R.I.P. Bapu Rane

This picture was taken on May 9, 2013 -- the last day he visited the Garden

Bapu Rane has left us.
After months of battling with intestinal cancer, he breathed his last yesterday afternoon around 1400 hrs. He was 72.
Rane is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.

Condolence Meeting in the Garden

Since the time this news broke, his friends and well-wishers from the Garden have been streaming into his home at Adarsh Nagar to pay their last respects and commiserate with the bereaved family.
On behalf of the Club, Srichand Arora placed a wreath over his body before it was taken on its final journey to Oshiwara Crematorium late evening.
The mortal remains were consigned to flames close to midnight.
As a mark of respect, the laughter session was suspended today and a two-minute silence observed, followed by a condolence meeting in the Garden.
While Sitaram Hivarkar shared his thoughts on a ‘very dear friend’, Sardar Teja Singh invoked the scriptures, praying for eternal peace for the departed soul.
Kiran and Srichand Arora: We cannot understand why God needs all good persons with Him. This is unfair. Good people should remain here and turn earth into heaven. WE PRAY RANE'S SOUL RESTS IN PEACE.
Renu Babani:
A true gentleman, full of life, always smiling. May his soul go towards the Light, where he suffers no more and is at peace. Mr Rane, you shall be missed by all. May He give the family the strength to endure this loss. Our heartfelt condolences go to all bereaved.
Yusuf Rassiwala and family:
We have lost one of the most humble and generous gems among us. May his soul rest in peace.
Bhaswati Bose:
Bapu, you will be with us every morning, though unseen and unheard. For you shall live on in the hearts and minds of the loving BIG LAAF family you have left behind.
Ved Prakash Grover:
You will remain in our hearts for ever.
Harish Wadhwa:
A very simple, down-to-earth gentleman, a die-hard cricket fan, a good friend to many, an ever-smiling human being known for flashing his toothless grin to one-and-all... My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace. We will miss his impromptu dance steps and bursts of laughter in the Garden.
Sitaram Hivarkar:
We have lost a very dear friend -- a humble, supportive and kind-hearted man. As someone who was there for everyone in need, he was loved by all. I will always cherish my memories with him. We would go for bhajans together every Tuesday at the Ganesh Temple. We would share cricket updates as Rane was a great follower of the game. Well, there is a lot more to say about him. With a heavy heart, I offer my condolences and pray to God that may his soul rest in peace.
Kiran Makharia:
We shall miss Bapu every morning.
Teja Singh Bhambra:
Such a nice and polite person he was... It will never be possible to find another person to fill the vacuum. May God keep his soul in peace.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Though he is no longer in our lives, Rane-ji will always be there in our hearts. Let him be in our fondest memories and in our everyday actions. May his spirit experience celestial peace and heavenly bliss.
Dilip Babani:
We will always miss Rane-saheb. May his soul rest in peace. He was a very nice man.
Razia Khan:
Losing a friend is a great setback in life. Bapu Rane has made us feel such. The time we spent with him, the enjoyment he gave us and the laughter we shared shall remain forever etched in our hearts. Losing this good man brings loneliness which cannot be expressed in words. Just 'Tum bhale hi nahi rahe / Par hamari yaaden tum se wafa karengi aye dost' and 'Kal talak kehte thhe, ke bistar se utha jaata nahi / Uth gaye duniya se, ye taaqat kahaan se aa gayi?' May his soul rest in peace. We pray his family gets the strength to recover from this great loss.
Kishor Babani:
Words do injustice in explaining how much we miss Rane-ji. He remains alive in our memories and admiration. May his soul rest in peace.
Santosh Tyagi:
He was a thorough gentleman and an extremely kind-hearted person. My deepest condolences on his demise. May God rest his soul in peace.
Banoo Khan:
"Achche doston ka saath dilata hai achcha ehsaas /Kaan khichte khichte tumne kheecha apni saans /Yaad hamesha kaayam rahegi hamare dilon mein ae Rane /Subah ki thandi hawa jab bhi guzre hamare paas paas."
Ramila Mistry:
A genuine, simpleton. The freshness he brought to the Garden with a hearty "namaste" will echo in our hearts. Even in his last days, I always saw him smile. Will miss all the cheerfulness and the dances he performed with Shekhawat-ji. I am happy he is now out of pain and will be in our memories for ever. RIP Rane-ji.
Monthi Serrao:
A jovial, humble, supportive man. He was a very close friend, someone who was there for everyone in need and loved by all. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace. We will miss him always.

‘Deejay Change!’

In perfect harmony: SUPERB SYNCHRONISATION

We are getting more and more hep. We do not call the person who conducts exercises a ‘teacher’. (That distinction is reserved for Khatoon Baig, a proper school teacher, now retired.) Nor do we refer to him/ her as a conductor. (That sounds suspiciously as a bus employee who collects loose change and issues tickets.) Instead, we shall be calling this worthy who orchestrates exercises from the middle a ‘deejay’!
The credit (or blame) for instituting this designation goes to Ramila Mistry, famous for her no-nonsense approach to exercising. Whenever she steps in the middle, the Garden reverberates with cries of “No Talk”, “Out-Out”, “Silence Please”… The trouble is nobody takes her seriously. We continue to be on our own trip, doing our own little numbers (though without music) and performing to our own beat, which can get quite exasperating for a task master like Ramila. So today, when she announced, “Deejay Change!” between the laughter and exercise sessions, nobody was surprised.
This is however, not to belittle the efforts of others who conduct the exercises to the best of their ability – just that Nahid Khan is beyond reproach since her promotion to ‘Bhai’ and that Arora can get quite moody, switching from disciplinarian mode to a chatterbox. Ditto for Razia Khan. And with Yusuf Rassiwala, the buffalo (to quote, Sunita Jajodia) literally "lands in water"! So every time you see a beautifully orchestrated scene like the one photographed above, check who the disc jockey was.
NEWS FLASH: Bapu Rane is no more. He passed away this afternoon in his sleep. May his soul rest in peace.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Very sad day for us to hear about the demise of Rane-ji. Our heartfelt condolences to his family. We would repeatedly refer to Rane during our exercises, "Lion Ban Jayo". We pray to the Almighty to grant him eternal peace.
Kishor Babani:
'If tears could build a stairway / And memories a lane / I’d walk right up to heaven / And bring you home again...'

