Mission Accomplished

Shekhawat (r) in a self-congratulatory mood as he reviews the membership list

Preliminary talks for the next one-day picnic

Shekhawat has pulled off a miracle. In barely three days, he has concluded the subscription drive for renewal of Club membership for 2017-18. Everybody has paid for the full year, barring eight absentee members who are either indisposed or out of town. And there’s still about a month to go.
This is no ordinary feat. Shekhawat is blessed with the rare talent to be able to wheedle out cash from anyone, whatever the amount or circumstances. Such is the goodwill he enjoys that nobody ever doubts him with cash. Even then, it usually takes a couple of months for him to complete the process of collecting subscriptions -- with a few defaulters still left in the end.
So elated is Shekhawat by the cooperation of members that he now wants to plunge into another cash collection drive -- this time for a one-day picnic. Today he instructed Dilip Babani to check online on the holiday resorts in and around Mumbai – some place we have not been to so far. “The earlier we go the better,” he urged. “Or else, the weather would turn too hot to travel. If we delay too much, monsoon would set in.”
Dilip already has a resort in mind, but the charges there are on the higher side. “Leave that to me,” Shekhawat said confidently. “I know how to extract the best deal from resorts. On all Club picnics so far, I have brought down the rates by at least 25 to 30 per cent. You should know how to negotiate.”
Thankfully, Shekhawat is no longer talking about Lonavala -- a nightmare for large groups travelling in peak tourist season. (On one occasion, we had to even return half way due to heavy traffic.) Another popular destination, Alibaug is also being given the go by for the present. And should nothing work out, we might even settle for Saina, the resort we had been to last November.
Bihari Milwani:
Shekhawat must have bribed everyone by telling them he is celebrating his 57th wedding Anniversary on 14th March and only those who pay their subscriptions are invited.