Midweek Merriment

Bapu Rane (right) walked into the Garden with a spring in his step. From a distance he looked like some master blaster, making wild sweeps in the air from an invisible cricket bat. By the time he took his position in the circle for the exercises, his stance had changed to a butcher executing ferocious chops. “Dho dala!” he declared.
Rane’s sense of jubilation obviously stemmed from India walloping Sri Lanka yesterday to qualify for a berth in the final of the current cricket tri-series in Australia. However, as Tara Chand cautioned, it is still premature to celebrate as India could well be dislodged if Sri Lanka were to defeat the Australians on Friday. A diehard cricketing optimist, Rane continued to display his trademark toothless grin long after the exercises were over.

The return of Renu and Kishor Babani from a whirlwind tour of northern India (left) was another highpoint of the morning. Both appeared cheerful and rejuvenated, even as the former is yet to get rid of an obstinate frog in her throat. While she kept coughing, Kishor happily circulated the photographs from their trip. There was prasad also from the Golden Temple of Amritsar and of course, sweets for the Club which the Babanis religiously bring back every time they have to go out of Mumbai.
But more than all these niceties, the best part was that there was music once again at the Garden. There were the jokes also and the spontaneous outbursts of laughter. And the morning rendezvous at the chai shop, with Kishor playing master of ceremonies as usual. It’s amazing how one couple can make such a big difference to the Club.
Welcome back, Kishor and Renu Babani.
Harish Wadhwa:
Kishor-da, nice to see you back with your daily joke-ka-dose. I was missing both of you at the Garden and chai. Thanks for the holy prasad from the Golden Temple.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Hum Hai Hindustani, jeet jayenge hum!"
* "I better keep mum, because no sooner I open my mouth than the frog in my throat will take its chance!"
[Great to be back after the tour. We received a warm welcome from everyone, making us realise how important each one of us are as a family.]

52nd Anniversary!

Today was Hari Singh Shekhawat’s big day; his 52nd wedding anniversary – to the date. Last Saturday, he and his wife joined five February-borns (see post) from the Club for a mega celebration in the Chinese Hut. But he had mentioned then that he would also be having an exclusive “surprise party” on Tuesday. Those near and dear to him knew exactly what his excitement was about. After all, how many couples are as blessed as to be able to celebrate more than half-a-century of togetherness with such enthusiasm?
So this morning, when Shekhawat was seen repeatedly wandering away and making phone calls during the exercises, nobody was surprised. Many were in fact, amused as one by one, 36 people showed up at the Garden and later, wished him. Even Dilip Babani, who had missed the February 28 bash, responded to his phone call.
Only Nafisa Sayyad was not to be seen. When Shekhawat enquired about her whereabouts, Razia Khan’s reply was that she was in another world – “doosri duniya”. Yusuf Rassiwala promptly picked on the expression and sought a clarification: whether she meant “the world of dreams” or someplace else? From nowhere Tara Chand Seth piped in, offering to take Yusuf-bhai along to check: “Chalo, ho aatey hain!”
It was in this atmosphere of light-heartedness, deliberate leg-pulling and tomfoolery, and amidst much backslapping and warm hugs that Shekhawat’s wedding anniversary was celebrated. All along, he was beaming with joy. Once again, we wish him and his wife lots of laughter together, excellent health and continued bliss in years to come.

Kitty Party

For a club that has hitherto steadfastly shied away from all dealings in cash, the response to today's proposal for starting a kitty party came as a major surprise. Srichand Arora tossed the idea in passing (so as to ‘test the waters’) and to his amazement all those present – from Hari Singh Shekhawat to Santosh Tyagi to Mumtaz Jahan – were in for it. There was not a single voice of dissent.
Much as the full Club has not been taken into confidence, it is clear that we could face a problem of plenty. Even if 30 members were to join and monthly contribution per head is pegged to Rs3,000 (members are actually talking of Rs5,000 or thereabouts in keeping with the practice elsewhere), we should have nearly a lakh in the kitty by the end of every month.
According to Arora, this would be an unmanageable sum of money in view of the obvious risks of defaults and absence of adequate back-up. In his opinion, we should therefore limit the kitty to Rs50,000 only and then work backwards depending on the number of participants.
On another front, Harish Wadhwa has come forward with a few samples (right) of caps that are to be distributed to members of the club. As of now, ‘Sample A’ appears to be the clear favorite – unless of course, majority opinion swings in favour of another sample. So please have a closer look at these samples and let us have your opinion at the earliest. We would like to give away the caps by the end of this week – absolutely free-of-charge!
Harish Wadhwa:
We have gone ahead with Sample A with minor changes. Caps are expected to be received by this weekend. So let us begin the topi pehnane ka kaam next week onwards.

Day 573

Pic of the Week

Who… and what are these people doing in our blog?

"KESARIYA BAALAM, PADHAARO MAARE DES"--Kishor Babani

"Yeh chhora toh chokho gabru jawan hai! Aur chhori bhi kam na hai!! Jodi toh chokhi aur mast laghe hai!!!" -- Dilip Babani

"Une belle paire. Sont-ils des acteurs ou dans un jeud'un concours de costume de mode?" --Anonymous
(Translated from French: A lovely pair. Are they actors or in a game of fashion costume contest?)

"They are wandering nomads from Rajasthan!" --Bhaswati Bose

"Aree kya ye Jagiya aur Anandi (Balika Vadhu) hain? Lagta hai Anandi ne kuchh vajan kam kiya hai aur Jagiya ne thora vajan bada liya hai. But in any case, they make a wonderful pair. God bless you both." -- Srichand Arora

"What a lovely firangi couple in a traditional Rajasthani dress! Kishor-da and Renu-ji, you two look fab in this pic!!! Nice Sunday pic, Blog Monster." -- Harish Wadhwa
P.S.: Arora-sa'ab, Anandi is no more the bindani of Jagiya as he has married another pretty girl from college. But here, Kishor-da and Renu-ji ki jodi salamat hai aur kya khoob hai. Jagiya, Amritsar ke parathe aur lassi pi kar lauta hai aur Delhi ke chhole bhature kha kar aya hai. Isliye dress thodi see tight hai! --H.W.

