Jealousy Jibes

Siba Prasad Maitra

Siba Prasad Maitra is still having to face jealous jibes for winning as many as four prizes on Sports Day (ref post of March 3). Well-deserved as every cup and medal may be, somehow our members have not been able to forgive him for accomplishing this record feat.
“Where have you put up so many cups?” chided Nahid Khan, herself a winner (second place) in one event. “I suppose you have displayed a cup in every room of your house…”
Maitra cut her short: “Why don’t you come home and see for yourself?” Coincidentally, he was sporting the same yellow T-shirt that earned him the sobriquet of ‘Yellow Uncle’ from the judges on Sports Day.
This was the buzz all morning even before Maitra had reported for the exercises. “Did you notice he had come prepared with a huge bag on the prize giving day?

Members condole the untimely death of Naseem Khan's younger
brother in Gwalior. He succumbed to a massive cardiac stroke. No
laughter was raised in the end as a mark of respect to the departed soul. 

I saw him stuffing all the Cups into that bag,” informed Bijoy Gupta.
That his wife Pushpa had also bagged four prizes (but of lesser denomination) obviously made no difference to him: “I had to hear from my son last night when he called from London. He shamed me for not winning a single prize while his mother won four!”
“I was terribly unwell on that day,” Shekhawat interjected. “Otherwise I too would have walked away with a cup or two. I would not have allowed Maitra or Pushpa to have a free run.”
The discussion inevitably took a turn to changing the rules for the next Sports Day. There was talk of introducing new events – such as testing who can eat how many boiled potatoes or green chillies within say, 100 seconds.
Maitra suggested a safer option like peeling boiled potatoes. But Shekhawat had a better idea: “Why not have a daru-drinking contest? We shall have small liqueur glasses and whoever takes the maximum number of gulps in a limited time shall be declared winner. The whiskey will be from my side.”
The idea caught on, even as some ladies demurred halfheartedly. “But the drink should be consumed neat,” insisted Maitra. Dilip Babani suggested this should then be the last event of the day but it was promptly overturned. Sports Day must begin with daru drinking!
The consequences can well be imagined.

Bihari Milwani:
I think in 'daru drinking', everyone will wholeheartedly participate. Pomegranate is called daru in many Indian languages. Drinking pomegranate juice increases red blood cells in the body.