K.P. Rebooted

Kiran Prakash returned to the Garden this morning, speaking English the way he used to. Staying in New York for 36 days has not corrupted his speech with the American twang most visitors to the U.S. tend to pick up.

Kiran Prakash (r) distributes chocolates to mark his return from the U.S.

He got back to Mumbai early morning yesterday and has not quite overcome his jet lag.
What however, struck us at first sight was a much fitter, fairer and a far more rejuvenated Kiran Prakash than we had known. Siba Prasad Maitra declared that this rebooted version we were witnessing was “not the real Kiran Prakash but his younger brother”. While Shekhawat innocently did a quick sizing up to remove any doubt, Qadir Bano shyly remarked that “he looks a pardesi now”.
What clearly impressed the ladies was how his complexion had turned so fair within a span of a month. Bhaswati Bose observed that he must have applied extra talcum powder on his face, but Banoo Apa and others were convinced that the brilliant skin glow cannot be achieved without a visit to the beauty parlour. “He may have even done a botox,” she opined.
Kiran Prakash was at pains to explain that there was no mystery in his complexion or looks as New York was under sub-zero temperature with no sunshine for the time he was there. In fact, it was so freezing cold out there that perforce he had to remain indoors for the best part of the stay.
“I could hardly step up to see the tourist hot spots,” he said. “But I assure you that within a week or 10 days here, all this fairness and skin glow will wear off and I will be back to normal.”