Gambling on roads

It was the friday morning and I was on my way to office. For a change I was not on my bike. I was in Sion, walking on the footpath when a stranger asked me for the pen and i offered him. There was a person sitting down with a small briefcase and 3 cards on it. There was a small crowd gathering him and playing the game.

These kind of games are often shown in hindi movies, its a kind of gamble. I was least concerned with what was happening. A person was getting very friendly with me and tried many times to pull my attention towards the game. I was continuously ignoring him but by some or the other way he kept on saying something.

The guy who took my pen was taking quite a lot of time and i found something fishy.
As soon as i took my pen back, the guy who was getting friendly with me announces, that the money was from my side. I didnt knew what happened. I said i'm not playing any game and i'm not gonna pay anything.

He said you dont have to pay, you will be receiving Rs.1,000. I could smell something very strange. I refused to accept the money but he immediately puts a 500 rupee note in my pocket. Some people around said I should be given full money, so the guy who was incharge of the game handed over me 5 notes of Rs.100/-

I lost my cool and I shouted I dont want a single money, its not mine.

There were 5-6 people around, everyone insisting me to take the money.
They kept on saying things like
"the money was in your name dont say no" (paise par tera naam tha)
"don't say no to money in the morning" (subah suhabh lakshmi ko mana nahin karte)
"you shouldnt say no to money coming in your hand" (hath main aaye paise ko mana nahin karte)
"if u dont want give it to some poor fellow" (tujhe nahin chahiye to gareeb main baat de)
the guy who was in charge of the game said, "i know you want the money, keep it".

All this was happening so fast and in such a planned manner that I was shocked.
Thankfully I neither accepted the money nor showed any signs of accepting it.

The guy who gave me the money told that "you just have to show your money and take away this 1000 rupees"
(apne jaib ka paisa dikha kar, ye hazar rupaye le ja)

I finally shouted, "take back this money or i'm throwing and going".
The other guy finally took back the money and i left that place in no time.

Do you think I did the right, do you think that i was destined to get Rs.1000 from a stranger but I refused.

I feel what I did was perfectly correct. I just got saved from what could have been a really horrible trap.
No guy will hand over you money just for no reason.

They have got a simple modus operandi, they just make people stop there. They did to me by asking for the pen. Then they try to involve you, as that guy tried. Then they will tell you, you have won some handsome amount.
If you dont accept the money then the people around you will try to change your decision. (these so called public are very much a part of their squad). And if you accept it or show any sign of accepting then god knows what will be their next step. Definitely in some or the other way they will try to snatch your money.

As I came to the bus stop, one uncle told me dont play that game, those guys are horrible. I explained him that I was not playing the game, they made me stop by asking for my pen.

As they rightly say in corporate world "There is no free lunch".

I feel lucky to be out of it. Either they weren't smart enuough to bluff me or my stars were too strong.
But guys beware of such people. They are dangerous.