India, Oct. 23 -- For a decade, author and former diplomat Bhaichand Patel has joked that each birthday celebration would be his last. His friends, clearly, aren't buying it. Gathering at his Sujan Singh Park residence on Wednesday evening to celebrate his 90th, they raised a toast amid laughter, reminiscences and a chorus of For He's a Jolly Good Fellow. "For 10 years, he has been threatening that each celebration is his last, but we will celebrate a centennial as well," quipped author and former diplomat Pavan K Varma, adding, "At the drop of a hat, you have a party, and he is the soul of it. He even got his knees fixed simply so he could dance on Valentine's Day!" The evening unfolded as a nostalgic walk down memory lane, as designer Bina Ramani traced her friendship with Patel back to London in the 1960s. "Even back then, his eyes were rolling to catch the girls!" she recalled, adding, "Over the years, he has always felt like a brother to me." Odissi danseuse Sharon Lowen paid tribute to his hospitality, sharing: "He is one of the best hosts and a gentle friend. He has hosted his famous Valentine's Day parties, birthday parties, and more. We look forward to his 95th and 100th!" The anecdotes kept coming. Kathak exponent Shovana Narayan recalled a mix-up involving her husband, former Austrian Ambassador Herbert Traxl in the late '90s. A photograph of the group in a newspaper had been captioned: "The Austrian ambassador with Mr and Mrs Bhaichand."...