Grand Reunion

Normally attendance is marked by presence. Today we had to look for those who were absent – so overwhelming was the response to the party hosted by seven senior members in the Chinese Hut.
On a rough count, we were around 40 during the exercises and by the time the celebrations began, the number had swelled to way beyond 60. In what appeared to be a grand reunion of sorts, old friends like Abbas Bhai and Arun Patil were also there.
Those missing (eventually reckoned to be six only) were said to be out of station – barring of course, Dilip Babani. His absence remains unexplained yet.
For Hari Singh Shekhawat and wife Mohankanwar (seated, right pic), it was time to commemorate a major milestone in life: their 52nd marriage anniversary.
Our heartiest congratulations and good wishes go to them, as also to the five others who joined the couple to celebrate their birthdays which fell on different dates this month (standing from left to right) – Vasudev Bhateja, Mumtaz Jahan, Zarina Khan, Mohar Singh and Santosh Tyagi.
And what a celebration this was!
Never before had the Club been treated to such a fine assortment of appetizing and lip-smacking savories sourced from a relatively unknown shop at Four Bungalows – all thanks to Vasudev Bhateja who had personally hand-picked the crispy dhoklas, spring rolls, samosas, potato chops... So irresistible was the fare that most people, for once, wiped their paper platters clean on-the-spot, rather than pack the food home (as has been the polite practice).
Towards the end, Rehana Sheikh tried to organize tea to wash down the eats; but by the time it arrived, it had become too late. People started leaving. Nevertheless, she treated those who cared to accompany her to the chai shop with piping hot tea and biscuits.
Harish Wadhwa:
* 'Happy Marriage Anniversary' to Shekhawat-ji and his wife, Mohankanwar-ji on their 52nd milestone. May you jhelo each other happily and merrily for many, many years and janams to come. 'Happy Birthday' to the ones who celebrated their birthdays today with such goodies. May you all have a very long and happy life, and keep treating us the next and the following years.
* It was nice to see the celebrities dressed in style for the occasion.
Renu and Kishor Babani:
* Wishing the Shekhawats A Very Happy Wedding Anniversary -- a milestone indeed and goes to show that it is possible for two people to be together for so long. God bless them always!
* Birthday wishes to all those who celebrated together at the party. We are sure it must have been fun having a huge crowd sharing such a special occasion.
Dilip Babani:
* Wishing Shekhawat-ji and Mrs Shekhawat a happy and loving long life on their marriage anniversary. God bless you both.
* Wishing Happy Birthday to the other five members of the Club. God bless all of you.

Back from Umrah

Bright, pleasant morning – made brighter by a beaming Khatoon Baig (right), who has returned from a successful pilgrimage of Mecca. While she took her position in the circle for the exercises, Razia Khan rushed up to her to congratulate her. Before setting out, Khatoon had said that it had always been her "life’s dream" to perform Umrah. We all felt happy for her and soon after the exercises, applauded her with a rousing extra laugh. She had thoughtfully brought back almond-encrusted dates from Saudi Arabia, which, for many of us were a first. Very sweet of her!
Meanwhile, work has begun for the preparation of ID-cards and caps for members. The general preference is for plastic photo-IDs (the size of credit cards) instead of “ordinary” paper laminations “school kids carry around their necks”. Harish Wadhwa had a few options for polo caps as well – in red-and-white, blue-and-red, blue-and-white… with the Club’s 'happy face' logo embossed in front.
Srichand Arora had yet another suggestion: Why not start a “kitty party” (like other clubs do) which would be a happy excuse for members to meet in a relaxed, more convivial environment on a regular monthly basis? The time is ripe, it would increase bonding and who knows, the “kitty” might even come to use for someone in a moment of crisis.
The proposal however, requires to be formally presented to the Club for ratification.
Harish Wadhwa:
Greetings to Khatoon Baig-ji for the Umrah pilgrimage of Mecca.

Just Chill!

Just when everything looked hunky-dory at the Club, a seemingly trivial matter has thrown the proverbial spanner in the works. Objections raised yesterday by a senior member (name withheld for obvious reasons) on exchanging high-fives between men and women after the exercises, had generated an undercurrent of tension right through the morning. Not that the high-fives matter to anybody, but it is the domineering and self-opinionated attitude of the lady in question that has raised the hackles of many. Members were unanimous in their view that this was totally unnecessary and uncalled for and it would only vitiate the atmosphere of the Club. Even Srichand Arora was shocked when this was reported to him. “But what was wrong with it?” he exclaimed in disbelief.
Others were not as polite: “What is her problem when we are all okay with it?” “What if we were to defy her and insult her now?” “Does she think we come to the Garden to do ishq?” “She should show us some respect.” “Next she would want us to hang a bedsheet and tell the women to exercise on one side and the men on the other!” The ladies wanted the men to intervene on their behalf, but it was decided not to make a mountain out of a molehill now, in deference to her age and seniority. At an appropriate time, when tempers cool down, she would be gently told to relax and take it easy. After all, in a free country, nobody is anybody’s moral guardian after the age of 18 years.
If there’s anyone missing this hullabaloo, it should be Kishor Babani. For the past one week, he and his wife, Renu are living out of suitcases while shuttling between Delhi and Amritsar, Delhi and Jaipur, and Ajmer… and god-knows-where else, before heading homewards. Here we see him (above) at Jaipur basking in the afternoon sunshine of Kanak Vrindavan Garden. We wish the couple all joy for the rest of their trip and hope to see them early next week.
Harish Wadhwa:
Kishor-da, looking great. Hope you too are having a great time.

