24 May,2026 08:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Rahul da Cunha
Illustration/Uday Mohite
"Saheb, kya karein, Modiji and Meloni ma'am⦠unka naam they joined. Melodi nikla⦠and Melody toffee fits the bill," his Vice President Gulab Jamun said.
"Melody hai chocola-tee," Miss Kaju Katli sang.
"Ya ya, I also read the news, I'm asking why we were not there⦠Parle Toffee has got so much publicity and fame. We should have been the chosen ones, we are traditional⦠can we also not join their names with one of our Indian sweetmeats?" Barfi demanded.
"Sir we tried⦠but none of our traditional mithai names are fitting," Smt Rasmalai chimed in âThe closest we came to was NaModak⦠combining Honorable Prime Minister's name and our traditional Modak," Master Mysore Pak informed.
"Arre yaar, but NaModak only has our PM's name⦠not Meloni, your task is to find out where all he will be travelling to in the next year and then join his name to that leaders name and it should become a traditional sweet. Samjhe? 100% he will be visiting Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Chinese Xi Jinping and few more PMs and Presidents," Barfi said.
Bibinca from Goa, jumped up, "I hope you all know that âBibi' is Netanyahu's petname."
The peda, Mr Mani Pedi spoke up, "I am most traditional sweet for welcoming and greetings - I should be carried everywhere no?"
"Bhai, but Peda isn't a cool name⦠it cannot become a meme," Mr Payasam emphasised.
Mrs Rasgulla Roy said ruefully, "I have never moved out of West Bengal, Howrah region. I want very much to see the Colliseum, many years ago my cousin, Saumik had once flown over Rome on an Alitalia flight in the 80s, but I want to travel there in person."
Jalebi Joshi piped up, "I too want to move out of Surat, whole whole day, for me its bheja fry, round and round I go in that big dekch of oil, I wish to go on a round-the-world trip."
In another section of the room, the chocolates and confectionaries of India, were also in a heated conversation, the Biscuits, the Sweets, the Chocolates, were chirping away.
"Hello, Mr Barfi, we refuse to be sidelined, Mr KrackJack said.
"Yes, I would like to go to some romantic place," Little Hearts cooed.
One biscuit raised his hands, the JimJam, that all-time favourite, he said, "I would like to go to North Korea and meet the leader, Kim Jong Un, we could make a good combo him and me, and call it #KimJam!"
The chocolate eclaire said, sweetly, "Oooolalala..I'm so excited, when our leader goes to meet Monsieur Macron in France, they will pose at the Eiffel Tower with a Cadbury Eclaire - and that Eclaire will be me," she said, excitedly.
"Macroni," the low IQ Ladoo suggested, "you will be named Macroni."
"You are a true Ladoo, Macroni is Italian, and it's a kind of spaghetti," Halwa chuckled.
From the corner, the langorous Mishti Doi woke up and said, "Mishti Doi will be perfect, all world leaders will love me."
Finally Sandesh spoke up, "See comrades, I feel it strongly, this Melody must be replaced immediately, at least when trips are made to Italy, think think think."
And so the discussions went on, through the night, cookies, biscuits, chocolates, toffees, mithais⦠all had a point of view.
And then the news came though that a congregation would be travelling to the USA. The Indian PM would be handing over gifts to the US President.
Shri Barfi said to the group - "Fellow Mithai-ites, when our leader goes to the US next time, which sweet/mithai/sweetmeat will best represent us, which one of us would be worthy to be paraded/posed/presented the US Prezzie - it has to be one of us that best represents him."
"Sir, when it comes to the Prez of the US, only one chocolate can be used to describe him, ME," said a voice from the back.
"And who are you, speak up?" Barfi demanded.
And the voice from the back said, "Nutties, sir, Nutties. Nothing describes him better than NUTTIES."
Rahul daCunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, filmmaker and traveller. Reach him at rahul.dacunha@mid-day.com
