DAY 2861

Pic of the Week

A MOMENT TO CHERISH... FOREVER

They are singing for Geeta -- “Tu cheez badi hi mast mast, hamen na koi hosh hosh..." --Bihari Milwani

Hello Pushpa-ji and Bhaswati-ji, it is wrong number! --Anonymous

Rain Soaked

Razia Khan celebrates birthday with rasagullas
on a dark, dank, rain-soaked morning

It rained heavily the whole of yesterday. It rained all night. It continued to rain in the morning today...
In this all-consuming downpour, it had taken more of raw courage than commitment to show up at the Garden for the exercises. And it was Razia Khan who provided us the perfect reason.
For, it was her birthday today.

Bihari Milwani (l) has Razia amused
with a funny mobile clip

Razia was there with daughter-in-law Tahira. They had brought rasagullas to celebrate the occasion while we went through the fourth laughter routine and lustily singing the birthday song. Bihari Milwani was also there with a comical clip he had created on his mobile to remember the day by.
Milwani was there for another good reason. Rather, his presence gave us the opportunity to work out the modalities for getting the club accounts (for the last financial year) in order and audited by him ahead of the Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) which is due.
Once Milwani has the Balance Sheet ready, we will go through the drill of issuing notice and convening the AGM as per procedure. Watch this space.

'SUPER' BIRTHDAY!

Let the pictures speak for themselves...

THE BIGGEST BIRTHDAY BASH OF THE YEAR... AT CHINA GATE

It began at the Garden with Yusuf Rassiwala's birthday

Bijoy Gupta: Master of Ceremonies

The party in progress

Santosh Tyagi (c) dropped by

Khatoon Baig was also there

The only two sari-clad damsels

Banoo Apa makes a point

Razia Khan waxes eloquent with an Urdu couplet

Caught in the headlights???

Hostesses and a host of the mostest: Fahmida Khan (l to r), Nahid Siddiqui, Bhaswati Bose, Geeta Latte, Yusuf Rassiwala, Razia
Khan, Khatoon Baig, Naseem Khan and Banoo Apa

Photo Credits: Most of the photos in this post have been clicked by Geeta Latte and Devraj Das

DAY 2858

Pic of the Week

WITH THE TEACHER AND THE TAUGHT

In our Club also we are 30 members. But it has 5 teachers. That is why it is called BIG LAAF and not 'Super 30' --Bihari Milwani

In spite of a good teacher-and-taught ratio, the pupils still play truant... except perhaps when there's a birthday bash! --Angad Singh

Birthday Season

Birthday girl Geeta Latte takes a selfie to mark the occasion

For the past one week, we are having a surfeit of treats – mostly of birthdays – so many that we have lost count of them. And we are still not done.
Today morning, it was Geeta Latte’s turn to usher in her big day with chocolates.

Moti turned a proud 90

Yesterday, Bhaswati Bose did so. Next week, two more big birthdays are coming up – Yusuf Rassiwala’s and Razia Khan’s. But the biggest of them all is what Bijoy Gupta is calling ‘The Super Birthday’.
This mega birthday bash is being planned

Zarina Khan had celebrated with pedas

for July 23 (next Tuesday) at the China Gate restaurant and is being jointly hosted by all the July-borns (but for a couple of exceptions) of the Club. Over 20 members are expected to converge over lunch and shop talk for which bookings have just been made. Last year, the venue selected for the joint-birthday celebration was Kailash Parbat across the road.
China Gate is rated high by our members mainly for its fabulous non-veg fare, the wonderful (read spacious) ambience and a mind-boggling variety of items on the buffet menu. In plain gastronomic terms, dining at this restaurant is regarded as VFM -- value for money.

Simply Phenomenal!

