At one end of the room was a large table with
all the eatables arranged nicely on it. In the centre
was a huge cake. It had pretty pink marzipan
flowers on the icing and plenty of small silver
sugar beads all round. A single red candle stood
in the centre waiting to be lit. It was beautiful.
I kept gazing at it and soon my mouth started
watering. Then, suddenly, everybody was getting
ready to watch the cutting of the cake.
It was wonderful. First there was one cut. Then
a whole piece was sliced off, then another and another,
as they were quickly passed round. Soon a
girl in a green sari held a plate piled high with
slices of cake before me. I looked up. Standing
beside her was Shyamadidi who was glaring at
me. I was uneasy. I remembered the promise. I
had to behave. I had to be a good boy! I looked
round for Leela didi. She was nowhere to be seen.
"Yes, have some cake," the girl in green said
sweetly. I gazed at the slices of cake and my mouth
watered, but. . . .but I must refuse three times.
Yet, if I kept refusing and the girl went away,
what then? An idea flashed through my mind and
I blurted out in one breath, "No, no, no." Then I
grabbed the biggest slice of cake and started
munching.
Standing close to me Shyamarfidi burst out
laughing. The girl in the green sari too began to
laugh, and I helped myself to another slice.
Taking a big bite, I gaped at them. Then I spotted
Leela didi coming towards me and my heart
sank. She gave me a dirty look. I overheard Shyamadidi
telling her what I had done and she too
burst out laughing. So I knew I was safe.
The girl in the green sari offered me some more
cake and I gladly took yet another slice.

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