Creative Excuses

Nahid Khan (right) is not one to normally come late. She is also known to rarely take a day off. So this morning, when there was no sign of her till half way through the exercises, everyone got worried. Shekhawat was about to phone her when she showed up grinning ear to ear. “Baap-re-baap, kya machchar hai!” she exclaimed. “The mosquitoes made life miserable all night. Only towards the morning could I catch some sleep.”
Gone are the days when “having overslept” or “not feeling well” was the standard excuse for anyone turning up late or taking a break from the exercises. “Having guests at home” too has become passé. And to say “there’s work to do at home” sounds suspiciously like a Sunita Jajodia-excuse.
So like recalcitrant kids, our members are getting creative by the day. If one blames the municipal water supply for coming late, another discovers that s/he cannot use the toilet because there are too many people at home. Razia Khan found herself trapped in a lift one day, whereas Sitaram Hivarkar has a perennial problem with a non-functional lift in his building. He cannot take the stairs up. The best of course, is from Yusuf Rasiwalla (above, left): “I usually get up in time as I genuinely want to come to the Garden; but I cannot understand why my legs don’t bring me here.”
Meanwhile, there’s Shekhawat going gung-ho with plans to celebrate his 52nd wedding anniversary on February 25 (Saturday) in the Garden. He announced he would be having a ‘joint celebration’ with all those whose birthdays fall in February – thereby sparking a minor debate among members. While some people like Tara Chand Seth (above, right) argued for keeping it small and not make a song-and-dance about the celebration in advance, others had a problem with the bona fides of those who habitually invite themselves to our parties. As always, the discussion was inconclusive…
Post Script: Santosh-ji requires empty plastic bottles urgently for carrying kanji to the Garden. Big Laaf appeals to members to bring whatever 2 litre bottles they can spare (better still, empty all your plastic bottles at home!) and hand them to Santosh-ji at the earliest -- if not sooner.
Harish Wadhwa:
* No problems Santosh-ji. We have decided to give you buckets instead of two-litre PET bottles. Actually we don't want to inconvenience you in pushing the carrot and beetroot through small openings of the PET bottles. Buckets will be better for the gallons of "gulabo" drink.
* Must say Hari-bhai is bindaas in his special jokes. He is at his creative best during chai. He maintains his naughty grin but ensures that his fellow colleagues are in splits.
* We saw a sensational 'trailer', wishing we'd see the complete movie some day. You know what I am talking of buddy!
* Honestly, I second Tara Chand-ji's opinion about keeping celebrations simple.
* Kishor-da and Renu-ji, hope you people are fine. Missing you and your daily jokes-ka-tadka. Ganju-Panju ki half century hone par badhai! Keep going and laughing as usual.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* Don't I look cool in my orange cap?
* I wish everyone would stop calling me 'bhai'... I am like everyone else.
* What is all this commotion about, please someone explain.

Rs 50 please…

The first step towards ‘structuring’ the Club was taken this morning with Hari Singh Shekhawat asking all members to put in Rs50 for the opening of a bank account. Within minutes of his announcement, 20 members came forward (left pic) with their contribution and the rest have promised to pay tomorrow.
The money, Shekhawat clarified, is a one-time fee meant to also formalize membership and in effect, ensure increased involvement of members in the day-to-day activities of the Club. In fact, it was Pradeep Gupta (below) -- the initiator of the idea of monetizing this blog (see post of December 16, 2011: Scent of Money) -- who had originally proposed charging a nominal sum of Rs50 so as to instill in every member a “sense of pride and belongingness” towards the Club.
Accordingly, a laminated photo-Identity Card would be issued to each member in the near future. Srichand Arora is keen to present every member a complimentary ‘club cap’ also, for which Harish Wadhwa would be exploring the possibilities. It was also reiterated that for the present, no new member would be admitted or for that matter, should an existing member be dropped. The current membership list, reproduced alongside under ‘OUR FAMILY’, remains sacrosanct and frozen for now.
This however, does not debar anyone, stranger or friend, from joining the morning exercises, as has been the practice all along. Also, should our ‘Panch Parmeshwar’ (who constitute the managing committee) decide to admit or drop any member in future, it would have to seek the approval of 80 per cent of members attending on any given day. Besides, it would have to resolve within themselves the allocation of duties (including ‘cheque signing’ authority) which would facilitate working out the formalities necessary to get the Club registered.
Post Script: Santosh-ji requires empty plastic bottles urgently for carrying kanji to the Garden. Big Laaf appeals to members to bring whatever 2 litre bottles they can spare (better still, empty all your plastic bottles at home!) and hand them to Santosh-ji at the earliest -- if not sooner.

Bum-Bum Bhole

Mahashivratri – the Great Night of Lord Shiva (left), marking his wedding anniversary. It was on this day that he had performed the cosmic dance (tandav nritya) also. So the turnout at the Garden had to be low. Most of the members chose to stay away, presumably to visit temples or perform puja at home on an empty stomach.
A religious ceremony was also held across the road at Lokhandwala Garden No 2, much to Hari Naraiyani’s consternation. He could not understand the logic behind the ritual of pouring gallons of water, milk and honey over a stone shivalinga (phallic symbol) from morning to night. He kept cribbing about the colossal wastage on this day when millions of children across the country go hungry to bed every night. He wanted all the milk and honey be diverted to the children… when Srichand Arora politely told him to shut up and stop being "philosophical". Obediently Hari-bhai kept his counsel, but nevertheless went across to Garden No 2 to “check what was going on there”!
Yes, Arora has resumed his morning routine, but looked to be still in pain. He skipped some of the exercises. For the past one week, he has been under the care of a neuro-surgeon for his ailing back and was advised bed-rest for another week. But obvious boredom and inactivity at home drove him to the Garden, only to find himself in greater distress and he had to abruptly excuse himself from the tea session.
Earlier, Shekhawat stepped into Kishor Babani’s shoes to narrate (right pic) some jokes he had obviously come prepared with. Santosh Tyagi too did her bit at regaling her fans soon after the exercises, followed by Jagmohan Papneja as usual. The other day Nahid Khan had proved to be quite a good narrator of jokes. At this rate, everybody is having a go at everybody’s funny bone. Clearly, the more the merrier… as they say.
Dilip Babani:
On Mahashivratri day, Hindus visit temples and enjoy thandai with prasad. I went to the Lokhandwala temple of Shiv-Ganpati-Hanuman. The place was nicely decorated and lots of people were standing in a queue to visit God Shiv. The government had declared Mahashivratri a public holiday.

