Fun ‘n’ Rains

Anybody who would have seen us exercising this morning must surely have called us a pack of lunatics. The rains had started and the Garden was completely deserted. Not a soul could be seen. Everyone had rushed for cover at the first indication of a downpour. BARRING US. Standing there in the middle, umbrellas in hand, we continued to exercise in stoic silence (pic alongside) while it rained!
This was Nafisa Sayyad’s idea. She had issued a fatwa that nobody would run for shelter if it were to rain today. “Koi nahin hileyga yahaan se,” she declared. “Baarish aaney doh. Exercise chaalu rakhne ka…” And so it was to be. Only Santosh Tyagi and Harish Wadhwa disobeyed her diktat and hurriedly disappeared into the Chinese Hut. Monthi Serrao went half-way and then turned back, seeing the rest of us putting up with the steady shower.
Strangely, nobody protested. Everybody seemed to subscribe to Nafisa’s peculiar logic of welcoming the rain, rather than running away from it. “If we avoid getting drenched, why should Oopar Wallah send any more rain?” she reasoned.
How anyone would exercise holding an umbrella can well be imagined. But a new exercise (side pic) got everyone charged today and became the cause of much hilarity. It is meant to jog the brain, sharpen mental skills, improve memory, prevent Alzheimer… This is how it goes: You shut both eyes and try standing on one leg for just 10 seconds. That’s it.
Shekhawat couldn’t get beyond the count of four. Grover toppled over at two and sat down instantly. Santosh tried repeatedly and reached five. Razia Khan lost balance at three. The best performance came from Nahid Khan. At seven, she fell over sideways and then demanded why she must do this exercise eyes closed. “This is a pickpocket’s idea. While you are busy balancing yourself, somebody will walk away with your wallet!” she concluded.
Harish Wadhwa:
Just wanted to avoid catching cold... But it was nice to see others enjoying the rain showers. Why is Razia-ji doing the rain dance alone when others are taking shelter in their umbrellas?
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Rain or shine, umbrellas or not, let the exercise continue with no hindrance."
* "This is a form of kung-fu, Indian style!"