Monday Blues

Depleted attendance today

The mercury has started to rise and already people are talking about water shortage in summer. According to the weather bureau, the temperature is currently 6 degrees above normal in Mumbai. The mornings may not be too sunny or humid, but the effect of a sudden change in the weather was evident from the depleted turnout in the Garden today.
Or it could well be a hangover from a lazy Sunday that accounted for the absence of the likes of Nahid Khan, Bihari Milwani, Shanti Singh and Rukhsana Khan. These are people who are regular in their attendance, even as they may not be punctual every day. The worrisome fact is people could be falling ill,

Deep inside the Mawsmai Cave

as it happens every year around this time.
The continued absence of Santosh Tyagi is another worrisome fact. We were told last week that she would be reporting back for the exercises from Monday (today). Sadly, she was not to be seen. We know she is preoccupied with her son who had been hospitalized late January (with an acute liver condition). She did

Santosh Tyagi

not even celebrate her last birthday on February 10. As phone calls to her have drawn a blank, our only information about her is from hearsay and idle speculation. We can merely hope and pray that all is well with her.
Meanwhile, there’s some exciting news from the group touring the North East. As Kiran Prakash puts it, they “are all in the peak and pink of their health”, the highlight yesterday being a trip to Cherrapunji (once the wettest place on earth) and in particular, to the enchanting Mawsmai Cave, known for its rugged limestone interiors with breathtaking stalactite and stalagmite formations. Believe it or not, the group managed to cover the 150 metre stretch of the cave successfully and emerge without a scratch!
Here’s a SPOT REPORT: “Very exciting day for us. Went to Cherrapunji. On the way, we visited Elephant Falls. But going inside the Mawsmai Cave was a once-in-a-life experience. We not only went inside but successfully came out from the other end. And that included Zarina as well. It took us 20 minutes. We felt we had conquered Mt Everest!" --Kiran Prakash
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
We wish Santosh Tyagi a very long, happy and healthy life. Hope she soon finds herself fit to join the daily activities of the club. Our colleagues who have gone to North East are enjoying themselves and seeing the beautiful places. We wish them a happy sojourn and more enjoyment ahead.