Reasons to Rejoice

It is not for nothing that S.R.Rane (right) is addressed as “Rane Bapu”. Apart from the uncanny resemblance with his more famous namesake, his spartan way of life, non-aggressive nature and jovial disposition have endeared him to one and all. To rephrase Albert Einstein’s famous words: “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a man as this, in flesh and blood, ever walked upon Lokhandwala Garden No 4!”
Wait, there’s more. Rane Bapu and Bapu Gandhi share the same birth date – only that they are separated by exactly two months (to the day). One was born on October 2 and the other, on December 2. So it was a good occasion to rejoice today, as Shekhawat-ji made the announcement after our morning prayers and we did a little jig in the Garden, singing “Happy Birthday to you!”
Another good reason to rejoice this morning was Mrs Shekhawat (left) joining us for exercises after what seems like ages. Her arrival was greeted by the customary chorus of “sirens” (much to Shekhawat-ji’s obvious delight) going off, followed by a round of clapping the moment she took her position in the circle.
It seemed as though everybody was waiting for this moment when she would join her husband in the Garden, since Shekhawat-ji (left, below) was looking a little lost in her absence all these days. Many ladies in the group had in fact, approached him, urging him to bring his wife along and all he would say was “Dekhenge” or “Aap bolo”.
Sure enough, her presence made a perceptible difference in his attitude. Shekhawat-ji looked more cheerful, became extra gregarious and turned his fingers during the Slow-‘n’-Fast laughter round at his better half. The mischievous glint was back in his eyes as he beamed from ear to ear, brimming with obvious confidence and pride. Quite clearly, this was not a forced effort to appear upbeat, as we had been observing during the past week or so.
What a wife can do to the flagging male psyche is indeed amazing!

Harish Wadhwa says:
1. Our very dear Rane-ji, Tum jiyo hazaaron saal saal ke din ho pachaas hazaar... Such a simple down-to-earth member of our family, ever smiling, jovial, a good singer, dancer and above all, a lovely human being. God bless you with a very long, happy and a healthy life. I am fully in agreement with the Blog Monster's rephrased statement of Einstein.
2. Shekhawat-ji's siren is getting louder, signalling not just good health but a mischievious mood too.
3. Santosh -ji's Santa-Banta jokes are getting better and naughtier by the day. Keep it up. The concluding shers are no less.
4. Shekhawat-ji seems to be playing the manjire in ecstasy and singing prayers in praise of the Almighty while his wife is keeping an eye on him from the picture above.
--Harish