Fits and Starts

Waiting for the rains to subside

Life in the Garden continues to move in fits and starts. In fact, it has become static for the better part of the mornings. And it will remain so for as long as the monsoon persists. The free-spirited exuberance and feeling of freshness while exercising out in the open sunshine can never be supplanted in the dank, restrictive confines of the China Hut. Nothing here is conducive to perk up anybody’s mood – except Shekhawat’s.
Here is a man who is always so full of beans that even the most depressing of situations cannot deter him from taking a dig at someone or the other. So while everyone went glumly through their motion or waited silently for the rains to subside, he got after Ram Shankar Shukla’s case with the single-minded determination of an LIC agent.

Shekhawat quizzes Shukla

Shekhawat had many questions for Shukla: How many gurukuls does he run? Where are they located? Who looks after them in his absence? What are the chances of him getting admission in one of them? Do the gurukuls have an inner sanctum like that of some famous godmen? What goes on inside? Does he also take refuge there? Will he lend him the keys?
All the questions were addressed loud enough for all to hear and as expected, Shukla remained evasive. Fact is, Shukla runs a clutch of coaching classes for economically deprived children (which Shekhawat impishly interprets as gurukuls) in the city suburbs. “I have just closed down two of them,” was all Shukla would divulge.
Of course, that information was not enough for Shekhawat. He kept needling Shukla and Shukla kept playing him on, knowing well it was all meant for public entertainment. There was no ill-feeling or any malice intended – just, plain unadulterated fun that only brought a smile on everybody’s lips.
Harish Wadhwa:
I did not know of this noble act of Shukla-ji. Kudos to him if he is still doing it. I liked the way you said, 'single-minded determination of an LIC agent...' LOL. This simile is indeed true and one has to keep away from those agents in real life.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Shukla-ji had earlier told us that he runs some computer coaching centers in the suburbs of Mumbai to impart training to children of economically and socially backward families. It is sad to note that two of the centers have closed down. It must be under circumstances beyond his control.