Delayed Reaction

Ramila Mistry confronts Shekhawat

The Club was today witness to an unsavory row as the very purpose of congregating at the Garden every morning was brought to question. Was it to exercise? Or was it only to eat? And if it were the latter, who is responsible for informing absentee members that a party would be on?
According to Ramila Mistry, it is Shekhawat’s bounden duty to call everyone on phone every time a party/ treat is scheduled. And since he had failed to do so for the felicitation of Sitaram Hivarkar last month (ref post of June 20), she gave him a severe tongue lashing and threatened to resign from the Club.
Shekhawat was caught unawares and at a loss of words over this frontal attack. As it is, Ramila was never one to be serious about the exercises, given her record of turning up late and absenting herself for long spells. For her to wake up suddenly a month after the event and take Shekhawat to task was shocking.
Equally shocked were those who watched this sorry spectacle. Many pretended not to notice. When Ramila was told politely that it was not Shekhawat’s job to inform people on parties, she shot back: “If it was an individual’s party, I’d not have bothered.

Khatoon Baig leaves for USA

But since this was a Club event, I should have been informed!”
But why should anybody be duty-bound to inform her? If only she had been attending regularly, would she have reason to feel deprived? And why rake this up after a month? Where was she all these days? Is her interest in the Club limited to parties only?
These and many other questions were raised by seniors of the Club in an impromptu meeting and some even wanted to accost Ramila head-on. But they changed their mind, lest matters got aggravated. After all, nobody expected such aggressive behavior from her.
In all this unpleasantness, Khatoon Baig turned up to inform that she had finally got her U.S. visa. It has been her long-cherished dream to visit her relatives in Los Angeles and what could be any better than celebrating Eid with them next week? She leaves tonight and will be back on the last week of September. We all felt good for her and wished her bon voyage.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Big Laaf members are expected to follow a certain code of conduct whereby they should be respectful towards one another. Ramila Mistry is in no way justified at conveying her frustrations on Shekhawat-ji and turning it into a personal attack. Shekhawat-ji is not duty bound to inform members in any matter. Our members are lucky to have the facility of a blog to update themselves. Ramila is herself to blame not to read the blog. Her threat to resign from the Club for her own mistake does not make sense.
Arun Patil:
It is better Ramila keeps maun vrat (vow of silence). She is best when she does not talk.