Spaced Out

Happy Birthday, Qutub Minar-ji!

Ram Shankar Shukla celebrated his birthday this morning. But yesterday, when some people wanted to wish him in advance, he had no clue that he was one day short of hitting 79 years. “My birthday is on 29th May,” he insisted.
“And today is 28th May,” Ved Prakash Grover tried to remind him.
“But my birthday is on 29th May,” he repeated. “I was born of May 29, 1935.”
“Oh-ho… so tomorrow is your birthday, isn’t it?” Grover tried to make it simple.
“How can my birthday be tomorrow?” Shukla started to argue. “What month is this?”
Call it forgetfulness or a mental disconnect with time (if not space), Shukla dwells in a world of his own making. A well known though inexplicable practice is that he’d come to the Garden punctually to exercise and then, exactly at 7:00 a.m, he’d walk away without exercising. But today, he stayed on and appeared genuinely pleased with himself when everyone cheered him – more so, when Sitaram Hivarkar reached up to feed him a ‘birthday peda’ he had brought for the Club.
Even otherwise, he was unusually alert and chirpy all morning. So when Nahid Khan, in her own mischievous way complained of someone having stolen her dil (heart), Shukla chipped in helpfully suggesting that we all set out to retrieve it. “Chalo, let’s go search for the dil today,” said the tall, gangly gent, better known as Qutub Minar-ji.
The blog joins everyone in wishing him many happy returns of the day and a long, healthy and contented life ahead.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Many many happy returns of the day, Shukla-ji. In the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. Happy Birthday!
Harish Wadhwa:
Wish you a very happy birthday, Shukla-ji. Though I was not at the Garden today, I could still feast on the tasty peda, thanks to a dear thief who stole one for me.

Matheran Next?

Arun Patil

Arun Patil has just returned from an eventful weekend at Matheran – a popular hill station barely 100km from Mumbai on the Western Ghats. He left last Sunday morning, around 8:00 and after a leisurely two-hour drive, followed by an hour-long trudge up the hill, was there before noon. “We booked rooms on the spot, had good homely food cooked by a local family and after a relaxed overnight stay, drove back to Mumbai on Monday morning,” he narrated.
The trip, as described by Arun, has revived interest in a Club picnic somewhere close-by – more so, to beat the heat in Mumbai. “The monsoon should descend within a fortnight,” Arun said. “At that time, Matheran will be heavenly. As it is, in this peak summer when I was there, it was very pleasant with a cool breeze blowing across right through the day.”

Nahid Khan seems to have already reached Matheran... mentally

He added that for those unable to take the eight kilometer trek up the hill, there was a train service, besides ponies and mules on hire.
Interesting as it may all sound, our biggest (and only) handicap is that we have no one to take this forward. None of us can claim the mobilising or persuasive skills of Shekhawat for organizing an excursion – even as it is long overdue and we can be well assured of an enthusiastic response. After all, it is more than a year since we last went on a weekend getaway or even a short one-day picnic in and around the city. But with Shekhawat at present recuperating from an open-heart surgery, involving him in this any time soon is absolutely out of question.
The other option, as Arun suggests, is to set out as a small cohesive group and leave it to the rest whether they would like to join – each on his/ her own. But that would be neither here nor there. Besides, here too someone has to take the initiative. As of now, many members are inclined to go but would rather wait and watch.
Harish Wadhwa:
* Arun-bhai, nice pose and picture too. You should put this picture on your email id.
* Nahid Khan-ji tried to strike the patented Shahrukh Khan pose, but ended up putting Khatoon-ji to discomfort (LOL).

Cricket Closure

IPL post-mortem: But why is Vijay Bhai so scandalised?

Last night’s IPL final brought an end to six weeks of cricketing mania that had cast its jagged shadow on the Garden. Surprisingly, the cricket lovers who had watched the match on TV till well past midnight, were all present to celebrate the victory of Mumbai Indians (MI) over favourites Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Srichand Arora demanded a treat from our cricketing expert Vijay Bhai, much as both are ardent MI supporters. He even offered to pick up luddoos from the market for distributing in the Garden, should Vijay Bhai be kind enough to shell out Rs2000.

Ramila Mistry

The latter almost relented, but soon changed his mind saying that his sparring partner, a CSK fan (see post of May 22) was moping in grief and would be deeply disturbed if we celebrate in her absence. “Bhaswati-ben is in mourning after her team lost,” he explained.
Fact is all three – Bhaswati, Arora and Vijay Bhai – were burning the telephone lines between them last night as the match progressed.
Significantly, most of the people who turned up today had watched the match till the end. Even Ramila Mistry claimed to have stayed awake, just that she got the impression that India had played and lost!
“You cannot blame her,” laughed Arora. “She has all along known Dhoni to be captain of the Indian team. For her it is inconceivable that Dhoni can also lead another team, that too Chennai Super Kings.”
But then, with Ramila in the middle and conducting the exercises, there cannot be a dull moment. While everybody complained of the heat and debated over whether to make phone calls or send SMSs to God in heaven for installing an air conditioner in the Garden, Ramila persisted with her demand for having phapda-jalebi today. And then there were the chatterboxes she kept snapping at, till Santosh Tyagi became a target and she had to apologise… Indeed, with Ramila in charge, the exercises are always pure, unadulterated fun.
Harish Wadhwa:
Vijay Bhai is so scandalised because Grover-ji is about to garland him with his shoulder bag upon MI's victory. Or possibly he is teasing CSK fans on how they were bashed last night in the IPL final.
Bhaswati Bose:
'Captain Cool' Dhoni was tired of winning. So he allowed MI win. Let the MI fans rejoice. I will not refuse a treat!
Renu Babani:
Ha Ha Ha... MI all the way. It was a great match. Come on CSK fan, don't be such a sore loser. It's only a game.
Jagmohan Papneja:
IPL sixth season of 76 matches began and ended in Chennai with a series of controversies. Allegations of betting will rumble for some time to come.

