Return to Garden

Vijay Bhai (right) does not belong to the Club. He is a loner. He shows up unfailingly every morning at the Garden and takes his rounds with slow, measured steps – stopping at times to exchange pleasantries and discuss cricket with anyone and everyone. He knows us all. When someone is absent for some time, he'd enquire if all is well. His concern is genuine. He has that endearing quality about himself only an evolved human being can have.
Then one day, Vijay Bhai stopped coming. We heard he was down with a massive cardiac arrest. He was hospitalized and discharged after an angioplasty. He stays right opposite the Garden but nobody had the heart to call on him. We all knew he would pull through and be back for his walks as earlier. But still…
Today Vijay Bhai was back – a pale shadow of himself. Many did not recognize the hunched figure in heavily padded woolens (instead of his trademark white), obviously trying to hide a frail body. He spoke with an effort, worry lines creasing his once cheerful face. He looked lost. Suddenly the man has aged beyond his years.
For the Club though, the event of the morning was the return of Nafisa Sayed (left). To Shekhawat she personifies ‘entertainment without tax’ and naturally, he became delirious on seeing her huddled in the Chinese Hut, fully mummified in pullover and shawl. Later on, she narrated in graphic detail how intimidated she was by the morning chill – the way she woke up and opened a window religiously to check the weather, only to rush back within moments under the blanket.
While everybody laughed their heads off and brought the exercises to a halt, Tara Chand took a sympathetic view suggesting that being a diabetic, Nafisa better not take chances in the winter as she could be rendered paralyzed for life. Shekhawat did not like this. He began acting out how Rajasthan would be full of paralytics – so severe was the cold there – if what Tara Chand said was true.
But the damage was done. Nafisa now has a better excuse to revive her phunti act!
Harish Wadhwa:
* Blog Monster, first of all my sincere appreciation for the 'new look' of this blog site. Very nice and better looking than the predecessor. The new style is eye catching.
* Nafisa is one of the most witty people in our group. She can come up with impromptu one-liners that can catch anyone’s attention. Nice to see her back.
* My good wishes to good people like Vijay Bhai. May God bless him with a long and healthy life. Good health is the biggest blessing that the Almighty can give anyone.
* By the way Bose-Babu, winter is in full swing and you better take care of yourself by putting on some more cover than imitating Sallu miyan. I am concerned that you stay healthy and avoid a bout of cold due to morning chills.
* Tarachand-ji, looks like you are amidst some people who enjoyed pani-puri and garlic bread last night! Or is it the low tide effect of the nala near the Garden?