In Exile

Exercises continue in the shed

We were refugees in our own land. Some people had occupied our old stomping ground in the Garden and erected a huge shamiana around it, leaving us with little option but to seek shelter in the medical shed (adjacent to the China Hut) for our exercises.
Dark and claustrophobic as it felt, this eventually was to prove a blessing in disguise. For it was inordinately cold and windy today morning. Worse still, the Garden was soaked in so much dew that it looked like it had rained all night.
“The cold wave has struck again,” said Shekhawat as he came in, huddled in his brown padded jacket.
For those who were not so well-equipped, the covered shed provided a shield from the freeze outside. In fact, many suggested that rather than be exposed to the early morning chill every day we might as well appropriate the space in the shed for the rest of the winter.
Meanwhile, Mallika Kagzi was tickled pink when told she could be arrested for posing in the Indian tricolor yesterday, as part of our Republic Day celebrations. She was clicked with the flag stylishly draped around her shoulders and pulling off a perfect salute.

Shekhawat teases Mallika

Tara Chand (c) leaves for Delhi

(The photograph is deliberately withheld lest it be misconstrued as violating the Flag Code of 2002.)
Mallika, in all innocence, could scarcely be concerned about the legal implications, much as we tried our best to put the fear in her that she could be put behind bars for seven years for commiting the ‘offence’. Shekhawat teased her as usual, saying the “draped flag must not reach below the waist under any circumstances”. And here she bragged like a child that she had worn the flag from top to bottom! For the record though, no offence was committed yesterday under the Flag Code or Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act of 1971, as amended to date. The photograph, in any case, was deleted on the spot.