Day 566

Pic of the Week

Hangover from the elections... that wasn't!

"Jai Ho, Hari-bhai! Hum sab aap ke saath hai!!!" -- Renu Babani

"VOTING TOH HO GAI NAA. POSTER UTAAR DOH... NAHIN TOH HARI-BHAI, AAP BHEE PHANSENGE RAHUL GANDHI JAISE!" --Srichand Arora

Spring Time

Spring is already here. Adding to the atmosphere of light-heartedness and good cheer was the relaxed mood of members that the week-end usually brings in. Being a Saturday, nobody was in any hurry to return home. In effect, the Garden turned into a wonderful fairyland with members forming little clusters to unwind and shoot the breeze after the exercises.
While Bapu Rane, Pratap Bhatt and others did a post-mortem of the civic poll results declared yesterday, Jagmohan Papneja got Tara Chand, Ved Prakash Grover and Harish Wadhwa interested in a Rotary event at Juhu for this evening. Simultaneously, another group debated over Manwani’s invite to ISKCON auditorium where a four-hour variety programme, including a play, is being staged tomorrow.
But the one to hold centre-stage was Hari Singh Shekhawat, who was gheraoed by ladies (top pic) curious about the Mumtaz-Tasleem catfight on Thursday (yesterday’s post) and now wanted a blow-by-blow account from him. Shekhawat was only too happy to oblige and with dramatic flourish, underlined his role in diffusing the situation. In a sense, some clarity was needed on this incident because rumours are already flying thick and fast (with exaggerations, of course) over what had transpired (and had not) between the warring women.
The discussions were taken to the Wisdom Tree, under which the Badmaash Company has been meeting for cutting-chai every morning. For the record, Monthi Serrao became its new convert today, thanks mainly to the persuasive skills of Harish and the reassuring presence of two ladies, Santosh Tyagi and Bhaswati Bose (in pic, above). Besides, we must appreciate that Monthi is a woman of her word. On February 16, she had promised to join the B-Company over tea on Saturday and very graciously, she kept her appointment today.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* Listen, what I say is not funny! Why do you look so amused?
* See, the Badmaash Co has acquired another feather in its cap: They added a new entrant. Kudos!
Harish Wadhwa:
* The women seem to be enjoying the narration of the cat fight from Shekhawat-ji. Look at the sparkling eyes of astonishment on Bhaswati-ji's face! Aisa hua tha kya? The reason for the brawl is still a mystery though.
* Thanks Monthi-ji, for joining the tea group this morning. Please come more often. You are right Blog Monster, the two ladies gave her company and assurance while she was with the most notorious yet young and handsome men in town (Ho-Ho...LOL)!
* Santosh-ji seems to be really thrilled with her new home at Indra Darshan. Aaap kanji kab banaoge? Ab toh taarif bhi kar di... Holi bhi nazdeek hai. Abhi se doh-chaar balti/ drum bananey ke liye rakh dijiye. Dhoop sekne mein samaye lagega.
* Kishor-da and Renu-ji, hope you are enjoying your trip. Looking forward to hearing a lot of masala stories on your return.
* We all wish Hari Naraiyani-ji good health since he was not feeling too well at the Garden. Looking forward to Arora-ji joining on Monday.

Ugly Catfight

The Club was abuzz with conflicting reports of an ugly fracas breaking out between Mumtaz Jahan and a lady called Tasleem (not a member) soon after we had left the Garden yesterday morning. What the cause of the flare-up was, nobody knows. Opinion is also divided over who is at fault. But everyone agrees that the two fiercely headstrong ladies suddenly went berserk as they charged at each other, mouthing the choicest abuses in Hindi and Urdu and had brought all activity in the Garden to a standstill. According to eye-witness accounts, had they not been physically restrained by the crowd that had gathered, the situation would have turned uglier.
“Their drama was much like the heated exchanges we see on television where ladies of a mohalla get into trading filthy language and tearing one another’s hair,” narrated a highly amused Hari Singh Shekhawat. “Had I not been there and separated the two, they would probably have ended up gouging each other’s eyes out!”
Like many others, Shekhawat feels "hostilities from the past" had “resurfaced after a year” and taken such a violent turn. However, neither he nor any member dared to bring up the subject when Mumtaz (right) turned up for the exercises. Clearly she was still in a foul mood and bristling with scary words like “behuda” and “zaleel” while confiding with Razia Khan and other ladies.
Shekhawat had a more important issue on his agenda though. Soon after the prayers, he got into a huddle (top pic) with Yusuf Rassiwala, Monthi Serrao and Razia Khan to “review the membership list”. After prolonged discussions, they took a call on the inclusion of a new entrant, dropping one member who shows up only for parties and adding one whose name had been erroneously deleted from the list. The decision has been kept in abeyance, pending the approval of the fifth member of the managing committee, Srichand Arora. He should hopefully be joining us on Monday.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Yes, I certainly understand what you say and I think we all agree as well."
* "I am always right and have won again. Can't you see how happy I look?"
Harish Wadhwa:
Panch Parmeshwar's decision is final and we shall accept it. Come on, this a simple social group. Have the flexibility to embrace kind and good people who wish to be a part of it. The list can always be corrected/ modified/ names added/ deleted. Does it concern everyone so much?

