Karwa Chauth

Today is Karwa Chauth – the festival that makes Hindu women do strange things for the sake of their husbands’ extended tenure on the planet. While elsewhere they are undergoing cosmetic makeovers and observing fasts, the ladies of our Club are progressive enough to have rewritten the rules. They were present in their normal strength this morning and if it were not for Tara Chand-ji enquiring if any of them were fasting, we would not have even known that the festival was upon us. Geeta Sandana (right) aptly voiced the sentiments of the ladies by saying that men needed them as much as they needed their husbands. “If we are not around, who will look after them?” she quipped, suggesting that festival or no festival, women had equal rights to eat, drink and be merry on this day!
Indeed, the men in the group, generally, couldn’t be bothered either way. There were more pressing issues for them to ponder on – like the upcoming New Zealand cricket tour beginning on November 4 or say, the way we breathe during the exercises. Srichand Arora observed that we were not exhaling enough after inhaling. “If you take two seconds to inhale, make sure you hold your breath for four seconds and take full eight seconds to EXHALE,” he advised, adding, “I am not saying this. Somebody more knowledgeable told me this today and I am telling you. Maintain this ratio of 2:4:8 and you should be doing fine.”
Meanwhile, Pratap Bhatt registered his return after a ten-day sojourn at Ahmedabad. But people like Yusuf Rassiwala, Harish Wadhwa and Dilip Babani have gone missing. So have Mrs Harbans Singh, Monthi Serrao and Mumtaz Jahan, among the ladies. Among regulars, the one to be absent for the longest period is Hari Naraiyani (left). He was last sighted near Second Cross Lane, buying milk, almost a month back. Maybe, a red corner notice ought to be sent out – unless of course, somebody has some clue about his whereabouts!

Bhaswati Bose says:
Some married ladies like Sunita-ji and Kiran Sajjan are observing fasts today. Why don't our married male members also do the same? How nice their wives would feel if they fasted today for their long life? After all, as Geeta-ji commented, "If I am not around, who will look after my husband?" So all you nice men out there, please give it a thought... Yeah, some members have just disappeared including my sparring partner Kajal Babani! (Kajal, where art thou?) I suggest we put up a notice for the absentees now.
--Bhaswati

Renu Babani says:
Mr Narayani has gone to Beas with his wife. Have no idea of his return. Kajal is fine, rest assured, but busy with the kids. Regarding the other absentees, I wish I knew where have they disappeared. Regarding Karwa Chauth, does fasting for one another give the other a long life? Yes, whatever anyone does is always respected. But 'He' is the one and only who decides on each one of us and no one can ever change that. We all need each other, let's remember that!
--Renu