Short Takes

Now for a quick update on What’s Hot and What’s Not in the Club:
• Today is Ramila Mistry’s (in pic) birthday. She has broken her two-day maun vrat and is now in a position to acknowledge all your greetings and good wishes. She intends to celebrate on Saturday, August 14.
• Santosh Tyagi is back after more than a fortnight's absence. She had to rush to Delhi at short notice as her mother-in-law passed away – at the age of 89. Our condolences are with Santosh-ji and her family.
• The creepy-crawlies of the Garden had a field day as we stepped out of the Chinese Hut for our exercises this morning. The earthworms, caterpillars, centipedes, bugs and bumble ants hold a special fascination for stealing up the legs of female members, much to the consternation of the likes of Sunita, Monthi, Bhaswati and Kajal.
• Mrs Harbans Singh is still down with malarial fever. So is Razia Khan. She was last sighted on August 2, munching on a chicken tangdi at Arun Patil’s birthday party. We wish her and Mrs Singh speedy recovery.
• Hari Narayani has not yet forgiven Shekhawat for striking off his name from the Club membership. He insists that he had opted out for only a month (due to health reasons) but since Shekhawat has a “36 ka aankda” with him, he had been declared an absconder for more than three months!
• Arora (in pic) is terribly upset at the state of neglect the Garden is in. Since the onset of monsoon the grass has not been mown (making it a breeding ground of mosquitoes), the lights don’t come on at dark, security at the gate is lax and the lawn is littered with plastic, leftover food and excreta. He intends to make a meal of the Managing Committee for its lapses.
• Shekhawat announced a joint-party at the Club tomorrow -- hosted by Dilip and Kajal Babani to celebrate their daughter emerging a university topper (see earlier posts of July 28 and 29); Monthi Serrao for her grandson’s birthday; and Kiran Arora observing her own birthday.
There’s much more brewing. But all that can wait!