Movers and Shakers

Hari Singh Shekhawat and Nahid Khan are back. Counted among the regulars and movers-and-shakers of the Club, their absence, even for a brief period, is felt by all. With their return, we are back to our normal complement of members for the exercises. As one who loves fishing for compliments, Nahid went one step further: “The Garden has got back its raunaq (lustre)!”
Nahid (below) had gone to Shirdi last Sunday. Upon returning, her daughter developed symptoms of severe food poisoning and had to be hospitalized. The girl was discharged yesterday and is now recuperating at home. This morning, the mother marked her attendance by distributing prasad from the Sai Baba shrine.
Shekhawat was away at Bikaner to attend a wedding. It was the second wedding in his family (within a fortnight) and thankfully, he looked hale and hearty (above), having well survived the rigors of travel and the by-now famous free-floating chudails of Rajasthan. Unlike the earlier two trips, he showed no signs of any hangover this time.
The continued absence of members like Yusuf Rassiwala, Nafisa Syed and Razia Khan however, remains a cause of concern. They too are senior members and have been active in the day-to-day affairs of the Club. According to Khatoon Baig, there are no festivals at this time of the year to keep them all away. “It is nothing but sheer laziness on their part,” she insists.
Srichand Arora’s take on Yusuf-bhai’s absence is more telling: “He is as irregular (in attendance) as he is regular!”
Renu Babani:
Our "principal"/ "daddy" is back and the group is heaving a sigh of relief. I guess it could be because Mr Shekawat seems fine and perhaps even scared away the chudails. Some members seem to be affected by the weather. I guess seeing it so dark outside does make one lazy. However, please do return. We miss you because it has become a habit of meeting every morning!