Eid-ul Zuha 2014

Slow start to today's exercises

Today was Eid-ul Zuha or Bakri Eid – the annual festival of sacrifice. So a majority of members chose to sacrifice their morning exercises today leaving us with barely half-a-dozen to start the day’s proceedings. It took Geeta Sardana to eventually break into an exclusive all-male group and thereafter, the numbers swelled to an impressive 15-odd by the end of the exercises.
Suddenly, to our infinite surprise, Mallika Kagzi walked in with a container of sheer-khorma – the traditional festival delicacy of sweetened milk and vermicelli, fortified with dates, pistachio, almonds and cardamom. Funny thing, she did not wait for us to polish it off, but rushed out saying that she was in a tearing hurry to attend the kurbani at a nearby mosque. “There are glasses and spoons with the container,” she said. “Please help yourselves. But before leaving, kindly keep the empty container with the watchman at the gate.

Monthi doles out sheer-khorma

I’ll collect it from him later.”
No sooner were we done with the exercises than all of us descended like hungry animals on the sheer-khorma container as though it would suddenly grow legs and run away.

Mallika Kagzi

In the mad scramble that followed, nobody cared what was being taken, who got how much, whether there would be enough for everyone… Monthi Serrao tried to bring some order by taking charge of the distribution, only to have Srichand Arora declare war by charging her with saving the rich almond and pistachio sediment for herself and disposing him off with the liquidy part. Angad Singh was to soon replace her but before that Bhaswati Bose also accused Monthi of keeping aside the best part of the sheer-khorma in a glass for herself. Utterly horrified and harassed, Monthi snapped: “Aiyyo... you better take this then, Idiot!” Eid Mubarak, everybody.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim friends. Hope this Eid will bring a prosperous and delightful life to all of you.