Monsoon Arrives

Lord Varuna must have been a member of our laughter club at some time. He was considerate enough not to hassle us by sending the rains on a weekday. We needed to be prepared after all. So he waited patiently till Sunday, knowing it would be our day off. And only then did he bring in the monsoon – with a BANG!

Tara Chand Seth

The torrential downpour continued relentlessly well into the morning today. The whole Garden was literally under water, barring parts of the walking track and a few patches of green here and there. Till 6:45 a.m., not a soul was to be seen. A few wet crows cawed soulfully and suddenly, from nowhere, a pack of frightened stray dogs darted across the Garden, an equally crazed watchman hot on their heels.
Midway through exercising in the Chinese Hut, Tara Chand Seth came in, gleefully wading through the swirling rainwater. He had returned from Delhi yesterday and everybody thanked him profusely for bringing the rains with him and providing much-needed relief from the sweltering heat and humidity of the last many weeks.

Nahid Khan and Laxmi join Badmaash Company for tea

Always ready with an answer, he quipped gamely, "Isi liye toh aaya hoon." His return was greeted by an extra laugh at the end of the exercises.
Pleasant as the weather was, a peculiar problem cropped up. Some people with weak bladders could not use the toilet in the Garden as it was supposed to be overflowing and hence, out-of-bounds. As they kept grumbling among themselves, a smart alec came up with a brilliant idea: “Why go to that stinking toilet? Just step out in the rain, get drenched properly and relieve yourself in your pants while walking. Nobody will make out… I’ve just done it!” Somehow, the advice brought a look of relief on many distraught faces.
The rains provided the perfect reason for piping hot tea at Badmaash Company’s traditional adda. So Nahid Khan and her friend, Laxmi joined the gang as special guests today. They made for great company – just that Srichand Arora and Arun Patil were not there to be part of the fun.
Harish Wadhwa:
* Don't get carried away by that weird suggestion and attempt the despicable act. Please follow what Vidya Balan has been promoting: Samajdar bano 'shoch' banvao, aur kaam mein bhi lao. Khule mein nahin karne ka kya! Hee hee.
* Welcome to our Badmaash group, Nahid-ji and Laxmi-ji. We may be defamed, but in reality are humble souls.