Women’s Day

Something about the International Women’s Day made the ladies show up in their colourful best (right) this morning. They outnumbered the men 3 to 2 and from their attire and attitude, they all looked in high spirits. For a change, they made the men – Bapu Rane and Yusuf Rassiwala – conduct both the laughter and exercise rounds. Neither of the Khan ladies, Nahid and Razia, even offered to stand in the middle today.
After the exercises, the men got back at the ladies, though on the pretext of wishing them well on the occasion. Yusuf-bhai wished everybody individually, “Happy Women’s Day” and when it was Kajal Babani’s turn, he held himself back. “You are not a woman,” he quipped in jest. “You are just a girl!”
Her husband, Dilip (left) was his usual mischievous self and needed an excuse to rile them with his teasers. He got his opportunity when the ladies protested against the empty wishes of men -- “Iss-sey kaam nahin chalega!” In all seriousness he advised them to go home and persuade their husbands to take them out for a nice lunch or dinner in a fancy restaurant. “It is your special day,” he explained. “So don’t go by bus. Take a taxi instead!”
Only someone sharp enough to think on his feet is capable of producing such spontaneous humour!
Sushma Gupta (right) was back in the Garden today, after a brief break. She had gone to Ujjain to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva at the Mahakaaleshwara Temple. This is one of the 12 jyotirlings across India, the prime pilgrimage spots for devotees of Shiva. It was nice of Sushma-ji to think of us during her trip and distribute the prasad she brought back from the holy shrine among those present.