Wadhwani Boys Venture North to Aid Hapless Cousin

Turn away now if you are of sensitive disposition. Brave Wadhwani brothers, Gaurav and Dino, risked life and limb last weekend to visit forlorn cousin Lavish, who had made a heart-wrenching plea for help to rescue him from the rigours of life in Warwick University. Lavish had been the subject of continued bullying from his Warwick classmates, who taunted him for his "posh boy" accent and his "olive skin". The final straw came on Friday (18th Feb) when Lavish awoke in his room to find his window covered in graffiti. The barely legible sprawl read "if you ain't white, you ain't right!". As the torrid racism escalated during the day, eventually resulting in classmates making monkey noises outside his room, a tearful Lavish called his beloved and kind-spirited cousins, who were quick to make the 2-hour trip up north. Upon reaching Warwick, the generous Lavish gave his cousins a tour of the university campus, and introduced them to his so-called "friends", who no doubt were responsible for the unsightly bruises and cuts that had ravaged Lavish's once-pretty face. The three wadhwani boys ordered takeway from the local Chinese and, as longtime vegetarians, were pleased to find mock chicken on the menu; later they watched the movie "Closer", providing a much needed dose of escapism for a bruised and battered Lavish. For the brief 2-day visit, Lavish was able to return to the idyllic life he once knew. After the boys had left however, his living nightmare continued.

Soon to come: an article by Lavish himself on his impressions of life outside London.

Enigma, Mumbai 2004: happier times.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani

Chati Chat

19th February 2005 saw the celebration of Riana's 6 day Chati! Our little bundle of love exuded oodles of cuteness all evening, wowing everyone in attendance with her pretty features and soft baby-talc skin, while little Sameera played big sister in an adorably eye-catching orange poncho! The pandit was positive about Riana's lovely infulence in the lives of others, and once the ceremony was done, the celebration began - Wadhwani Style (see pics)! Once Again to all : Congratualtions! We are so proud to have baby Riana join us!

Riana takes a wide-eyed look at her family. God only knows what she's thinking!  

The Pandit & Riana 

Riana is dressed as the Pope for this event 

The Twilight Zone: Black Label Files

The chati went off without a hitch, except for the bottle of Johnny Walker which suddenly went missing from one of the welcome baskets. Let's see, one bottle of Black Label, a roomful of Wadhwani members...hmmm...who could have POSSIBLY taken it?! Scroll down for the answer!

7.58 p.m One of the beautiful baskets prepared by Riana's Nani&Nani...note the big bottle of Black Label in the centre 

8.03 p.m. The celebratory bottle of Johnny Walker has somehow gone AWOL 

Foiled Plot!

19th February 2005 also unveiled a "grab & run"plot by Riana's Nani Jaya and Nana Kiku. Having achieved their goal of two small and pliable grandchildren...the grandparents played along all evening, while slowly inching their way towards the front door with Riana and Sameera. When spotted, they made a mad dash for it! Once they reached the car they had no option but to turn back, as the keys were with their son Andy, who had no idea he was supposed to play get-away driver! Their master plan was to take the kids home with them to New Jersey, where they would proceed to spoil them rotten and shower them with love! Don't try it - We KnowWhere You Live!!!

The Culprits.  

Riana's Nani&Nana make a run for it with both granddaughters in tow!  

Important Announcement: Riana's Chati

Come one, Come All...Baby Riana Nikki Wadhwani is coming home this week!

Pencil this event into your planners people:

What? Riana Nikki Wadhwani's Chati

When? Saturday 7.00 p.m. Sindhi Standard Time

Where? "Sometimes You Wanna Go...Where Every-body Knows Your Naaame...And They're Always Glad You Caaame..."

Where else but the famous locale of Reshma & Jawahar, and Sapna & Nitin. Their lovely home is situated on scenic Long Island, where they have built up a close-knit community of family & friends. This is sure to be an event to remember. Please feel free to bring any spare tablas and tamborines as we will surely need them for the celebration that follows.

