At a farewell party organised in her honour, Melinda Pavek kept a promise to herself and the friends she has made in the city. The outgoing US consul general sang a Bengali song, that too a Rabindrasangeet.

“I have too many memories of the city. I consulted colleagues like Smaranika (Bhattacharya, the consulate protocol officer) to see what song would be a good fit for the occasion. And this is what I was suggested,” said the diplomat, who had picked up an affinity for karaoke singing during her posting in Japan.

Melinda Pavek sings a duet with Nicolas Facino, director, Alliance Francaise du Bengale

She presented the perfect song for a sayonara in Bengal — Purano shei diner katha — which drew tremendous applause from the gathering. Her sari had a touch of Tagore too, with the lyrics of Ei kathati mone rekho... ami je gaan geyechhilem printed all over it.

Ahead of her departure in August from Calcutta, Melinda Pavek had been given a farewell reception at Hyatt Regency. It was organised by Arvind Sukhani, the honorary consul of Lithuania, and was hosted jointly by the hotel general manager Kumar Shobhan.

As she sang, she was cheered on among others by Taren Kidd, a friend who had flown down from the US. “I always help her at the door. I had gone to see her at the end of her earlier posting in Brunei also,” smiled Kidd, who got to know Pavek before she joined the diplomatic services. “Both of us were teachers in Japan,” she said.

Pavek spoke of the bond she had developed with the city and said her only regret was not learning Bengali. She urged everyone to look her up on one’s trips to Washington, where she would now be posted.

She was preceded on the mic by the British deputy high commissioner Andrew Fleming who presented a boisterous rendition of American Pie, the Don McLean song, kicking off his footwear when mouthing the line You both kicked off your shoes.

He then invited Pavek to accompany him on the Neil Diamond hit Sweet Caroline. The American singer’s song has now been adopted by the Three Lions, as the English men’s football team is called.

Pavek presented another duet, this time with Nicolas Facino, the director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale — Emmenez-moi by Charles Aznavour. Facino, who surprised most invitees with his melodious voice, also sang the foot-tapping number Les Champs-Elysees.

Pavek sings along with Mariam Zaki and Priyam Budhia (right)

Sukhani, the co-host, reminded Pavek of her plan to buy a house in Calcutta, in partnership with the former German consul general Manfred Auster and the former Australian consul general Rowan Ainsworth, so that she could visit on and off.

“In fact, it was at the first monsoon karaoke meet we had hosted two years ago at Hyatt that we discovered musical talent in the diplomatic community when she and Rowan let their hair down and belted out a few numbers. This is the third such karaoke night we are hosting apart from one at home,” said Sukhani.

“We plan it as an easy evening for friends, rather than business associates. This year we decided to club it with Melinda’s farewell,” said Shobhan, the co-host.

An eclectic menu, served at Guchhi, had been drawn up by Sukhani’s daughter-in-law Paridhi and Dubai-based daughter Shruti. While Indian dishes and desserts were served indoors, there were multiple live counters out in the yard that served churos, jalebi and malpua alongside Japanese teppanyaki and okonomiyaki, Italian pasta and pizza and Mexican taco stations. Smokers had a taste of Cuban habanos as well at the cigar lounge.

Melinda Pavek matches steps with Australia deputy consul general Kevin Goh and Thai consul general Siriporn Tantipanyathep

Pavek also had a thoughtful return gift for her friends but the biggest gift they returned with was her promise to return to Calcutta soon, this time on vacation.