Day 1018

Pic of the Week

Fed up of spot-fixing and IPL scams, this gentleman cricketer pads up for a Test match!

He already has a handkerchief in his pocket. Want to bet? --Subodh Gupta

Bookies have placed their bets: He should be out in the first over! --Bhaswati Bose

Cricket is no longer a gentleman's game. It has become a gambler's favourite pastime. Will the player in the pic be able to restore the fading image of cricket? --Jagmohan Papneja

"I will prove myself and score a century!" --Renu Babani

"Forget cricket and Indian Punters League. I will score a century in my real life age!" --Harish Wadhwa

Rains by Mistake

Nature's natak: Sunshine after shower

It wasn’t even rain – just a short spell of tribble-dribble, though enough to cool the air and get us started on the exercises with renewed gusto. Dark clouds hung low over the Garden, raising our hopes of a pre-monsoon deluge. But within ten minutes, as though the heavens had realized that it was all a mistake, the clouds cleared away and the sun came blazing down with a vengeance.
Many had missed this freak weather show as yesterday's IPL match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) had kept them awake till well past 1.00 today morning.

A devastated father

Some like Sardar Teja Singh and Srichand Arora turned up late, but a majority had taken the day off. Somehow, Nahid Khan got specially curious about Razia Khan (who absented herself for the second day today with Nafisa Sayyad) and wondered aloud if they had been abducted by some “badmaashes”. Of course it was in light vein!
Meanwhile, Arora declared that he would, on behalf of all members of the Club, be visiting Hem Chand Jain at 11.00 a.m. today to convey our condolences upon the untimely death of his son (see yesterday’s post) last night. When he called in the morning, the body was being brought home from the hospital. May the Almighty give the family the forbearance to bear the loss with equanimity and fortitude.
Message from Shekhawat's son:
By God's grace, Daddy is recovering. The stitches (after his heart bypass) would be removed most probably on Monday. But he is complaining of pain in his chest because of the stitches (external pain). We had a word with the doctor and he told us that the pain would be there for some time. Let us hope for the best. If you don't mind, we can connect again on Tuesday and then you can certainly come and meet him. Right now I want him to take as much rest as possible. Hope you understand and pardon me. --Raghuvir Shekhawat

Smell the Roses

Birthday 'Boy' Hem Chand Jain

The morning began on a somber note with age-related issues and health concerns steering all conversation during the exercises. For once, a group known for its jokey and wayward ways was made to realize that life must not be taken for granted. The subject was obviously brewing in everyone’s mind for some time and today, it was out in the open.
Clearly, the sudden indisposition of Hari Singh Shekhawat and more immediately, Bapu Rane has come as a wake-up call. Coincidentally, both are of the same age, 72. Also in their early seventies are people like Sitaram Hivarkar and Srichand Arora.

Ram Shankar Shukla

And then there are some like Tara Chand Seth and Hari Narainai who are already in their eighties. The oldest among them, Hem Chand Jain -- whose birthday it was -- has hit 85 today.
“We are all border-line cases,” remarked Ram Shankar Shukla (79). “We are lucky to have survived so long. Today’s generation of youngsters cannot count themselves half as blessed. Poor nutrition and lifestyle-related diseases are killing them before their time.”

Pratap Bhatt

There was a contrarian view that it is pointless being over-concerned about life and living because when the “call from above comes, go we must". Nothing in life is scripted, least of all death. Everybody stands an equal risk of meeting the Maker any time, regardless of being health-conscious or a chain smoker, a saint, madman or a cricket bookie. So why worry, be happy!
Sitaram (74) and Pratap Bhatt (77) agreed that rather than brood, it was time to celebrate a life well-spent and smell the roses. “I have a lot of internal problems, but I do not even talk about them or worry at all,” Bhatt quipped. “We should be positive in our outlook. Why, I have just returned from Australia and next Monday, I am setting out on an eight-day trip of Mt Abu and Mansarovar with my family…”
While we wished Bhatt a happy journey, Jain's birthday was ushered in at the Garden with an exuberant 'fourth laugh' at the end of the exercises. He did not drop by, as we understand, he is preoccupied with his son who has been hospitalised. Our prayers and good wishes rest with him as always and for all time.
POST SCRIPT: In what has come as a major shocker, Mr Jain's son passed away late evening. He was only 55.
Jagmohan Papneja:
At our stage of life, nobody can be certain about what future holds. Life is unpredictable, but does count with age. So hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.
Srichand Arora:
We all at Big Laaf wish you a very Happy Birhtday, Jain Saab.
Renu Babani:
Life is too short. So let's celebrate each day as special and lucky. Let's live our lives to the fullest, enjoying every minute and cherishing special moments that shall become a wonderful memory tomorrow!
Harish Wadhwa:
My heart-felt condolences to Jain Saab for the untimely passing away of his son. May God bless him with the strength to bear this loss and give peace to the departed soul.