Election Day

Big day for the Bombay Municipal Corporation. Many members did not make it to the Garden as they had to cast their vote. Some like Jagmohan Papneja and Hari Naraiyani abandoned the exercises midway to be in time for polling to start at 7:30 a.m. Others rushed out soon afterwards in order to avoid the long queues outside polling booths during the day. Harish Wadhwa tried gallantly to waylay Monthi Serrao to join Badmaash Company for tea, but failed. She too was in a hurry to vote. Earlier, Nahid Khan and Ramila Mistry dashed out of the Garden in different directions, anxious to keep their appointment with democracy. In effect, no sooner were the exercises over than everyone was seen making a beeline to one polling centre or the other.
But this was after they had all said their goodbyes to the Babani couple, Kishor (above) and Renu (right). They are leaving this afternoon on a 12-day trip of northern India, covering Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Amritsar… right up to the Wagah checkpost on the Indo-Pakistan border. The running joke in the Club is that when they return and Shekhawat would learn that they had a great time, he is bound to organize the next picnic not just at Wagah, but in Pakistan itself. And Kishor and Renu would have to go again, just as they are on to Goa in March – all because they had truthfully reported that they enjoyed their stay at Calangute Beach last month.
So this time around, we won’t be surprised if Kishor scares Shekhawat with horror stories of surviving sniper bullets and having to take shelter in BSF bunkers on the border. Yes, we look forward eagerly to their return this month-end.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Yes, I hear you and understand what you say. I shall do my best to fulfil your wishes."
* "Got a private coupe in Rajdhani Express for the two of us. Guess I will have to climb up to sleep. Hope my poor old joints don't fail me!"
Harish Wadhwa:
* Monthi-ji was curious to know where the chai-wallah was and has promised to join us in the near future. We know, all ladies need vehement persuasion to believe that not all men are "badmaash", before agreeing to join the B-Company.
* Kishor-da and Renu-ji are both striking a very thoughtful pose in the pics. Will miss you guys. Have a great time on this Valentine trip!
* Renu-ji, do get me the blessings of Babaji -- a handful of prasad, from the Golden Temple.
Renu Babani:
Yes Harish-bhai, prasad is definitely on its way.

Tension Free

The pullovers and mufflers are coming off. But the change of season isn’t going down well with many members. All the biggies of the Club, including Srichand Arora, Yusuf Rassiwala and Sitaram Hivarkar have become erratic in their attendance. Even Kishor Babani was not to be seen today – thus making way for Jagmohan Papneja (left) to take charge of the jokes’ session. And when Hari Singh Shekhawat came in towards the fag end of the exercises, looking utterly crest fallen (apparently, he has been under the weather since last evening) Geeta Sardana couldn’t help observing that his left moustache had turned droopy. “That moustache too is not feeling well!” she quipped.
But the real stars of the morning were the Khan duo, Nahid and Razia (right). Both were in an unusually talkative mood today, the latter constantly disrupting Nahid (as she conducted the exercises) with her banter. It seemed, some domestic problem was bothering her and the more she wanted to talk about it, Nahid kept repeatedly cutting her short with a terse “tension leney ka nahin!”
After a point, Razia got irritated and challenged her: “How to get rid of tension when it follows you like a boyfriend?” That gave Nahid a handle and amidst rousing laughter, she kept needling Razia with her own example, how she manages to remain tension-free and happy, etc. and even offered to do her cooking in one hour, if that was an issue. Fed up with her jibes, Razia blurted out: “Arrey, yeh toh meri peechey haath-dho ke nahin, nahaa-dho ke pad gayi hai!”
In the all-consuming mirth and hilarity, what we fail to realize is that Razia was only looking for a patient ear – a sounding board to express her pent-up feelings – something she probably does not find at home. Like many of us, she sees the Garden as a place to unburden herself.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "How come only the male species are interested in my jokes? Where are the females?"
* "Come what may, we shall stand together as one and handle all obstacles our way!"
Harish Wadhwa:
It was nice to see Jagmohan-ji taking centre-stage for the joke session in the absence of Kishor-da with the story of four turban men venturing into business. The friendly cat fight between Nahid-ji and Razia-ji is only to laugh and unwind -- rightly said by the blog monster. In reality, they are thick pals and have a great concern for each other's well-being -- visible from their impish smiles in the pic.

Valentine Spirit

On a day meant for couples to make merry, not a single jodi from the Club could be seen. Mr and Mrs Arora, Dilip-Kajal, Mr and Mrs Shekhawat, Bose-Bhaswati, Mr and Mrs Garg… were all conspicuous by their absence. Even Renu Babani, regarded as one of the most regular of members, left Kishor to his devices this morning.
Eventually it was for the Club’s senior-most member, Tara Chand Seth to celebrate the Valentine spirit by presenting a rose to the young and charming Divya (left). The TV starlet, who happens to be a paying guest with Hari Naraiyani, had dropped by unannounced to take part in the exercises. She was rewarded by the red rose.
It was also the birthday of Mumtaz Jahan (below, left) today. She showed up rather late and was greeted with the usual round of applause and an extra laugh. Tara Chand was keen on making it a double celebration ( with Valentine’s Day) and wanted to gift a rose to her “Shah Jahan” (as he referred to her husband) also. But that was not to be. She had to make do with lots of wishes, love and fresh air.
Amidst all this celebration and merriment, there was one rankling issue: the absence of Srichand Arora (right). Yesterday, while having tea after the exercises, he had complained of “excruciating pain” in the centre of his chest, such that he could not even bear to touch the region. So this morning, when he did not come to the Garden, alarm bells went up. Worse, he was not responding to calls as his mobile phone had been switched off.
Later, much later in the day, we got word that his chest pain had subsided, but a catch in the back had kept him home bound. He believes it is “not very serious” and would mend itself with some rest. We can only hope likewise and wish him relief and complete recovery, sooner than soonest.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "See what a lovely daughter I have!"
* "Hey, it's my birthday and no one can say I am a year older!"
* "I am trying to smile through the pain..."
Srichand Arora:
CONGRATULATIONS, DEAR BLOGMONSTER! OUR PAGE VIEWS HAVE CROSSED 80,000!!!
Harish Wadhwa:
Arora-ji, tussi saddi shaan ho te jaan ho. Apna khayal rakho. Missed you at the Garden today. Asaan tahanwanji tandurusti je laye, prarthna kayoontha (We'll pray for your good health). Tahanwanji jaldu chaku bhala thee wanjon (Get well soon).
Srichand Arora adds:
I am really very thankful to you all for your concern. Since yesterday, I have developed a little backache and been advised complete bed-rest for 3/4 days. Hope to see you all on Monday.

