Day 1011

Pic of the Week

Her Royal Highness KIRAN DEVI, the Queen of Arorapur completes 46 years of rule over with Srichand Arora today. They got married on May 19, 1967.

Cut to Size

Srichand Arora

Santosh Tyagi came in today and Sunita Jajodia went to Delhi. Ved Prakash Grover also wanted to take a break, but by mistake he did the gentlemanly thing of putting in his ‘leave application’ this morning. Instantly, Arora jumped up and started grilling him: Why this leave? Where was he going? What would he be doing during those days? Can’t the leave be curtailed… Grover was at pains to explain that his family had to go to Delhi today and in their absence, he would be required to hold fort. He must necessarily remain home-bound and cannot even stir out in the morning.
Arora understood. Grudgingly he granted Grover leave till May 27.

Ved Prakash Grover

If Arora thought that he could throw his weight around randomly, Ramila Mistry was to cut him to size by addressing him as “Mota Bhai” – something he detests. In Gujarati, this is an honorific for “elder brother”, but in Arora’s dictionary, it means “fatso”. And without exaggeration, anybody would affirm he is on the heavier side, just that he does not admit or like hearing about it. “If I were to be thin and spindly, would you still call me mota bhai?” he charged.

Vandana Kankanwar

Before Ramila could reply, Nahid Khan mischievously pointed at some large potholes in the ground and explained: “See, wherever you stand, you are leaving those big khaddey!”
Arora turned a deaf ear (or maybe, he actually hadn’t heard her) because from the laughter around, he had gauged that he would be outnumbered should he protest. But his silence gave Nafisa Sayyad the cue to start needling him with gibberish and gesticulating in sign language till Arora was left completely foxed and forced to admit that he was hard of hearing. “Why are you doing this to me?" he pleaded "Could you not find any other murga today?”
With no offence meant, everyone had fun-filled morning – appropriately wrapped up with an extra laugh to mark Vandana Kankanwar’s birthday. She was not present though. Still, we wish her many happy returns of the day – a long and joyous life ahead.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Happy Birthday, Vandana-ji. May all your dreams and wishes come true.

Full Freedom!

Mobbed for an accountant's job

What could not be done for a year was achieved miraculously by Arora’s pep talk yesterday (see post). In ‘liberating’ everybody from all disciplinary conditions of Big Laaf, his reverse psychology had worked, so much so that we were witness to an unprecedented near-100 per cent compliance this morning – Geeta Sardhana being the sole uncapped exception among the 23 who reported for the exercises.
Nearly all of them had turned up on time. Not a single member was seen roaming around the walking track once the exercises had started. Even Mumtaz Jahan, who is known to be quite a rebel, rushed in to take her position in the circle the moment the laughter session began. Many could not help commenting that too much of freedom can be difficult to handle at times. “Unless you are really thick skinned, you will eventually fall in line with the rest,” observed Arun Patil.
But this was not out of any fear. The chatterboxes remained unstoppable, Nahid Khan merrily sang “Hawa mein udhta jaye, mera lal dupatta malmal…”, Mumtaz delivered a sermon on how her cervical spondilysis was cured by rotating the neck… and when Arora tried to correct her once, she snapped back, “Meri marzi!” This was soon to become the common refrain every time someone was caught on the wrong foot. After all, no rules apply from today.
Incidentally, Ved Prakash Grover has a job offer going, for which he was soliciting applications. He was instantly mobbed -- just for kicks. But should anyone be genuinely interested, please call 98330 94254/ 2639 7689 for details.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Everyone has to accept the unchangeable. You must also have the courage to change things which should be changed and most importantly, the ability to distinguish the changeable from the unchangeable.

