When burgers scored over lottery ticket

Evenings in Chandigarh’s Sector 17 have a carnival-like feel to them — showrooms glitter, hawkers shout and balloon sellers parade their balloon-adorned poles like flags. My friend Harish and I were soaking in the scene one such evening when a lottery vendor cornered us: “Sahib, lottery le lo, kismet chamak jayegi!”

The ticket costing Rs 200 boasted of Rs 2-crore prize money but the fine print whispered: first prize of Rs 1 crore. Harish, armed with middle-class logic, did a quick audit on the spot. After income tax, bank commissions, children demanding capitation seats, a Mercedes Benz, celebrations in a five-star hotel, a family world tour, and gifts for wife and relatives, the crore would evaporate faster than a summer ice cream. Factor in a possible risk of kidnappers, and we’d be paying for our own misery.

With mock outrage, Harish chased away the poor seller, threatening to turn him into a chicken. Instead, we invested our Rs 200 in two chicken burgers — hot, tasty, and gloriously risk-free.

As we munched, it struck us: luck may be overrated, but burgers never disappoint. That evening, our Rs 200 burger over the one-crore lottery proved the best deal in town.

Col RS Narula (Retd), Patiala