Raising the Bar

Santosh Tyagi warms up to her friends

After yesterday’s hilarious confessions on childhood romance (see post), the bar was raised a notch higher today. And of all the people, the target had to be the most reticent and soft-spoken lady of the club, Santosh Tyagi.
She had turned up after nearly a fortnight with no particular reason to explain her absence. “Buss aisi,” she repeated in short sentences. “No, nothing is wrong with me. I am fine. Maybe it’s just lethargy, or listlessness. It could be the weather, who knows.”
A small crowd had gathered, genuinely concerned. Some advised her not to allow this lassitude to get the better of her as it could affect her health. Others inquired if domestic chores were holding her back. Some even suggested she get herself a thorough medical check-up done.
“No-no, it is none of that,” Santosh maintained. “Fact is I’m very eager to come to the Garden. But somehow I cannot get myself to leave home. God knows what happens, I’d invariably change my mind at the last moment…”
“I know what happens,” Bijoy Gupta butted in from nowhere. “All that you have just said happens to young girls

Silent spectators: Arun Patil and Shekhawat

when they turn 15-16. It is nothing serious.

Worried look, when she came in

You don’t have to hide anything from us. Just name the person!”
Santosh blushed pink, but quickly gathered herself when the group erupted in laughter. She made a feeble plea that it is too late in life for anything of the sort, that her hair had turned grey and so on.
“But what has grey hair got to do to with giving your heart to someone special?” Gupta persisted. It was enough for everyone to start pulling Santosh's leg till finally, she conceded that grey hair had really nothing to do with matters of the heart. “But why should I reveal any name to you?” she asked defiantly, having decided by then to play on with the crowd and in effect, inviting another volley of teasers. Nahid Khan started singing, “Yeh kya hua, kaise hua, kab hua, kyon hua…”
All this happened after the exercises. When Santosh left the Garden, she had a spring in her step – a far more cheerful person than what we saw of her when she came in.
Karun Sharma:
I know I am missing a lot of fun. All who shared their stories must be feeling happier.
Bihari Milwani:
Nowadays, after the 'laughing exercises', we do 'love story exercises'.