All in a day's work

Omm Bubba Chaturrvedi looked deep into the astrological charts laid out in front of him and frowned. A hush fell into the jam packed room. The devotees sat tensely silent with bated breaths and blue faces in a room laid with pristine white mattresses.

"Guruji!” whispered a client. “I ask you again, will Aishwarya and Abhishek’s child be a boy or girl?”

Guruji looked deep in thought. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, looked at the charts and scratched some more.

“I can say with great certainty…” he began.

“Yes????” interrupted the crowd in unison, blue in the face with expectation.

“…. that …”

“Yes????” cried the crowd again getting on their feet.

“…that it will be a boy…” continued Guruji

“Ohhhhh!!!” said the crowd breathing out, nearly blowing Guruji’s turban in the united gale it produced.

“and…..” started Guruji again holding onto his turban.

The crowd gasped collectively, “and what Guruji!!” they asked in unison and great animation.

“And….,” said Guruji again, “and there are chances…!” continued Guruji slowly thinking deeply.

"What chances Gurji!!” cried the crowd hysterically.

“That it could be a girl too!” finished Guruji with a mystical air.

The crowd erupted in joy nearly toppling Omm Bubba Chaturrvedi off his perch.

“It might be a girl!!” said a client and devotee jumping up and down.

“Or it might be a boy” sang another in absolute happiness.

“I sure hope so,” muttered Guruji under his breath hastily collecting the cash kept in front of him. He was getting bored of his success.

As he and his secretary Chintamoney sped away in a motorcycle that was parked behind the building, he was heard remarking, “Astrology is a piece of cake Chintamoney. But the believers are...."

"The believers are what Bubba?" asked Chintamoney.

"...the believers are...” repeated Bubba struggling for words.

"Will you stop with the games already!" snapped Chintamoney

"...SUCH A BORE!!!" said Guruji with a long-drawn-out groan.

Chintamoney’s reply was lost in the wind.