Double Bonanza

Geeta Sardhana cuts the birthday cake

It was worth the wait. For, Geeta Sardhana today more than made up for the vanishing act on her birthday (see post of July 27). She came in loaded with boxes of savories that included wafers and chips and luddoos. There was also a huge chocolate cake (naturally, egg-less) which she cut ceremoniously after blowing a candle. And then there was a ripe banana to go along for every person. It seemed, as Jagmohan Papneja pointed out, that she was paying back ‘with interest’ for her lapse on Saturday.
If that was not enough, Santosh Tyagi too had a good reason to celebrate today. She had organised a puja last weekend for moving into her new house and she came in with a boxful of pedas. In effect, we had two celebrations this morning – one, for Geeta’s birthday and the other, (as some members chorused) for the ‘birthday of Santosh’s home’. The double bonanza came on a day when none was due.
Oddly enough, Tara Chand already had a hunch that “something was in the offing” because the first question he asked members entering the Garden early morning was whether they had washed their mouths properly.

Pedas from Santosh Tyagi's housewarming

Most of them missed the point, and Ved Prakash Grover even pointedly sought a clarification: “Why are you asking? Will there be something nice to eat today?”
“Who knows?” Tara Chand replied mysteriously. “Let us wait and watch.”
It has to be said though that there were a few like Tara Chand who knew that their long wait for Geeta on Saturday morning was not in vain and that she would after all, celebrate her birthday belatedly. Nahid Khan was the last to leave the Garden at 10:00 a.m. and was quick to counter Geeta’s accusation that we had all let her down. The arguments notwithstanding, what emerged ultimately was that our patience had paid off and in that spirit, here’s once again wishing Geeta many happy returns of the day and for Santosh, much happiness and luck in her new address.
Jagmohan Papneja:
* Good things come to those who wait. Patience may be bitter, but its fruit is sweet. This has been proved by Mrs Geeta Sardhana today. Once again, a Happy Birthday.
* Santosh-ji, thanks for sweet pedas. Best wishes on your new life in your new flat.
Harish Wadhwa:
I second every word of Papneja-ji... ditto-ditto!