Ranjan and Reena invite their friends. Niren and Prema to have dinner at their house. Mr and Mrs.Verma have gone out of station on a short holiday and have taken Vikram along with them.
Ranjan Reena, is everything ready?
Reena Yes. All the food is cooked. It has only to be heated up. Mrs.Ganapati was very sweet and helped me with the cooking this morning.
Ranjan Who is going to make the puris? It will look very rude if you go off for half an hour before dinner to heat the food and fry the puris.
Reena Don’t worry, Bachoo can make puris, I’ll slip away for just a few minutes to arrange the table.
Ranjan That is better. Is everything else in order ? How about the drinks?
Reena The table is laid, the house cleaned and the flowers done. All the drinks have been kept in the frige to be chilled. I’ve arranged the glasses on a tray. Now, does that satisfy you?
Ranjan This is the first time that our friends are coming over for dinner and that is why I want everything to be just right.
Reena I wonder whether they’ll be expecting a big party. They’ll be terribly disappointed to find just the two of us.
Ranjan No. They know that it will be just the four of us. In fact, I told them it isn’t a party really, but asked them to spend an evening with us and have potluck after that.
Reena Oh ! I forgot to mention to you that Prema telephoned and asked whether she could bring along a cousin of hers who has come from Bombay.
Ranjan I see. That is why you’ve laid five places for dinner. Anyway, who is the cousin ? A lady or a gentleman?
Reena I really don’t know. I didn’t ask her.
Ranjan Do we have some good music?
Reena Yes. I’ve selected some soft listening music. It will rather set the mood for the evening. And another thing Ranjan for heaven’s sake please don’t talk shop the whole evening. That will be very boring for the cousin and for me. Besides, don’t you talk enough about bulbs and tubes in the office?
Ranjan All right, all right. Don’t get so worked up. I know it is not polite manners to talk business at a party.
The bell rings. Reena has a quick look at the mirror and pats her hair into place.
Reena Ranjan, am I looking all right?
Ranjan Just fine. That’s them at the door. I’ll go and get them.
Reena Just a moment, Ranjan. Should I keep the wall lights burning or should I switch off those and switch on the table lamps? They give a softer effect.
Ranjan Do what you like. But make it right enough for us to be able to see each other. Let it not be such dim lighting that we can’t see beyond our noses.
Ranjan goes to the door and receives the guests. Reena waits for them in the drawing room. The guests enter.
Niren Good evening, Reena.
Prema Hello Reena. You haven’t met my cousin, Tilak Sharma. Tilak, this is Reena.
Tilak How do you do?
Reena Well thank you. I understand that you’ve come recently from Bombay.
Tilak Yes, that is right. And I am a lucky man to have been invited to your lovely home on my first day in Delhi.
Reena You are very kind. Are you on a holiday or will you be staying long.
Tilak For the moment, I am on a business trip. But there is a possibility of my being posted to Delhi.
Ranjan Now before you start quarrelling. Prema what will you have for drink?
Prema Anything soft.
Ranjan Tilak, what about you?
Tilak I’ll join you in whatever you are having?
Ranjan You have a choice of beer, gin-and-lime or a cider or would you prefer a whisky and soda? Niren, how about you?
Niren I’ll have a ginger-ale, if you have any.
Ranjan Yes, we have ginger-ale. And Tilak, what is your preference?
Ranjan Reena, what would you like to drink?
Reena I’ll have a Campa, please.
Ranjan Would everyone like ice in their drinks?
Prema Not for me please. If it is chilled in the fridge that is good enough for me. Thank you.
Ranjan brings in the tray of drinks and serves them around.
Tilak I must say you have very pleasant weather in Delhi. Bombay was hot and sultry. One perspires so much in Bombay that one’s clothes are soaked within minutes of getting out of the house.
Niren Is that so? I’ve never been to Bombay. I would very much like to visit Bombay one day. I’ve heard a lot about the city. I believe it is very big and busy and the traffic is unbelievable. It is one of the biggest business centres too.
Reena There, you people start on business and money-making again.
Niren Sorry, Reena. That was not meant to disturb your pretty head. I must compliment you on the flowers and the décor. A very artistically arranged.
Prema And the music is so soothing. Have you bought any new records.
Ranjan To tell you the truth, the records are brought by either Reena or our kid brother Vikram.
Reena excuses herself and lays the dinner dishes on a side tray.
Reena Prema, Tilak, Niren, dinner is served. Shall we move over to the dinning room?
