Happy Send-off

It's a beautiful day...

Shekhawat waves good-bye

It was a beautiful day with over 20 members turning up to give Shekhawat a warm send-off this morning. He leaves by the evening train for his native village in Rajasthan and is expected to return on March 19 after celebrating Holi with his childhood friends.
“I am taking 26 days outstation leave plus four days TT,” he announced after the exercises. On being asked what TT stood for, he replied officiously: “Don’t you know, it means Travel Time?

Arun Patil (seated) hosts tea party

It takes me two days to reach my village by train and another two days to return…”
The irony of today’s send-off did not go unnoticed. Shekhawat’s favorite bugbear, Arun Patil was to throw a tea party with cake slices – in a sense, to mark the occasion. Minutes earlier, the two had got into a scrap with Arun instructing Shekhawat to shut up and stop disturbing others during the exercises. Shekhawat, in turn, accused Arun of losing his marbles and directed him to get admitted in a loony asylum!
But that’s all old hat. Everybody knows how the two, given the slightest opportunity, would rush at each other’s throats. Yet, when Arun was away on a film shoot recently (ref post of February 8) Shekhawat was the one to miss him most and used to inquire about his welfare daily. He had lovingly even coined a funny name, 'Tokam Toki' for Arun Patil.
Now it would be Arun’s turn to miss Shekhawat.
Dilip Babani:
Have a nice trip, Shekhawat-ji. Today Arun's tea was the best with nice cake. Thank you, Arun-ji.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
It is good that Shekhawat-ji has taken time out to meet his childhood friends. Let him feel relaxed and be away from the hustle and bustle of the city life.