'Fat Brother'

It was Ramila Mistry’s day today. For long she has been a subject of great wonder for the way she juggles her prayer beads with chatting up everyone in the Garden, laughing and trading jokes. Ram Shankar Shukla, for one, admits to being in “perpetual amazement” every time he sees her with the rosary and multi-tasking (lead pic) in such manner.
Today, as ‘teacher’ conducting the exercises, Ramila got an opportunity to pull everyone up and she started with the men – Srichand Arora. She addressed him pointedly as “Mota Bhai”, something he is not too comfortable about (even though he is aware that this is an honorary greeting among Gujaratis, reserved for elders.)
Arora tried to ignore Ramila initially, but when she persisted with “Mota Bhai” a couple of times, he walked up to her and demanded an explanation. Her reply was predictable, leaving him doubly foxed. “First you call me ‘fat man’, then you called me an ‘old man’!” he exclaimed. “Why pick on me? Don’t you see any other mota bhai here?”
Pratap Bhatt, a co-Gujarati (and also an elder) was watching the fun from a distance with an amused look. The moment he saw Arora deflecting attention away, he knew he would be next. He took to his heels and reached the public toilet at the far end of the Garden, even before Ramila could think of calling out, “Mota Bhai”!
But then, to her credit, Ramila conducted the exercises in pin drop silence – barring occasional titters from the Geeta Sardana-Bhaswati Bose-Santosh Tyagi trio. Their logic was that the 'teacher' should not interfere when they talk, just as they don't interfere in her job. Geeta went one step further, challenging Ramila to see her after the class. “If she still does not sudhro (improve) herself, we will see her out of the school… outside the Gate!” she threatened.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "I am full of life and wish everyone could be as happy."
* The Three Muskeeters!