Lasting Impact

Last Saturday’s tamasha (see post) seems to have left a lasting impact on the ladies of the Club. This was evident from the way they were all anxious to fill Monthi Serrao with the details when she reported to the Garden this morning (left) after her 20-day vacation at Mangalore. She had very graciously brought some mysur paaq for us and it would have been only appropriate to enquire about her wellbeing and allow her to narrate how she had enjoyed herself back home. Instead she was bombarded with a blow-by-blow account of all that had transpired with those upstarts of the Yoga Group – to the exclusion of all else that had happened in the past three weeks.
Significantly, some other ladies of the Yoga Group also joined in, mainly to side with us. It was clear that they differed with the views and attitude of their colleagues and from the way things were shaping up at their end, there could be a showdown soon.
Earlier, Razia Khan informed that she might have to cancel her Bangalore trip tomorrow as the condition of her sister has worsened (see post of May 25). At present she is on a ventilator. At the instance of Srichand Arora, we observed a one-minute silence, offering our prayers to the suffering lady.

Surface Tension

Belying all apprehensions, there was no fallout on the fireworks of last Saturday (see post). Everybody was quiet and peaceful, much as the tension in the air was palpable. A line has been drawn between “us” and “them” – the Laughing Club members and those of the Yoga Group. Some people, who belong to both the groups, are however, finding themselves in piquant situation.
Razia Khan is one such. Today, she formally handed over charge for organizing the Blue Waters party to Kishor Babani. She will be away for ten days at Bangalore from the day-after. Kishor-bhai will now have to continue the good work of collecting cash and finalising the restaurant booking for June 11.
Meanwhile, Ram Shankar Shukla (above, in white) celebrated his birthday today after the exercises. The birthday was actually yesterday, but since most members observe Sunday as a holiday, he decided to treat us to laddoos this morning. We wish him a happy and healthy life and many more birthday celebrations with us in the Garden.

PIC OF THE WEEK: 32

Oh boy! What's going on?

"This is how LAUGHTER is done! Let me see ANYONE competes with that."
--Anonymous

"Hands up in the air --
1... 2... 3...
And here we go --
Ho-Ho Ha-Ha..."
No one does it better than I. Anyone better, takes me out for coffee!
--Renu Babani

Silly Hijack Bid

Like locusts, they descended unannounced on the Garden soon after we were done with our exercises. One of them wanted to herd us to the Chinese Hut for a “meeting”. The lady explained that a party was being organised and that “we” must discuss the arrangements. “We need to decide on the menu, try out the food, negotiate the rates… Apart from Blue Waters, there are other restaurants in the vicinity,” she informed.
It was only then that we realized she was talking about the party over which we had been splitting our hair for over a week. But who was she?
This persona non grata happened to be a self-appointed spokesperson of the Yoga Group, which is intent upon hijacking the Club party. Razia Khan and Srichand Arora have already invested enough time and energy to set the ball rolling. And now, out of nowhere, some stranger wants to take charge and dictate terms.
The lady’s ludicrous approach – not to mention the sheer audaciousness of it all – triggered instant titters and comments that she is yet to grow up. Today, it is the party, tomorrow it could be taking over the Club. Sadly her companions were just as belligerent, something we are not at all accustomed to. But to be fair to them, it was clear that the takeover bid arose from a sense of alienation – the fact that the Yoga Group was “not consulted” while planning for the party.
This only revives the question of whether the Yoga Group should remain an adjunct to the Club, or if it must be recognized as an independent body. Opinion is divided. But now, with such needless display of aggression, the issue has been forced upon us. After all, who wants to get into any unpleasantness early in the morning?
Renu Babani says:
Seriously, who is that lady? After enquiring, found out her name is Cheryl. She is from the Yoga Group. Her surprising outburst after our exercise certainly caught everyone unawares. The members were looking at one another, a question mark on their faces. It looked like she had decided to take over the situation without being asked and wanted to literally be the spokesperson in regards to the party. A huge discussion ensued. Everyone was taken aback with this attitude but all of us stood our ground. It was made clear that no one has been forced to pitch in for the party and the guest fee still stands. I suppose it was an interesting morning and as always, each of us headed home with a smile on our face. Cheers to the Club! May we always be united and face whatever situations are put before us. Laughter is the best medicine, right?
--Renu

Start-Stop…

Razia Khan did not come today, thus bringing all preparations for the Blue Waters party to a grinding halt (see previous posts). Her sister at Mira Road has slipped into coma. Her condition is said to be precarious and doctors are not placing much hope on her survival. As Razia needs to be with her family at this critical hour, somebody else will now have to work out the modalities for the party – if at all, it is to be held.
For a change, Yusuf Rassiwala (above) conducted the exercises this morning. He was not in his elements as he's nursing a sore throat. He has stopped wearing his trademark black cap, thus inviting a lot of snide comments. Yesterday, Mrs Singh pretended not to recognize him and asked why strangers are allowed to exercise in our midst. Today, Kishor Babani hailed him as “Bina-topiwaley Pandurang Baba!”
Actually, it is only after the exercises that most of the laughs are raised these days – thanks mainly to the jokes’ session shared by Kishor and Santosh Tyagi. Between the two, they have an unending stock of jokes which are dealt piece-meal every morning in their inimitable style. While Kishor’s jokes are usually smart-alecky and high on absurdity, Santosh-ji (left) is a killer with her understated wit and deadpan humour.
Kishor in fact, goes one step beyond with hilarious e-mail forwards to keep the laughter going for many, long after they have left the Garden. Sample his latest by clicking HERE. Put your speakers on and ENJOY!
Bhaswati Bose says:
The link is TOO GOOD! Mazaa aa gayaa! If Elvis sees this, I am sure he will jump out of his grave and start dancing to this delightful song! Kishore-bhai, who is this singer? And Harish-bhai, will you please translate this song for us?
--Bhaswati

