Many years ago on a visit to Bombay, I happened to be staying in Hotel President overlooking the sea. They had given me a room on the top floor. From my window, I could see the city’s coastline with ships and boats plying.
One afternoon, I decided to go down to the ground floor to see the hotel’s bookshop. As I left my room to catch the elevator, I saw two elderly European women looking for something.
One of them spoke to me: “Excuse me,” she said, “Do you know where the staircase going to the rooftop is? We want to see what the coastline looks like. From our floor, we can only see blocks of flats.”
“I don’t know if there is a staircase going up to the roof, but you can get a view of the coastline from my room window. Come and have a look.”
I opened my door and invited the ladies to have a dekho. After they had their fill of the seascape we got talking.
“Where are you from?” I asked.
“England.”
“Where in England?”
“In Hertfordshire.”
“Where in Hertfordshire?”
“A new town named Welwyn Garden City. Have you heard of it?”
“I’d be damned,” I exploded, “I lived there for three years while studying law in London.”
“Were you a member of the Delcott Tennis Club?”
“I was. I spent most of my summer evenings playing tennis there.”
Now it was her turn to express surprise. “Would your name be Mr Singh?”
“Yes, how do you know?”
“I played tennis with you on many evenings.”
I have never forgotten this encounter. It was more than a coincidence that she should have been in the same hotel and in the corridor outside my door just at the time I came out of my room. I can’t help feeling that there must be a hidden hand which wanted me to know that there is more behind such encounters than we know.
What makes a Taliban
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| Strange ways |
Some interesting observations on the Taliban by that great American philosopher, Jeff Foxworthy: “You may be a Taliban if…
1. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to liquor.
2. You own a $3,000 machine gun and $ 5,000 rocket launcher, but you can’t afford shoes.
3. You have more wives than teeth.
4. You wipe your b*** with your bare hand, but consider bacon “unclean”.
5. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.
6. You can’t think of anyone you haven’t declared jihad against.
7. You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry explosives in your clothing.
8. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.
9. You have nothing against women and think every man should own at least four.
10. You have always had a crush on your neighbour’s goat.”
Head turners
Which is the striped bra? — zebra.
Poisonous bra— cobra.
Mathematical bra — Algebra.
Sunsign bra — Libra.
Magical bra — abracadabra.
Botany bra — branch.
Marketing bra — brand.
Punctuation bra — bracket.
Scary bra — ghabrahat.
How does a donkey cry? — Braaaa! Braaaa! Braaaaaaaaa!
A room where bras are kept — library.
Which bra is very important for any vehicle? —Brake.
(Contributed by Vipin Buckshey, Delhi)
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