Jungle Lore

Bijoy Gupta (c) holds us spellbound by recounting his jungle tales 

It is just about ten days since members of the Club went to Alibaug (ref post of January 21) and already there is talk of another trip – this time to some jungle. “This is the right time to set out,” urged Naseem Khan. “We must plan the picnic before summer.”
Shekhawat said that he would be going to his village (in Rajasthan) for about a month. “My tickets are booked for March 15, soon after Holi,” he informed. “I’d be back in Mumbai after 25 days.”
This leaves us with the whole of February if we are to really go on a jungle trip. Bijoy Gupta is particularly thrilled as it revived memories of his younger days -- about 30-35 years

Shekhawat

back when he was seized by the spirit of adventure and used to take off frequently to explore the wilds in and around Maharashtra.
“Even a visit to a wild life sanctuary can be exciting,” he said. “I know of certain spots in the Borivili National Park or the Aarey Colony jungle where nobody goes, except for wild animals and adivasis. Your blood will freeze the moment you set foot there.”
Gupta recounted several terrifying experiences – of seeing first-hand a baby almost devoured by a leopard, meeting all kinds of shady characters/ godmen/ drug addicts in the jungle, being surrounded by a pack of blood-thirsty wolves on a rainy night, of having to negotiate perilous ravines and waterfalls in pitch darkness, escaping death several times by a whisker, of losing his way in dense undergrowth post-midnight…
“I used to typically leave home on a whim around 8:00 pm and arrive at say, Kalyan Station by midnight,” he narrated. “From there I would trek into the wilds… I must have been mad those days as I was leaving behind a family, including two little children at home.”
The hour-long session in the China Hut established one thing: Bijoy Gupta can be a terrific raconteur when in the mood.

Singalong Prayer

Banoo Apa and Yusuf Rassiwala
browse the Internet

Reciting the suryanamaskar prayer every morning after the exercises has been a challenge of sorts ever since Sitaram Hivarkar stopped coming to the Club (ref post of January 23) five years ago. Nobody has been able to do it as well as he did.
Arun Patil did try though, till such time he was with us. Bhaswati Bose replaced him and in her absence, Urmila Sinha read out the prayer from a piece of paper. But none of them could quite recreate the magic of Sitaram’s invocation, the power behind that voice, clarity in pronunciation and the feeling he conveyed with every word -- “Om suryai namaha, Om mitrai namaha…”
Today, Shekhawat took his chance and predictably, made a mess of it. He repeated many phrases, forgot most, mispronounced words like “hiranyagarbhaye” and “suryanarayanayan” and ended abruptly, laughing at his own gaffes.
This was when Yusuf Rassiwala and Banoo Apa stepped in and decided to standardise the invocation once and for all. It was clearly, the

Zarina Khan (c) in happier times (file photo)

only way to stop making a mockery of the morning prayer. And what could be any better than browse the Internet?
Together, they checked on a cell-phone the various options available on YouTube till they zeroed in on an incantation of suryanamaskar (closest to ours) against the backdrop of instrumental music. It is a 16-minute rendition by Rattan Mohan Sharma, which can be easily condensed. Since we have a portable speaker to play music during the exercises, this manner of sing-along prayer can be a wholly new experience. It is well worth a try.
Meanwhile, those wondering where Zarina Khan has disappeared, here is something they might try. Just call her number and you will be greeted by a baby voice at the other end. This is Zarina today. Her voice has turned into a delightful squeak following a horrid bout of cough and cold – this, when she was already down with an alarming surge in her BP level. But Zarina, true to her nature, is more amused than anybody else by the double whammy.

Fresh Blood

from l to rt: Shekhawat, Siba Maitra, Nand Ram and Bijoy Gupta

There’s a new bee buzzing in Bijoy Gupta’s bonnet. Every morning he enters the Garden singing to the tune of a yesteryear hit: “Dekh tere sansar ki halat kya ho gayi bhagwan…” He substitutes sansar with 'club' and bhagwan with 'chairman'… You get the drift.
Gupta blames Shekhawat squarely for what he perceives as “decline of the club” and the steady drop in attendance during exercises. He is convinced that as chairman, Shekhawat is ineffective and totally incapable of holding the club together.
“Presenting flowers to ladies for coming late is no way to ensure punctuality,” he chided Shekhawat today. “Don’t you realise how silly this looks? You are supposed to put up a stern front – a strict disciplinarian and taskmaster. You should assert your authority as chairman.”
Shekhawat of course, is least bothered. But on one count, he takes Gupta seriously.