Return to Routine

After all the activity and excitement over Manori last week, suddenly there was a lull this morning at the Garden. We were back to the grind with 17 members reporting for the exercises. Most of them had gone on the picnic and looked suitably upbeat and cheerful – if only to make the others jealous (or repentant) for missing out on all the fun at Manori. Shekhawat even commented that “those who chose not to go on the picnic, can only regret their decision now”.
Kishor Babani had his BlackBerry on to display images of the picnic from the slideshow appearing in this blog.To many (particularly those who do not have ready access to computers at home), this was an opportunity to revisit the Manori experience. The general consensus was that were it not for the picnic, we would probably not have found a reason to visit the place ever in our lives. Some like Srichand Arora are already wanting to know when and where would we be headed for the next picnic.
Meanwhile, we have the Club’s ladies-who-movie (like the ladies-who-lunch) making an appointment with Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (right) at Cinemax for the afternoon show. The romcom about an uptight architect (Imran Khan) and a quick-witted hairstylist (Kareena Kapoor) getting married in Las Vegas after having a few drinks too many has obviously struck a sympathetic chord in Santosh Tyagi, Monthi Serrao, Bhaswati Bose, Renu and Kajal Babani. But for the men in the Club, somehow, the storyline makes no sense.
Harish Wadhwa:
* What an appetite for fun and entertainment that some wish to watch a movie now! Wah, kya baat hai!!! Nice to see ladies taking the lead to enjoy a fantasy film.
* Tomorrow is NCP Kashmir leader's Happy Birthday (14/2). Greetings in advance Mumtaz Jahan-ji. Your birthday coincides with the Valentine Day celebrations!
* By the way, our blog today hit 79,777 page views -- which means that we will soon cross the 80,000 mark and head steadily towards a six figure number. Wow, kya baat hai!!!

Day 559

Pic of the Week

the sun, the sea and the surf...

Beautiful day, time to relax and enjoy...Care to join me?-- Renu Babani

Picnic at Manori

After a week of bitter cold, we were in for warm sunshine… and the sea, surf and stretches of golden sand. We soaked in the sounds and smell of a bygone era – a Portugese settlement, now a fishing village of Christians. We had paneer masala, chicken curry, jeera rice, poha, puris, pakoras, gulab-jamuns… and ice gola, beer, rum and coke. And we scoured the beach, sang antakshari, danced to Chikni Chameli, played Housie…
In short, we had a blast!
Setting out from the Garden at 8.00 a.m. (see yesterday’s post), the bus dropped us at Marve in half an hour. After a short ferry ride and an even shorter bus ride, we were at Manori Resort by 9.00 a.m. Instantly Srichand Arora got into action, taking charge of a degchi of poha and doling out our first meal of the day (follow the slideshow alongside) with potato curry and puris – before everyone dispersed towards the beach.
It was still low tide then. Hari Singh Shekhawat chaperoned the ladies to the far reaches of the deserted beach (before the sun got the better of them), while Arora laid the ground with a bed-sheet for the lazier lot to relax. Between the two, all activities during the day were conducted with mechanical precision, perfect coordination and attention to detail.
And yet, there was so much of heart on display – be it in the caring and concern about the personal needs of individual members or the warmth with which ‘guests’ (strangers, actually) were drawn into the group, in the jokes traded and drinks shared or while playing antakshari and Housie, the impromptu dances of couples… If this picnic is to be remembered, it would be for this reason: there was not one discordant note sounded during the day, thanks entirely to Shekhawat and Arora.
On the flip side though, two incidents did cause concern. One, Kishor Babani managed to misplace his reading glasses and got us all rummaging the sands… till he figured he could have lost it on the ferry across Manori Creek. The other vexing issue was whether we had left behind someone on our way back. If so, who could that be? After counting all heads three times, checking and cross-checking with the passenger list, the mystery was resolved: Two kids, who were treated as one adult (for accounting purposes), had been counted separately in the beginning. But Shekhawat’s wife, Mohan Kanwar had the last laugh: “We were 36 when we set out from home. Now we are 35!”
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
These photos are proof of all the fun we had at the picnic. What started as friends when we would meet daily for the exercises has turned out to be a real family. Goes to prove that Our Family is priceless and these memories will remain forever.
Kishor Babani:
I found my glasses at home. I forgot to take it on the picnic. So everything is okay. Had great fun at Manori.
Dilip Babani:
I think all the members enjoyed a lot. Everyone was happy and relaxed. We played antakshari, had nice food and chilled beer. Without the support of Shekhawat-ji and Arora-ji, this lovely picnic would not have been possible.
Harish Wadhwa:
Picnic pics are very nice, thanks to our 'official' reporter and photographer. With such good pics and the time you all had, those who could not make it (including myself) must be very JEALOUS. Everyone at the Garden was appreciating the scrumptious food as well. I also heard about the healthy competition of antakshari between the erudite friends who knew and shared some of the old and less-heard legendary songs. I am sure Arora-ji and others must have defeated the women gang of Banoo-ji, Bhaswati-ji, etc. quite squarely!

