Simmering Discontent

Arora enforces discipline -- with folded hands

Just when everything looked hunky dory in the Club, a new problem has started to fester. Somehow, not everybody is happy with the effusion of gregariousness and bonhomie during the exercises. For them, exercising means serious business. And to enjoy during exercises amounts to gross indiscipline -- if not blasphemy.
The first noises of disapproval came from Ved Prakash Grover.

Ved Prakash Grover

A no-nonsense person, he could never be amused by Shekhawat’s waywardness or Bijoy Gupta’s silly antics. Soon he was joined by Sitaram Hivarkar, who is just as intolerant towards the sundry chatterboxes and general tomfoolery. There were others as well, like Harbans Kaur and Santosh Tyagi, but they wisely changed tack and adapted to the general drift quickly.
The predominant approach of the Club has always been to mix work with play, i.e. combine exercising with some fun and frolic. Otherwise the mornings would be very dull – something inconsistent with a laughter club. Luckily we have been able to strike a happy balance between work and play, without ever compromising on the essence of the exercises.

Laxmi Naidu distibutes sweets from Satara

This is what accounts for our popularity and the sense of bonding that has grown over the years.
But now issues of public pretence are being raised in order to eliminate all enjoyment and instead, stay focused on the exercises. “There are people watching us from the sidelines,” warned Arun Patil this morning, as though we were up to something vulgar or criminal. “What will they say? Just for a handful of members, the entire Club gets a bad name!”
Srichand Arora upheld the view, but with the intent of enforcing stricter discipline. “Isn’t it time we put a check on all this masti-mazaak?” he asked. “It can be very distracting, especially for the person in the middle who conducts the exercises.”
This is bound to touch many raw nerves if and when brought up and would lead to needless confrontations and defiance of authority – something we can do without. For it is too late in the day to change anybody’s nature and more importantly, there is nothing the Club can do to members who persist in fooling about and enjoying themselves -- the way they have always done.
Harish Wadhwa:
Go for the sweets. And celebrate!!!