Stop-Start…

After a brief lull, preparations for the ‘Big Birthday Bash’ at Blue Waters (see post of last Monday) gathered momentum with Yusuf Rassiwala stepping in to rustle things up a bit. Razia Khan informed that only four of the 18 members she had identified have paid up so far. Six have pulled out. Of the remaining, many have altogether stopped coming to the Garden. One lady of the Yoga Group wanted to pay, but was dissuaded by others because she’s not a member yet.
With so many negatives at play, compounded by the sudden indisposition of her elder sister (previous post), Razia had naturally lost heart proceeding with the party preparations. She wanted to hand over charge (saying that she would be leaving for Bangalore on June 1) but nobody has come forward yet. Yusuf-bhai wondered why we do not scale down the party with two separate events -- one for the June-borns and the other for July-borns.
Meanwhile, Srichand Arora sounded an alarm, informing that we might have already forfeited the discount the restaurant had offered. We were supposed to pay an advance to confirm our booking the day-before. Now that the opportunity is lost, he indicated that the deal will have to be re-negotiated afresh and chances are we will have to pay much more than what was earlier settled.
Somebody has to now take time out and visit the restaurant to finalise this.
Renu Babani says:
Looks like these ups and downs have become the norm, be it for a picnic or birthday party. But in the end we do come to a decision which is feasible to everyone. I am certain this time too, a fair decision will be taken. Naturally when it is a party outside the Chinese Hut, things are different and deadlines need to be met. It is not easy organising a party where members back out as time nears. However, let us be positive. I am sure everything will work out... it always does!
Yes, the IPL fever is reaching its climax now and getting up in the morning is hard work. Hopefully once it is over, more members will get back to the routine. Strange as it may sound, we do have some sort of magnet which attracts outsiders to join the exercise. They may not come in regularly; I suppose it could be out of curiosity or just to have a laugh and enjoy themselves for the day. This does make us feel special and it's nice to know that we can make a difference.
--Renu
Anonymous says:
Hello, it is great that at least you pour more light on this issue. Thanks.
--Anon

Another Spoilsport

Cricket is playing spoilsport. As it is, the ongoing vacation season, coupled with hostile weather conditions, have been causing havoc on our daily attendance at the Club. And now we have the late-night IPL matches which are holding members from turning up in the morning.
These days the IPL matches start at 8.00 p.m. and being in the final knock-out stages, are keeping cricket lovers hooked till the last ball is bowled – well beyond midnight. The next-door Celebration Club has put up a giant television screen and is serving beer and hard liquor at heady discounts to draw crowds. As it turns out, their gain is our loss. For you cannot expect those late-night revelers to sober up and report at 7.00 a.m. sharp in the Garden to exercise. Sounds idiotic!
Still, we are managing – largely because ours is a women-dominated Club and most of them are not addicted to cricket. The male presence during the exercises has become somewhat of a joke – mainly during the Lion and Lioness Round, when the “lions” show themselves up to be on their last legs, facing extinction. Sitaram Hivarkar, Ved Prakash Grover, Yusuf Rasiwala and Prakash Motwani joined the ranks of ‘endangered species’ today.
Meanwhile, Razia Khan (left) came with some disturbing news early morning. Her sister, four years older to her, has been hospitalized in Mira Road. She is in a critical state, battling for life in an ICU. The cause of her ailment has not been detected yet. Razia suspects it is an allergy as the body has bloated up. We are keeping our fingers crossed and can only hope and pray that this dark cloud blows over, sooner than later.
Bhaswati Bose says:
I think I am the only "lioness" who's interested in cricket. Today being a knock-out match between Mumbai(my sasural) and Kolkata (my maike), I shall be hooked to the TV. Shall try my level best to be in the Garden tomorrow morning!
--Bhaswati
Dilip Babani says:
Now the IPL craze is on. All are happy with cricket. Old and retired people have good time-pass. Youngsters are also crazy about cricket. They bet heavily and if they win, the money is spent on daru and huka. If they lose, they don't mind because their fathers have lots of money. Cricket is for watching and enjoying drinks, daru, chicken and fish. But don't bet. If you bet, bet in small amounts. So when you lose, there'll be no regrets.
--Dilip

In It Together

While we were exercising this morning, an elderly man ambled into our circle with his wife. Many recognized him. Many didn’t. He was showing up after three years. He had suffered a paralytic stroke and has since been keeping low. Now, he says, he has almost recovered and feels confident enough to venture out.
Meeting old friends like Srichand Arora, the man wanted to share his thoughts and feelings after so many years. He said he felt “liberated” being in the Garden with us and hinted at a domestic problem, promptly to be brushed aside by Arora: “What you are saying is nothing new, this is a common story with all of us.”
What that domestic issue could be, is irrelevant. The fact this man felt comfortable to open his heart and discuss his problems in the Garden is important. We seldom realize the kind of support group we have become, both collectively and individually, for one another. Without a moment’s hesitation, we discuss whatever bothers us – from personal issues like recalcitrant bahus and nagging ailments to MHADA flats, commodity prices and sourcing songs from the Internet. That we are assured of a sympathetic ear, a helping hand, a shoulder to lean upon and if nothing else, a sounding board speaks volumes of the mutual trust and familial bonding we have come to enjoy.
This has not happened overnight. Through all our internal bickering, daily pranks and madcap jokes, the many parties and picnics, and phuntis, we have created a little universe together, secure in the knowledge that we are there for one another. Meeting every morning for a few laughs is only an excuse to strengthen our bonds and yes, spread happiness.
Dilip Babani says:
Yes, it is true that in the Laughing Club all are helpful. We like to help one another. We like to make everybody laugh. No personal remarks are made. The morning exercises with witty remarks makes the mood good. I think all are happy in the Club. All members appreciate one another also. God bless the Club and its members.
--Dilip