Grin and Endure

Santosh Tyagi's jokes' session

Canadian cookies and chocos, courtesy Renu Babani

Another dull and dreary day – the third in succession and the weather isn’t getting any better. Ram Shankar Shukla could not take the heat yesterday and withdrew from the exercises midway to take a breather. Before long Razia Khan followed, complaining of giddiness. Today, Shukla did not turn up, but Razia did. And then it was the turn of her friend, Ruksana Khan to retire to a bench in similar manner and continue with the free-hand exercises, solo and seated.
The soaring morning temperature is not only energy-sapping but leaves everyone soaked to the bones in sweat. There is no option but to grin and endure. Those who cannot take it turn irritable, silent, stone deaf or suddenly, for no reason, start snapping at one another. Nobody has any patience for niceties – even for the exercises to progress in the normal course. Everyone wants to hurry, anxious get the hell out of the Garden at the earliest.
Even Santosh Tyagi’s jokes’ session, which used to be a major draw at the end of the exercises, hardly draws an audience these days. This morning, she had barely half-a-dozen of her fans, politely indulging her for their daily naashta. The rest had already decamped to occupy benches in the shade, or better still, be under the fan in the Chinese Hut.
The only happy interlude in this unending ordeal was Renu Babani registering her return from Canada with packets of cookies and chocolates. Actually she was back last Monday, but needed time to get over the jet lag. She looked amazingly cheerful and upbeat in the maddening heat – an obvious carryover from the wonderful vacation she must have had with her son, Prakash who is settled there.
Renu Babani:
* Heat or not, attending exercises is essential to boost oneself in the morning. My cheerfulness is due to the fact that I am yet in Canada in spirit.
* Went to see Mr Rane today. God bless that family. What courage and motivation! Despite his illness, he was completely aware of his guests and his family's support not a complaint but a positive attitude no matter what. Kudos to all of them.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Thank you Mr and Mrs Babani for the delicious cookies and chocolates on a warm, cosy day. Your presence made them all the more enjoyable.

IPL Fever

Vijay Bhai (in white cap) pontificating on IPL

Spot-fixing scandal notwithstanding, the IPL cricketing extravaganza has captured everybody's imagination in the Garden. With Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registering a 48-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) last night to reach the final, cricket madness has hit feverish pitch. Even non-followers of the game are being drawn into making profound statements and speculating on the outcome of matches.
At the centre of these animated discussions is the Garden’s cricketing guru, Vijay Bhai. Like Srichand Arora, Pratap Bhatt and some others, he is an ardent supporter of MI; but surprisingly, he was far from crestfallen on his team crashing out of the tournament. “CSK deserved to win,” he pronounced. “What shots (Michael) Hussey and (Suresh) Raina played, my God! Dhoni did not even have to come in. Kamaal hai!”

Bhaswati Bose

Emotions apart, Vijay Bhai understands cricket better than most of us. He knows its intricacies, remembers statistics, follows ball-by-ball scores, the changing fortunes of teams and is fairly accurate in predicting winners and losers. He is a man who would call friends late at night to let off steam, especially when a match is evenly poised.
The only other person who can match his passion for the game is Bhaswati Bose. She is a die-hard CSK fan and yesterday, as the match with MI progressed, Vijay Bhai was practically on hotline with her till close to midnight. And this morning, when she showed up at the Garden, he was the first to congratulate her (as though she was playing) – such is his sportsman spirit.
The one person being missed in all this is Bapu Rane – the other big cricket addict. Now home-bound and completely bed-ridden, he had sent word for Arora yesterday. The latter was with him for about an hour and was shocked to see how this once happy-go-lucky man had reduced by 26 kilos in a few days (see post of May 11). He is now reconciled to the inevitable. Before leaving, Arora was handed a bag containing mangoes wrapped in neat packages and a list of people they were to be given. “Take them,” Rane whispered. “I wish I could distribute mangoes to everyone in the Club, but this is all my family could pick from the village. Take it!”
For once Arora was at a loss of words. Silently, he took the bag -- the parting gift from a dear friend.
Jagmohan Papneja:
It is sad to know that Rane-ji is in a critical condition. It appears that his health is deteriorating by the day. Our thoughts and well wishes are with him and his family.
Renu Babani:
Our hearts go out to Mr Rane. All we can do is pray to the Almighty to reduce his suffering.
Harish Wadhwa:
Very touched by Rane-ji's gesture. May God grant him recovery and happy days. Rane-ji gave us mangoes but took our heart away. I pray to the Almighty to help our dear friend.

Refreshing ‘Sunrizer’

Raising a 'toast' to Srichand and Kiran Arora

A cool, delightful and breezy morning topped by unlimited glasses of refreshing mango drink. This was Srichand Arora’s idea. Yesterday, when some ladies demanded a treat for his 46th wedding anniversary (see post), the option before him was his favorite phapda-jalebi or else, the standard luddoo – both of which was considered ‘too heavy’ on a peak summer morning. The surprise mango drink came as a welcome relief after our rigorous 45-minute workout.
Even earlier, Arora was in high spirits, deliberately forgetting and mixing up exercises with peculiar improvisations, prompting Jagmohan Papneja to joke that it was all the effect of ‘the wedding anniversary rites’ since last Sunday.

Sardar Teja Singh

For instance, during the free-style swimming round, Arora interjected every count with a “Jai Sita Ram” to take Sitaram Hivarkar by surprise. He responded once, twice, thrice… and finally gave up.
Thereafter, turning towards Sardar Teja Singh during the back stroke round, Arora went “One- Sat Sri Akal, Two- Sat Sri Akal- Three- Sat Sri Akal, Four...” to the count of eight. Not quite knowing how to react, the genial Sikh went red in the face much as Jagmohan comforted him by saying that the water (in the pool) was “running deep” today. Others of course, attributed Arora’s “being in the mood” to having one too many last night and the effect was yet to wear off.
Small and otherwise insignificant incidents like these in the morning make our day and add joy to our lives. None of it is rehearsed or planned. If it was Arora today, it had been someone else yesterday and there would be yet another joker in the pack tomorrow. The idea is simply to share and spread happiness for the time we are together. And the exercising is just a damn good excuse!
Jagmohan Papneja:
Although there is no real cure for a hangover, there are ways to ease its symptoms. One way is to detoxify with the help of mango juice. And that is what Arora-ji experimented with in the morning. Somehow, it worked wonders at keeping our body and mind energized.

