Good Cheer

Angad Singh celebrates his grand-daughter's wedding with barfi

All of India may be in the grips of a bone-chilling cold wave, but in Mumbai, the weather is divine – the mornings especially so. Yet, attendance for the exercises is slipping with every passing day. Evidently, people prefer to stay indoors in the most pleasant of times and when the going gets tough, they tumble out en masse in the Garden!
Even so, it was a good day for us. For starters, we ushered Kajal Babani’s birthday by raising an extra laugh and wishing her many happy returns. We understand she is busy with preparations for her daughter’s wedding next week and could not make it to the Garden this morning.

Happy Birthday, Kajal Babani

Moreover, the ‘desk calendar’ the Club gifts to every birthday girl/ boy has got inordinately delayed in her case. So we have requested her to take time out for us on Saturday morning – by which time, the calendar should be ready for her.
Lest anyone felt deprived of a birthday treat, Lt Col Angad Singh graciously stepped in with a box of kaju-katli (barfis) soon after the exercises.

Shekhawat greets the two Chinese ta'i chi girls

Many thought this was his way of registering his return from Mohali (ref yesterday’s post) and as decent human beings, we politely picked a piece each. But Angad insisted we pick a second piece also of the barfi and only then did we learn of the good news: Shiven Preet Kaur, his grand-daughter got married recently and this was a happy grand-father sharing his joy with us. Our blessings go to her and the lucky groom as well.
Meanwhile, Shekhawat had a rare euphoric moment while doing yoga in the China Hut. Two of the Chinese ta’i chi girls wandered into the Garden late morning, obviously not expecting any of us to be around. But Shekhawat had spotted them and without as much of a with-your-leave, he abandoned the yoga session and bounded gleefully towards the girls. It was more of a reunion of long-lost comrades and their happiness in catching up (after no more than a month) was mutual and palpable. After an animated exchange of pleasantries in sign language, Shekhawat managed to convey that they should report to the Garden from tomorrow, without fail.