Monday Slog

For the time we were at the Garden today, we experienced overcast skies, light drizzle, strong breeze, bright sunshine and complete stillness in the air… all within the space of an hour. The low turnout only added to the tedium, turning the exercises into one long, dreary slog session through the morning.
Razia Khan urged everybody to start pooling in for the luncheon party slated for June 11 at Blue Waters restaurant – yes, that’s the date and venue fixed after much deliberation and weighing the many pros and cons with all members. Srichand Arora had dined at the place last evening and was all praise for the food and service there. He even spoke to the management and could negotiate a huge discount for our party, provided we confirm our booking (with an advance) in the next couple of days. The restaurant is likely to hike its rates soon after. Hence the urgency of collecting cash.
The funny thing about Razia is that since the time she took upon herself the task of organizing this bash, she has been moving around with a little bluish-grey pouch strung around her neck. It is a reminder to everybody to contribute generously for making the party a success. The pouch looks to be filling up now by the day. It has stopped flapping about in the wind as it used to earlier.
And that’s a good sign.
Renu Babani says:
The weather is sure playing hide and seek and getting rather irritating at times owing to the heat and humidity. The turnout was really low this morning. But guess this was due to the 'Monday Morning Blues'. Hopefully the lunch at Blue Waters will be a success, and am sure we shall enjoy it no matter what!
--Renu

PIC OF THE WEEK: 31

Picture, picture on the wall,
Who's the fairest of 'em all?

All of them are fairest.
--Anonymous

* It is very difficult to say because each of them has a very unique way of talking that adds charm to their fairness.
--Dilip Babani

* It is clear which picture is most popular. Just see where practically all the people have crowded -- Nahid Khan's picture is up for auction. Any takers?
* If a picture could speak, this one would say: "Tum logon ka koi kaam-dhandha nahi hai ki merey tasveer ko hi dekh rahe ho?"
--Renu Babani

Nahid: "Idhaar! Yahaan dhyaan doh..."
Ramila: "Tum log yahaan aate ho ya goli chalaana shuru karoo?"
Nafisa: "O gore gore bankey chhorey, kabhi merey yahaan aaya karo!"
--Bhaswati Bose

Beshumar keemti hai yeh tasweere,
Bahut keemti hai yeh Laughing Club ke naginein.
Sabke sab hai bahut bahut sundar,
Jaise chaand hai aasmaan mey one,
Lekin Laughing Club mey hai teen teen chaand.
Kya tareef karu mai tumhare,
Jisko khudha ne banaya sab ke sab maharaniya hai.
God bless all of them and KEEP THEM SMILING!
--Anonymous

Meri yeh painting to merey doston ne banai hai jo ki Husain sa'b ke Madhuri Dixit ki painting se bhi khubsoorat hai. Proof is the crowd watching my painting????????
--S.V.Arora

Wow, celebrity pics on sale! Well, I wish to buy all of them for a "Raja" Indian rupee each. They are truly good. But there is some resistance from my wife and children. So I have decided to pay in kind, where each rupee = good wishes and luck.
--Harish Wadhwa

Ladies’ Day

Srichand Arora missed being one of the Panch Parmeshwars today. So did Kishor Babani. And Yusuf Rassiwala. And the other men who failed to turn up at the Garden – leaving only five men standing in the midst of 18 women. No naming names, since the ladies soon revised their opinion to “Sade-chaar Parmeshwar”. Now, go figure!
It was verily a women’s day as not a moment was lost between them on pulling up one another with a torrent of madcap jokes and jibes, leaving the five men stumped for words. If it was the way someone performed an exercise (replete with mimicry act) that drew laughter, the next moment it was the way someone else dressed. Razia Khan (left) was questioned why she fixed her hairclip teda (at an angle). Pat came her reply: “I myself am teda, my life is teda… everything about me is teda… and nothing can be done about it.”
Nahid Khan became “Nahid-bhai” – not because she was the boss while conducting the exercises (below, right), but for carrying so much gold on her person. Gopvinita wondered if she was not scared of getting mugged early morning, what with the rise of chain snatching incidents in the locality. “Leh jaane doh,” Nahid replied defiantly. “If they do not take my jewellery, some day my bahus would!”
“Chalega!” Nafisa Sayed interjected promptly.
There was simply no stopping the ladies today as they went on and on. Even the Gujarati Mataji joined the banter, after enacting “Hai mera dil!” in true filmy style. At one point, during the Silent Laughter round, Nahid had to call the chatterboxes to order by shouting “Khamosh!” Instantly, Nafisa shouted back, “Khamosh!” and mimicking Shatrughan Sinha, added: “Jali ko aag kehte hain, bujhi ko raakh kehte hai…” Now, who can keep a straight face with this kind of madness around?
Renu Babani says:
It's like they always say,'Women Rule'. Let's face it, there are always more ladies during the morning exercises. However, I guess the men felt overpowered today and decided to just keep quiet and hear the constant chatter of the women. I am sure they realised that women can talk about everything and anything!
--Renu
Anonymous says:
Hi! Good job! Wuzzap?
--Anon

