Present tense(article)

Mona Singh had a very embarrassing Christmas this year. The actor went for a Christmas dinner hosted by Pooja Bedi where everybody got gifts for each other.

Not aware of the rules, Mona landed without a gift. A lot of Mona's friends also attended Pooja's party at her Versova residence on Tuesday, including the Nach Baliye and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa crowd. Everyone who got gifts were unwrapping them, while Mona just stood there speechless. Watching everybody exchanging gifts, Mona was quite embarrassed, especially since she knew most of the people present. Pooja Bedi, the ever-efficient hostess immediately came to her rescue and gave her loads of goodies to share with her friends.

Sounding a trifle embarrassed, Mona says, "Actually, I have never been to a Christmas party. This was the first time I attended such an affair and made the biggest goof-up of my life. I just got one bottle of wine for Pooja and nothing else. Honestly, I don't know much about Christmas rituals."

Surprised that we knew about the episode, Pooja says, "Mona need not feel awkward about it. Christmas is all about exchanging gifts and I always make an effort to make my Christmas dinner a jolly affair. There were loads of gifts around, and I also showered a lot of them on her. She is a darling and I adore her."

However, after this awkward encounter, Mona has made a New Year resolution. She is going to research about Christmas dos and don'ts. Not only that she has decided to host the Christmas dinner next year. She says, "I want to be well-informed on everything about Christmas before the next one arrives. I have even made up my mind to host a Christmas dinner for my friends with a big Christmas tree, gifts and the works!"
But Pooja insists, "She does not need to hold a party. Mona better show up at my party as mine is the best one!"