Indore – Where Grace blends with Steel

Priyanka Gulati

At Yashwant Club, as the cards were shuffled for the Mixed Bridge event, it felt as if time slowed down, inviting not just competition, but reflection. Old corridors, familiar tables, and an atmosphere that gently insists on civility. Indore has always understood the balance between ambition and warmth. That instinct can be traced back to Ahilyabai Holkar.

Widowed young and expected to fade into the background, Ahilyabai instead stepped forward to rule a fragile kingdom. In an era that doubted women’s authority, she earned it not through force, but through justice, restraint, and listening. Markets flourished because trust was protected. Disagreements were settled without humiliation. Power was exercised with grace.

That legacy still lingers in Indore.

Today, disagreements are often screamed — at partners, at TDs, at outcomes. Bridge, however, is not a game of volume. It is a game of partnership. Of listening. Of adjusting without blame. Same as is true for corporates and societies.

Mixed bridge, in particular, mirrors life beautifully. It demands balance — logic with empathy, ambition with patience. You can disagree on a bid, question a ruling, or regret a hand or point a mistake of partner— but how you do so defines the partnership.

Women, in bridge as in society, carry more than just their cards. They carry family, work, home, and various other hats — often without acknowledgment. And that how makes or breaks them.

Which sparked a thought — half playful, half serious.

Perhaps it’s time for an award for The Most Respectful Player. Especially towards women. Not for the loudest arguments won, but for the calmest ones handled. Not for perfect scores, but for perfect conduct.

Because long after the boards are over, what remains is how a partner made you feel across the table. It’s about what the place teaches us while we play.

And in Indore, under the quiet influence of Ahilyabai’s legacy, bridge once again reminded us: ambition wins hands — but warmth sustains partnerships.

Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.