SPEECH BY BHEMAN RANDERIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH BIRTHDAY OF HIS WIFE PRATHIEBA AT THE JAIPUR RESTAURANT ON FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2008. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES. AT THE OUTSET, LET ME THANK ONE AND ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING TIME OFF AND DRESSING ELEGANTLY AND SMARTLY FOR THIS SPECIAL SIZZLING SUMMER PARTY ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY OF MY DEAR WIFE AND FIRST LADY, PRATHIEBA. THIS EVENING, I AM HOPING TO TELL A STORY OF A REMARKABLE WOMAN WHO HAS TURNED HER LIFE AROUND AND HAS BECOME MY CONSUMMATE COMPANION. PRATHIEBA IS ALSO A GOOD, NURTURING MOTHER TO MY SON, RUSHIL, AND HER CHILDREN, SHASHIKA, MISHA AND KABIR. BUT IN THE JOURNEY OF LIFE, WE OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO OUR MOTHERS FOR GIVING US THE GIFT OF LIFE. ON THAT NOTE, I THINK IT IS THEREFORE FITTING THAT I PAY TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER, SUZANNE RANDERIA AND PRATHIEBA'S MUM, MANJUBHA MODI, FOR GIVING US THE JOY AND WISDOM OF LIFE. INDIAN PHILOSOPHER GANESHAN VENKATARAM ONCE SAID: "GOD SEES US THROUGH OUR MOTHER'S EYES AND REWARDS US FOR OUR VIRTUES." THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL RECEPTION WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM ALL OF YOU IN THE CIGAR LOUNGE. WHILE THERE I WAS REMINDED ABOUT WHAT LYNDA BARRY ONCE SAID: "LOVE IS AN EXPLODING CIGAR WE WILLINGLY SMOKE". THIS EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE ALL GATHERED TO SALUTE AND HONOUR PRATHIEBA RANDERIA FOR ACHIEVING HER MARVELOUS MILESTONE. OTHERS WILL SING HER PRAISES AND A LOT OF POSITIVE ENERGY IS ALREADY RADIATING AND RESONATING AROUND THIS EXTRAORDINARY LADY OF THE MOMENT. MY OWN TAKE ON MY WIFE IS BASED ON THE MOMENT WHEN I FIRST SET EYES ON HER AND HOW WE HAD CHRONICLED OUR JOURNEY DURING THE PAST TEN YEARS. DURING THIS JOURNEY, I HAVE LEARNT THAT ONE WORD FREES US ALL THE WEIGHT AND PAIN OF LIFE: THE WORD IS LOVE. OUR LOVE BOAT MAY HAVE TOSSED AND TURNED ON THE CHOPPY SEAS OF LIFE AND SAILED SMOOTHLY ON CALM WATERS, BUT WE ALWAYS DROPPED ANCHOR. AND HERE, I WANT TO THANK MEMBERS OF THE MODI FAMILY FOR THEIR WARMTH, HUMILITY AND HOSPITALITY IN ACCEPTING ME INTO A FAMILY THAT IS RICHLY TIED TO THE HISTORY OF THE CITY'S BUSINESS, RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL LANDSCAPE. THIS GRATITUDE IS PRICELESS WHEN I WEIGH UP THE VALUE PRATHIEBA HAS ADDED TO MY LIFE IN ALL THE YEARS THAT WE HAD STRUCK UP A PARTNERSHIP OF MUTUAL LOVE AND RESPECT. TO MY OWN FAMILY IN THE RANDERIA CLAN, THANKS FOR STANDING BY ME IN THE HOUR OF JOURNEY INTO THE MY CROSSROADS OF LIFE. THEN AGAIN, THIS EVENING'S CELEBRATION IS NOT ABOUT ME. IT'S ABOUT SOMEONE SPECIAL, WHO IS A WIFE, FRIEND, CONFIDANTE, PARTNER, PERSONAL TRAINER – THAT'S IN THE GYM OF COURSE – BANKER, ADVISER, MENTOR, LOVER, AND A SOFT SHOULDER TO CRY ON. SHE IS ALSO A PILLOW TO LIE ON AND A GOOD LISTENER DURING PILLOW TALKS. EVEN HER TOES ARE USEFUL. AND FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I WISH TO THANK PRATHIEBA FOR BEING A SUPER-MUM TO MY SON, RUSHIL. SO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WHETHER WE ARE HIKING, TRAINING, DANCING, TALKING, WE ARE LIKE TWO PEAS IN A POD, WORKING TOGETHER AND STAYING TOGETHER. BUT THERE IS ALSO THE DOWNSIDE OF COLD TALK OR BEING SERVED COLD TURKEY, IF I STRAY OR LOSE FOCUS FOR A MOMENT FROM OUR MARITAL BLISS. BY NATURE, I AM A STICKLER FOR EVERYTHING TRIM, PRIM AND PROPER, HENCE THE NOTORIOUS NICKNAME, HITLER. AND PRATHIEBA HAS ADJUSTED TO MY OWN SET OF DEMANDS AND SHE MEETS ME HALF WAY IN ANYTHING WE DO OR DECIDE ON. MAYBE, I HAVE BECOME THIS NEAR-PERFECTIONIST SINCE THE DAY YOU SHOWERED YOUR BRIGHTNESS INTO OUR LIFE. