Unfinished Business

Tiny Farhad receives his gift box and blessings from Zarina Khan

Four-year-old Fahad Kagzi had to attend to an unfinished business today. About a fortnight back he performed a little jig with some little ladies at the Annual Day function (ref post of September 10) of Big Laaf. And like any chivalrous male, he allowed his co-dancers to first collect their gift boxes at the end of the performance and thereafter, patiently awaited his turn.
The wait has been long but worth the while. This morning he accompanied his grandmom, Mallika Kagzi to the Garden and there was Zarina Khan to present him his long overdue box of chocolates. Zarina is just back from performing Hajj and nothing could have been more auspicious for Fahad than receiving her blessings and of course, the gift box from her hands.
Zarina had brought dry dates and holy water for us along with lots of stories on her pilgrimage. It had been a grueling experience, more so, as daytime temperatures in Mecca were hitting 50 degrees when she was there. “It was unbearably hot in the open,” narrated Zarina.

Arun Patil enjoys Mallika's tea

Swati feeds Dilip Babani mithi puri

“But the arrangements by the Saudi authorities were so good that we had really nothing to complain about. Most important, there were no accidents this year.”
Supplementing Zarina’s Arab dates was Swati Panjabi’s unusual mithi puri treat, washed down by Mallika’s refreshing hot tea. Pity Shekhawat could not join us for these as he had to excuse himself midway through the exercises. He said he had a flight to catch to Patna and after that, he would take the road to Gaya. Turns out, Shekhawat is on a major expedition that would keep him away from the Garden till October 22.

Shekhawat leaves mid-way through the exercises

On September 30, he would leave Bihar and head towards his village in Rajasthan, in time for the Navratri festivities. Thereafter, he would escort a contingent of village elders to the many pilgrimage spots of Rajasthan. The trip – partly by air, partly by road – is his personal treat to near and dear ones he had spent his formative years with.
“They are all around my age now (mid-seventies), some even older,” Shekhawat said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “The best part is that they have never travelled out of the village in their lifetime. For them, air travel is unimaginable. The experience of stepping into an aeroplane and being transported across the skies would be almost like a dream come true. For all you know, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them.”
He elaborated that even stepping into an elevator is a big deal for those simple village folk. “That is why I have booked them in hotels that have lift facilities. I have deliberately taken rooms in the upper floors. I cannot wait to see how they behave when they get into a lift… or in the aeroplane.”
We wish Shekhawat an eventful, safe and enjoyable excursion.
Lt Col Angad Singh (from Mohali):
Going on pilgrimage is a good sign. It has its own blessings and memories to be cherished.