Reasons to Celebrate

Yusuf Rassiwala

Yusuf Rassiwala has become a harbinger of good news. Sadly, he takes a lot of breaks these days (partly due to health reasons), but every time he visits the Garden, there would be something positive in the offing – a cause for celebration. His very presence is considered auspicious.
Today, with Yusuf showing up after nearly a month, there were two reasons to rejoice. The first was Srichand Arora completing 46 years of happy matrimony (yesterday’s post) – a record of sorts that rivals Shekhawat’s 50-odd years. The announcement was received with as much joy as wonderment and admiration, leading to a boisterous, full-throated ‘fourth laughter’ after the exercises.

Medical briefing by Mohankanwar Shekhawat

Amid the chorus of congratulatory voices, Razia Khan spoke for everyone when she said that “we shall wait for four years for a grand Golden Jubilee party”. It was an emotional moment for Arora as we wished him and his wife, Kiran many more years of togetherness – love and happiness.

Hari Singh Shekhawat

The second cause for celebration was Hari Singh Shekhawat being discharged after his by-pass surgery at Asian Heart Institute. His wife dropped by specifically to inform us that he was back home on Saturday, hale and hearty – just that he is not allowed to talk too much (or meet people). “The stitches are yet to come off, but he is doing well and there’s nothing to worry at all,” she informed.
She added that there will be periodic follow-up visits to the hospital till such time he is declared fit and able resume his normal lifestyle. But some restrictions will stay in place. “At the time of being discharged, Shekhawat-ji became suddenly anxious about whether he can resume drinking,” his wife narrated. “The doctors told him to stick to the dawa, but keep the daru on hold till they give him the green signal. Since then, he has been staring helplessly at the bottles in his bar, just too scared to touch them!”
The brave lady, who went through an equally harrowing time with her husband, surely has a terrific sense of humour.
Harish Wadhwa:
* Yusuf 'Bhai' is sporting a very impish look with a handkerchief around his neck. Oshiwara ka bhai lag rela hai!
* Nice to hear of Shekhawat-ji. We may soon see him in the Garden, planning the next trip to Patawa or Kerala!
Jagmohan Papneja:
That's wonderful news, Chairman and Secretary. We are so pleased for both of you.
Renu Babani:
* Congrats to Mr and Mrs Arora. Here's wishing them many more wonderful years together. God Bless.
* Glad to hear of Mr Shekawat. I am sure his determination and spirit will get him to the Garden in no time.
* Yep guys I am back; came on Monday night. The jet lag will take its course, but shall come and meet everyone when I am a little rested.

Day 1011

Pic of the Week

Her Royal Highness KIRAN DEVI, the Queen of Arorapur completes 46 years of rule over with Srichand Arora today. They got married on May 19, 1967.

Congratulations on your 46th Wedding Anniversary. Time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday and hopes for many tomorrows. --Jagmohan Papneja

My compliments to Arora-ji for braving the rule of his Queen for 46 years and obeying her! May the years to follow be also the same (LOL). --Harish Wadhwa

Cut to Size

Srichand Arora

Santosh Tyagi came in today and Sunita Jajodia went to Delhi. Ved Prakash Grover also wanted to take a break, but by mistake he did the gentlemanly thing of putting in his ‘leave application’ this morning. Instantly, Arora jumped up and started grilling him: Why this leave? Where was he going? What would he be doing during those days? Can’t the leave be curtailed… Grover was at pains to explain that his family had to go to Delhi today and in their absence, he would be required to hold fort. He must necessarily remain home-bound and cannot even stir out in the morning.
Arora understood. Grudgingly he granted Grover leave till May 27.

Ved Prakash Grover

If Arora thought that he could throw his weight around randomly, Ramila Mistry was to cut him to size by addressing him as “Mota Bhai” – something he detests. In Gujarati, this is an honorific for “elder brother”, but in Arora’s dictionary, it means “fatso”. And without exaggeration, anybody would affirm he is on the heavier side, just that he does not admit or like hearing about it. “If I were to be thin and spindly, would you still call me mota bhai?” he charged.

Vandana Kankanwar

Before Ramila could reply, Nahid Khan mischievously pointed at some large potholes in the ground and explained: “See, wherever you stand, you are leaving those big khaddey!”
Arora turned a deaf ear (or maybe, he actually hadn’t heard her) because from the laughter around, he had gauged that he would be outnumbered should he protest. But his silence gave Nafisa Sayyad the cue to start needling him with gibberish and gesticulating in sign language till Arora was left completely foxed and forced to admit that he was hard of hearing. “Why are you doing this to me?" he pleaded "Could you not find any other murga today?”
With no offence meant, everyone had fun-filled morning – appropriately wrapped up with an extra laugh to mark Vandana Kankanwar’s birthday. She was not present though. Still, we wish her many happy returns of the day – a long and joyous life ahead.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Happy Birthday, Vandana-ji. May all your dreams and wishes come true.
Harish Wadhwa:
Happy Birthday, Vandana-ji.

Full Freedom!

