Surprise Celebration

Hari Naraiyani is back with a box of sweets

Clubs everywhere try to conserve cash. We try to spend. And when we cannot, there would always be a generous soul showing up, bestowing us with unexpected goodies and refreshments. Either we are incredibly lucky to be so deserving; or else, somebody up there must be completely crazy to grant us such a charmed existence.
We were not supposed to have any celebration today after the Diwali treat Jagmohan Papneja gave us yesterday. But out of nowhere, Hari Naraiyani showed up this morning with a box of sweets to celebrate the new year (by the Hindu lunisolar calendar).

Razia Khan on a swing

And if that was no surprise, Mallika Kagzi had a flask full of superb home-made tea to wash it all down.
Naraiyani had gone missing for the past six months or so, after he lost his wife. But he was not sitting idle at home as we had imagined.

Mallika Kagzi serves hot-hot tea from home

He gave us a vivid account of what he has been up to all this while – an extended sojourn at Beas (near Amritsar) where his spiritual guru is based, a trip to Mohali to watch cricket, another trip to Sharjah where his son runs a hotel… and so on. He said he has been constantly travelling, but used to miss us all along. “How can I forget my Club?” said the 83-year-old. “So upon returning to Mumbai, I felt I must meet you all with a box of sweets. Today is an auspicious day.”
If Naraiyani has been travelling, a mystery seems to be growing around the whereabouts of Razia Khan. Before leaving, she had announced that she was off to Pune (ref post of October 18). But now it appears that she is anywhere but Pune. After several (unconfirmed) sightings by different people at the oddest of places – one even suggesting that she was seen with family in Malaysia – a little bird dropped this picture (above left) for our consumption. What are we to make of it?
Jagmohan Papneja
Before leaving Razia told us that she would be going to Pune. Whether she has gone somewhere else or to Malaysia will be known after her return.