'Bachcha Party' Back

The morning began on a dismal note. Not a soul from the Club could be seen, barring Nahid Khan. She sat by herself in the Chinese Hut, gasping under a fan. Before long, Renu and Kishor Babani walked in, followed by Srichand Arora. All other regulars, including our Gujarati ‘Mataji’ and Razia Khan were missing. Most importantly, Ved Prakash Grover (below) was not to be seen. He is by far, the must punctual, regular and the earliest to land in the Garden.
Luckily the weather gods were kind as it was quite breezy and the sun, not too harsh. We did our exercises in relative comfort and were more than half-way through when, like day-before-yesterday, the ‘bachcha brigade’ arrived unannounced. They were in greater strength today, almost outnumbering us. But as they say, the more the merrier – particularly for Ramila Mistry and Arora who eagerly joined forces with the little brats.
Our only regret was that we could not treat them to anything nice – such as the biscuit packets they got last time. Not that it mattered to them. Like us, they were there for fun. But still, Arora could be heard lamenting how they missed his 'marriage anniversary luddoos' yesterday -- if only they had come. Before leaving, the kids gave their names as Rohit, Muskaan, Isha, Krunaal…
P.S.: The mystery about Grover’s absence has been resolved. He has to stay put at home till the family returns from vacation. Aaal Eeez Well!
Renu Babani says:
The presence of the kids added to the merriment during the exercise. Strange how kids can somehow energise people with their charm and innocence. Hopefully, they will keep returning so that we too can prove that our Laughter Club is the best!
--Renu

Time to Rejoice

Nafisa Sayed can be really, really funny. All her life she has been celebrating her birthday on October 8 every year. Yesterday a little bird told her she wasn’t born on that day and it could be either four months earlier or eight months later. It did not specify what was more likely. But Nafisa figured out that either way, her birthday should fall in June.
The news was welcomed mainly by Razia Khan, who is up to the neck organizing a "grand party" on behalf of all June-borns and July-borns of the Club next month. She now gets one more member to contribute to the common kitty. And from the looks of it (below, left), Nafisa is much too happy to join the dozen-odd members who would be pitching in for the big bash at a restaurant close by.
Everything seemed hunky-dory, till Mrs Harbans Singh (right) put her foot down this morning. Suddenly she finds herself isolated when it would be time for her birthday in November. She had obvious plans for a joint-celebration with Nafisa, but now that the latter had joined hands with Razia, she became furious. “Issko entry mut dena,” she kept insisting, much to everybody’s amusement.
Telling Mrs Singh that this is a free country and that Nafisa is free to decide who she wants to be with failed to cool her temper. “Yeh, husband-wife hai,” Dilip Babani butted in mischievously, suggesting that Nafisa and Razia were inseparable. Only when Nafisa assured Mrs Singh that she’d have a second birthday bash for her sake in November was peace restored.
Earlier in the morning, Srichand Arora and wife Kiran celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary with us in the Garden. It was glorious moment, watching this handsome couple exchange luddoos, oblivious to the engaging smiles of endearment and adoration around. The lead picture captures this rare moment for posterity. We wish them, once again, an eternity of shared happiness, good health and love on the occasion.
Renu Babani says:
Yes, indeed the debate on celebrating one's birthday earlier did bring laughter and funny comments from everyone. It was a laugh to hear everyone's input and in the end the decision seemed unanimous: Anyone can celebrate whenever they want.
The atmosphere today was that was fun no doubt, though someone did wonder where were the kids from the previous day. Those kids sure uplifted our spirits and it was amazing to see their energy. Everyone was more than determined to match up to them and it did make the exercises more interesting.
Congrats Juhi, God bless you. Your motivation and drive has led you to excel in your exams and it is such an honour for your parents as well. God bless and may you always achieve what you aim for.
--Renu
Harish Wadhwa asks:
* Why are good laddoos distributed only when I maro phunti? Actually it does not matter who is born when, as long as we members of the Big Laaf Club get treats on a regular basis. LOL. Anyone willing to celebrate his or her birthday tommorrow?
* Mrs Singh, aap ki gussa karti hui photo se toh ham bhi dar gaye . (What a pic Blog Monster!) Aap jab chahein, hum aapke saath birthday manaa lenge. Hamara maqsad sirf khushi aur muskaan se hai.
* Arora-sa'ab, aap ko Marriage Anniversary ki bahut bahut vadhayiyan. Mera laddoo karz raha, joh main aap se baad mein interest sahit, vasool loonga!
--Harish