Mobbed for an accountant's job

What could not be done for a year was achieved miraculously by Arora’s pep talk yesterday (see post). In ‘liberating’ everybody from all disciplinary conditions of Big Laaf, his reverse psychology had worked, so much so that we were witness to an unprecedented near-100 per cent compliance this morning – Geeta Sardhana being the sole uncapped exception among the 23 who reported for the exercises.
Nearly all of them had turned up on time. Not a single member was seen roaming around the walking track once the exercises had started. Even Mumtaz Jahan, who is known to be quite a rebel, rushed in to take her position in the circle the moment the laughter session began. Many could not help commenting that too much of freedom can be difficult to handle at times. “Unless you are really thick skinned, you will eventually fall in line with the rest,” observed Arun Patil.
But this was not out of any fear. The chatterboxes remained unstoppable, Nahid Khan merrily sang “Hawa mein udhta jaye, mera lal dupatta malmal…”, Mumtaz delivered a sermon on how her cervical spondilysis was cured by rotating the neck… and when Arora tried to correct her once, she snapped back, “Meri marzi!” This was soon to become the common refrain every time someone was caught on the wrong foot. After all, no rules apply from today.
Incidentally, Ved Prakash Grover has a job offer going, for which he was soliciting applications. He was instantly mobbed -- just for kicks. But should anyone be genuinely interested, please call 98330 94254/ 2639 7689 for details.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Everyone has to accept the unchangeable. You must also have the courage to change things which should be changed and most importantly, the ability to distinguish the changeable from the unchangeable.

Animated Suspension

Time to regroup and consolidate positions

The Club has been put in animated suspension.
Making this announcement today, Srichand Arora said that Big Laaf shall henceforth have a notional existence, but its activities would be kept in abeyance for indefinitely. “You are free to come and go as you please, exercise or not exercise, wear the cap or not wear the cap… and no questions will be asked,” he assured. “For all practical purposes, we are now Lokhandwala Laughing Club, Garden No 4.”
In other words, we are being pushed back by 10 years when the Club was at its formative stages and there was no binding on anyone who showed up or not.
Arora explained that the decision has been taken with a heavy heart, but it was necessary in deference to the wishes of a small but unruly section of members who had nothing but contempt towards authority and refused to abide by Club discipline and decorum. He realized that functioning on democratic lines had become untenable the day a decision of the general body was forcibly overturned (see post of February 2) by those disruptive elements. Since then, no meeting has been or can be held, he observed.
“As it is the tenure of the managing committee has run its course and everyone wants to resign,” he pointed out. “But I shall hold my ground because I take this Club to be my baby. Anyone who feels as strongly for the Club's future may join. Together we can make Big Laaf better and stronger in times to come.”
Razia Khan:
I am with Arora-ji. We'll try our best to bring up the baby, Big Laaf: "Manzil miley ya na miley iska gham nahi/ Manzil ki justujoo mein mera karvaan toh hai!"
A couplet for Arora-ji: "Main akela hi chala thha jaanibe manzil magar/ Log saath aate rahe aur kaarvan banta gaya!"
Jagmohan Papneja:
When things go wrong, don't go with them. Everything you need will come to you at an appropriate time.
Srichand Arora:
Thanks a lot Razia-ji.

Also in Style

Mumtaz Jahan

If it was Nahid Khan’s day yesterday, it was Mumtaz Jahan’s turn today to call the shots. In true regal style, she entered the Garden before time and went round and round the walking track, even as the exercises had started. Some ladies tried summoning the “Kashmir ki Kali” but to no avail. She ignored their call and finally, at her own will and pleasure, did she take her position in circle.
Thereafter, much like Nahid yesterday, Mumtaz was on her own trip. She selectively did the exercises that suited her, skipping the others and chatted up Nafisa Sayyad and Khatoon Baig on either side. By the end of it all, the ladies changed their opinion about the lady. “Kashmir ki Sherni”, they addressed her.
“At least I am not a Maharashtra ki Gai,” she retorted.

Razia Khan

In between, when Razia Khan was to remind her that she was not wearing the Club cap, Mumtaz gracefully conceded her mistake and agreed to pay the 10-rupee penalty. This was only to lead to discussions on yesterday’s fracas with Razia announcing that she was resigning in protest from her position as joint secretary of the Club. She reported to Arora how she had never felt more humiliated, especially when certain expletives were used along communal lines, questioning her integrity.

Good deed of the day!

By some coincidence, Arora received a call yesterday from Yusuf Rassiwala also wanting to resign from the Club’s managing committee. Since its tenure is already over, a decision will have to be taken soon on the next course of action.
As the action shifted to the chai session, the Badmaash Company got to do its good deed of the day. A young man was spotted in the middle of the road, knocked flat in the blazing sun and given up for dead. Traffic stopped, skirted around and moved on. On both sides of the road a crowd had gathered watching from a distance.
Arora rushed in to check the man’s pulse and declared that he was still breathing. Harish and Bose immediately lifted the stranger and brought him to the sidewalk, placing him in a shade. Luckily, he was not injured. He was carefully made to sit and cradled while water was administered from a bottle till he regained his senses. By then, a large crowd had gathered to take care of the man.
Their job done, the Badmaash Company moved out of the scene.
POST SCRIPT: Bapu Rane has been discharged from hospital yesterday evening. Last heard, he was watching the IPL match on TV till late night at home.
Harish Wadhwa:
* It was a natural reaction from all of us to help in a situation like this and not leave the man in the centre of the road. We thank the Almighty that he was not hurt when we discovered him.
* May God bless Rane-ji with good health and a quick recovery.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Visited Rane-ji's house with Mrs Nahid and Lakshmi in the morning. Though seriously afflicted, he appeared calm and quiet. He attempted to converse but could not speak clearly. His wife told us that he was much better today because of the dosages of medicines (including pain killers) given to him. We wish him well.
Renu Babani:
Oh my God, hope he is fine.
Srichand Arora:
I am really not in a position to understand if the Big Laaf group comes to the Garden to make themselves fit, healthy and joyful or whether it is to pull the leg of one another. Such actions really hurt me. Dear friends, please do not commit such unwanted acts which hurt others as well as you.

