3 Days Remaining

Tying up the loose ends?

The last few weeks in the Club have been so hectic that we did not quite realize that the departure date for our Rajasthan Tour was drawing near. On February 5 (Sunday), almost all our big mommas and big daddies would be boarding the Dadar-Bikaner Superfast Express around 2:30 pm for the first leg of the trip to Jodhpur. A few will be taking a morning flight the following day to catch up with them. All told, there are 26 members on this trip.
Hotel bookings and travel for the week-long jamboree had been finalized well in advance so as to avail of the usual 'early bird discounts’. And then there was a lull for a couple of months as things settled down. Wait-listed rail tickets got automatically confirmed. Drop-outs were replaced. Even the critical pairings (for sharing hotel rooms) was sorted out amicably.
Now with only three days remaining, we are witnessing a sudden surge of activity. Everybody wants to know how cold or warm it would be in Rajasthan and whether they need to carry heavy woolens, thermals, monkey caps and the like. Some are having second thoughts on their ‘room partners’ -- thereby creating a piquant situation with a few being in ‘heavy demand’ and others finding no takers. Nahid Khan’s old room partner, Laxmi Hadimani had cancelled her tickets, but wants to rejoin the group now – just that there’s no hotel accommodation available. Still…
Banoo Apa’s husband, Muhammed Farooq Khan had yesterday coined a new expression for the group – 'Vaanar Sena' (or Monkey Brigade). “But one thing I like about them is that they know how to be happy and keep everybody around happy,” he added. The description caught on. Yusuf Rassiwala was today heard using the same words, Vaanar Sena -- instantly prompting Banoo Apa to raise a pertinent question: "Who is going to be our Hanuman?!?"