Dirty old yet most envied man

Khushwant Singh: "Indians have it (sex) on their brains more than they have in the right place but as it happens, when you age, it automatically shifts from the middle to the head, and you are obsessed with it. It never leaves. It is something, which is elemental, vital and far more important than other emotions like love or anger. This is elemental and it expresses itself in weird forms. You cannot suppress it, that's why things like celibacy do not work. Desire to have multiple relationships is also human. I wrote about the so-called happily married couple many times. Whether they do it or not, adultery is always at the back of the mind of both".

Singh is 94 and sex is very much on his brain even today. I love reading (only reading) him.

Here is an interesting full chat Singh had with another (sex on his brain) editor Vinod Mehta.

Khushwant Singh and chavanni

Reading great people makes one great.

Reading Khushwant Singh, especially his endless and erotic celebration of love, passion and sex, has always been an unforgotten experience.

Few years back when I finished his autobiography: Truth Love and a Little Malice, I developed fresh affection for this writer.

Today, I was rather amused to read former HT editor N C Menon’s piece: Khushwant remembers only what suits him.

Menon tried to tear off claims made by Singh in his weekly column: Pride of a nation.
---------------------------------
Singh: ...I was curious to know what a Birla would offer to the God of auspicious beginnings. He put a silver chavanni — a four-anna piece. I understood why Birlas were the wealthiest family in the country.

Menon:... How, pray, does such a generous man visit Singh’s home and take out his wallet to make a ‘chavanni’ offering to the Ganesh idol at his door? I doubt if such an incident ever took place. I know for a fact that Birla never carried money, least of all small change.

-----------------------------------
Reading both the writers was quite entertaining. Claims, counter claims, and both of them were putting only that was convenient to them.

Both knew, their claims can not be contradicted as Birla is no longer alive.

So, does it really matter it if was chavanni or athanni ?.

Well, good writers do know how to make use of even chavannis.

Disclosure: Khushwant Singh’s The Company of women, Burial at Sea and Truth Love and a Little Malice are all time favourite of mine.