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, PRATHIEBA ESPOUSES STRONG VALUES AND ETHICS, A CULTURE SHE LEARNT AS A BANKER AND FINANCIAL ADVISER. SHE IS A STRICT VEGETARIAN WHO WILL BROOK NO NONSENSE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS DIET OF DISCIPLINE – SOMETHING I ADMIRE HER FOR. SHE HAS BEEN REMARKABLE IN THE SENSE THAT SHE HAS PROMOTED A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR HERSELF AND ALL OF US – HENCE THE SHAPELY, SEXY AND SIZZLING PROFILING THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. I AM ALSO TEMPTED TO USE THE OLD ADAGE: BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN IS A WOMAN … BUT TONIGHT THE HONOUR IS ON SOMEONE WHO IS THE EPITOME OF ACHIEVEMENT. GROWING IN THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE GREY STREET CBD AND INDIAN BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL CAPITAL, PRATHIEBA STARTED LIFE AS A TEACHER AND IT IS HER EXPERIENCE, LOVE AND CARE FOR CHILDREN THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED HER INTO A MUM IN A MILLION. HAVING GAINED SOME INVALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO BUSINESS FROM HER FAMILY, SHE WENT INTO BANKING AND SPENT ALMOST TWO DECADES OF MOTIVATING AND ENCOURAGING CLIENTS SUCH AS MYSELF THAT IF I WAS ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE RANDS, THE CENTS WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. IN RECENT YEARS, PRATHIEBA HAS WORKED IN VEHICLE FINANCING. NOW IT IS RUMOURED THAT SHE MAY SOON BE APPOINTED A HOME EXECUTIVE – SO WATCH THIS SPACE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I AM NOT GOING TO ALLOW A GOOD SPEECH TO COME IN THE WAY OF OUR NIGHT OF CELEBRATION AND FESTIVITIES. TO PRATHIEBA, I WISH TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU FOR COMING INTO OUR LIVES AND BRINGING ALL THE WARM-HEARTED FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE GIVEN US INCREDIBLE SUPPORT DURING THIS HEART-STOPPING JOURNEY. YOU ARE, IN MY EYES, THE ESSENCE OF A LOVING, SENSITIVE, COMPASSIONATE AND CARING HUMAN BEING, WHO HAS LEARNT THAT IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO GET; AND IT IS WISER TO LIGHT A CANDLE THAN TO CURSE THE DARKNESS. THE LIGHT YOU HAVE BROUGHT INTO OUR LIVES WILL CONTINUE TO ILLUMINATE US AS WE NAVIGATE THE COMING YEARS. FINALLY, I BELIEVE THAT BEAUTY, PASSION AND LOVE ARE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE OR EXPERIENCE, OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE MORE ROMANTICS. SOME SAY THERE IS ALWAYS SOME MADNESS IN LOVE. BUT THERE IS ALWAYS SOME REASON IN MADNESS. ONCE AGAIN TO THE BIRTHDAY GIRL, I BELIEVE THAT AGE DOES NOT PROTECT YOU FROM LOVE, BUT LOVE, TO SOME EXTENT, PROTECTS YOU FROM AGE. AND AS WE ALL KNOW AGE IS ALL ABOUT MIND OVER MATTER, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IT DOES NOT MATTER. HAVE A GOOD ONE, MY DOLL. I THANK YOU.
Speech Researched & Written by Marlan Padayachee GreenGold Africa Communications (greengold@telkomsa.net) +00 27 31 266 5599 or 266 1762
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