Ladies’ Strike!

Shekhawat is unwell

Khatoon Baig announced her arrival today in the Garden with a wry comment: “Looks like ladies are on strike today!” She wasn’t quite off the mark as there were only men to be seen in the exercise circle. Nahid Khan, Mallika Kagzi and all other ladies who report on time every morning were conspicuous by their absence – obviously, because of the holy month of Muharram. Khatoon was the only one among them to be present today.
But then, this was to be expected. With a number of members (men included) traveling at present, the turn-out was bound to dip. When we started this morning, we were no more than four. Arun Patil had to step in the middle in the absence of regulars who conduct the exercises.

Razia Khan and family at Kuala Lumpur's Times Square

Only later, much later, did the numbers swell to around a dozen.
One person who was missed most today was Shekhawat. He is not one to skip the Garden for anything. A call to his house revealed that he has been bed-ridden since Saturday with high fever, sore throat and running stomach. “I prevented him from going to the Garden today,” his wife, Mohankanwar Shekhawat said sternly.
Meanwhile, Razia Khan’s absence has caused a minor stir. Somehow, no one wants to believe that she could have gone to Kuala Lumpur – Jagmohan Papneja even suggesting that her photograph against the iconic Petronas Towers (yesterday’s post) was a hoax.

Lal Khatri invites us to the Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrations

Nahid Khan, Monthi Serrao and others however, insist that Razia is not the sort to lie and when she had said she was off to Pune, that’s where she has to be.
Well, here is another photograph (above) from Kuala Lumpur that should put all doubts to rest. And if this is not conclusive enough, Razia Khan’s son has written in to say that they are returning to Mumbai on October 27, i.e. today. “But we'll be leaving for Pune on the same day,” he adds. “Mumma will come back from Pune by 6th November.”
So while this detour to Pune via Kuala Lumpur is making Papneja consider routing his own trip to Dubai (on November 1) via New Delhi, Lal Khatri of the local Sindhi Panchayat showed up to extend an invitation to the prabhat pheri he is organizing on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 6. A cultural evening by the Lata Bhagtani Musical Group has also been scheduled the same day at Garden No 2, between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm.
Razia Khan:
Jailer: Suna hain tum shayar ho, kuchh sunao yaar...
Qaidi – 'Gum-e-Ulfat mei jo zindagi kati humari, Jis din jamanat huyi zindagi khatam tumhari'
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Chali jati hain wo beauty parlour mein yun/ Unka maksad hain misaal-e-hoor ho jana...
Ab kon samjhaye en ladkiyo ko /Mumkin nahi kishmish ka fir se angur ho jana.

(Dedicated to Hari Singh Shekhawat)