Silence Is Golden

Ramila-ben managed to make one convert in the Club. Her on-today, off-tomorrow maun vrat has inevitably led to a comedy of errors – what with having to communicate in sign language, being misunderstood by all and sundry, getting almost waylaid by auto-rickshaw wallahs and so on.
Today some of that appears to have rubbed off on Kajal Babani. Despite extreme provocation from the likes of Bhaswati and Arora-ji, she stoically maintained her vow of silence, refusing to utter one word in the Club. She participated in all the exercises, laughed in her mind (when she had to), watched the toffees being distributed (to mark 50 days of this blog) in mild amusement and smiled benevolently at the centipedes getting trampled under everybody’s feet. Clearly, she was above all this. She had already reached a higher state of consciousness. This, from a person with an unbeatable sense of humour and comic timing.
In contrast, her husband Dilip was his normal jovial self, feet firmly on the ground and enacting all kinds of monkey tricks with Rane-bhau. (They are superb at doing this!) Yet somehow, Arora could detect a glimmer of sadness in Dilip’s face and even saw his eyes flickering in tears.
“Dekho, unki aankhein rotey-rotey laal ho gayi hai,” he pointed out to Kajal. “Did you scream at him all night? Now, see the result – you have lost your voice!” Nevertheless, with paternal concern, he suggested that she gargle with warm water and take some honey so as to revive her vocal chords.
Kajal kept smiling her Mother Teresa smile, as though to say: “How easily men get fooled.” Poor Arora, unable to unravel the mystery behind that beatific countenance, slung his duffel bag with the music system on his shoulder and stomped away in a huff.
But Bhaswati was not one to give up easily. An old sparring partner, she constantly kept needling Kajal, determined to extract one pearl of wisdom from her lips. “Bol, bol,” she said, poking and prodding her right up to the Gate. But Kajal was unmoved. She had taken her vow of silence and she would not break it – not today, at least.
Eventually, Bhaswati also gave up.
In the pic:Kajal Babani (left) with Bhaswati Bose

S.V.Arora says:
I never knew this maun vrat. I think both the ladies, Mrs Bose and Mrs Kajal must be laughing at my innocence. I was really surprised to see them both smiling. Anyway it's good that I could bring some sort of smile to someone. God bless both the ladies.
--Arora

Renu Babani says:
Congrats Kajal! Guess you were determined to keep quiet today, despite everyone teasing you. I guess they must have been surprised at your silence! I wish I was there today to see it. I shall be back in the Garden on Monday -- that is, of course if I get up! However to the regulars, I must say hats off to them for their regular attendance.
--Renu