Ousted Again

Arora emerges from darkness

Our worst fears came true today. Whoever had that ‘brilliant’ idea of ousting us from our old stomping ground inside the Garden (ref post of January 8) realized the folly today. This morning, s/he got us to vacate the concrete area outside the China Hut and dispatched us back to the Garden – but at the furthermost point close to a public toilet.
Clearly, we are seen as ‘disturbing elements’ that cannot be contained -- as Angad Singh pointed out, quite amused.

Mallika treats us to nankhatai and tea

Residents of nearby buildings have complained that we derive vicarious pleasure by waking them with a start, the moment we unleash our laughter war cry at 7:00 a.m. sharp. Since we cannot be wished away, their only hope (and prayers) now lie in pushing us further aground,

Prakash celebrates son's birthday 

beyond the public toilet and into the stinking slush of the nullah next to the Garden!
But all that hardly mattered today. What did matter was Srichand Arora materializing at daybreak after pulling off his famous vanishing act at Pune (ref yesterday’s post) on Sunday.

Angad Singh reads out announcement

Instantly he became the magnet for Ved Prakash Grover, Vijay Bhai, Jagmohan Papneja, Kiran Prakash and others, all eager to hear his tale of woe. But he was not one to oblige. Instead, he threatened to take the whole lot of us to the retreat (“ashram”, actually). Funnily, he refused the tea Mallika Kagzi offered him, but stepping out of the Garden, immediately lit a cigarette. The good part was that he looked well-fed and hearty, not having lost a milligram of weight and confessed to celebrating his escapade from Pune with a stiff peg of premium scotch whiskey at home!
Apart from Mallika’s tea (and naankhatai from a visit to Surat), Kiran Prakash celebrated son Siddharth’s birthday by treating us to kaju katli. And then, there was Angad Singh’s brief but important announcement on free heart treatment for children by a noted charitable organization. For further details contact Sameer Malik of Heartcare Foundation Fund on 99587 71177 or 080-28411500.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
If any proof is needed, this is another one that earth is round and it is moving around its axis. The Club is now back to square one. Hope we stick around.