All Set to Go

With less than 24 hours to go, Hari Singh Shekhawat had the final briefing (left) for Manori soon after the exercises. The bus, he said, would leave the Garden at 8.00 a.m. tomorrow – by which time everyone is expected to occupy their seats. In all, 33 members (and guests) have enlisted for the picnic, each of whom would be allotted a seat number in the bus. Tea would be served before departure and arrangements for breakfast have been made at the resort in Manori, upon arrival. In effect we would be traveling to Marve Beach (in Malad) by bus, from where it is a 15-minute ferry ride across Manori Creek to the picnic spot. According to Shekhawat, we have the option to walk it or take a tonga from the jetty, since the resort is located about a kilometer away from where we should disembark. A predominantly fishing village, the area is known for its East Indian culture (in fact, the island used to be called ‘Mini Goa’) with a variety of traditional Portugese dishes like pork vindaloo and sarpotel, chicken raan, stuffed pomfret, dry Bombay duck chutney and prawn chilly fry available. Besides there are two popular ashrams of the Nath Sampraday and the famous Samudreshwar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Vipassana Pagoda, the world's largest structure containing the bone relics of the Buddha can also be seen from there.
Incidentally, the picnic has got in the way of Santosh Tyagi’s (above) plans for a birthday bash tomorrow. Today being a week-day (see her niece, Neha’s comments yesterday), she wanted to treat the Club at the Garden on Saturday when everybody would be more relaxed. Now she will have a ‘combined celebration’ with Shekhawat and Mumtaz Jahan whose respective wedding anniversary and birthday would follow this month. Meanwhile, everybody clapped and sang, wishing Santosh many happy returns of the day.
There’s news from Khatoon Baig (left) also. She has left for the holy city of Mecca (in Saudi Arabia) to perform Umrah and will be back in a fortnight – in time for the trip to Goa next month. Our good wishes go with her and we congratulate her for undertaking the pilgrimage now. May Allah’s benevolence rest on her at all times.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "You may be in charge, but I shall have my freedom of speech. So do hear me out!"
* "Abhi toh main jawaan hoon! See how cheerful I look... the best way to live and let live."
Srichand Arora:
Santosh-ji, all members of Big Laaf wish you a very Happy Birthday and many, many happy returns of the day. God bless you. I never knew that you have someone in Singapore. My son is also there. Next time when I go there, I shall have your niece's address and try to meet her in case you want.

Cold Caricatures

It was Monthi Serrao’s turn today to look like an Eskimo – replete with what appeared to be a sealskin overcoat. Santosh Tyagi showed up like a handsome man, with black monkey cap and “padded” to the toe. Nahid Khan, who has earned the nickname of Bhai (underworld don) because of her gold tooth, appeared ‘bullet-proofed’ in cardigan and windcheater. Bhaswati Bose’s head popped out of an orange turtleneck like a (what else?) turtle while Ved Prakash Grover shivered in his zipped up jacket and trousers. Hari Naraiyani was the regulation Man in Black, Ramila Mistry, an astronaut in an all-covering dark ‘spacesuit’ and in Geeta Sardana’s view, Shekhawat was the pretty “woman with a moustache” because of the striped muffler around his face.
Yes, it was freezing today also, the cold spell continuing since yesterday. Unable to bear the chill, Ram Shankar Shukla simply ran away home before the exercises began. The only warm-blooded creatures to stand out were Arora and Bose – dressed in cotton shorts and T-shirt as usual. Hari-bhai calls them “chaddi-baniyan waley”, who ought to be given medals for braving the cold. Others however, have concluded that these two are living on loads of mutton, alcohol and cigarettes in order to keep their bodies warm.
Seeing the Garden half deserted, Nahid remarked that all sensible people were sleeping in their homes and that we were the only morons around to be out so early in the morning. Suddenly Hari-bhai noticed that his “Birbal” (meaning Kishor Babani) too had gone missing, thus prompting Arora to retort, “If he’s your Birbal, who is Akbar?” Without bothering to reply, Hari-bhai began rambling out dialogues from Mughal-e-Azam – having clean forgotten about the exercises. Fed up after a while, Arora asked him why doesn’t he just go to the ooper-wallah the way Anarkali did and spare us. Pat came Tara Chand’s reply (on Hari-bhai’s behalf): “Aapke saath hi chalengey!”
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Are we in Eskimo Land? Otherwise why is it so-oo cold?"
* "I am telling you I know best. So please listen to me!"
Srichand Arora:
Mera toh aisa hai ki kal mujhe anginit aashirwad mila hai! Toh phir thandak kaisi? Baaki Bose-ji ka pataa nahin kahaan se garmi milti hai. Bose-ji sach-sach bataao na yaar!!!
Harish Wadhwa:
* Arora-ji, How and why Bose-babu will tell you ke unhein kahan se garmi milti hai! We have to keep an eye on his roving eye in the morning(LOL). Log unhe apne dil mein basate hain aur iss liye woh itni sardi sehen kar pate hain.
* What our dear Grover-ji, Hari Naraiyani-ji and many others need is a cuppa tea and not pravachan, Shekhawat-ji. It's time you started at the Badmaash Company.
* Happy Birthday in advance, Santosh- ji -- for turning 18 yet another year!
Neha Tyagi (2208 hrs IST):
Happy Birthday to my buaji (Santosh Tyagi)! It is 10th February here in Singapore. Love you:-) Have fun!!!
Srichand Arora adds:
Bilkul such kaha aapne Harish-ji. Bose hum sub ke dil mein rahata hai. All of us have to agree to it. DIL KE AAINE MEIN HAI TASVEER YAAR KI, JAB JARA GARDAN JHUKAI DEKH LEE!
Harish Wadhwa adds:
Wah! Wah!! Jinda dil aur udaar, koi ho toh hamare Arora-ji jaise!!!

