Ladies Only!

Ladies gherao Teja Singh... after taking their boxes

Now we know why there are more women in the Club than men. It pays to be a woman. And it pays even more when Sardar Teja Singh Bhambra gets in the mood to celebrate – as it happened today. He took us all by surprise declaring that “only ladies” would be entitled to the breakfast boxes he had brought as an extended celebration to his birthday. (He had given us two-two boxes barely five days back.) The move was greeted with stunned silence, leaving the males with little else but to quietly suck their thumbs.
Srichand Arora however, was not one to give up easily. While all the men withdrew meekly from the scene, he made a brave, last ditch attempt to claim a box of the goodies.

Nafisa Sayyad

He announced that he was willing to go home and quickly change into women’s clothes if that would be acceptable to Sardarji.
The proposal was rejected outright.
Clearly, it was not Arora’s day. He came in late, dressed in grey track pants (instead of his regulation shorts) to beat the bitter morning cold, only to be greeted by an over-excited Nafisa Sayyad in the midst of the exercises.

Srichand Arora

She observed that not only had Arora left his half-pants behind, he was without his cap as well. “He is all dressed up below, but has left his top empty!” she remarked. Arora pretended not to have heard and walked up to hear her correctly. She responded by vividly demonstrating in sign language how a man takes the trouble to wear trousers only to forget covering his head. Arora understood. Then, in order to console him, she added: “It must have been very tiresome for you to wear full pants today!”
As for Teja Singh, there is a back story to the extended treat today. Some ladies had complained (in light vein, of course) that they had been deprived of his fabulous birthday treat on January 13 as they had not come to the Garden that morning. Unaware of their mischievous nature, Sardarji took them seriously. He promised to make amends and today, instead of being selective, gave an additional box even to the ladies who had taken their share of double boxes earlier.
This became hugely embarrassing for all and as Sunita Jajodia put it, it left everyone with “a guilty feeling”. Sardarji dismissed it by gamely blaming his son for bringing the boxes. Harbans Kaur had a long session educating Sardarji on never to take anybody (or anything) in the Garden seriously. “We are mad people, you have to accept that!” added Razia Khan, who led the gherao around Sardarji. But the best piece of advice was to come from Monthi Serrao: “We will take this as an advance treat. Next year on your birthday, you need not treat us.”
Pat came the reply: “On the contrary, I’ll give a double treat. I shall be completing 75 then!”
Harish Wadhwa:
* Sadde Sardar Shri Teja Singh-ji da dil 'double' wadda hai. Is liye, woh jo vhee karde ne, sachhe dil to(n) te, sabnu double khushiyaan den wastey karden nein. Jug-jug jiyo dar-ji. Twanu saari khushiyaan Rab deve.