Shekhawat presents flower to Naseem Khan

He agrees that it is time to infuse fresh blood, particularly youngsters who can take the Club forward. He too believes that not much can be expected from the present members who are past their prime and bogged down by age-related issues.
So when Gupta suggested we take out pamphlets inviting people to join Big Laaf, Shekhawat was all for it. “We shall mention the health benefits of our exercises, the extra activities we keep having, the many birthday parties, picnics and outstation trips, cultural programmes… I am sure people will find them attractive and join.”
This morning Gupta came up with a brand new idea. “Why don’t we organise a havan in the Garden?” he suggested. “I am not joking. We need to overcome the dull spell we are faced with. Once we do a havan, believe me, people would start thronging to the Club.”
For all his outward hostility, deep inside Shekhawat appreciates Gupta’s concern for the Club. So today, he produced a new member – a young man, Nand Ram who exercised with us from start to finish. “He is from Kota, Rajasthan,” Shekhawat said with pride while introducing the man. “But he has been in Bombay for 20 years. He works as a recordist in films. He wants to join us.” Gupta was impressed!

Out of Steam

Sayeeda Sayed (foreground) saves the day 

All the ministrations and not-so-subtle cajoling yesterday amounted to pouring water on a duck’s back. For all the effect it had on the attendance this morning, we were treated to an action replay, but for Sayeeda Sayed eventually saving the day. Were it not for her showing up just in time, we would probably have called off the exercises today.
Why must this happen now is quite a mystery. Till last week-end, we were going through one of the busiest phases of the year and attendance was at its peak.

Razia Khan (file photo)

All of a sudden, members seem to have run out of steam with many like Rukhsana Khan, Nahid Khan and Zarina Khan becoming scarce for no apparent reason. We don’t even have the basic minimum to kick start our exercises.
Urmila Sinha has of course, left for her hometown, Dhanbad (ref post of January 25) to attend her brother’s last rites. Karun Sharma has informed that he is out on work at Tarapur and will be back, not before January 29. Yusuf Rassiwala too has been

Shekhawat roughs up Gupta for turning up late 

updating us, following the hospitalisation of his tiny one-year-old grandson due to a bout of viral infection.
Today we were told that Razia Khan is also going through a rough patch. She has been admitted to SRV Hospital, Goregaon where she is undergoing treatment for severe kidney infection. “Please pray for her good health,” her daughter-in-law, Tahera appealed over WhatsApp.
Shekhawat is however, impervious to all reasons for skipping the exercises. He obviously believes that when, in spite of being the eldest in the group, he is fit enough to attend the exercises every day, nobody can have any excuse not to. So when Bijoy Gupta showed up late and gleefully complained of having over-slept, Shekhawat was unsparing.
He insisted Gupta do a murga to atone for the lapse before being allowed to exercise. He even turned physical when Gupta refused to oblige and instead, coolly sat on a bench, enjoying the fun. As a last-minute allowance, Shekhawat suggested Gupta stand on the bench, holding both ears. Needless to mention, it was all in vain.

Rotational Formula

We cut a sorry picture today

We found ourselves in a piquant situation today. The weather was pleasant – the temperature in the region of 22 degrees, the air crisp and the skies clear… Yet, there was nobody (barring two) to get the exercises started. Yusuf Rassiwala, Nahid Khan, Karun Sharma, Rukhsana Khan and others who have been reporting to the Garden religiously before 7:00 a.m. had taken the day off.
Still, we waited patiently for nearly half an hour. Just as we were about to call off the exercises and disperse for the day, Bhaswati Bose walked in.

Qadir Bano distributes sweets

Then came Bijoy Gupta, followed by Qadeer Bano, Sayeeda Sayed, Banoo Apa and Naheed Siddiqui in quick succession. We had no option but to hold the exercises, but in a curtailed form.

Banoo Apa (l) distributes chikkis

By 8:00 a.m. we were done.
Thereafter Shekhawat, who was unusually quiet and did not give away a single flower to any late-comer today, dropped a bombshell. He declared that he was quitting the Club and would much rather exercise in the “other” Garden on his own. “I see no reason coming here when you are least interested in exercising,” he explained haltingly. “No matter what I say and how much I plead with you, you

Shekhawat threatens to quit the Club

are determined to show up late every day. This is not okay.”
Gupta was the only one to promptly promise that he would be punctual from tomorrow. All the others (ladies mainly) grudgingly agreed citing excuses like domestic compulsions, medical issues, effect of sleeping pills, etc. “In the military, the first thing we were taught was punctuality,” Shekhawat reminded them, before drifting away on his daily routine while in the Indian Navy.
Finally, in the course of discussions, it was decided that rather than allowing Shekhawat to precipitate matters, we should strike a middle ground. Since a minimum of five were required to flag off the exercises every morning and that the presence of three members can be taken for granted, we might as well identify two people every week to make do the deficit. They will compulsorily have to report by 7:00 a.m. regardless of all others.
Saeeda and Qadir Bano volunteered for the next five days and for next week, it would be the turn of Bhaswati and Naheed Siddiqui. Thereafter two other names will be picked… and so on, till everybody exhausts their turn and the routine is repeated. Shekhawat found this ‘rotational formula’ acceptable, but not before Gupta made a caustic remark: “When I saw from the gate that nobody was exercising today, my first thought was, ‘Arrey, koi tapak gaya’!”

