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VARUN -- Hai Rohit! Many more happy returns of the day, Praveen! Here you are, a small gift from me. 

PRAVEEN -- Thank you, Varun. Wow, a book! That too by my favourite author.

ROHIT -- You know, Praveen is taking us out for dinner. Why don't you suggest some nice cosy restaurant?

PRAVEEN -- You very well know that he goes only to pure vegetarian ones. And you are one who eats anything that lives on land, air or water. Why ask him?

VARUN -- I know that I am fussy but I can't help it.

ROHIT -- No problem, Varun. We will go to some restaurent of your choice, ok? Anyway, I have turned veg for the time being.

VARUN -- I can't believe it. Why suddenly a change of heart?

PRAVEEN -- Has the avian influenza scared you also?

ROHIT -- (smiling) No way. I am not that dumb. I know that there is no connection between consumption and infection. In my case, it is my doc's advice.

VARUN -- I read that the sale of chicken meat has met with a slump, in spite of the absence of the flu in India.

PRAVEEN -- The government has banned the import of processed meat from all countries now but they are keeping a close watch on the ones already imported, I read.

ROHIT -- The bird flu has spread from South-East Asian countries and now our neighbour Pakistan is also affected by the influenza.

VARUN -- Isn't it sad that they have killed millions of chickens over there in Pakistan?

PRAVEEN -- Yes, but if we don't take the necessary action, the disease can mutate and spread to humans also. Vietnam has reported human-to-human transmission also, which is quite scary. They are still in the dark as to how it happened.

ROHIT -- It is good to know that anti-influenza vaccine is being given to eggs as a safety measure. I read that the workers at poultry farms are in danger of catching this influenza.

VARUN -- So far there has no been no reports of this avian flu in India and we can feel happy that the Indian poultry industry is the most advanced, technologically next only to the US. We have the most sophisticated disease surveillance sysytem, I heard.

PRAVEEN -- Hope this situation is brought under control very soon. Come on, let's move.

VARUN -- Ha! This is what I was waiting for. Food, here I come!

Radha N.