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!!!