DAY 3025

Pic(s) of the Week

Renewing pledge to Constitution: Banoo Apa leads reading from the text of Preamble 

Two sisters:
Same to Same


Republic 
Day
2020

Singing a patriotic number together

Hari Singh Shekhawat
salutes the tricolor

March past

Kitchen cabinet gets busy

Light refreshment for participants

Why is he running away with the flag? 

And finally, the National Anthem

Celebration at the Garden today morning

Another Death

Silent prayers on the demise of Urmila Sinha's brother 

This has been a very busy month for us. We have had some extraordinary highs like the party ushering in the New Year, the celebrations at Shekhawat’s house over dinner, setting out for the surf and sands of Alibaug, getting Pushpa and Bijoy Gupta married…
And then there was the incredible low of bereavement when we grieved over the demise of our good friend, Sitaram Hivarkar barely three days back.
Today, we received news of another death. Urmila Sinha informed that she had lost her elder brother last night back home in Bihar.

Banoo Apa pours us hot tea

She came to the Garden this morning just to tell us that she’d be leaving for Dhanbad by the first available train today and isn’t quite sure if and when she will return to Mumbai. “I thank you all for being so loving

Consoling Urmila (c) before she left 

and supportive towards me,” she added tearfully.
From what we could gather, Urmila’s brother was in his late sixties and had been bed-ridden with urinary complications for the past one year. His condition took a turn for the worse when doctors gave up on him a fortnight back and asked for his relatives and friends to be summoned by his bedside. Despite all efforts, Urmila could not get a train reservation. But now she is prepared to travel on a “general ticket”, unreserved.
In moments like this, we are usually at a loss for words. Still, Yusuf Rassiwala and Banoo Apa (who had especially developed a soft corner for Urmila) tried to console her by saying that her brother was now in a “better place” as he had been “liberated” from all the suffering on earth. Shekhawat also advised her not to grieve over what was beyond our control.
After the exercises we observed a two-minute silence for the departed soul.

Alarm Bells?

Discussions following Shekhawat's announcement of Republic Day celebration on Sunday

With the passage of time, does a Club gain in strength? Would its internal dynamics foster better bonding between members? Or could the very strength of the Club be the cause of its eventual decline?
These are questions that have dogged Big Laaf ever since comparisons were drawn with a rival laughter group operating inside the Garden alongside ours. Shekhawat, in particular, gets terribly upset whenever he sees that our members are less in number than the other's.
Normally, this should not bother anybody, more so in a club that is over 15 years old. But when it is tinged with the fear of shutting shop, we need to be concerned. Nahid Khan articulated this in the morning today when she remarked, “How long can we survive if people start leaving us?”
Adding fuel to fire, Bijoy Gupta reeled out some names, of members supposed to have joined the rival group. “What kind of chairman are you when you cannot even hold members from getting poached?” he challenged Shekhawat.

Naheed Siddiqui's treat of
Kerala chips

Nahid Khan treats us to
 Alibaug sweets 

None of what Gupta mentioned was true and can at best be described as a false alarm. He had mischievously picked on habitual absentees and late-comers (who indeed were to show up later) with the sole intent to get Shekhawat worked up.
However, it must be said that the attrition rate is quite high in a Club like ours which is dominated by seniors. Over-dependence on earning children, sudden relocation, declining health... even death are daunting issues we cannot remain blind to. But we are helpless.
Effectively, the Law of Diminishing Returns kicks in after a point and we begin to witness a steady drop in numbers for the exercises. This is exactly what is happening. We have been doing our best to incentivise attendance with surprise parties and treats, picnics and activities like a New Year’s bash, Republic Day celebration, Sports Day, etc. Even an occasional squabble among members is most welcome as it helps to keep everyone engaged for a while.
But this is as far as we can go… till such time we see the induction of some fresh blood.

R.I.P. Sitaram

Sitaram Hivarkar
(1939 - 2020)

With profound grief and sorrow, we inform you that our senior member, Sitaram Hivarkar is no more. He passed away the day-before-yesterday following a severe concussion from an accidental fall in his house

A two-minute silence was observed for the departed soul

(ref post of January 14). He was 81.
Sitaram had been admitted to the ICCU of Belle Vue Hospital, Andheri earlier this month in a state of partial consciousness and disorientation. When he did not respond to treatment, he was shifted to J.J.Hospital in Byculla for more intensive care. By then, he had lost the ability to recognise anybody. It was a matter of time before he breathed his last.
Unfortunately, we could not keep in touch with Sitaram for quite some time as he shifted residence frequently during the past five years or so. But we remembered him as one of the founding fathers of the Club in 2003. We remember him also for his cheerful demeanour and the way he used to conduct our exercises with rare verve and enthusiasm. We shall remember him also for his penchant for singing – Manna Dey’s ‘Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen’ (from Waqt) being a favourite.
Amiable, unassuming and humble to a fault, Sitaram was one human being who did not have a mean bone in his body. He was friendly towards everyone – male or female, young or old – and way above all the petty bickering in the Club. His closest friend though was Shekhawat, their association going back by over 40 years from the time they worked together in the Indian Navy.
In this hour of grief, our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences go to the bereaved family. They are holding a prayer meeting at home for Sitaram at 12:00 noon today. May his soul rest in peace.