In Ishtyle

Nahid Khan

Left to herself, she comes across as quiet, reticent, reluctant to stick her neck out in an argument. But when she gets going, there can be no stopping her. In true ‘bhai ishtyle’, Nahid Khan becomes a law unto herself, oblivious to what anyone might think or say of her.
Today was one such day, when she got “into the mood”. Ramila Mistry said it in as many words when Nahid decided to laugh off-key, regardless of the commotion she was causing. So every time we were to let out a guffaw in chorus, hers was the only voice that sounded like a cracked record on slow speed. And when we were to let out a loud roar, hers came as a baby’s whimper. Likewise, when we were to burst into an exuberant Ha-Ha-Ha, she would switch to stop-start mode with Ha… Ha… Ha… Ha… Ha… and just not stop. “Apni-apni ishtyle hai!” she explained, all the more determined not to toe the general line.
If anything, such antics tend to generate more natural laughter and bonhomie than what our forced outbursts can ever achieve and nobody really minds the liberties Nahid takes.

Making mountain of a molehill

In fact, this is in (mock) acknowledgment of the authority she commands as “bhai” (underworld don) with many actually hanging on to every word she utters. So when she turned “Dado Sutho” to “Attu-Putho”, at least Grover’s day was made!
A cheerful day was marred by an avoidable flare-up over Razia Khan collecting a ten-rupee fine from those defaulting on wearing the Club cap (see post of May 10). Today Jagmohan Papneja became a willing victim (as he had his cap in a bag) and he paid up in the spirit of remaining disciplined with a bit of fun on the side. Ten rupees hurts no one, but when it was the turn of Monthi Serrao, she put her foot down. A mountain was made of a molehill needlessly as it became evident that unlike many others, both Razia and Monthi had the interests of the Club in heart -- just that they were speaking in different voices. Both want discipline to be enforced – even to the extent of penalizing all irregular and recalcitrant members. Perhaps the time has come to sit together and resolve this issue once and for all.

Hope Smiles

Confusion and concern in the Garden

The air of gloom and uncertainty in the Garden lifted partially this morning as news trickled in of Bapu Rane responding favorably to treatment in hospital (post of May 11). Sitaram Hivarkar, Pratap Bhatt, Ved Prakash Grover and a few others had called on him during the week-end and were “happy to find a marked improvement” in his condition.
The other good news is that Shekhawat is done with the bypass surgery at Asian Heart Institute on Saturday. According to his wife, it was a fairly lengthy procedure lasting almost eight hours and he has come through successful. Yesterday, i.e. on Sunday, he was able to drink half a cup of milk as also a glass of tender coconut water. He will remain in the ICU for one more day after which he is likely to be shifted out and kept under observation for a week.
While assuring us that there is nothing to worry about now, Mrs Shekhawat made a fervent plea to all Club members: PLEASE DO NOT VISIT THE HOSPITAL OR EVEN TRY CALLING MR SHEKHAWAT. He should not be disturbed/ agitated in any manner.

Mohankanwar Shekhawat

Separately, Bapu Rane’s wife also spoke to this blog about the line of treatment taken by Dr Jitendra Tewari, the oncologist attending on her husband. He is said to be a family friend. It seems the first thing the good doctor did upon admitting Rane was to confiscate all his ayurvedic medicines and only then, put him on a fresh regimen.
“The results are already showing,” Mrs Rane narrated. “When I visited him yesterday, he promptly sat up on his own and chatted with me for more an hour. I was seeing him so cheerful after months. The hospitalisation has made this difference. He is in air-conditioned comfort, there is no dust or dirt around, he has nurses and doctors around him all the time… We could not provide him these facilities at home.”
The illness has however, had a toll on her health as well. “We have a practice at home that only after Rane-sah'b has eaten, would I have my meal. After he stopped eating in January, not only I, my sons also became irregular with their food. There were days when nothing was cooked at home. How can you eat when the man of the house goes hungry? Only yesterday, after returning from the hospital, did I have a full meal in a long, long time with my sons!”
Jagmohan Papneja:
We are all happy to know that both our friends, Shekhawat-ji and Rane-ji are on the path to recovery. They will get better and stronger by the day because of the best wishes everyone is sending their way. We will be in touch about them through the blog.
Srichand Arora:
I am really very happy to learn about our dear Shekhawat and our dear Rane. God bless them.
Renu Babani:
He listens... and answers our prayers. Ever so thankful to Him, knowing that these two respected seniors are doing better. May His blessings always be upon them and each day be better than the earlier.

Day 1004

Pic of the Week

Today is MOTHER'S DAY. Here is a rare mother (rather two) on vacation with her flock at Udaipur last week – close to the lovely Lake Garden Palace.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. --Renu Babani

Wonderful family. And so much love and affection in their faces. Mother's Day looks very meaningful for Monthi's family. --Jagmohan Papneja

Bad News

Bapu Rane in the hospital ICU

Our worst fears were confirmed today. Bapu Rane is indeed terminally ill. He is battling stomach cancer and has been admitted to Matushree Gomati Hospital, Goregaon West (Ph: 28724986/ 28781126) for the past two days.
The 72-year-old continues to be on drips in the ICU (Bed No 307) and is registered under the name, Shanta Ram Rane.
According to his older son, Sachin, the ailment was detected in early January and since then the family has been in consultation with as many as five oncologists. They are unanimously of the view that nothing can any longer be done to contain the malignancy and any form of surgical intervention (by way of an intestinal bypass) would be risky. The latest biopsy report of last week revealed that the cancerous growth has spread to hitherto unaffected parts of the alimentary canal.
Meanwhile, Rane had turned to ayurveda and was taking some medicinal powder that only rendered him weaker by the day, besides putting him to incredible agony.

