Lonavala II

After 12 months, two weeks and six days, we were back to the old and familiar – fresh air, undulating hills, lush greenery, well-trodden tracks, waterfalls, monkeys, Tiger Point, the ubiquitous Maganlal Chikkiwalas... and above all, the warmth and hospitality of an ever smiling Kishan Shahani, manager of the same old guesthouse. Not much has changed in Lonavala. Only we had changed. From 29 members last year (see post of September 25, 2010), we were down to a happy 24 this time – six males and 18 females.
The inverse ratio had kept the men on the back foot from the very start while the women called the shots. They took all the decisions on what to do, when to go out, where to go and so on… and the men simply followed like Mary’s little lambs. Of course, problems arose when we were all undecided and with the rains playing havoc, the ultimate scapegoat had to be the bus driver, not knowing when to stop and whom to listen. As a result, we missed a few sights and every time the bus stopped, it was a repeat story of everybody scurrying for cover with the skies opening up at that very moment!
But we had our share of fun. We had our rounds of antakshari, jokes, Housie sessions (with Nahid Khan and the Babani brothers walking away with much of the spoils), the impromptu songs and dances. Ved Prakash Grover got nicknamed “Shakti Kapoor” as his seat in the bus was in the midst of ladies (much like the movie actor being the sole male ‘house member’ in the current edition of Bigg Boss). Swati Punjabi became known as “Lakshmi” for some strange reason. Shekhawat too earned a new name during the trip – “Daddy”. But more important, it was Renu and Kishor Babani’s wedding anniversary. We learnt about this rather late, since the couple (above, left) had wanted to be discreet about it.
Today was also Tara Chand Seth’s birthday. He (above) is well into his eighties and apart from being the senior-most member, is among the fittest in the Club. He was with us on our last trip to Lonavala. This time we missed him as he is away at Delhi. Through this blog, we wish him many happy returns of the day.
Another member we missed sorely was Najma Sayed (left). She had paid up and even packed for the trip, but suffered a last-minute fall at home, resulting in a dislocated shoulder. Still, she remembered to send a casserole filled with the most divine cutlets for us to snack on during the journey. We cannot thank her enough for her kindness and in all sincerity, wish her a speedy recovery.
Dilip Babani:
* Really, the picnic was very nice. All the members enjoyed. Everybody got very good food, big rooms to stay, a comfortable journey with cloudy weather and heavy rain -- Badal garazte rahe, bijli chamak rahe, par sab ko mazaa aaya. Wow, what fun we had! We also had daal-pakwaan for breakfast. The Sindhi saai-bhaji pulav was very nice too. All the food was made with less oil. Tiger Point was very nice
and we had hot tea and garam-garam bhajiya. Lonavala is paradise on earth.
* Wish you a happy wedding anniversary, Kishor-bhai and Bhabi!
* We had lots of fun. We played antakshari (left pic). Many members got special names according to their roles. We enjoyed Housie (below, left) also. Some members took bath in the jharna (below, right) near Bushi Dam, which was
also a nice exprience. Everybody went to climb a little mountain also. One special name a lady got was "Lakshmi". Really, she made everybody laugh by her acting. Even Kishor-bhai took part in that acting. Very few ladies can act. It requires a lot of courage. But this lady could make us laugh continuously. Everybody liked her acting. There was a gentleman who made us laugh by narrating a joke like a long story. Nafisa did a nice Madhubala act. She got the highest marks. I think Madhubala's aatma got inside Nafisa. The
second highest marks went to Swati. She is also a really nice lady and tried to make everybody laugh. Our beloved organiser, Mr Shekhawat also got new name, "Daddy". He is so simple that he kept on laughing, singing, helping and taking advice from everybody. I have no words to explain what a simple and nice man he is. But really we missed Rehana, our group herione. She entertains all the time, endlessly.
I think everybody missed her. But all the ladies enjoyed a lot. They all sang very old songs. They are also very talented. Banu, Kajal, Bhaswati, Kiran, Razia, Nafisa, Swati and all the other ladies are familiar with old and new songs. I think everybody contributed in some way to this picnic. That is why it was such a success. May God bless everybody with good health and wealth so that we can go for picnics again and again!
Renu Babani: What a great picnic! We were one with nature and everyone just enjoyed themselves by letting their hair down. Everyone was helpful by just being there for one another. The atmosphere was positive and best of all was the place we stayed. We couldn't have gotten a better bargain with all the possible conveniences. Despite the rains, the cool climate lifted our spirits. It felt so nice to be away from the everyday routine and just do nothing but enjoy ourselves. Yes the Lonavala Hangover was evident this morning as many members didn't show up. But it was good to see Geeta and Harish-bhai back at the Garden. Surely more members shall return tomorrow morning. Thanks to Mr Shekawat and all those who supported him before and during the trip. These are what memories are made of... Unforgettable!