Prema Just as you wish.
They all move to the dinning room. The lights are switched off and only candles are lit on the dinning table.
Prema Fabulous.
Niren So romantic
Reena We are going to have a combination of a buffet with a sitting dinner. Please serve yourselves at this side board and then sit at the table.
They seat themselves, eat the dinner, and admire the good cooking.
Reena Shall we have coffee in the room?
Prema If you say so, yes.
They move back to the sitting room. Have coffee and chat a bit. Then the guests are ready to leave.
Prema Well thank you so much for a delightful evening Reena. Thank you Ranjan. Goodnight.
Tilak Reena, many thanks for having me over at the last moment. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Goodnight and thank you again. (to Ranjan) Thanks. I hope we can meet again sometime.
Miren Reena, everything was superb. You must have worked very hard. Thank you for asking me over. I hope this won’t be the last time. Goog night.
Reena Ranjan, see you in the morning.
Meanings
Pot –luck - whatever there may be for a meal.
Worked up -to get excited
Cider -fermented drink made from apples
Sultry - hot and close (no breeze).
Perspire - to sweat
Décor - decoration
Soothing - calming effect
Buffet - sideboard
Superb - excellent
(C) Study the following responses:
1. What is the difference between a buffet a buffet meal and sit – down meal?
Response: A buffet meal is one, where the dishes are arranged on a table. The guests serve themselves and then stand and eat. In the case of sitting meal the guests are seated at a table and the dishes are served by a bearer or waiter, in proper order.
2. What are the various courses served at a formal sit down dinner.
Response: A course is a dish with accompanying sauces or vegetable. The customs of serving dinner in many course is a European custom. For the sake of information the first course may be a soup, followed by “d” oeuvres. These are small titbits which are meant to be appetizers. The next course would be fish and accompanying sauces, chips and tomatoes or whatever else. The third course may be meast and vegetable dishes, followed by a pudding and chocolates, Coffee would be served at the end. Followed by cheese and biscuits. With each course, wines red and white are served. Champagne is served with the pudding. Brandy is served after dinner. A dinner could been described is formal western style meal.
(D) Make suitable responses:
1 What preparations had Reena made for the paryt?
Response _____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2 If you had been invited to the party, how would you have bid farewell to Reena and Ranjan?
Responses ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Ranjan Reena, is everything ready?
Reena Yes. All the food is cooked. It has only to be heated up. Mrs.Ganapati was very sweet and helped me with the cooking this morning.
Ranjan Who is going to make the puris? It will look very rude if you go off for half an hour before dinner to heat the food and fry the puris.
Reena Don’t worry, Bachoo can make puris, I’ll slip away for just a few minutes to arrange the table.
Ranjan That is better. Is everything else in order ? How about the drinks?
Reena The table is laid, the house cleaned and the flowers done. All the drinks have been kept in the frige to be chilled. I’ve arranged the glasses on a tray. Now, does that satisfy you?
Ranjan This is the first time that our friends are coming over for dinner and that is why I want everything to be just right.
Reena I wonder whether they’ll be expecting a big party. They’ll be terribly disappointed to find just the two of us.
Ranjan No. They know that it will be just the four of us. In fact, I told them it isn’t a party really, but asked them to spend an evening with us and have potluck after that.
Reena Oh ! I forgot to mention to you that Prema telephoned and asked whether she could bring along a cousin of hers who has come from Bombay.
Ranjan I see. That is why you’ve laid five places for dinner. Anyway, who is the cousin ? A lady or a gentleman?
Reena I really don’t know. I didn’t ask her.
Ranjan Do we have some good music?
Reena Yes. I’ve selected some soft listening music. It will rather set the mood for the evening. And another thing Ranjan for heaven’s sake please don’t talk shop the whole evening. That will be very boring for the cousin and for me. Besides, don’t you talk enough about bulbs and tubes in the office?
Ranjan All right, all right. Don’t get so worked up. I know it is not polite manners to talk business at a party.
The bell rings. Reena has a quick look at the mirror and pats her hair into place.
Reena Ranjan, am I looking all right?
Ranjan Just fine. That’s them at the door. I’ll go and get them.
Reena Just a moment, Ranjan. Should I keep the wall lights burning or should I switch off those and switch on the table lamps? They give a softer effect.
Ranjan Do what you like. But make it right enough for us to be able to see each other. Let it not be such dim lighting that we can’t see beyond our noses.
