Hot and Humid

Arun Patil: "A cap provides protection from the hot sun"

We are just past mid-April and already it is maddeningly hot and humid in Mumbai. The stillness in the early morning air has made exercising all the more difficult. There is no way we can shift to a shaded area in the Garden because the ground beneath the trees is riddled with treacherous anthills. We would rather sweat it out in the sun than be bitten by a million red ants.
If that was not bad enough, Srichand Arora today revoked his decision on allowing members to come without caps during the summer months (post of April 16). “I don’t think I’ve granted any such permission,” he declared when he arrived this morning after a two-day break. “All I recall is Sunita (Jajodia) complaining that it was too hot to wear the cap. I simply told her she was free to come without a cap for the next two months.”

Srichand Arora

Everyone was stumped for words. As we looked blankly at one another, Arun Patil intervened to explain that caps provide protection from the hot sun. “See, my face is untanned,” he told the ladies. “This is because of wearing the cap. You can also stay fair and lovely like me by wearing the cap every morning.”
Arora added that the caps give us a sense of identity and pride. “If you are not proud of wearing the Club cap, what can I say? I cannot put pressure on you. All I can do is to appeal to your good sense and leave it at that for you to decide. But from my side, there is no permission to forsake the caps for two months!"
Arora was looking disturbed, presumably over Shekhawat’s hospitalization. He had mentioned in the blog two days back: “I'm a little upset due to Shekhawat's illness. I'd like to be away for a couple of days.” Such despondency is natural between very close friends. But when Arora heard of Shekhawat sitting in the ICU and plotting about the Kerala trip, he burst out laughing. Indeed, a tiger does not change its stripes.
Health Bulletin of Hari Singh Shekhawat - 4:
I called on Shekhawat-ji at Kokilaben Hospital around 5:15 p.m. As planned, he had undergone an angiography test today and its report is awaited. I found him looking much better than yesterday. Given his physical condition, I can confidently state that he will fare well and the angiography report will be favourable. --Jagmohan Papneja
Harish Wadhwa:
* Shekhawat-ji will be fine and return to normal very soon. Everyone is concerned and anxious to see him back in the Garden with a smile, making picnic or excursion plans.
* Badmaash Company chai was good with goodies from Arun. It was also nice to see Arora-ji becoming a gadget freak with his new Nokia Lumia mobile. Kya baat hai!