Tragic Marriage

Zarina Khan treats us to wedding sweets

“I have got married,” Zarina Khan declared this morning as she held out a box of exotic sweets to mark the event. “We have been taught since childhood that if someone wants to stay with you for life, it is better to marry him. These sweets are meant to celebrate my nikaah!”
The announcement evoked mixed feelings. It was clear from Zarina’s expression that she was not joking. She meant every word she said: “My doctor tells me that I will have to live with diabetes for the rest of my life. There’s no way diabetes will ever leave me. So I thought it proper to formalise

Banoo Apa treats us to hot tea

our relationship with a nikaah.”
Zarina is the only one among us capable of turning tragedy into humour, however dark it may be. Such is her nature – always chirpy and smiling. Nobody remembers her being ever depressed, angry or in grief. Our only response in the circumstances was to wish that her marriage does not last long. “We pray for your early divorce,” she was told.
The rest of the morning was devoted to reminiscing the high points of the party last night (ref yesterday’s post) – how well Siba Prasad Maitra had organised everything, choice of venue and the sumptuous food on offer, the entertainment organised by Banoo Apa and Bhaswati Bose, Yusuf Rassiwala dancing with his wife, as did Bihari Milwani and Maitra, how Bijoy Gupta and Shekhawat were in high spirits, the energetic performances of Karun Sharma, Fahmida Khan, Naseem Khan… There was never a dull moment.
Everybody agreed that whatever was lacking at the Juhu Beach party on December 22, we more than made up with our New Year’s bash yesterday. “We made up three or four times over,” Yusuf R corrected us.