Animated Suspension

Time to regroup and consolidate positions

The Club has been put in animated suspension.
Making this announcement today, Srichand Arora said that Big Laaf shall henceforth have a notional existence, but its activities would be kept in abeyance for indefinitely. “You are free to come and go as you please, exercise or not exercise, wear the cap or not wear the cap… and no questions will be asked,” he assured. “For all practical purposes, we are now Lokhandwala Laughing Club, Garden No 4.”
In other words, we are being pushed back by 10 years when the Club was at its formative stages and there was no binding on anyone who showed up or not.
Arora explained that the decision has been taken with a heavy heart, but it was necessary in deference to the wishes of a small but unruly section of members who had nothing but contempt towards authority and refused to abide by Club discipline and decorum. He realized that functioning on democratic lines had become untenable the day a decision of the general body was forcibly overturned (see post of February 2) by those disruptive elements. Since then, no meeting has been or can be held, he observed.
“As it is the tenure of the managing committee has run its course and everyone wants to resign,” he pointed out. “But I shall hold my ground because I take this Club to be my baby. Anyone who feels as strongly for the Club's future may join. Together we can make Big Laaf better and stronger in times to come.”
Razia Khan:
I am with Arora-ji. We'll try our best to bring up the baby, Big Laaf: "Manzil miley ya na miley iska gham nahi/ Manzil ki justujoo mein mera karvaan toh hai!"
A couplet for Arora-ji: "Main akela hi chala thha jaanibe manzil magar/ Log saath aate rahe aur kaarvan banta gaya!"
Jagmohan Papneja:
When things go wrong, don't go with them. Everything you need will come to you at an appropriate time.
Srichand Arora:
Thanks a lot Razia-ji.

Also in Style

Mumtaz Jahan

If it was Nahid Khan’s day yesterday, it was Mumtaz Jahan’s turn today to call the shots. In true regal style, she entered the Garden before time and went round and round the walking track, even as the exercises had started. Some ladies tried summoning the “Kashmir ki Kali” but to no avail. She ignored their call and finally, at her own will and pleasure, did she take her position in circle.
Thereafter, much like Nahid yesterday, Mumtaz was on her own trip. She selectively did the exercises that suited her, skipping the others and chatted up Nafisa Sayyad and Khatoon Baig on either side. By the end of it all, the ladies changed their opinion about the lady. “Kashmir ki Sherni”, they addressed her.
“At least I am not a Maharashtra ki Gai,” she retorted.

Razia Khan

In between, when Razia Khan was to remind her that she was not wearing the Club cap, Mumtaz gracefully conceded her mistake and agreed to pay the 10-rupee penalty. This was only to lead to discussions on yesterday’s fracas with Razia announcing that she was resigning in protest from her position as joint secretary of the Club. She reported to Arora how she had never felt more humiliated, especially when certain expletives were used along communal lines, questioning her integrity.

Good deed of the day!

By some coincidence, Arora received a call yesterday from Yusuf Rassiwala also wanting to resign from the Club’s managing committee. Since its tenure is already over, a decision will have to be taken soon on the next course of action.
As the action shifted to the chai session, the Badmaash Company got to do its good deed of the day. A young man was spotted in the middle of the road, knocked flat in the blazing sun and given up for dead. Traffic stopped, skirted around and moved on. On both sides of the road a crowd had gathered watching from a distance.
Arora rushed in to check the man’s pulse and declared that he was still breathing. Harish and Bose immediately lifted the stranger and brought him to the sidewalk, placing him in a shade. Luckily, he was not injured. He was carefully made to sit and cradled while water was administered from a bottle till he regained his senses. By then, a large crowd had gathered to take care of the man.
Their job done, the Badmaash Company moved out of the scene.
POST SCRIPT: Bapu Rane has been discharged from hospital yesterday evening. Last heard, he was watching the IPL match on TV till late night at home.
Harish Wadhwa:
* It was a natural reaction from all of us to help in a situation like this and not leave the man in the centre of the road. We thank the Almighty that he was not hurt when we discovered him.
* May God bless Rane-ji with good health and a quick recovery.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Visited Rane-ji's house with Mrs Nahid and Lakshmi in the morning. Though seriously afflicted, he appeared calm and quiet. He attempted to converse but could not speak clearly. His wife told us that he was much better today because of the dosages of medicines (including pain killers) given to him. We wish him well.
Renu Babani:
Oh my God, hope he is fine.
Srichand Arora:
I am really not in a position to understand if the Big Laaf group comes to the Garden to make themselves fit, healthy and joyful or whether it is to pull the leg of one another. Such actions really hurt me. Dear friends, please do not commit such unwanted acts which hurt others as well as you.