Ranjan goes to the door and receives the guests. Reena waits for them in the drawing room. The guests enter.
Niren Good evening, Reena.
Prema Hello Reena. You haven’t met my cousin, Tilak Sharma. Tilak, this is Reena.
Tilak How do you do?
Reena Well thank you. I understand that you’ve come recently from Bombay.
Tilak Yes, that is right. And I am a lucky man to have been invited to your lovely home on my first day in Delhi.
Reena You are very kind. Are you on a holiday or will you be staying long.
Tilak For the moment, I am on a business trip. But there is a possibility of my being posted to Delhi.
Ranjan Now before you start quarrelling. Prema what will you have for drink?
Prema Anything soft.
Ranjan Tilak, what about you?
Tilak I’ll join you in whatever you are having?
Ranjan You have a choice of beer, gin-and-lime or a cider or would you prefer a whisky and soda? Niren, how about you?
Niren I’ll have a ginger-ale, if you have any.
Ranjan Yes, we have ginger-ale. And Tilak, what is your preference?
Ranjan Reena, what would you like to drink?
Reena I’ll have a Campa, please.
Ranjan Would everyone like ice in their drinks?
Prema Not for me please. If it is chilled in the fridge that is good enough for me. Thank you.
Ranjan brings in the tray of drinks and serves them around.
Tilak I must say you have very pleasant weather in Delhi. Bombay was hot and sultry. One perspires so much in Bombay that one’s clothes are soaked within minutes of getting out of the house.
Niren Is that so? I’ve never been to Bombay. I would very much like to visit Bombay one day. I’ve heard a lot about the city. I believe it is very big and busy and the traffic is unbelievable. It is one of the biggest business centres too.
Reena There, you people start on business and money-making again.
Niren Sorry, Reena. That was not meant to disturb your pretty head. I must compliment you on the flowers and the décor. A very artistically arranged.
Prema And the music is so soothing. Have you bought any new records.
Ranjan To tell you the truth, the records are brought by either Reena or our kid brother Vikram.
Reena excuses herself and lays the dinner dishes on a side tray.
Reena Prema, Tilak, Niren, dinner is served. Shall we move over to the dinning room?
Prema Just as you wish.
They all move to the dinning room. The lights are switched off and only candles are lit on the dinning table.
Prema Fabulous.
Niren So romantic
Reena We are going to have a combination of a buffet with a sitting dinner. Please serve yourselves at this side board and then sit at the table.
They seat themselves, eat the dinner, and admire the good cooking.
Reena Shall we have coffee in the room?
Prema If you say so, yes.
They move back to the sitting room. Have coffee and chat a bit. Then the guests are ready to leave.
Prema Well thank you so much for a delightful evening Reena. Thank you Ranjan. Goodnight.
Tilak Reena, many thanks for having me over at the last moment. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Goodnight and thank you again. (to Ranjan) Thanks. I hope we can meet again sometime.
Miren Reena, everything was superb. You must have worked very hard. Thank you for asking me over. I hope this won’t be the last time. Goog night.
Reena Ranjan, see you in the morning.
Meanings
Pot –luck - whatever there may be for a meal.
Worked up -to get excited
Cider -fermented drink made from apples
Sultry - hot and close (no breeze).
Perspire - to sweat
Décor - decoration
Soothing - calming effect
Buffet - sideboard
Superb - excellent
(C) Study the following responses:
1. What is the difference between a buffet a buffet meal and sit – down meal?
Response: A buffet meal is one, where the dishes are arranged on a table. The guests serve themselves and then stand and eat. In the case of sitting meal the guests are seated at a table and the dishes are served by a bearer or waiter, in proper order.
2. What are the various courses served at a formal sit down dinner.
Response: A course is a dish with accompanying sauces or vegetable. The customs of serving dinner in many course is a European custom. For the sake of information the first course may be a soup, followed by “d” oeuvres. These are small titbits which are meant to be appetizers. The next course would be fish and accompanying sauces, chips and tomatoes or whatever else. The third course may be meast and vegetable dishes, followed by a pudding and chocolates, Coffee would be served at the end. Followed by cheese and biscuits. With each course, wines red and white are served. Champagne is served with the pudding. Brandy is served after dinner. A dinner could been described is formal western style meal.
(D) Make suitable responses:
1 What preparations had Reena made for the paryt?
Response _____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2 If you had been invited to the party, how would you have bid farewell to Reena and Ranjan?
Responses ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