WARNING: Bring Gifts Or You Will Not Be Admitted To This Joyous Occasion

Comment of the Day, Featuring Seer Lavish

VikkiWadhwani: u know you now have a new 2nd cousin

LavishW: yea so i read on the website

LavishW: the empire expands!

Resident Seer Lavish provides us with the insight of the day.  

Alcohol-Tolerance Coaching Resumes in Long Island

Vikki Wadhwani

The liquor initiation tradition that was so abrupty halted early this year (as reported by London editor Gaurav) has now resumed in small doses at the Long Island home of Reshma & Jawahar. This was apparently re-started in honor of Sameera's 1st birthday. Both Jawahar and his son Nitin are under the impression that "if it worked for previous generations (and look how we all turned out), it should be good enough for the new generation too." Whether the reinstatement of alcohol-tolerance coaching will seep it's way back into the other branches of the Wadhwani family remains to be seen.

Daddy and Dada both coax 1-year old Sameera towards the Black Label instead of the infinitely more delicious Tiramisu
 

15th February 2005: Sameera Turns 1 !!!

Vikki Wadhwani

Our beloved Sameera turned 1 today...as baby sister Riana and mother Sapna were still in the maternity ward, there was a small but joyous celebration at her Dadi Reshma & Dada Jawahar's house. Black Label, Tiramisu, and lots of singing (in that order) ensued as Sammee soaked it all in and showed her Wadhwani spirit by joining into the commotion and thali-ing to her own beat!

This weekend will mark the long-awaited return of her mum and new baby sister, as well as a visit from her chachi Sharmila from Sacramento...and that's when the weekend long celebration really continues! We will do our best to keep our loyal viewers posted as events unfold! Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures of Sammee's big day :)

Sameera gets to have her cake and eat it too!  

New Wadhwani Comes Into The World!

Vikki Wadhwani

Monday February 14, 2005

Breaking News:

Valentine's Day 2005 ushered in the arrival of a new Baby Wadhwani at 1.48 p.m. She weighs in at 6lbs. 4oz. and is 18.5" tall! According to beaming father Nitin, the new bundle of joy, named Riana Nikki Wadhwani and her proud mother Sapna are both doing well!

All of us wish our newest member the very best on her special day, and congrats to her loving parents, big sister Sameera, & grandparents!

Keep checking in for an update plus pictures of our adorable little tyke!

Welcome To Wadhwani World, Baby!!!

May I Present: Rianna Nikki Wadhwani! Thanks for choosing us Rianna, you obviously have EXCELLENT taste!  

Dinosaur Brings in Roaring Twenties in Style!

Gaurav Wadhwani

Society's good and great came together last night at a friend's flat in Central London to usher in a momentous occasion: darling Dino's twentieth birthday. Among the distinguished guests included LA-based playwright Anand Chulani, Crescent favourite Shagan Soni, and of course beloved cousin Lavish Wadhwani, who seems to be a permanent fixture these days at events where good-looking men are in attendance.

The booze flowed, food was devoured and hookah was smoked; the music ranged from Jay-Z and Snoop to classics by Lata and Moh'd Rafi and pulsating ghazals. Dino even got a birthday song from would-be diva Shivali. Dino's acknowledgement of her song in his birthday speech - "your song was..err..nice" - had the crowd in raptures. Apart from one of his friends, whose inebriated state resulted in an alteraction with the resident porter (who promptly called the police), everything went off smoothly and the party went on well into the night; the music was turned off at 5am.

Happy birthday to this much-loved Wadhwani family member!