Children’s Day

Children spell magic. Wher-ever they go, they bring about an indescribable lightness of being that lifts the spirits in the most trying circumstances. Or so were we to realize when a flock of little boys and girls (right) descended out of nowhere and became part of our exercises this morning.
Nobody invited them. Drawn by the ruckus we were creating, they hovered around us for a while, giggling among themselves and finally, settling down on the cemented platform close by. Harish Wadhwa was the first to spot them and beckoned, should they want to join us. Before long, Srichand Arora made a similar gesture to break their shyness. This time, it worked. One boy stepped up, followed by a girl, and soon the rest joined in.
In an instant everything changed. Gone were the tired looks and the incessant cribbing about the weather, the excessive heat and humidity. Dour faces broke into smiles as the kids matched us move for move, laugh for laugh… even imitating our intonations like “Wah!” after every exercise.
Quick on the uptake, they were everywhere in no time and especially during the Lion and Lioness Laughter round, they simply went berserk, snarling and screaming at one another. They were a joy to behold, generating such energy that unconsciously, even Arora started behaving like one of them. Their presence was both electrifying and infectious. We all became children for a morning.
And then, as suddenly as it all began, it ended. But before they left, each boy and girl was rewarded with a packet of biscuits, thanks to Kajal and Dilip Babani. Their daughter, Juhi (above) has passed her Class 10 ICSE examination with flying colours, securing 75 per cent marks. To celebrate her achievement, the proud parents distributed packets of biscuits (above) among all present. Clearly, their sacrifices for the girl (by skipping movies and picnics, particularly Kajal) while she was preparing for the exam, have paid off.
Hearty congratulations Juhi!
Harish Wadhwa says:
* Children spread infectious smiles and energy. One should have seen how all the less young became more young, no sooner than the kids joined the group. Bachche mun ke sachche. Love your attitude kids!
Today’s tea session was no less interesting -- Arora-ji striking a chord with Khosla-ji (new acquaintance). Arora-ji has a knack of making new friends merely with his smile and words. Wow! Dilip-bhai, Bose Babu and I had a great time too, enjoying the special adrak ki chai. Wah kya baat hai!
* Juhi's achievement is no less. Hearty congratulations to her, for passing the Xth standard ICSE board exams with flying colours. I am sure she will excel in all walks of life and make her parents proud. Keep it up!
--Harish
Srichand Arora says:
Congratulations JUHI dear. We all Laughter Club members are sure of you conquering the sky one day. Congratulations once again, your dear parents too. God bless you all.
--S.V.Arora

Bad to Worse

Yesterday’s pre-monsoon drizzle has turned things from bad to worse. The morning today was unbearably muggy, clammy, sweaty, sticky, drippy, icky, itchy… The exercises, which are rounded off in 40 minutes, seemed to go on and on and on forever. Despite the best efforts of Srichand Arora and Kishor Babani at infusing some humour in the group, nobody was in any mood to laugh.
However, if there was any reason to still feel positive, it was because of good old Purushottam Sharma (above) showing up out of the blue and giving us a pleasant surprise. We were meeting after the Royal Garden Resort picnic of April 23. He had arrived from Delhi last evening and is on his way to London for a month.
Sharma-ji cannot say for certain how long he will be in Mumbai this time. We can only hope and look forward to his presence every morning – if only to join us in our hour of misery at the Garden -- for as long as he is here.
Says Harish Wadhwa:
It was indeed a dull morning today and very hot and sultry. Just didn't feel like stepping out to exercise. Phunti maari!
--Harish
Says Renu Babani:
The weather is getting to everyone these days. However, I guess it is normal to grumble and complain despite knowing that we shouldn't expect any sign of relief so soon. The turnout at the Garden was slighly better and the small chatter kept things going. Kishor's music system got some competition when Renu (right) decided to turn on her music from her cell-phone. Some commented that they didn't know which music to listen to and it did look funny watching members looking both sides, rather bemused at what was going on.
--Renu

Beat the Heat

During summer and especially in the pre-monsoon stillness of the mornings, people devise their own peculiar means to beat the heat. Many just do not stir out of the air-conditioned comfort of their bedrooms. Some soak themselves in the bath. Others imbibe fluids. Those of us who land in the Garden to exercise, seek distractions to combat the ill-effects of foul weather.
Nafisa Sayed’s (below, left) pet peeve has been the medical prescriptions she must abide by for her "sugar" problem. She gets up before sunrise every day, walks down more than a kilometer from home, maintains a strict diet, does yoga, but finds no relief. What’s worse, she's completely fed up of the stream of unsolicited advice, often from strangers. “Kantaal aa gaya,” she complains.
For Gopvinita (below, right), the spate of chain snatching incidents in the locality, offers the mental diversion she requires from the oppressive heat. This morning she narrated two incidents of ladies who were hoodwinked into surrendering their gold chains to confidence tricksters. She is convinced that the victims were under a hypnotic spell to oblige the crooks without raising an alarm. Being over-concerned, she wonders if approaching senior cops (perhaps through the media) would serve any purpose.
Razia Khan (lead pic) too has found a reason to keep herself preoccupied. Back from a bout of viral fever, she is quite confused by the conflicting responses to her proposal for a joint-birthday bash in June (see posts of May 10 and May 13). Many seem intent upon putting spokes in the wheel by raising questions on financials, the venue, menu, etc. without themselves doing anything to facilitate matters. On her part, Razia clarified this morning that it would cost around Rs350 per cover and the b-day boys and girls should budget about Rs1,000 per head for a guest list of 40-odd.
Looks like there can be no clarity on this till such time the money is actually collected.
Says Renu Babani:
Let's face it, without Mr Shekawat, nothing seems to materialise. I guess all that can be done is make the necessary enquiries and wait till all members are present before things are finalised. The presence of just a few members at the Garden doesn't really help and everyone just goes through the routine, looking fed up by the heat. Looks like many members are on holiday or just don't want to bear the morning heat. However, all one can do is wait and hope that everyone returns to the Garden soon, before things start getting really boring.
--Renu

PIC OF THE WEEK: 30

What is POTUS saying?

