Guessing Game Begins

Close examination of the photo on Arun's mobile

Speculation is rife, but every lady is a suspect in Arora's eyes

It is not even 48 hours since the ninth edition of the Pehchaan Kaun contest was announced (see post of March 2) and already the guessing game has begun in right earnest. At least half a dozen red herrings have come up in two days – Ruksana Khan, Nahid Khan, Bhaswati Bose, Razia Khan, Kajal Babani... Just about any lady with a squarish face has become a likely suspect.
Santosh Tyagi isn’t even sure if that little girl is a “lady or ledaa” while Monthi Serrao is absolutely sure that it has to be either Razia or Nahid. When Nahid showed up and assured everybody that it was not her and that even her four-year-old granddaughter can identify her from a school-time group photo, attention shifted to Kajal. Much amused, Kajal kept grinning at the tamasha regardless of fervent instructions from all corners to keep a straight face so that everyone could compare her features with that of the picture in Arun Patil’s mobile.
Still, Geeta Sardhana placed her bet on Nahid Khan and Ram Shankar Shukla even cornered her separately to ask her the number of children she had, where she hails from and at what age the picture was taken. She replied truthfully to the first two questions, but on the third, she blew her top, sending Shukla scurrying away, puzzled as ever. “I have spent a long, long time on the computer yesterday studying that photograph” he revealed, scratching his head in dismay.
Shukla was at least honest. The other men, including Arun and Srichand Arora were just as confused, but remained poker faced, holding their cards close to the chest. Arora especially was more intent on reading every lady’s face, silently hoping that their body language would betray something. He is the current defending champion, having correctly identified Shukla in the last Pehchaan Kaun contest. So this time around, he is being doubly careful before taking a call.
Whoever the little girl turns out to be, one thing is certain: She is not someone who has been covered in previous editions of this contest.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Thinking about taking part in the Pehchaan Kaun contest. But I am hopeless at this moment. Can anyone give any idea or clue please.