Beating the Heat

Karuna Waghmare narrates her Rajasthan odyssey

People normally migrate to cooler climes to escape the summer heat. Not Karuna Waghmare though. She chose a vacation in one of the hottest of Indian states, Rajasthan and returned today to tell her tale.
“We had gone to Ajmer and Jaipur,” she narrated. “But I did not feel any heat. We stayed in air-conditioned hotels, traveled by air-conditioned cars and ventured out selectively in shaded areas. Not for once did we expose ourselves to the sun.”
Recounting her visits to some forts and shrines, Karuna maintained that her trip this time was “much more enjoyable” than what she had experienced on earlier occasions. “I find Mumbai rather incredibly hot,” she said.
We did not require Karuna Waghmare to tell us how unbearably hot and clammy the weather is out here and just after the exercises, when Banoo Apa produced

Siba Prasad Maitra(r) grabs Banoo Apa's
lassi before rushing away to work

Banoo Apa with the other big host
of the morning, Yusuf Rassiwala

glassfuls of cool, refrigerated lassi from home, it was nothing short of manna from heaven.
Now there’s a problem here. In all her goodness, Banoo Apa has been treating us to such refreshments (including mango shake and tea) every other day and there is no way we can ever refuse her. At the same time, there is no way we can compensate her on a regular basis for all this kindness and generosity. Short of making us feel guilty, Banoo Apa graciously brushes aside such concerns by reminding us of her pathan lineage: “We know how to enjoy food. And we know how to share our food as well!”
Yusuf Rassiwala did the best thing in these circumstances. He rushed out to pick up some palm fruits (taad gola) from the market. These are Banoo Apa’s favorite summer indulgence (“I can make a meal of it!”) and Yusuf R knew this.
It is another matter there were other claimants for those juicy gelatinous fruit balls. After all, we can always trust Yusuf R for his large-heartedness: There was enough taad gola for everybody.
Karun Sharma:
It was a unique day for me as I decided to observe silence. I enjoyed all the activities but felt people not talking to me although I was listening. I was ready to reply as I had a pen and paper with me. We need to practice living with the deaf and dumb as they are also members of our society.
Geeta Latte:
* Banoo Aunty, thank you so much for the lassi. You have always been getting us something or the other -- that too, after rising early in the morning to prepare the goodies for us. To "thank you" can never be enough. 😇😇🙏 And Yusuf Uncle, you are an angel to our Big Laaf family!👆👼👼