Murder Case

It was a classic case of Murder at Dawn. Eyes still laden with sleep, we were exercising quietly inside the Chinese Hut when Nafisa Sayed let out a sudden scream: “Ek murder case ho gaya!” Instantly, everybody stopped mid-action.
A red-faced Hari Singh Shekhawat meekly tried to explain: “Main bar bar isko bhagaa raha hoon, magar yeh mujhe kaatei jaye, kaatei jaye...” He bent down and pointed at a tiny wasp on the floor, clearly dead: “He bit me twice and I killed it once.”
Everybody heaved a sigh of relief. To an extent it explained Shekhawat’s peculiar antics since the start of the exercises. While everybody matched their movements with others, he was the only one to be doing a wild jig like he had ants in his pants.
Gopvinita (left) was however least amused by the turn of events. A known advocate for protecting all life forms on earth, she has been seen to be single-leggedly clearing the floor of the Chinese Hut of all insects, centipedes and caterpillars, lest they get trampled over accidentally while we exercise.
So minutes after the Shekhawat incident, when Bhaswati Bose shrieked because an ant had apparently crawled up her neck, Gopvinita could not hold herself. “Kya hua?” she demanded angrily.
“Badi chinti thi,” Bhaswati insisted.
“Toh kya hua? Tere se toh chhoti thi!” she reasoned.
As the monsoon progresses, we can expect more of such drama. The Chinese Hut will turn into a veritable menagerie -- home to assorted creepies and crawlies, not to mention flying bugs and confused grasshoppers. Every time we step into their territory, we’d be reviving the age-old war between man and insect.
Renu Babani says:
I guess, insects also need shelter from the rains. It will definitely get more amusing and interesting in the Chinese Hut as unwanted insects decide to join the exercise routine and be part of the Club. Heartfelt condolences to Monthi and Mrs Santosh Tyagi on their tragic loss. May He give the bereaved families the strength and courage each day to help in healing their pain and sorrow.
--Renu