Autumn Exodus

Kiran Prakash

Hari Singh Shekhawat

With Dussehra and Diwali closing in, the annual festival exodus has begun. Shekhawat has already left for Rajasthan via Bihar. He shall celebrate Navaratri in his native village (ref post of September 24) before embarking on a pilgrimage with friends and relatives. He is expected to return to Mumbai in time for the Diwali festival on October 30.
Come September 29, Kiran Prakash will be off on a five-day vacation, to Dubai. On October 13, he would join the Club on a trip to Kerala that would cover Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Vembanad and Allepey. (Shekhawat had last led a 40-member group to these very places on February 2014.) The current trip has taken three months in organising.
While others are also drawing up their holiday plans, Karuna Waghmare returned today from a brief sojourn only to discover that president Mallika Kagzi had turned into a strict disciplinarian.

Karuna Waghmare (standing) protests against imposition of discipline

Karuna simply could not believe that she would have to hold her tongue while exercising and went around asking in loud whispers if Mallika had lost her mind completely.
“Then why is she acting so bossy?” asked the lady who Bijoy Gupta has christened ‘Char-ana Aath-ana’ (after her role in the Annual Function play).
Predictably, she confronted Mallika once the exercises got over and gave her a mouthful. “What is all this?” she exclaimed. “At home we cannot laugh and joke because of our children. This is the only time in the day when we get to express ourselves freely. Now if you impose restrictions here on even talking, you are being grossly unfair.”
Karuna was merely voicing the sentiments of members, particularly ladies, for whom the Club is the only place where they get to ventilate their true feelings. Mallika understands that perfectly, but can do nothing about it: “I am damned if I impose discipline, I am damned if I am lenient. What shall I do?”
Lt Col Angad Singh (from Mohali):
It is the happiness, hilarious laughing and healthy exercises which attract all the members. When you have people like Kiran Prakash and Siba Maitra who make a small joke big by way of accent or otherwise, one feels doubly happy. It is a bonus to also enjoy the exercises which are the spice and tonic of life.