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about the Author:

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, (7 May 1927 3 April 2013) was aGera!"b#r! $ritish a!% Aeri&a!
$##'er pri(e"wi!!i!) !#velist, sh#rt st#ry writer a!% tw#"tie A&a%eyAwar%"wi!!i!)
s&ree!writer* Jhabvala wr#te a %#(e! !#vels,23 s&ree!plays a!% ei)ht &#lle&ti#!s #+ sh#rt
st#ries* ,he isthe #!ly pers#! t# have w#! b#th a $##'er Pri(e a!% a!-s&ar* Jhabvala live% i!
.!%ia +#r 2/ years +r# 1901* Jhabvala#ve% t# 1ew 2#r' i! 1970 a!% live% there u!til her
%eath i!2013, be&#i!) a !aturalise% &iti(e! #+ the 3!ite% ,tates i!1945*
Introduction:
6u#ur is the 7uality that a'es s#e#!e #r s#ethi!)ausi!) #r +u!!y a!% wit is the ability
t# use w#r%s i! a&lever a!% ausi!) way* .! this e8&erpt, it is %es&ribe% h#w#+te! a! #r%i!ary
situati#! be&#es s# &#i& that bri!)su!&#!tr#llable lau)hter* 9his st#ry is base% #! su&h
asituati#! +r# the !#vel : 9he 6#use 6#l%er; auth#re% by RuthPrawer Jhabvala*
Indu & Prem Getting Ready to the Party:
.! this st#ry, y#u!) &#uple Pre a!% .!%u were i!vite% t#Mr*<ha!!a=s tea party where the
&#lle)e sta++ ebers)atheri!) +#r* .!%u was very happy t# )#, s# she spe!t a l#!)tie
%ressi!) hersel+* ,he w#re #!e #+ her best saris a!% re%sh#es whi&h ha% hi)h plat+#r s#les*
,he als# put #! her >ewelry, liberally #ile% her hair a!% w#u!% it r#u!% with a+resh &hai! #+
>asi!e, applie% re% ar' #! her +#rehea% a!%+i!ally little lipsti&' #! her lips* All these )ave her
a! #pule!te++e&t* Pre was weari!) his best shirt a!% tr#users, a!% +eltpr#u% as they wal'e%
t#)ether t# the &#lle)e* 9hey were#bvi#usly tw# pe#ple %resse% up i! their best &l#thes*
Preas'e% his wi+e .!%u t# behave hersel+ with the re7uisite%e&#ru a!% i! a way that she was
well e%u&ate%*
Women at the Tea Party:
.! Mr*<ha!!a=s livi!) r##, ebers #+ the sta++ a!% theirwives, all %resse% up i! their best*
9hey were seate% i! a pre"arra!)e% &ir&les #+ &hairs* Mr*<ha!!a was sta!%i!) i! the&e!ter a!%
there was a p#lite titter #+ lau)hter i! resp#!se*9he la%ies reai! u!#ve% t# the rear's #+
Mr*?ha%%ha*9hey were all seate% t#)ether i! #!e hal+ #+ the &ir&le* 9heyhel% theselves very
sti++ a!% l##'e% very u&h aware b#th#+ their shi!i!) a!% !ew &l#thes, a!% #+ the
#pule!tsurr#u!%i!)s* -!ly Mrs*<ha!!a was at ease, i! &l#thes #re)#r)e#us tha! a!y#!e
else=s* @hile servi!) %ishes, the la%ies were at +irst s# shy that they siply passe% the #!
with#utta'i!) a!ythi!) a!% they still sat there h#l%i!) their epty&r#&'ery plates*
The shock that Prem Gets:
All the )uests stare% i!t# spa&e a!% &hewe% as %eli&ately asthey &#ul%* .! %ue &#urse, %ishes #+
+ritters, sa#sas a!%sweeteats were serve%* @he! every#!e ha% eate! the&#rre&t a#u!t,
the serva!t we!t ar#u!% t# &#lle&t theplates* Pre wipe% his lips with ha!%'er&hie+ a!% he saw
thatshe still ha% her plate with #re sweeteats #! it* A!% thesesweeteats she was eati!)
with the sae &#!&e!trati#! a!%relish* 6e +elt very u!easy* 6is eyes st#le r#u!% t# .!%u
a)ai!*,he was eati!) sweeteat rather i! a pre%at#ry a!!er a!%li&'i!) her +i!)ers* @he!
serva!t &ae t# &#lle&t the plate #+.!%u, she ha% 7ui&'ly ta'e! tw# #re lar)e sweeteats*
.twas evi%e!t t# Pre that .!%u was by this tie 7uite l#st t#her surr#u!%i!)s* ,he was
&#!ti!ually biti!), &hewi!),+li&'i!) &rubs +r# her lips with her t#!)ue* ,he seee% i!a tra!&e
#+ e!>#ye!t* 9he la%ies all sat with their ha!%s i!their laps*
Prems attempt to Save Situation:
Pre %i!=t blae .!%u +#r her behavi#r be&ause he ha% hear%that pre)!a!t w#e! ha% stra!)e
a!% u!&#!tr#llable %esires*$ut he was terri+ie% that #thers wh# %i% !#t '!#w #+ thisw#ul% !#ti&e*
6e wa!te% t# )ive a si)! t# st#p her but she wassitti!) t## +ar away a!% t## e!)r#sse% t# eet
his eye*Mrs*<ha!!a p#i!te% at .!%u a!% sai% t# the serva!t i! awhisper whi&h every#!e &#ul%
hear that there is #!e plate le+t#ver there* Pre th#u)ht #re ab#ut h#w he w#ul% li'e t#e8plai!
the situati#! t# Mrs*<ha!!a*
The nding o! the Story both !unny and "itt"e sad:
Mr*<ha!!a sai% that the tea party was #ver but Pre %i% !#twa!t it t# be #ver* 9here is still
reai!e% s# u&h t# %#* 6ewishe% %esperately t# a'e s#e &#!tributi#! t# the&#!versati#!
a!% sh#w every#!e that he was i!telli)e!t a!%%eep"thi!'i!) y#u!) a!* $ut the )uest were
alrea%y leavi!)*Mr* <ha!!a st##% at the %##r with his ha!%s +#l%e% i! a!attitu%e #+ )ra&i#us
h#spitality* Pre wa!te% t# &all #ut Ast#p=*6e wa!te% t# a'e the u!%ersta!% that .!%u=s #%%
behavi#rwas %ue t# !atural &auses* $ut %i% !#t have the &#ura)e t#&all #ut a!% besi%es he
&#ul% !#t really thi!' #+ a!ythi!)stri'i!) t# say* ,# the e!%i!) #+ the st#ry is b#th +u!!y a!%little
sa%

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