Matter of Trophy

Zarina Khan took everyone by surprise this morning when she declared that she would be coming to the Garden for three more years. “I don’t know about others, but I shall be here every morning to exercise, come

Zarina Khan (foreground) regales

what may, till my 70th birthday,” she elaborated.
“I am 67 years now. On Kiran Prakash’s birthday (March 16), we were told that everyone completing 70 years would be given a trophy from the Club. All the gents, including Gupta-ji, Shekhawat, Yusuf-bhai… even Grover-sa’ab have taken away their trophies. But what about the ladies? I have decided that trophy le ke hi chhodungi!”
Hilarious as this sounded, the bizarre reasoning and determination won Zarina a round of acclaim from those present. At a time when most females shy away from revealing their age, here was an exception who made no bones about how old she was.
“What is the use of concealing your age if it deprives you of a trophy?” she asked in all simplicity, again triggering a volley of laughter. “Most of us here are grandmothers many times over. Nobody gives us a second look anyway. So what is the use of pretending to be young?”
She however, informed that her husband (who is no more) had ‘officially’ declared her to be older than she actually is, thereby leaving her with two dates of birth. She went on to also identify some ladies in the Club who were older than her and “deserved” to be given trophies, if only they were not ashamed to reveal their age.
Zarina had another reason to be so hell-bent on claiming her trophy from the Club: “My sons have won multiple trophies and those are all displayed on a special mantelpiece at home for all to see. I want one trophy to stand out among them and that should be mine!”

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Everyone cherishes a trophy. One has to be a member of the Club and wait till he/she reaches the destined age. It is time worth waiting. On getting the trophy one certainly feels honoured displaying the same in an 'honoured' place. It is a time when one feels proud to be honoured. And Zarina certainly feels it is worth her wait.