THE CONTRASTING FAITH IN OVERSEAS RETURNS AMONG INDIANS

Last week, Bertie attended two Diwali parties on the same evening.

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(TARUN KUMAR SAHU/MINT)

This must be a record for our reclusive friend, and he certainly had not planned for it to happen that way. Once his niece realized that Bertie and the missus would be going out, she sweet-talked the couple into letting her host a party for her friends at Bertie’s house. A large living room and a well-stocked bar were the main draws. Bertie was told that Gen Z did not care about food and, if they got hungry, they would ‘figure’.

The original plan, therefore, was for Bertie and the missus to say a polite hi to the assembled youngsters and exit stage left. On the appointed day, and not unexpectedly, the missus was taking longer than anticipated to get ready, which meant that Bertie had to socialize with the kids a bit more than the planned quick greeting.