Happy Times

Happy days are here again. Or so it would seem, as the weather gods have finally relented, bringing an end to the long and dreary spell of incessant rainfall in the city. The Garden was bathed in bright sunshine with its old familiar buzz – the everyday sights and sounds of walkers going through their early morning paces. In the Club, it was also a full house with a lot of sunny faces and smiles.
Razia Khan and Nafisa Syed were back, adding to the brightness around. An unusually sprightly Rane tried to emulate a leaping frog when he was to flail his arms (in the Udh jao panchhi exercise) like everybody else. Shekhawat too was extra-ebullient as he playfully trained his pointer fingers like mock pistols at the ladies during the slow-and-fast laughter round. And with Kishor-bhai’s cell-phone playing music at full volume, Nafisa had to comment on the possibility of a snake being drawn by the Naagin number. Clearly, there was electricity in the air – a rare energy that galvanises everybody into going berserk and letting their hair down.
It is this spirit of bonhomie that we had been missing for a long time. Attendance was low and everybody felt dull and sluggish during the rains. Probably, the onset of the festive season has also contributed to the change of mood. Besides, there are two events coming up. The first is the Lonavala picnic on the 25th, for which Shekhawat-ji has already started the countdown. He has set September 20 as the last date of paying up for the bookings.
The other upcoming event is the birthday party tomorrow, being jointly hosted by Pratap Bhatt, Kishor-bhai, Monthi-ji and Bose. On their behalf, Shekhawat-ji requested all members to stay on /be present at the Chinese Hut around 7:45 a.m. (after the exercises) for a small celebration.
In the pic: Rane Bhau and Hari Singh Shekhawat

Renu Babani says:
Yes, everyone is looking forward to the picnic as this is the first time it will be an overnight stay. I am sure it will be great bonding big time with each other, and hopefully there will be a good turnout. The weather is holding up but one thing amiss is the Garden cat. Last I overheard someone say it has been killed or died, and that was the foul smell a few days ago. Hopefully, everyone will show up for the party on Wednesday, and it will be just like old times!
--Renu