Title: The Blind Punkah-Walla
 Author: Nawab Taj-ood-Deen Khan Lakhnavi
 Category: Joke

 It is related that in one of the Zenanas (womens' quarters) of
Oudh, a group of Oudhi Bibis (wives) lounged about on the terrace
of a mahal (mansion). Here they performed their sewing and
embroidery, gossipping and chatting all the while. As it was
extremely hot and sultry, the Bibis wore only the scantiest of
clothing. They felt safe, given that there was nobody to see them,
as the only Admi (man) present was a blind Kala Punkah-walla
(black fan-waver) of the Shudra caste, who was squatting on the
verandah, pulling the punkah rope faithfully. Some of them wore
the flimsiest, tightest half-shalwar, while others only wore long
kameezes with nothing to adorn their hips or legs, and yet others
wore only their underwear.

 All of a sudden one of the Bibis dropped a spool of cotton. It 
rolled through the open darwaza (door), past the Punkah-Walla and 
then disappeared. The Bibi set out in search of it, but could not 
find it anywhere.

 Suddenly, the Punkah-walla pointed his finger at a crevice, "It
is there, Bibi Sahiba," he said in Hindustani.

 She turned to him aghast. "I thought you were blind," she
whispered in horror.

 The Punkah-walla smiled wickedly at her. "No, Bibi Sahiba," he 
replied. "It is my bhai (brother) who is blind."

The End