Banoo Apa turned a year younger today.
We had visible proof of this last evening when she invited the whole Club to her new home at Imperial Heights, Goregaon for what was ostensibly a house warming party. And what a celebration that was. It was phenomenal.
For its sheer scale, the variety of dishes on offer, personal care and attention to details, this was one event that was unmatched in living memory. For five endless hours, beginning 6:00pm,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, BANOO APA (ext left in cap)

food flowed in torrents – fruit juice and sharbats, dhokla, cutlets, chops, tea, kababs, samosas (big and small), soan papdi, chicken curry, pao, biryani, sheer kurma... you name it, it was there.
Above all, it was the enlightening company of Banoo Apa’s hubby, Dr Mohammad Farooq and his engaging conversations that kept the spirits soaring right through.
In any other party of this scale, there would have been a retinue of servants in attendance. But here was one incredible superwoman who single-handedly managed the kitchen (her house maid had to disappear yesterday) while taking care of all the guests as well, leaving nothing to chance... and even joined the guests to belt out a couple of vintage film songs.
True, Razia Khan and Karun Sharma very kindly stepped up to lend her a helping hand. But that was just about it. Our hostess was living proof of one getting younger and more energetic with the years. She is truly blessed!
The celebration did not end there. It extended into the morning today with tea and snacks post-exercise while we performed the birthday song and fourth laugh routine. What else could we do? So stuffed were we from last night that most of us were in no state to even open our mouths.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Happy housewarming, my sister Banoo Apa. Here we have sweet memories of the sweet dishes served by her. She does not leave anything to chance. She looks after everyone in a befitting manner. Wishing her a Happy Birthday as well. Keep laughing.

Karun Sharma:
Banoo Apa loves to feed people. Rightly described, we started thinking what may not be eaten as there were more than ample choices and continued flow of delicacies. Friend Farooq was excellent company and some will agree that he is very well informed about spirituality practiced globally. I had good time with him as I reached a little early.

DAY 2855

Pic of the Week

Two highpoints during a rain-soaked week... at High Point

Monsoon Respite

Bihari Milwani presents the Boses with a special memento

We got a breather this morning after days of relentless rainfall that claimed 30 lives and left hundreds hospitalised across the city. Attendance during our exercises was at its barest minimum. As the rains continued unabated, drains overflowed and all roads leading to the Garden were waterlogged. Mumbai was virtually paralysed. Matters reached a head yesterday and a public holiday was declared.
Strangely, the skies cleared this morning and the weather gods smiled.

Fahmida Khan offers a bite of sweet 

The biggest beneficiaries of this let up in the rains were the Boses, Bhaswati and Derek whose wedding anniversary it was today. Owing to the uncertain weather conditions, nothing special was done by them by way of celebrating the occasion.

Breakfast at High Point Restaurant

Yet, we had a happy house-full of more than 15 members in the China Hut which, by itself, was a huge celebration.
Bihari Milwani came with his one-of-its-kind hand-crafted table calendar with the Bose couple featured as funny-looking cats with whiskers. Karun Sharma, a poet in his own right, recited a beautiful poem specially composed for the occasion. Before long, Kiran Prakash took us all by surprise by reciting another poem composed

Geeta Latte, Banoo Apa and Bhaswati

by him, straight from the heart. Bijoy Gupta also showered his wishes with an amusing filmy number.
And then there were the ladies -- Fahmida Khan turning up with a box of sweets, Banoo Apa with another round of goodies… and finally, Geeta Latte stealing the show with a massive glass-framed photograph that showed the Boses in a hilariously, unguarded moment.
The celebrations eventually ended with breakfast and tea at High Point Restaurant; but the biggest take-away of the morning was the spontaneous expressions of joy and camaraderie rarely, if ever, seen anywhere else. This is what makes us at once proud and indebted to Big Laaf. Thank you everybody, once again… and above all, Mr Rain God.

Photo Credit: The pictures, almost entirely, have been clicked by Geeta Latte

Karun Sharma
It was a day meant for this celebration. Derek and Bhaswati looked ready for the occasion. Everyone around was equally happy to share their happiness. Many happy returns of the Special Day to one of the younger couples of the Big Laaf family.

Geeta Latte:
I was fortunate enough to be able to capture on camera the naughtiness of the Bose couple. That was the picture I framed and presented them.💖🤗🤗

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Congratulations to the Boses on their marriage anniversary. Pray they live a happy and healthy married life. May they be blessed. The rain god has been extra kind to Mumbai and filled its cup to the brim in one go. I am sure everyone enjoyed the breakfast at High Point.