"Nice guy, this Harrysh... Does anybody have his number?"
--Anonymous
"This new Indian politician is smart... like me?"
--Bhaswati Bose
"Is this the one that got away?"
--Anonymous
* "Meet the new contender for the coming elections. Sure will be a challenge for me!"
* "Welcome to the new party -- HWO or Harish Wadhwa Organisation, or like the Americans would say -- Harry Wadwha Organisation."
--Renu Babani
"Since my popularity charts are at an all-time low, I propose the handsome candidate in the picture here, as our future presidential candidate!"
(Dream big yaar... even if it is just for a smile.)
--Harish Wadhwa
By the way, the man on TV is certainly more handsome, smiling and looks experienced, compared to the one who's not doing enough... sitting and laughing. LOL.
--Anonymous
Hey guys, thanks for all the lovely words. I enjoyed all the comments.
--Harish

Changing Dynamics

The sky was overcast. A gentle breeze wafted through the Garden. It was unusually pleasant this morning. And yet, attendance was poor with many regulars, including Razia Khan, Gopvinita and the Babanis pulling off a no-show. Nahid Khan wondered aloud if they had all migrated en-masse to Rajasthan to join Shekhawat for the week-end.
But there was Srichand Arora (above, in striped T-shirt) holding fort and keeping things going. Today was his day. Clearly, he realizes that we look up to him as a Club guardian and has taken upon himself the responsibility of making sure that the exercises are conducted every morning without fail.
He was his usual jovial self, not missing an opportunity at pulling up someone for not laughing out loud enough or berating another for being absent-minded, or advising an elderly lady member to stop smoking bidi-cigarettes as she was coughing too much… If there was anyone who could counter his wisecracks, it was Nahid Khan (left) – to the point of once commenting cheekily, “Aap zyada nahin, thode-thode budhdhu ho!” Arora took it sportingly.
Still, the mood was subdued, a far cry from the lively and usually noisy sessions we have with a full house. Sitaram Hivarkar (right) apparently liked it this way: “Achcha hai, aaj shanti hai”. For Arora though, this was no fun. He stopped the exercises momentarily at one stage and in typical A K Hangal style, intoned: “Aaj itna sannata kyun hai, bhai?” At the end, when it came to raising the war cry, he designated it simply as the Lioness Laughter Round. “How can four lions be any match to fourteen lionesses?” he reasoned.
True. The “lions” appear to be bigger casualties this vacation time.

Party Prologue

Nature abhors vacuum. So do we. In the absence of any major happening or something significant to look forward, we need a reason to keep our minds occupied. What could be any better than getting involved with the June-borns and the July-borns for their joint-birthday party (see post of May 10) next month?
The mind needs to be busy, after all.
Srichand Arora (above) informed that for a party at the nearby Celebration Club, booking space would cost us Rs5,000 (non-refundable) and the rest (refreshments, food, etc.) will be actuals. For a group of 40 with barely 10-12 paying members, the costs could become prohibitive for some.
One alternative would be to use that Club's restaurant facilities as guests of a member, and pay Rs 350 for the food (plus Rs 25 as guest charges) per head. This made sense to many. For the food would comprise a ‘welcome drink’, starters (veg and non-veg), the main course with two veg and two non-veg dishes (all unlimited), followed by dessert. It sounds like a steal, just that service at the Club is not too good.
The other option is Blue Waters on New Link Road, opposite the Star Bazaar mall. This restaurant is said to serve buffet (veg and non-veg) with more variety at comparable rates and the service is better than that of the Celebration Club. Somebody will have to go there to verify the details and negotiate a possible discount on group bookings.
Meanwhile, some members have begun voicing their reservations about hosting the party in a club/ restaurant. There are also questions on dealing with “uninvited guests”. Besides, it is crucial that nobody is overburdened financially or feels left out. These are tricky issues – enough to keep most minds engaged for the next few weeks.

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye is not easy – especially for someone who answers to the name of Hari Singh Shekhawat (right). He will be away for three weeks at his village in Rajasthan where he has two weddings in the family to attend. He is boarding the evening train today from Bombay Central.
Kishor Babani threatened to show up at the railway station with a retinue of 15 well-wishers from the Club to see him off. Although made in jest, the message was not lost on anybody. For Shekhawat is one member for whom life revolves around the Club and everything in the Club revolves around him. It is hard to find another person who is so completely involved in the day-to-day activities at the Garden. In fact, he has come to represent the face of the Club for all intent and purposes.
So it was hardly surprising that while bidding goodbye, he should appeal to everybody to be regular with their exercises and not play phunti in his absence. On their part, members advised him to take care of his health and as Srichand Arora put it, desist from eating outside food. The allusion was obviously to “the something suspicious” fed to him on his last visit to the village in October 2010, from which he had taken time to recover. A few lady members mischievously warned him against walking under peepal trees in the village, lest some lonesome chudail should descend and possess him!
Earlier in the morning, Sunita Jajodia (left) was in delightful form as she tried in vain to get the exercises started before time. When everybody assembled at seven sharp, she refused to join – sulking and grumbling to herself on a bench. It was hilarious watching Arora cajoling and pleading with her… to the point of himself refusing to join the exercises until she got up. Finally, she relented.

