Reasons to Rejoice

Mumtaz Jahan (r) treats us to biscuiits

The Guptas (r) are congratulated on turning grandparents

A couple of months back, Mumtaz Jahan did the disappearing act, taking us all by surprise. In time, news trickled in of her brother meeting with a near-fatal road accident and that she had to air dash to Delhi where he was hospitalised. Some of her friends also received distressful photos of the young man in ICU. And then there was no news.
Today our anxieties were put to rest as Mumtaz strode into the Garden with a broad smile and a bag of biscuits. From the look of her, all seemed well. “He is back in his house at Jammu,” she confirmed raising a salutary look heavenwards. “But he cannot stir out of home. He shall have to be wheelchair-bound for the next four months.”
Bijoy Gupta gave us another reason to rejoice. “I have become a grandfather,” he announced rather sheepishly after the exercises. And to celebrate the occasion, he treated us to packets of oven-fresh dhokla, kachori, samosa and gulab-jamuns from Vyanjan.
Later, his wife Pushpa was to elaborate that their son is settled in London and the baby boy automatically becomes a British citizen by birth.
“He was born on May 16,” she added amid friendly jibes from well-wishers for being a “British grandmom” now. Some even wanted to christen her “Pushpa Dadi-ma!”
Significantly enough, the mood of the morning was set by Nahid Khan’s grandson, Ali. The restless 11-year-old was all over the place, chattering away incessantly from the very start of the exercises and soon became a personal favourite of Shekhawat. He insisted that the boy stay put next to him and all morning, one refused to let go of the other. The funniest part was when the tiny brat started picking faults in the way we exercise – to the point of demonstrating some smart moves, much to his granny’s consternation.
Meanwhile, here's congratulating Geeta Latte, Swati Punjabi, Kiran Prakash and other winners of today's Housie session in the China Hut. This is fast becoming a popular feature of the Club every last-Saturday of the month.
Bihari Milwani:
On Monday, Gupta-ji should come wearing a red cap and be singing: "Dadi main toh Dada ban gaya/ Dada banke kaisa tan gaya/ Yeh suit mera dekho, ye boot mera dekho/ Jaise gora koi London kaaaaaaa"!!!