HELLO! India brought tiles, tea and toast to change with mahjong

Ruchika Mehta, Editor of HELLO! India, and Vani Gupta, Founder of The Bigger Picture, came together to host the inaugural edition of Stacks and Smiles, a mahjong fundraiser that brought together friends of the brands to raise funds for a charitable cause. On October 16, at D’Glasshouse by Dramique at The Grand New Delhi, the mahjong fundraiser helped restore the vision of 80 underprivileged individuals through free cataract surgeries.

There is something particularly disarming about mahjong that makes it the perfect game for a room full of women who like to catch up as much as they like to win. With Mahjong tables set up with bespoke tiles, sets and tablescapes within the D’Glasshouse of Dramique, the event witnessed clicking tiles, hands being built and rebuilt, and a quiet sense of competition underneath the banter and laughter. The afternoon saw platters of food and drinks being whisked around the room and an eclectic group of Delhi’s sharpest players including Ritakshi Arora, Radhika Uppal, Neha Nagar, Sheetal Bawa, Priyanka Narang bringing the glamour with them. However, beneath the glamour of the day was a purpose that never slipped out of focus.

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That purpose gave the event its name. For the underprivileged, the condition can quietly shrink a world, making work harder, independence smaller, and everyday life more uncertain. A surgery that takes little time can change all of that. By the end of the event, the funds raised were enough to cover 80 such operations, 80 people who will see their families, their streets and their futures far more clearly, all under the care of Delhi-based ophthalmologist Dr. Ankita Sabharwal. Hosts Ruchika Mehta and Vani Gupta brought a hostess’ warmth to the cause, proving that fundraising need not be solemn to be serious. When the people at the table are having a good time, generosity tends to come easily.

No good afternoon is complete without a little suspense, and the Lucky Draw delivered. Four gifts were up for grabs, with the third and fourth prizes presented by Hamari Asha, an NGO whose work and values sit comfortably alongside the day’s mission. The second prize was a gift from Kazhal by Gayatri Zaveri, while the grand first prize, the one everyone had been eyeing, came from Potenza: a complimentary treatment to pamper from within. As names were called, cheers rose from every corner of the room, and the winners walked away with something lovely to remember the day by. Of course, those whose names weren’t called out during the draw did not go home empty-handed, each receiving an assorted goodie bag of skincare, jewellery and everyone’s favourite magazine. 

The real winners, however, were never in the room. They are the 80 people who will soon wake up to a brighter, sharper world, thanks to a roomful of guests who came for a game and stayed for a cause. A table, a few friends, a set of tiles and a big heart turned out to be all it took. As the afternoon drew to a close, guests lingered over conversations that had clearly only just begun. The next time the tiles are shuffled, there’s a chance there will be plenty of eager hands ready to play again, for the fun of it and for the bigger picture.

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