it out on a horse. I wish I could some how stop him from doing that, but every man has a destiny to fulfill and there is no way in hell that I was going to stop him getting what he deserved.

We all drove down to the cottage while Sridhar and Arvind waited by the pool I met Chawla, Machu and Balu. They were ecstatic on seeing me and congratulated me on the job well done, I just thanked them for being co-operative and for trusting me in the scheme, Chawla handed me the money and told me to work out something for the next season. They knew the Mysore season was coming to an end and there would be nothing left in the trying something now. Machu wanted to know if we could pull off something next week and I laughed. I told them that I was done with this job and would keep them posted if something comes up. Chawla gave me a big hug, I told them that I was going to concentrate on studies and leave the rest till I could work out something big in the next few months.

Machu wanted to know what I would do studying he told me that I was better of studying horses and I was born to do that. I smiled and let him think that it was the most profound thing that he had ever said in his whole life. I told them not to contact me since the exams were approaching and I dint want any distractions. They gave me a sad but empathetic look, and they all wished me luck for the exams. The syndicate of wise men was dismantled and we were going on our own for now. When it lasted it was good fun, three gambles that made all of us multi-millionaires and changed our lives, Chawla removed his gold chain with a “Mathaji” on it and put the heavy chain on my neck, and the rest of them followed I had about 300 grams of gold with Mathaji, hanuman pendant from Machu and a Venkataramana from Balu, it all felt heavy on my shoulders I am sure each of them sighed a relief as 100 gms of constant pressure eased off their shoulders. I knew a good place to keep this three chains, right in my fathers briefcase, he was a big believer in god and destiny and a person who prayed everyday. I guess he love this in his briefcase, maybe these golden gods will keep him company in his little briefcase that he loved so much. I wish he was around, I wish he were not dead. Chawla gave me another hug warm, compassionate, just like the way my father used to hug me when I was a child, engulfing my entire body in his warm and affectionate way.

I got up in the middle of the night, made my way to my mothers room and hugged her tight, just like the way I used to hug her when I was a child and slept like a little child. The last few months was furious and I had set out to achieve a lot and today with no burden on my shoulders I wanted to feel just the way that I would feel when I was a child and what better place than your mothers arm to sleep the sleep of the tired and exhausted.