Anxious moments in the Garden

In the absence of any nutrition, he is today literally a bundle of bones. Still, he could draw some comfort from spoonfuls of water and fruit juice much of which he would throw up (see post of May 9) anyway. And when he was unable to imbibe even a drop, he requested he be shifted to hospital.
It was Sitaram Hivarkar who broke this news to us today. Arora instantly got cracking on the phone at the Garden and after making initial inquiries, he, along with Arun Patil, Bose and Harish Wadhwa rushed to the hospital to check if they could render any help. Rane looked tired and disoriented. Both sons, Sachin and Saket revealed that but for weakness, their father was in better shape and in the hands of a trusted oncologist, Dr Jitendra Tiwari. The boys assured Arora that they would reach out to us should a need arise. Meanwhile, we must pray for their father.
Renu Babani:
Let us all pray together for Mr Rane. No one wants to see him suffer, but nothing can be done. However, our prayers may help in relieving some of his pain and suffering. God bless.
Jagmohan Papneja:
The opinion of the oncologists is indeed a matter of great concern. When things go out our reach, prayer is the only way to resolve all problems. When prayers go up, blessings come down.

Irony of Life

Inauguration of the 'capless penalty'

Biscuits and chocolates from Canada

The man known as a stickler for rules had to pay a penalty for breaking his own rule. Razia Khan was obviously lying in wait for this moment. Srichand Arora had just about come in and before he could even apologize for not wearing his cap today, she pounced on him and demanded a ten-rupee fine for the lapse. “From today, whoever does not come wearing the Club cap will have to pay Rs10 as penalty,” she announced.
Arora had no choice but to timidly fish out his wallet and pay the fine.
Significantly, Arora happened to be the only person today to have left his cap behind. On other days, he would be the one to be pulling up all and sundry for a similar lapse, though with little effect. Clearly, by imposing a nominal fine, Razia has made life easier for him, even as he was to be her first victim. It is bound to have a far-reaching effect than his polite warnings. Little wonder, he did not mind paying up the Rs10 instantly and went on to merrily sing, “Humein toh loot liya milkey husn waalon ne…”
Adding to the morning merriment was a cheerful Kishor Babani, fresh from a trip to Canada with a packet full of chocolates and crunchy biscuits. His arrival was unexpected -- more so as he had left wife Renu behind. But he somewhat made up for her absence by displaying some beautiful snapshots (on his mobile) of them together on a cruise liner and the hot spots they had visited. “It was a four-day cruise,” he informed. “Next time we will go for seven days with many more ports of halt.”
He added that Renu would be returning in few days… with some more goodies!
Harish Wadhwa:
Welcome Kishor-da to Amchi Mumbai and its sultry weather. Hope you had a good time in Canada with your son.
Renu Babani (from Canada):
What goodies, guys? Well, I shall be there in about 10 days and only after I recuperate from the looong journey shall I visit all of you. Weather here is great, not too hot, and I can only imagine how humid/hot it must be out there.
However, wherever one goes, Amchi Mumbai is in the heart. So time to get back to routine. Enough already!
Jagmohan Papneja:
Arora-ji will be remembered for framing rules and breaking them.

Bizarre Comedy

Hari Singh Shekhawat

Shekhawat’s plight is turning out to be some kind of an unfunny joke. He does not want to go under the knife for his heart; his family insists a bypass is imperative because of the blockages; surgeons at the Asian Heart Institute (AHI), Bandra are in no hurry because his is not an emergency… And so he languishes.
Yesterday, a delegation from the Club led by Srichand Arora (and comprising Monthi Serrao and Jagmohan Papneja among others) wanted to pay him a courtesy visit at his residence. Before they could regroup in the evening, Papneja checked and found that Shekhawat had already been hospitalized since Tuesday and his operation was scheduled on Thursday!

Bapu Rane

Since early morning today, Arora looked quite restless and after the exercises announced that he was rushing to the AHI right away and anybody interested could join him in his car. Papneja agreed. The ladies backed out with Mumtaz Jahan speaking for them: “You gents may go now, we ladeej-ladeej will go later.”
Outside the Gate, Arora lit a cigarette and casually called Shekhawat’s number. Shekhawat promptly came on the line sounding super-excited. “They’ve postponed my operation again,” he chortled. “I have constipation. They want to do some more tests on me in the next two days. After that they’d fix a date. And there are so many beautiful nurses around. But what to do…”

Garg (in green) looks frail after a viral attack

So that did it. Arora saved his Bandra drive, but up came Sitaram Hivarkar to inform that Bapu Rane’s intestinal problem had turned from bad to worse. “It is difficult to see the state he is in,” Sitaram narrated. “He keeps a dirty plastic mug next to his bed and constantly vomits into it. Whatever little liquid he takes, milk or fruit juice, is instantly rejected by the body. And still he refuses to switch over from his ayurvedic treatment. It isn’t doing him any good, but what can I say? He is adamant.”
In between G.R.Garg strode up, looking a shadow of his former self. He has pulled down drastically following a severe attack of viral flu. But he was cheerful and insisted he had recovered fully. He promised to be more regular at the Garden henceforth.
Harish Wadhwa:
May god bless our fellow members with good health and early recovery.
Renu Babani:
I guess the focus should shift to Mr Rane as his condition seems to be getting worse. Let us pray that there is some way he gets relief and doesn't have to suffer this way. If only he would change his medication regime.
Jagmohan Papneja:
For our friends, Shekhawat-ji and Rane-ji: Leave all your worries to GOD and he will do the rest!