Welcome Respite

Turning adversity to advantage is a skill taught in management schools. With us, it comes naturally. We don’t even have to try, however boring or oppressive the conditions may be in the Garden. Somehow things happen and we are left with moments to cherish and the pleasant feeling of a morning well spent.
Today Kajal and Dilip Babani (above) announced their wedding anniversary, thus breaking the tedium of exercising silently in the searing early-morning heat. But for occasional taunts and digs from the likes of Yusuf Rassiwala, Sunita Jajodia and Nafisa Sayed, everything looked subdued with only Kishor-bhai’s music providing some entertainment. In fact, everybody appeared impatient, anxious to be done with the exercises and leave the Garden.
When Kajal arrived, followed by Dilip in bright red shirt, things suddenly brightened up. Everybody looked cheerful, eager to wish the couple on their anniversary. Whether it was their presence that brought about the change in mood or the fact there was now a reason to celebrate, is hard to say. But it has to be said that this is one charming and forever sprightly couple every single member in the Club is fond of and can only have good wishes for, celebration or no-celebration.
While thanking them for sharing their happiness with us with loads of biscuits, let us also join their family and friends in blessing them with many more years of togetherness and marital bliss. Indeed, they make a beautiful jodi, worthy of each other.
Renu Babani says:
Yes, a normal mundane morning was brightened by the arrival of Dilip and Kajal Babani. Their fun-loving nature and manner in which they make others laugh is definitely worth praise. Some would say I am being biased, but rest assured, even others have said the same thing. On their special day, may His blessings and love always be upon them and of course, many more wonderful years of togetherness.
--Renu

Under the Scanner

Ever since Hari Singh Shekhawat started filling in for absentee "teachers" (left), he has been under a scanner. Even when he does not conduct the exercises, all eyes seem to be upon him, scrutinizing him for the way he laughs, if he completes an action fully, whether he is bending properly… Not that it matters to anybody, least of all him. More importantly, this is done in jest, not to hurt feelings. Still, when Nahid Khan makes a comment like “Shekhawat-ji is always in a hurry to fly”, everybody’s attention instantly zeroes in on him.
Yesterday, Nafisa Sayed picked on him during the stretching exercises, mimicking his action, much to everybody’s amusement. Yusuf Rassiwala too had to correct him a couple of times. Srichand Arora declared jokingly that there is not a single exercise Shekhawat performs correctly. He took it forward today by pulling up the latter for not knowing how to laugh. “Until you toko him, he will not improve,” Arora reasoned, only to invite comments on whether he meant “toko” or “thoko”!
Meanwhile, Khatoon Baig and Razia Khan (right) came up with the suggestion of having a joint mega-celebration for all the members’ birthdays falling in June and July. According to them, there are about a dozen such members who might like to pool in and host a “grand party” in some restaurant close by. The idea was welcomed by all and the date tentatively fixed is Saturday, June 11. Arora offered to check with the next-door Celebration Club if such an event can be organized on "reasonable terms".
Watch this space.
Renu Babani says:
Yes, perhaps Mr Shekawat has his own way of performing the exercises, but let's appreciate the fact that he does come forward. Not everyone has the guts to be in the centre. We may laugh at one another, even be critical, but towards the end, we come together and have learnt to sideline lots of issues. It is not easy for so many different people to be standing together and learn to be cordial and friendly with one another. We have grown together, understanding the other person's need for space and privacy when necessary, and being a part of each other's joy and sorrow. I am sure this group shall continue in unity and most certainly no one shall even try to cause a rift in anyway. Let us see them even try!
--Renu

Best Laafer Award!

Professor Mirajgaonkar, better known as “Guru-ji” to members, came up with a funny proposal this morning. He wants a Best Laugher Award (sic) instituted by the Club, to be presented every year on World Laughter Day – the first Sunday of May. He also urged that this news be published in a local paper at the earliest.
The idea, he said, occurred to him when some members gathered to celebrate Laughter Day at the Garden yesterday. This blog had already observed the Day on May 1 itself. Now, since yesterday was Mother’s Day (May 8), Srichand Arora maintained that it would be better to celebrate Laughter Day today. So we raised an extra Ha-Ha after the exercises this morning – in effect, scoring a hat trick of World Laughter Days for the year.
As for the new award instituted, Guru-ji (above) spelt out the criteria for qualifying: one, the person should be regular in attendance and two, s/he be able to laugh the loudest and in the most carefree manner. Both the factors would presumably demonstrate a person’s seriousness towards laughing. Furthermore, as a token of appreciation, the Club should award a replica of the Laughing Buddha, he suggested.
Everybody gave Guru-ji a patient hearing and looked towards Shekhawat-ji for implementing the idea. To start with, this would involve maintaining a roster for marking daily attendance, according to Arora-sah’b. Shekhawat-ji just looked the other way, as in any case, he will be off on a holiday from Thursday.
The other person who is proceeding on vacation is Monthi Serrao (right). Today was her last day at the Garden before she leaves for Mangalore for three weeks. We wish her a safe journey and enjoyable time with her folks and look forward to her return on May 30.

PIC OF THE WEEK: 29

What's the name of the game?

YUSUF-BHAI PLAYING BASKETBALL WITH HIS GRANDSON
--Kishor Babani

"LET'S SEE WHO IS STRONGER AND WHO MISSES THE TARGET!"
--Renu Babani

BADE MIYAN TOH BADE MIYAN,
CHHOTE MIYAN SUBHAN ALLAH!
(Heard him say) "I also want be a COMPLAN BOY just like my grandfather! By the way Grandpa, did you have COMPLAN in your childhood?"
--Harish Wadhwa

Yusuf-bhai and his grandson are looking like BADE MIYAN and CHHOTE MIYAN playing in the Garden. Rab ne banadi jodi -- LAMBU and TINGU!
--Dilip Babani