Wadhwani senior pulls off fashion success with white waistcoat.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani

Gaurav and Shaggy shakin' it to Asha Bhosle's latest RnB number.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani

Birthday boy struggles to fend off the advances of dazzling blonde.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani

Comments: 30 Seconds For A Lifetime Of Opinions

Wadhwanis are notorious for our outgoing spirit and knack for humor. So how awful is it to have a webpage DEVOTED to this family when there are hardly any comments on it? Contribution is what is going to make this website thrive and keep us all connected. We know you read it, and a lot of you want to leave comments but are having problems doing so. All you have to do is click on "comments", then on "post a comment", next click on "create an account." You only have to complete "step one" - it only takes 30 seconds...so there's no excuse. We want to hear from you, and ALL Wadhwanis have an opinion be it good or bad, so get moving! N.B. Gaurav and I are just the facilitators of this site - we want & welcome articles and pics from everyone - all we will do is copy and paste them onto the site, and give full credit to YOU! This is what makes it fun and interesting - what's the point otherwise??? So please do send the fascinating details of your lives to either GGHW@aol.com or to VikkiWadhwani@aol.com - Shukriya! :)

Comment of the Day

To show that WadhwaniWorld journalists are capable of more than just sinister reporting about the misdemeanors and indiscretions of our family members, we have added a "Comment/Joke of the Day" section. The following is an excerpt taken from a conversation between New York editor Vikki Wadhwani and Wadhwani family devotee, Shobna Mirchandani.

SkM284: how does guru kno whats goin on here in ny
VikkiWadhwani: duh
VikkiWadhwani: i wrote them last night
SkM284: cuz it all says posted by gaurav

Wadhwani kids at Gamblers Addiction treatment clinic, New York.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani

London-New York Connection Holds Secret Pow-Wow in NYC!

Vikki Wadhwani

This evening, Feb 8th, saw a return of Girish "Gilli-Danda" Wadhwani, known by friends and family as Gilly, Gary, and the more mysterious street name: "G" to NYC. Girish claims he is here to spend time with his favourite child (Ahem...!) but in reality, the sole purpose of his visit was to hold a secret meeting of Wadhwanis in an undisclosed (call me for the name & number) Union Square eatery...present were his brother and sister-in-law Anil "Neil Wall" Wadhwani, Boisterous Bubble, and kids Brittany the Brain & Smart-Alec, along with Notorious Nitin, Secretive Sapna, Special Agent Sameera, Almost Sameera, and our very own New York/London/Mumbaikar Kajal "K-O" Wadhwani. Oh yeah, and your reporter was there too, in the role of minute-taker and official photographer. As Gilli held court, with his "special" meal, the rest of us filled up on the mandatory veggie food and virgin drinks - not a typical Wadhwani get together, but as mentioned earlier, this needed to be on the DownLow, and everyone needed to be sober. Important topics such as baby names, nanny-horror-stories, and how "not bad" the taste of non-alcoholic beer is were brought to the table. The meal over with, we all split into different getaway vehicles; Notorious Nitin and his family left a little eariler to dispel any rumors, K-O chose to walk over to pick up a parcel (the profits of which we will all share), and Neil Wall chauffered everyone else home in his armoured SUV. Tomorrow G will jet back to London and we will all get back to our money-laundering, china labor-law exploiting, and job-hunting lifestyles. As we bid him Adieu; I for one, will miss him.

Gilli strikes a pose before we all break bread (and wind) together 

Pregnancy Shocker!!!

Vikki Wadhwani

Sapna is utterly shocked to learn that she is due to have another Wadhwani baby in less than 1 week! It turns out hubby Nitin has been keeping her pregnancy a secret from her this whole time: "No honey, you don't look any bigger to ME..." Sameera seems to be thrilled to bits (or maybe it's just the beer talking), as she shows off her brand-new teeth. Can Sapna handle it??? Stay tuned to find out, we'll be coming to you LIVE from the delivery room!

Dinosaur hits 20!

Just a reminder to all you folk who read this website (not sure how many of you there are, please leave comments so I know you're there!) that its Dino's 20th birthday on Friday February 11th. This loveable lad would love to hear from all of you on his big day so please text (07930423066), e-mail (dino129553@aol.com), call, telegram, Morse code or whatever's convenient.

