Week 7 Storytelling - Deal or No Deal

The lights of the stadium swirled down in an arc and the dramatic music thundered around the arena. Rows of women stood facing outward, their dresses all adorned with the most beautiful patterns and jewels. To the right of every woman was a briefcase, studded with a number.

Yudhishthir gulped a breath of air and tried to stabilize himself. He couldn't help himself; he loved a good risk. There was something about letting go of control and letting fate decide your fortune that was incredibly addicting. Even though there was know way of knowing what would happen, Yudhishthir was confident.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Deal or No Deal! The show where our contestants can win riches and fortune - or lose it all in just a moment of fate!" The voice of the announcer was ecstatic and the energy was contagious. The audience cheered.

"Our contestant today, " continued the host, "is Yudhishthir, a young prince. You may know him as one of the Pandu brothers. Today he is battling our overlord, the great and powerful Duryodhan." Again, cheering from the audience.

"Some of you may know how this works, but others may be unfamiliar, so bear with us as we explain the rules to the newcomers," he smiled and flashed perfect white teeth. "Twenty six of the most beautiful maidens from around the castle are each holding a case. Inside of each of those cases is a sum. Your goal is to eliminate all the cases until only the case with the highest amount remains. During this time, Duryodhan may present to you any offer to counteract the cases. You may either accept his deal, or you may choose 'no deal.' The power is completely yours."

Yudhishthir began to sweat and attempted to formulate a strategy. He began by choosing his case to hold. He had an affinity for the number 15, so he placed it on the stand next to him. This would be his key. He would defeat Duryodhan. He began to choose cases, wildly at first. 1, 7, 16, 1, 13...the cases all fell open to reveal different sums of currency, but the real prize still remained unclaimed. 8, 21, 22, 4, 6, 12...

A bird swooped down and dropped a letter in the host's hands. A deal.

"The great Duryodhan offers you all the gold and jewels your servants can carry. Deal or no deal?"

It was easy. No deal. 11, 14, 19, 26, 2...Another letter.

"The great Duryodhan offers you all the gold and jewels your servants can carry and seven of his best stallions, ten of his best mares, and your choice of twenty foals."

Yudhishthir's stomach turned. It was a fantastic gift. His family could reside in comfort for the rest of their lives...but...he could still outsmart Duryodhan; there was still a chance.

"No. Deal." The crowd went crazy and he focused again on the task before him. 9, 17, 20, and 10 all fell open. He was so close.

"The great Duyodhan offers you The great Duryodhan offers you all the gold and jewels your servants can carry and seven of his best stallions, ten of his best mares, and your choice of twenty foals and your choice of one of his best summer homes, complete with servants to keep it."

This time he didn't even hesitate. No deal. Only three cases were left before him to be opened, and the 15 case sat at his side. He called for 3, then 25, 24, he paused, 5 and 18 fell open and his heart almost stopped. Another letter came swooping down.

"The great Duyodhan offers you The great Duryodhan offers you all the gold and jewels your servants can carry and seven of his best stallions, ten of his best mares, and your choice of twenty foals and your choice of one of his best summer homes, complete with servants to keep it, and half of his armed forces."

With that amount Yudhishthir could even defeat Duryodhan in war. It was almost too tempting. But he persisted - No deal.

Only two cases left: 23 and 15. He knew one of them would cause him to win and one would cause him to lose.

A letter.

"The great Duyodhan offers you The great Duryodhan offers you all the gold and jewels your servants can carry and seven of his best stallions, ten of his best mares, and your choice of twenty foals and your choice of one of his best summer homes, complete with servants to keep it, and half of his armed forces - but ONLY if you walk away now. If you open the losing case The Great Duryodhan commands you be stripped of rank, your brothers stripped of rank and your wife follow suit. You will no longer be princes, but servants of the basest nature. If you win - Duryodhan will step down from power and you shall rule in his stead." 

Yudhishthir heard the audience gasp. He had never expected something like this to happen and his gut wrenched. For what seemed like ages, he clenched his fists and eyes, trying to decide what he should do. Through gritted teeth, he uttered, "No deal." In a flash of light, his chosen case, 15, opened and the world stopped.

NBC's "Deal or No Deal."

It was empty. He had lost everything. Yudhishthir could hear Duryodhan's triumphant cackle from his perch above the stadium and he placed his head in his hands and sobbed. It was over.


Author's Note:
I wanted to talk about Yudhishthir's gambling, but I wanted to place it in more of a modern high-stakes setting. I remembered watching the show Deal or No Deal a few times and decided that it would be a simple enough format to base this story around. For the original story, I read in the Indian Story Book, and also watched an episode of the show on YouTube to refresh myself on the rules.