Night Bird

Sunita Jajodia

Long back, ex-member Sunita Jajodia had unwittingly made a very profound statement. She voiced what many of us feel, but would rarely admit in public: “As we grow old, we turn into gadhey (donkeys) by day and ullus (owls) by night.”
Today Shekhawat lived up to the latter part of the statement in deed. At 5:45 a.m. (while it was still pitch dark) he was making frantic calls from the Garden inquiring why nobody had turned up. “It is going to be seven, why isn’t anybody here?” he demanded.
Kiran Prakash was convinced that Shekhawat had “started walking in his sleep”. Ved Prakash Grover inferred that Shekhawat must have taken a "Patiala peg last night" and had lost track of time. Another member, rudely woken from his sleep,

Shekhawat boasts of his own folly

sat bolt upright, wondering if this was a joke or an emergency: “But it isn’t even six…”
“Not even six!” Shekhawat exclaimed. “What do you mean?”
In moments his voice crackled again: “Oh my God, I had no idea of the time. What shall I do now? I’ve been in the Garden for the past half-hour wondering why

Teja Singh Bhambra

I don’t see anybody. Except for two strangers walking about, there is not a soul in the Garden. What should I do for another one hour?”
Later in the morning, Shekhawat was to narrate this incident to friends and laugh at his own folly. He boasted of being the first to land in the Garden, to have completed his (yogic) breathing exercises undisturbed and still feel fresh and energetic.
What he did not mention was that at age 75, sleep eludes him and for the best part of the night, he stays wide awake, staring into darkness – like an owl. In fact, this is true of most of us in the Club.
On a different note, here’s a spot of good news from Faridabad. Our favorite sardar, Teja Singh Bhambra just called in to inform that he would be landing in Mumbai the day-after-tomorrow. “I will report to the Garden on January 7,” he informed, sounding upbeat. “Hope to be seeing you all!”
We look forward eagerly to welcoming him back.
Bihari Milwani:
Shekhawat's action may be called "youth at old age". In old age, things are forgotten. But in the case of Shekhawat, he remembers a little more than others and that too little early in the morning. Or maybe, he wanted to capitalise on the darkness and practice some romantic moves for the 16th January function.