Renu Babani:
Condolences to the family. May his soul rest in peace. He was a good human being, always with a smile on his face. May God give his family the courage and strength to bear this terrible loss.

40th Anniversary

Bijoy Gupta and Pushpa exchange garlands

Bijoy Gupta had made grand plans to abduct all members from the Garden today to celebrate his 40th marriage anniversary at home with breakfast. He was clearly inspired by Shekhawat’s party last Wednesday (ref post of January 15) when, out of the blue, we were summoned to his house for a sit-down dinner that very evening.
But Gupta’s wife, Pushpa had other plans. Last Saturday, the actual date of their anniversary, she let the word out by informing over WhatsApp that all members

One for the album

were invited to her house for a breakfast bash on January 22. It would be a first for the Club and so, even the Alibaug group -- travel weary as they were upon returning after 10:00 pm yesterday -- turned up by 8:00 a.m. in the Garden for the party. It was well worth their effort and everybody’s time. For, the Guptas had prepared an elaborate buffet of lip-smacking pao bhaji, boiled eggs, kheer, jalebis… rounded off by steaming hot tea.

The baraatis in attendance with the couple

“She’s been slogging over this all morning,” said the appreciative hubby.
But more than what had been laid out on the table it was a ‘surprise event’, engineered by Karun Sharma that made today's celebration both unique and memorable.

A moment to cherish

We got the Guptas married again. Yes, remarried literally, after 40 years.
Karun had procured the garlands from somewhere and with all the bandicoots of Big Laaf standing as witnesses, Yusuf Rassiwala presented the groom in style while Banoo Apa peformed the kanya daan with all sincerity. The couple then renewed their vows and exchanged garlands three times to a round of applause. It was an impromptu and improvised ceremony that shall be cherished forever by all present.
After all, where on earth does anybody get to see such insanity come into full play – all in good humour and a spirit of bonhomie? For this, total credit to Karun Sharma!

Guests of honour at the marriage feast

Here. And There

HERE...

Another day

in the

Garden


and
THERE,
at Alibaug...

Assembling at Gateway of India, early morning

Waiting for the boat

The vast expanse of the Arabian Sea 

Bhaswati with Rukhsana's
grand-daughter

Trying out a buggy ride

A quick bite

Messing with a camel

Time to pack up

Journey back, on the ferry

Karun Sharma:
Very happy to see the smiles in our women team. Obviously they had lots of fun. Welcome back to the Garden tomorrow.

Deserted and Desolate

Holding fort in the absence of the Alibaug ladies

It was an all-men’s day at the Club – barring the presence of Urmila Sinha. All the other women had left for Alibaug (ref post of January 18) early morning.

Banoo Apa watches the
Mumbai coastline recede
in the distance

But more significantly, the Garden wore a desolate and deserted look through the exercises today.
Even strangers on the walking track stopped to ask why we were so few today. “Hope everybody is okay?” a gentleman remarked.
Shekhawat was in no mood to exercise. He wanted to declare a two-day holiday (till the Alibaug group returned), but was prevailed upon. Clearly, he did not find anybody motivating enough to stick on today.
Before long Shekhawat wanted to curtail the exercises by suspending the tai-chi round. This time Yusuf Rassiwalla intervened and Shekhawat finally agreed to follow the routine – just that he had no late-comers to give his flowers away.
Bijoy Gupta, Siba Prasad Maitra and Bihari Milwani were all absent today.
Meanwhile, news comes in of the ladies having made it to Alibaug, safe and sound. Qadir Banu had to back out because of a death in her family.
The others, including Rukhsana Khan and Fahmida Khan were on time at the Garden gate for the cab which took them to the jetty near Gateway of India. From there, they were to catch the ferry service to Alibaug.

On the ferry, cutting across the Arabian Sea, toward Alibaug

DAY 3018

Pic(s) of the Week

Mother and son

Hari Singh Shekhawat (c) with a section of the guests 

Shlok, the 'host' of honour

The family 

Grand 
party 
at the
Shekhawat
residence 

Dance performance

Proud father also sings

Musical interlude

Light-hearted skit

Dinner time

Panoramic view of the party in progress