Fun, food and fellowship

The New Year festivities of the Borivli and Suburban Zoroastrian Association (BASZA) at the Rustomjee School premises on February 2, 2014 were graced with the presence of the Association’s founding president, Dhunmai Minocher. Emerging from decades of hibernation, she had come from Muscat, Oman, where she now resides with her daughter and mingled happily with the 50 or so BASZAites present, wrote BASZA secretary, Khurshed Pastakia in the Association’s newsletter forwarded to Parsiana via the email. The love showered on her was richly deserved as she and her late husband had given a great deal of service for BASZA in its difficult nascent years, the write-up notes. She, in turn, told her well-wishers how much she missed them and Bombay now that she was no longer living in the city.

Dhunmai Minocher: founding president of BASZA

The evening’s entertainment comprised housie and music, the former conducted by Yazdi Motiwala, the latter being the preserve of Marazban Mehta of Darling Orchestra fame who pulled out his song book and karaoked evergreen numbers from the late Kishore Kumar and Mukesh, more often than not to "taali o na taal saathe (accompanying applause)” as Pastakia put it.
At around 8 p.m. "all heads turned as three, more curly than burly, men lugged in four heavy tapélas (metallic containers) and assorted plastic bags… The rich and spicy aroma of Goan fish curry wafted in the air and the golden caramel custard tentatively peeped out of its silver foil wrapping.” Since "there is no force on earth that can keep a bunch of bawas and bawis away from their food,” the housie was soon wound up and the song book put away. The food was the most important item of the evening, and it was good, Pastakia concludes.