Brrrrr… It's Cold

Were it not for the build-up over this weekend’s picnic, we’d have ended with ‘frozen brains’ today. In what felt like the coldest morning of the season, everything (and everybody) happened to be going haywire from the very start.
Razia Khan had to rein in the men as they went off ‘Ho-Ho Ha-Ha’ out of turn – before the exercises even began. Shekhawat grumbled that his wife had packed his woolens while it is still winter. Nafisa Sayed looked an Eskimo with shawl wrapped tightly around her head and kept needling Hari Naraiyani for his “khatarnaak” antics.
But that was not to deter the elderly gent from demonstrating how nimble-footed he can be in the biting cold and live up to the legend on his bottle-green T-shirt, ‘Roll and Rock’.
Even a strict disciplinarian like Srichand Arora (left, sitting) got drawn into the madness and unwittingly regaled everybody with his witticisms and pranks. At the end of the exercises, not one person in the group could count straight during the 108-claps!
Probably something about the freezing weather gets the body to draw upon its energy reserves and forces people to indulge in such mindless behaviour. Of course, there were some who insisted that the weather was “very pleasant” and stood around grinning in shorts and T-shirts. But that is madness of another kind!
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "FFFFFFreezing... Is anyone willing to buy us a hot cuppa?"
* "Our blessings are with you always! Who's that lion amongst us?"
Harish Wadhwa:
* Arora-ji was feeling so cold that he had to be brought under the warmth of a human hut and hands-roof!
* Hari Naraiyani-ji was seen at his jolly best today -- dancing, clapping, singing, having fun and rejoicing... And why not! Life is supposed to be enjoyed like this, is'nt it?
* Winter does'nt seem to be affecting some half-pants' waley and that too with open ventilators! God, some people are gifted with great immune system or wonder if this is some kind of yoga?
* Manori fever also seems to be catching up. Have fun guys!
* It seems we will be enjoying kanji soon. Akhir, Santosh-ji ka janam-din aa raha hai bhai! Gajar bhi hai, chukandar bhi aur khas-khas bhi bahut hai bazaar mein. Santosh-ji, we are looking forward to you turning 18 yet again day-after-tommorrow. Blog Monster, please repeat her 16-saal-wali pic on her birthday.
Harish Wadhwa adds:
* Renu-ji, who will not like to take the good lady out for a hot cuppa? The condition is that Kishor-da shouldn't accompany. After all, we don't want a kabab mein haddi. Yes, he's free to join us for paying the bill (on a light vein please).
* There are only lionesses in the group, no lions. Ask their better halfs.

Manori Is On!

Belying all misgivings, response to the picnic idea at Manori Beach this week-end has been overwhelming. Plans were finalized only yesterday and by today morning, Shekhawat had got nearly 20 members to sign up (left). This, in spite of the fact that nobody has a clue of what lies in store at the beach resort/ amusement park (if there is one) and that there are just about four days left for February 11. More significantly, many members are already committed to the Goa trip next month and the general feeling was that it would be unfair to place an added financial burden on them for Manori so soon. Nobody in their wildest dreams had expected someone like Santosh Tyagi (among the earliest to have booked for Goa) to come up with her share of Rs600 for Manori – not to mention Srichand Arora, Monthi Serrao, Geeta Sardhana, Tara Chand Seth, Hari Naraiyani… all being just as enthusiastic, despite their past record of being not-too-regular for Club picnics. Speaks volumes of Shekhawat’s persuasive skills and organizing abilities. Also the fact that our members just want to have fun – no matter what!
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "You just keep writing, I hold the cash." "How can I be part of this fun- loving group? I will do anything to be part of the action!"
Harish Wadhwa:
* Must say how passionate we have become to rejoice, that we don't need to plan months in advance as we used to at one point of time. Just announce a picnic, a movie, lunch or dinner... and people are ready to jump on to the bandwagon. Salaam to this attitude of members.
* By the way, the Ganju-Panju blog is rocking with 37th day running. Great going, Kishor-da. Those of you who have not seen the blog, please do. Relevant pictures with jokes make them very interesting!
Srichand Arora:
Harish-bhai, where are you??????? Not seen you for the last four days. Hope you are fit to join us for this picnic...
Harish Wadhwa:
Aap ki hi chhatra-chaya mein hain, Arora-ji. Was'nt well for a couple of days, but should resume exercises soon. Unfortunately would'nt be able to make it to the picnic due to preoccupation.

Hectic Activity

On a morning marked by hectic activity, Hari Naraiyani (below) was at his cranky best. All through the exercises, he remained unusually silent, keeping to himself like a sullen school boy. No sooner were we done with the prayers than he began showing his kinks. The local Shiv Sena contestant for the civic polls was around (post of February 1), once again with her entourage and for some reason, Sitaram Hivarkar (left) decided to entreat her with a bhajan: “Mujhe apni sharan mein le lo…”

From nowhere, Hari-bhai butted in, insisting that everybody listen to Kishor Babani’s joke instead. Kishor politely told him to keep quiet. But Hari-bhai was not one to listen. “Sunoh… hamare paas ek Birbal hai!” he piped. The more he persisted, the more people ignored him, till a terribly agitated Kishor glowered at him and with finger on his lips, signaled him to shut up. When that too made no difference, Kishor simply broke out of the group to save himself further embarrassment.
But Hari-bhai was not done yet. Shekhawat announced that for the past two days, a mysterious “Poonam” was making life difficult by not allowing him to book the resort at Manori Beach. He said that in a worst-case scenario, we would carry packed lunch and bottles of Bisleri… but go we must on February 11. This got Hari-bhai’s goat.

He wants “buffet lunch”, not “packed lunch”. So for the rest of the morning, he kept grieving and grumbling, to the extent of asking for a change to “any resort other than Manori”.
Meanwhile Jagmohan Papneja, who has been taking part in the exercises for the past few days, treated the Club to phapda-jalebi and dhoklas (left). The reason for this unusual generosity is best known to him – though Srichand Arora and Shekhawat would like us believe that he “rode the mare” on this day. In yet another gratuitous gesture, an elderly couple we see every day at the Garden, gave away beautiful key-chains to all members!
Surely, there’s more to all this than meets the eye.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "My song shall bring peace to everyone in the morning!"
* "I offer you this plate as I come with good tidings... Just make me part of the group!"
Srichand Arora:
It has been made clear to all members that no new member will be included in the final list which was already freezed on 17th of December, 2011. Hence, dear members, please rest assured that we will stick to our statement. Yes, we have kept one option open: If 80% of our members agree to include a new member, then the power to take a decision is left to the Managing Committee.
Harish Wadhwa:
Monthi-ji seems to be telling Papneja-ji: "Phapda-jalebi se kya hoga? Rasgulle lao, mithai lao, Brijwasi ke laddoo lao, pakode lao... kuchh toh badlo bhai!"

Day 552

Pic of the Week

Today’s Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, the Prophet’s birthday. Here’s someone texting her greetings and good wishes…

* "I just can't seem to find the information I require. Yeh kaisa phone hai, apne manmaani karta hai... I know I should get a new phone!" -- Renu Babani