Vegetable Mart?

Haggling over a cauliflower price

Time was when there were only a couple of fruit sellers outside our Garden gate. Today, there are no less than half a dozen of them who have set up stalls along the side walk. Some sell vegetables also to a fast growing clientele from the Garden. What’s more, hawkers with push carts are stopping by the gate early morning,

Happy Birthday KARUN SHARMA

offering farm-fresh produce at wholesale rates.
These vendors have all along enjoyed the patronage of our members (for obvious reasons) while on their way back home. But never has the mini bazaar spilled into the Garden -- till Kiran Prakash today deciding to hawk cauliflower at a discounted price. The exercises had just about got over when he stepped up making a full-throated pitch: “Phool gobi, 25 rupya – 25 rupya!” Thereafter, he fished out a huge polythene bag full of greens, making another fervent pitch "exclusively" for members of Big Laaf. Somehow, that did not find any takers.
Most of us were obviously taken aback by the suddenness of it all. Another reason for the lack of response could be that we have become so accustomed to freebies that the general expectation was that Kiran Prakash too would cut his price down to zero.

Bijoy Gupta justifies his phobia of naked camels

After all, not too long ago (actually, last Saturday) Shekhawat had been distributing bananas free of cost to members. It turned out that those bananas were ‘stolen’ from Bijoy Gupta, who had bought them for his home!
Incidentally, Gupta was to disclose today why he had become so upset about the “naked camels” of Rajasthan (ref past of February 20). “They were constantly staring at my wife,” he lamented. “Tell me which husband will tolerate that!” And as is his wont, he blamed Shekhawat for this disgrace and demanded Rs5,000 from him as damages. “You and the camels belong to the same place,” Gupta reasoned. "Since you did not warn us in advance, you must pay now!"
Meanwhile, here’s wishing Karun Sharma many happy returns of the day. He is currently away on work in Delhi, thus depriving us the privilege to usher in his birthday at the Garden. It would have been his first birthday with us. He promises to return by the first week of March and make up for the missed opportunity.
Kiran Prakash:
Happy Birthday, dear Karun Sharma. Many happy returns of the day. Hope you are enjoying at Delhi. Have a blast!!!
Geeta Latte:
Happy Birthday, dear Uncle.
Karun H. Sharma:
It is such a fine feeling that my Big Laaf family is remembering and wishing me on my birthday. I am enjoying the moment. I had a small bash at the food court of a nearby mall. But I definitely missed Big Laaf. My original two-day visit has extended to one month. I hope to return to my Big Laaf family soon.
Bihari Milwani:
What a coincidence: If A=1, B=2... then K+A+R+U+N = 65. And today is beginning of Karun's 65th year (64 years completed) and he has deprived Big Laaf members from wishing him personally on this occasion. Very bad!!!
Dilip Babani:
Happy Birthday, dear Karun Sharma!