Gursharanji: Dyaan do, tussi, you pay attention now. What you decide in your office is your business, but ithe, here, I decide, and I—thwadi votti, your wife—have decided to grade you.

PMji (in some agitation): What if this leaks out, Gursharanji? What if you give me low marks and the BJP gets to learn about it?

Gursharanji: Fikar na karo Manmohanji, worry not. Only the diwaran, walls, and farsh, floor, will hear this. Now answer my question frankly. Are you planning to raise the price of cooking gas, or not?

PMji: Khasma nu khaniye, you want to finish your husband! Gursharanji, you know the price of oil in international markets is at an all-time high, don’t you? As an economist’s wife you will surely realise that there is a relationship between global and local prices.

Gursharanji: Mai’kya ji, mere savaal da javaab do, give me an answer to my question.

PMji (shifting uneasily): It’s like this, Gursharanji, there is a distinct possibility that some measures will have to be taken to reduce the burden that rising crude prices have on the economy.

Gursharanji: The trouble with economists, Manmohanji, is that they use panj, five, words when ikk, one, will do. Okay that means you get 10 minus 4. Now, next savaal. What about those poor munde, boys, in AIIMS? How long will they have to go without their roti? It is like a hathaura, hammer, on my heart when I see them on TV, haan.

PMji (getting distinctly uncomfortable): Gursharanji, as I have always said, neem hakim, khatre jaan. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. These young people are dangerously misled. We have their best interests in mind and they will see sense.

... contd.