Blue Eyed Boys

Rakhi Bansi celebrates turning grandmom

In any human gathering, association or club, there would always be one or two individuals who’d stand apart from the rest, being more popular than the others. In Big Laaf, we have Kiran Prakash and Siba Prasad Maitra who rank high in the popularity stakes. Both coincidentally, hail from the pharmaceutical industry and had joined the Club around the same time (though not together) which would seem like the other day. Yet, in these two years, they have emerged as the most admired and endearing blue-eyed boys – age and seniority be damned.
What other reason can there be for Swati Panjabi to abandon everything the moment she catches sight of Maitra and give him a good body drubbing and head massage before attending to anybody else? Or for the Babanis and Boses, not to mention Yusuf Rassiwala, Banoo Apa, Mallika Kagzi etc.

Kiran Prakash (l) and Siba Prasad Maitra (r) in the foreground

making a beeline towards him, just to catch his witticisms or a narration of some funny anecdote?
Now, Maitra is a man always in a hurry and not very regular for the exercises because of work compulsions. Today also he tried to wriggle out soon after the exercises,

Mallika's turn for Swati's massage

but by the time he could actually extricate himself from his fawning admirers, he was half-hour behind. It is nothing but his company that everyone in the Club cherishes.
Kiran Prakash is also having to pay a price for his popularity. He leaves for Dubai (ref last post) on a holiday tomorrow and instead of wishing him well or being given a warm send-off, he was gheraoed by his fans making crazy demands for anything from spices and dates to gold ornaments and ingots. Yusuf R intervened saying that at this rate ‘Chhutkan’ (as he calls Kiran Prakash lovingly) would return empty-handed while Swati advised him to better pick up some faux gold trinkets from the pavement outside Andheri station. But nobody was listening. Even Karuna Waghmare tried to punch above her height when offered one gram of gold as gift. “What shall I do with one gram?” she squealed. “I need at least one tola gold. Just pick up a ring for me on your way back!”
Who else would anybody be taking such outrageous liberties with?
Kiran Prakash:
I am indeed fortunate to be a member of BIG LAAF. In this era when people have no time or inclination to even talk unless something can be extracted, getting so much affection from members touches my heart. I am treated more like a family member than a fellow club member. In this life I will never be able to pay back. Dear members, I hold you all in very high esteem and love you too.