On either side of her, 20 people pack the table. Each table is helmed by a croupier, or a dealer, in a red dress. Unremarkable, except for a roulette table, with poker chips piled across its surface. (HT Photo)Įach guest walks into an otherwise unremarkable living room in the bungalow. A pop-up casino in Sector 79 that was busted by Gurugram cops. Once through, they take a short walk to a four-roomed bungalow, shrouded by tall trees. The bouncer frisks them as an usher cross-checks their IDs with a short guest list.
Sporadically, a guest makes their way up to this farmhouse. Outside one of these, four burly men stand guard. A few sprawling farmhouses dot the quiet landscape. The neighbourhood is sparse, with tracts of farmland to the west and the expanse of the Aravallis to the east.
It’s a few minutes past midnight on a chilly November day in Sector 79 on the fringes of Gurugram.