Chief ki Daawat (Bhisham Sahni): Shamnath is a middle-level executive eager to ingratiate himself with his boss to climb the corporate ladder. He has invited his American boss and some senior colleagues for dinner at home. He and his wife are busy making preparations for the perfect evening. Shamnath is a fastidious person and wants to make the most perfect arrangement for the party. However, there is a problem, his mother. Shamnath thinks she is backward, inarticulate, clumsy and he is keen to altogether avoid any contact of his mother with the guests. He thinks it would be severe embarrassment for him and a dampener on the party if the guests, specially his American boss chance upon her. Elaborate instructions are given to her on where she could “hide” during specific times during the evening depending on where the guests would be at that time. She is forbidden to go to her room and sleep as her snores would disturb the party. As her misfortune would have it, despite all her efforts she falls asleep and hence does not adhere to the hiding script authored by her son. The chief sees her and engages her in small chat about Punjabi folk traditions, music and handicrafts. He is specially interested in ‘Phulkari’, the traditional embroidery from Punjab. Shamnath’s mother feels very guilty at having come in the way and she regrets spoiling the chances of Shamnath’s career with her rustic ways. Shamnath smells an opportunity here to ingratiate himself with his boss makes his mother promise a piece of Phulkari to the boss. 

This story by Bhisham Sahni (also known for his novel “Tamas” ) was written in the 50’s. Even after 50 years you can still closely identify with the characters, the upwardly mobile executive and the simple (perhaps unlettered) mother. The story is simply told and entirely believable. Shamnath takes his mother for granted throughout even in the end when he nearly forces her to commit to the phulkari. The mother is clueless on how to handle herself but her overwhelming feeling is that she is worthless and should not come in the way of Shamnath’s guests, She even contemplates shifting permanently to Haridwar. The mother’s initial shock, then confusion on how to react to the chief in their chance encounter is feelingly narrated. The “how-do-you-do”, the handshake, the request for a song and then the request for a piece of phulkari, you cannot help but feel an outpouring of sympathy for the mother. Shamnath, of course, is back to his usual self when his guests depart when he bamboozles his mother yet again to ensure that the chief’s request is complied with.