On Auto Pilot?

The old bugbear about pacing of the exercises has come to haunt the Club again. Some members are under the impression that we need to be on auto-pilot and each drill must be conducted like a clockwork mechanism. So a little hastening of pace by say, Razia Khan or Srichand Arora amounts to upsetting the program. Or an occasional humorous aside from Yusuf Rassiwala becomes a delaying tactic and has even led to someone walking out.
So far Nahid Khan (above) has been doing a fine job (almost) every morning in conducting the laughter rounds – if not the exercise sessions also. She is invariably among the first to arrive in the Garden and by default, the responsibility of starting the day’s proceedings rests on her. Besides, she has her style – an unhurried tempo, a rhythm we are all accustomed to by now. After all, nobody is as regular at conducting the exercises as she is.
This morning, for some strange reason, a few members decided to pick on her for rushing through the routine. Some ladies discovered she was not allowing them enough time to go through their motions properly. Khatoon Baig was suddenly having difficulty exhaling during the Clearing-the-Lungs exercise. A few even pointed to Nahid not paying enough attention to her own movements and Yusuf-bhai had to abruptly stop the exercises to demonstrate how a particular drill has to be done with knees bent.
Nahid was left with no option but to suggest that anybody else was free to take her place and conduct the exercises henceforth. Of course, Mrs Harbans Singh tried to placate her by playfully punching her cheeks; but the damage was done. The faultfinders had a different agenda in mind and ended up hurting the feelings of a well-meaning lady. Significantly, none of the men have ever had a problem with the way Nahid conducts the exercises – or herself.
Earlier in the morning (it was still dark then), Santosh Tyagi (left) dropped by to say her goodbyes as she is shifting residence. She is not sure if she would be able to make it to the Garden again from her new place (near Adarsh Nagar petrol pump), though Shekhawat-ji kept assuring her that it is not too much of a distance. All she requires is the will to come.
Another spot of bad news: Razia Khan (above, right) is not well. She has been down with malaria for a week and the fever refuses to subside. Besides, she is suffering from terrible weakness. Let us hope and pray she recovers fast and is able to join us every morning as before – hale and hearty.

Renu Babani says:
Personally I feel Mrs Khan conducts the exercises really well. Less chatter and more attention amongst those who complain would make a difference. The ladies who feel that things are being done in haste can go through it in their own manner and motion. We should appreciate the ones who stand in the middle and do the exercise daily, ensuring that we follow as well. Not everyone has the guts to do so, and not all can remember the routine despite doing it daily. So let's be a little more grateful and less critical please!
--Renu