And The Winners Are…

So the khatoon is out of the bag!
After a week of intense speculation, we have now come to recognise the “mystery woman” in our midst. She is none other than Khatoon Baig. And the ones to identify her correctly in this second edition of Pehchan Kaun (see post of last Sunday, May 1) are HARISH WADHWA and GEETA SARDANA (left). Both were declared winners by Srichand Arora (bottom left), who officiated as master of ceremonies in a short, but delightful session in the Garden this morning.
The picture you see below on the right is the original (untouched) ‘graduation photograph’ submitted by Ms Baig. The bindi on her forehead is a red herring. So it did not come as any surprise that a majority of the guesses went wide off the mark with non-Muslim ladies being the prime ‘suspects’. Mohankanwar Shekhawat came in for close scrutiny, followed by Ramila Mistry, Sunita Jajodia and Geeta Sardana herself. Some did pitch for Razia Khan and Mumtaz Jahan though. By and large, anybody with a presumably longish face and broad forehead in her teens came within the range of doubt. But for the two winners, nobody had imagined that Khatoon Baig could be the person.
However, it must be said that Monthi Serrao was among the first to be spot-on at identifying the lady correctly, but for some reason she did not want to post or SMS the name. Taking her word with nothing on record, could only invite needless criticism about favoritism. Also, Harish-bhai should be credited for his perceptive eye. Last time also, he had got to identify Yusuf Rassiwala correctly at first shot, but later changed his opinion. Geeta-ji went wrong last time, but now she was “101 percent sure” of herself.
Sadly Dilip Babani, the most enthusiastic “commenter” in this identification game did not show up this morning. Yusuf Rassiwala, Razia Khan and Mumtaz Jahan , among others, were also missed. Their presence would have added that extra zing to Srichand Arora making the announcements in his inimitable style, laced with natural wit and spontaneous humour.
P.S.: Ms Baig has recently had a cataract operation done. Hence the dark glasses you see in the lead pic.
Harish Wadhwa says:
Thank you very much Blog Monster, Arora-ji, Khatoon Baig-ji and members of our Big Laaf group for the recognition and prize. Ghar mehek utha unke uphaar se!
--Harish

Double Treat

One blessing of summer is that you wake up early. For, it is day-break early. And you arrive at the Garden early. So what do you do before the exercises begin at seven?
Gang up and gossip. The corner reserved for the Club’s inveterate ‘Chandaal Chaukdi’ (see post of December 27, 2010) during the winter months, has now been usurped as everybody’s favourite pit stop before entering the Garden. On the pretext of waiting for the others to arrive, this is where (above) they discuss the health of the nation, get themselves educated and generally, shoot the breeze.
The agenda today was the double treat in store – one, to celebrate G.R.Garg’s birthday ex-post facto and the other, to observe Fehmida Khan’s (left) birthday in advance. Mr Garg had already treated us to chocolates yesterday, but wanted an elaborate phapda-jalebi spread laid out in keeping with what has become Club convention.
Fehmida’s explanation was that since Hari Singh Shekhawat would be away to Rajasthan during her birthday, she'd rather celebrate today itself in his presence, along with Mr Garg. Many were however, unprepared and had to leave for home by eight, thus resulting in a huge pile of leftovers. Let’s hope nothing got wasted. If only an announcement had been made yesterday, people would have come in better prepared.
Today’s announcement was that we would be gathering in the Garden on May 8, Sunday, to celebrate the World Laughter Day. Conventionally, this day is observed on the first Sunday of May every year. Somehow, we gave it a miss on May 1 (last Sunday) and now, to make up for the lapse, we shall be commemorating the occasion with renewed vigour – ex-post facto of course!
Better late than never.
Renu Babani says:
Considering no announcement was made in regards to the birthday celebrations, there was a good turnout. I am sure the leftovers have been made into good use. It is true the hot weather is actually not helping during the morning exercises. However, we end up having enough to talk about in the hope of distracting ourselves from the humidity and heat. Celebrating Laughter Day on a Sunday is not a good idea, as many members do not come to the Garden. Hopefully there will be some turnout and we shall make the most of it amongst the members who decide to get up early on Sunday.
--Renu

In Slo-Mo

Now we know why Sunita Jajodia gets restless when Yusuf Rassiwala takes charge of the exercises. Imagine the latter being sent to nab Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad. He would descend from his helicopter, get into bin Laden’s bedroom and as is his nature, greet him with a “Good Morning” first, or “Jai Ho Pandurang Baba”. Then he would amble across the room, change position and enquire about his health. Probably thereafter would he open fire.
Yusuf-bhai’s unhurried style of conducting the exercises resulted in overshooting our time by 17 clear minutes today. Many of us like it this way. But Sunita had already walked out. Shekhawat kept holding his tummy, wanting to rush home and visit the toilet. Even an otherwise patient Tara Chand Seth kept calling out to Yusuf-bhai to quicken the pace. “Bahut der lagaa di,” he went on grumbling.
But certain things were beyond anybody’s control. For instance, a pesky bumble bee (or was it a big fly?) kept bothering Mumtaz Jahan, making her shriek twice and hit out aimlessly in the air with her handbag. It was a comical sight. Finally, the lady thought it prudent to cross over to where the men were standing, believing she would be better protected there. The bee did not follow her, much to everybody’s disappointment.
Today happened to be G.R.Garg’s (above, left) birthday and it was nice of him to usher in the celebrations with us in the Garden. He had brought along a box of chocolates with him. We could only thank him for the treat and wish him many years of good health and happiness.
It was also Tara Chand’s (right) day to say his goodbye before taking a flight to Delhi in the afternoon. At his age, he is one of the rare few who feels confident enough to undertake the journey all by himself. He says he needs to spend time at his “other home”, but will be back soon (which could mean easily six months) in Mumbai. Till then, he will be following us closely on this blog.