He Came, He Saw…

Prakash Babani came in today from Canada to see what his parents have been up to every morning. His flight was inordinately delayed last night, leaving him barely a few hours to catch up on sleep. Yet, he was up at the crack of dawn and joined Renu and Kishor Babani to the Garden, looking fresh as daisy.
Aunt Kajal was of course, there to show him around, while Dilip Uncle joined the rest for the exercises. Before long, the boy was formally introduced to us and within moments he had won our hearts. Many remembered him from his last visit to India as a callow youngster, about two years back. This time around, Prakash looked more manly and mature and surely, as sociable as his parents. Here he is in the picture above (second from right), hanging out with us over tea outside the Garden Gate.
Otherwise, it was a normal Monday morning with most members choosing to oversleep after the extended week-end. Barely a dozen or so could make it for the exercises. Ram Sharan Shukla (right) was there after what seems like ages. He has just recovered from a bout of malaria, which had him hospitalized for 12 days. But he still appears weak and had to disrupt his exercises, time and again, for a breather on the Garden bench.
The odd part about attendance these days is that all those who were once regular have become irregular, whereas known absentees are beginning to take the exercises seriously. Even the trusted Nahid Khan was found absconding today, whereas Nafisa Sayed (left), who could herself never be sure of showing up, is coming more often. The latter suffers from an acute diabetic condition and keeps complaining about pain in the joints. Yet, she was there before time this morning, sporting a brave smile.
Surely, some inspiration can be drawn from women like her.
Renu Babani says:
Where was everyone? The regulars were nowhere in sight and today's attendance was dismal. I suppose with the school holidays on, everyone else has decided to play hookey. Please get back to your routine at the Garden. It is fun with everybody around. Thanks for welcoming Prakash so warmly this morning.
--Renu