I entered the hall, saw the twins and my brother has sat down on the floor to play rummy. It has become a habit to play cards whenever we gather.

I sat down next to Vihaan. We sat in a circle, with Vihana to my right and Vihaan to my left. Hari anna shuffled the deck of cards and distributed 13 cards each.

"Who should start?" I asked as I arranged my cards in order.

"I put the 1st card to Vihana so, she should start." Hari anna answered.

"Start the game, dummy," Vihaan said with an eye-roll as she took forever to arrange her cards.

(Writer's pov(every family has that dummy who will take forever to arrange their cards. it's me in my family ;)

(comment down 'that dummy' in your family).writer's pov ends)

"So, what's the bet? Can we bet 100rs?" Vihana asked with mischievous eyes.

"You know, we play cards only for fun. So, no bet!" A deep voice reached us as that said person sat down on the chair behind me.

"Anna! You are so boring." Vihana whined.

"Everyone knows what happened to Sathish Peripa. Our parents allowing us to play cards is already a miracle after what has happened." Vihaan whispered as he looked around for any elder. (Peripa- father's elder brother)

Sathish Peripa is our thatha's brother's son, who started playing cards as a timepass. The problem slowly arose when he started making bets with money. As the days passed, it became an addiction to him.

When the money, He inherited from our chinna thatha got over, he sold his wife's jewels and land that they owned. His wife and children left him as he started drinking and beating them. In the end, he lost everything, and he committed suicide by hanging in the fan.

(thatha-grandpa) (chinna thatha- grandpa's younger brother).

Then our thatha has ordered that nobody is allowed to speak about this topic. And forbidden us to play cards, but we play cards if no one is there at home.

"Okay, can we at least play with points?" Vihana requested in a baby voice.

"Okay dummy." Vihaan mocked by petting her head.

"Hey! I'm not a dummy and don't! Don't ever touch my hair.

"Ahaan! is--." Vihaan started but, Hari anna intervened and told them to start the game.

Vihana started the game by taking the open card and put down a spade 2 for me.

I don't want that card, so I took a card from the shuffle. They all whined as I showed my original set. I already had 6 and 7 in the heart. Now I got an 8 from that shuffle.

I took a look at the joker and groaned inwardly. I heard a chuckle behind me.

I turned around to see that person controlling his laugh.

I hid my cards from him and turned around with a huff.

"What happened? is the joker THAT number?" Vihana asked in a whispered tone.

"No, nothing like that," I whispered back with a forced smile.

.

.

Vihana was the last one to see the joker. Vihana slowly looked at me after seeing the joker and then looked around.

Suddenly everyone started laughing loudly.

The joker is 8, and 8 is my unlucky number in playing cards. I always lose whenever the joker is an 8.

I turned around and looked at that person with a pout.

"Ahem! It's not like she's going to lose if the joker is 8. She was the 1st one to see the joker remember that." the person behind me countered.

"Okay, it's enough! Don't tease my baby sister." Hari anna said after controlling his laugh.

.

.

I got all my three sets, but I want a spade6 to win the match. Vihana took a card from the shuffle and looked at it with narrowed eyes as she debated over which card to put down.

"This or that?" She kept on repeating the same question with two cards in her hand.

He whispered something in her ear that made her shake her head no.

"You will win for sure if u put that card down." He persuaded her in a hushed tone.

I squealed, and I leaped forward to take the spade6 that she put down.

"OMG! Did she just win? That too with an 8 as the joker." A wide-eyed Vihaan asked with his hands in his mouth.

You can think we are exaggerating, but I have never won with an 8 as the joker in my lifetime.

Vihana screamed and started throwing the cards at everyone.

"Hey! Don't shout! We don't want grandpa to find. Do we?" Vihaan reached out to shut his twin's mouth.

She slapped his hands away and turned toward her elder brother with her hands on her hips.

She glared hard at him and climbed up the stair, shouting 'cheater Vikram.'

"Hey! What happened? Come let's play!" Vihaan asked his twin as he collected the cards.

"Poda panni! ellameh unala daan!" she shouted and shut our bedroom with a thud.

(Go pig! everything is because of you and Da is an informal way of calling a boy).

"So, now?" Hari anna asked with a raised brow.

"Sorru now." Vihaan declared and moved toward the kitchen muttering. "Why did you make her my twin?" with his hands up the ceiling like speaking to the god. (He is referring to Vihana)

(Sorru -food)

"Macha! Vaanga nama thopuku polam." He put his arms around Hari anna's shoulder and started walking towards the door.

(Dude! come, we'll go to the coconut grove).

"Harshu, you coming?" Hari anna turned around and asked.

"No, you guys go. I'll be with Viha." I answered with a shrug.

"Okay."

I turned around and walked towards the stairs.

I didn't even climb the first step as I was pulled towards a hard chest, two arms warped around my waist from the back and a warm kiss landed on my cheek.

"Happy 4th-anniversary Chellam" Vikram whispered in my ear and ran towards the door.

(Chellam-darling)

I stood shocked at the same place thinking about what had happened now.

"Oi" His shout woke me up from the trace.

"Evening ready ah iru, rendu perum velila porom" with a wink and flying kiss, He disappeared from my sight.

(Be ready in the evening, we are going out).

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To be continued...