Change of Guard?

Perhaps, it’s time for a change of guard in the Club. We need at least a couple of new volunteers to stand-by in the absence of the regulars who have been conducting the exercises. Yusuf-bhai rarely shows up these days. Sitaram-ji’s visits have become equally erratic. Sharma-ji cannot come because of his wife’s indisposition. Arora-ji is away on vacation. Even the ladies – Nahi Khan and Razia-ji – did not come on time this morning to initiate the proceedings. It was therefore left to Shekhawat-ji (who else?) to take charge and for once, officiate as the master of ceremonies.
Not that anybody complained. On the contrary, it was a welcome relief from the regimented, military-style routine we have been used to – what with all the mix-ups on counting (backwards and forth), sequencing of the exercises and of course, Shekhawat-ji’s inimitable “Eeeee-haw” laughter covering up for the lapses.
In a sense, it was his day all the way, starting with his hilarious explanation for carrying the huge multi-coloured garden umbrella in the rains. And then it was his announcement of Sitaram-ji and Hari-bhai being bitten by dogs (old news, apparently). Finally, came his appeal to members to have their passports ready should they be interested in joining him on an overseas trip sometime next year. (The provocation were the chocolates Bhaswati was distributing upon her return from a trip to Paris and Venice.) The time and destination would be decided by common consensus. When Bose listed the pros and cons of travelling in a large group and suggested that instead, two or three families could join hands and set out together, Shekhawat-ji suddenly decided to drop the idea. “Tour cancelled,” he announced, in all finality.
--Big Laaf