‘Promise is Promise’

100 per cent cap compliance

Ramila Mistry got even with Srichand Arora. Yesterday she had reported for the exercises without her cap on and was driven to a state of nervous breakdown, lest he’d turn up and take her to task. Luckily for her, he was absent. But she did not forgive him for the anxiety and trauma she had suffered and this morning, extracted a promise from him for a treat. Her claim was bolstered by Sunita Jajodia who reminded Arora of his one-time promise to throw a party the day everyone showed up with caps on.

Ramila Mistry

Today was that day.
Poor Arora had no escape. Indeed, as Sunita pointed out, we had ‘sau taka (100 per cent) topi’ compliance this morning. Still, he tried to wriggle out, pleading lamely that he was one of us and a friend, little expecting a rebuff from Ved Prakash Grover: “ But promise is promise!” Exasperated, Arora hit back, “Meet me outside the Gate, alone... after the exercises.”
But Ramila wasn’t giving up. She told Arora upfront how his insistence on compulsorily wearing the Club cap had caused her immense distress yesterday, leaving her with no option but to summon every Bhagwan, Prabhu, Bapu and Ram-Ram-Ram she knew of. “Ultimately they listened to my prayers and you did not come to the Garden,” she narrated amid uproarious laughter. “Now you better keep your promise!”
Arora tried a new tack this time. From a phapda-jalebi party, he came down to a box of barfi and then luddoos – from one kilo to half kilo to 100 grams… all the while explaining he must learn to be thrifty from a Gujarati.

As good as it can get: Chai-pakode for breakfast

Suddenly noticing that Ramila might be offended, he apologized with folded hands for taking such liberties with her. When Ramila did not respond, Santosh Tyagi butted in: “How does it matter if she is offended? She can very well go to the other Garden!” Another round of laughter.
Badmaash Company had more than a foretaste of the party in store when Arora produced a casserole of home-made kairi-ke-pakode (fries of fresh, raw mangoes) during the tea session. It was godsend – hot, crispy and tangy… a rarity and tasting all the more divine early morning with cutting chai. Trust Arora for the good things of life and his generosity in sharing them.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Be impeccable with your word. Don't divert. Always fulfil your promise, Arora-ji!
Harish Wadhwa:
The pakode were indeed very tasty. Man chaha ke bananey waley ke haath choom loon. When we realised that they were made by Kiran-ji, we were quick to offload the responsibility to Arora-ji to do the honours 'generously'. In our heart-of-hearts, we thanked our stars for the pakode.