Brittany Hits the Big 1-0!

Vikki Wadhwani

Sunday 6th February 2005 signified the 10th birthday of Brittany Wadhwani. She entered her pre-teenhood in style, opting for a fun Before/After Makeover-themed party...yes there was cake and ice-cream, but in a beauty parlour, with glitter over every hair, face, and nail?! It was a welcome celebration of girlhood attended by friends and family alike. Brittany and her guests partook in preteen rites of passage such as creative hairdos, glamorous make-up, and sparkling manicures! Little brother Alec and loving father Anil seemed slightly out of sorts being surrounded by unfamiliar territory - GET USED TO IT BOYS; IT ONLY GETS WORSE FROM HERE! You might want to install another phone line, avoid her oh, about 5 days a month, and start random wardrobe-raids, to root out the Brittany-like clothing (of the Spears variety). All the while doting mother Bubble looked on in happiness at her little princess playing hostess around the birthday table. We all wish Brittany a very happy 10th year ahead, and to her family: "GOOD LUCK!" ;)

A new Brittany brings in her 10th year surrounded by friends and family

Thanksgiving: "We Did It - Our Waaaaay!" - VIKKI WADHWANI

by Vikki Wadhwani
We all gave thanks to Bina Auntie this past November for putting on a traditional Thanksgiving spread - no parathas, fried papar, or sindhi curry to be found here!
We flocked to her place on Long Island to chow down on turkey, marshmallow, stuffing, pie, and of course, to douse ourselves in plenty of Black Label - for what family get together would be complete without our Johnny Walker (nee Wadhwani) deep in the fray???

Our host Auntie Bina initiated a touching speech - each of us gave thanks for something in our lives...Wadhwani's newest addition Sameera gave thanks to her Dada Jawahar for introducing her to Black Label at the ripe old age of 9 months. About time too! No doubt her soon-to-come sister will be born with bottle in hand!

After rounds of drinks, appetizers, and numerous trips to the buffet table we settled down for a deadly blend of alcohol and poker - provided by local family hustlas Kabir & Pravir Samtani who came in from the big city...and took all of our money...Hmm...wait, was it them who also provided the alcohol...? Don't let those cute faces and cool charm fool ya...the duo know the difference between Monopoly money and the real thing!

Towards the end of a fun filled evening the talented dancer Simran kathaked us off into the blustery night...I doubt the pilgrims ever saw anything like this...! Viva la Familia!

East-side Wadhwanis represent in NYC.
Photography by Vikki Wadhwani

Drinking Initiation in New York Ends in Tears

The viability of the age-old Wadhwani liquor initiation tradition was called into question last night as Pravir and Henna, two of the Samtani family's cutest munchkins, fought to maintain consciousness at Kajal's New York home. For many years now Wadhwani and Samtani elders have served up hard liquor to their offspring, arguing that early exposure will build up their tolerance and will later prove beneficial to the little tots as they grow to take their place in whisky-swigging Sindhi society. Following last nights debacle in New York, however, family members have chosen to suspend the practise for the forseeable future.

Wadhwani kids struggle to remain conscious after Vijay's drinking games go wrong.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani

Prodigal Son Returns From Crescent.

January 31st marked the return from exile of notorious doctor-turned-businessman Harish Wadhwani. Following a three-week trip to his hometown of Mumbai, where your correspondent suspects that he was involved in illicit drug trafficking and arms dealing, Harish arrived safely at Heathrow airport on a cold winter Monday night in London. With evident pleasure he enthusiastically recounted tales of encounters with his beloved clan members, including Kajal, Sanjeev, Girish, Milu, Jawahar, Reshma, Gul, Nima etc. A capable raconteur, Harish's stories enchanted the audience members (Lalita, Dino and Gaurav) during the brief car journey home.

We welcome Harish back with open arms.

A Wanted Man.
Photography by Lavish Wadhwani