Party Spirit

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Yesterday's Ishani First Birthday Party was truly Grand!

The Venue was the 4th Floor of the 3-Star NKM's Grand.

And it cost just a Grand: about Rs 45K at the going exchange rate. Dead cheap for the immense customer satisfaction.

Trust Hyderabad to give you a 5-Star ambiance @ 3- Star Rates. And all you have to do is to swipe your Credit Card (if you have one), mention the requirements, invite your guests and forget; they will do the rest.

I allotted myself the Gate Duty: as soon as some group arrives dazed into the Hall, I greet them with an ooh and an aah with that disarming smile as if I was waiting for just them and have known them all my life although I don't: from Adam to Eve: they are my son's colleagues, my daughter-in-law's friends and colleagues and my wife's Crowd; I didn't invite mine because my side of the family is a Vanderbilt Convention and my son would be pauperized for no fault of his.

And then ask the mia, bibi and the kids if they have any, to go and hang themselves out as best as they can, since the next crowd is due.

After everyone is in and the cake and ale (fruit juice) is through, I go around with that same plastic smile and lead them to the buffet queue.

And hold the scared baby and show her around, asking everyone if the food is good enough: everyone will say: wonderful, although tears are streaming down their Biryani eyes.

And ask them to have some more Ice-Cream much like that Alice's Mad Tea Party.

And stand at the Gate with that smile again and ask if they had their fill and thanking them for gracing the occasion.

Everyone is happy. Because folks don't come for the food and drink of a vegetarian, teetotaler, non-smoking, closed-air Party; but to have a nice time Posting Crow-Comments about their bosses: everyone has a boss.

And the Gatekeeper (even if he is a Senior Citizen-Joker) makes them feel like Someone once in while. And they will remember..

Although it is funny that if 98 of the 100 invitees turn up, the talk will be about the ones that got away.

And in less than 3 hours, the shutdown starts mercilessly: you collect the gifts, load them into the cars and get back home.

I am convinced that, like that saying: "The dead will crowd out the Living", the junk in the house will crowd out the Inmates.

The trick is to learn to throw without looking: not easy.

I am right now crowded out of our home and blogging from the nukkad Cybercafe:

The Absconding College Girl is breathing down my neck to Face her Book:

Bye for now!

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