Unfinished Business

Shekhawat receives calendar from Arora with military honors

Madhu celebrates turning grandmother with a box of barfi

After Shekhawat’s birthday celebration yesterday, the Garden wore a desolate look today. Several key members had gone missing – Teja Singh, Mallika Kagzi, Yusuf Rassiwala, Mohar Singh, Ram Shankar Shukla, Lakshmi Naidu, Karuna Waghmare, Sitaram Hivarkar… We were not even a dozen to start the exercises this morning.
But there was business to be concluded. Shekhawat was to be given his birthday calendar – something we missed yesterday – and Srichand Arora had to rush home early morning to fetch it. In proper military style, both clicked their heels and pulled off a smart salute during the ‘presentation ceremony’. Only the drum roll and bugles were missing. Even so, that was fun.
The other unfinished business was Nahid Khan’s friend, Madhu turning up today to announce her grand-motherhood. Her daughter has just delivered a baby girl. Madhu belongs to Delhi, but regularly visits her daughter who is married in Mumbai. That's how we know her. She was here earlier in the month, but returned to Delhi because the delivery was delayed. Now that things have reached a logical conclusion, Madhu was here to share her joy with a box of barfi.
To us however, the celebration was unscheduled, if not unexpected. It was supposed to be a ‘dry day’ and that probably explains the drop in attendance this morning. In fact, the mass absenteeism on days when there are no birthday treats or celebrations scheduled is being increasingly noticed. Arora chided Nahid Khan to declare a party tomorrow for whatever reason – even if it were to be bogus. “You need to make an announcement and the news will travel far and wide in 24 hours,” he said. “Tomorrow morning you’d be guaranteed of 100 per cent attendance!”
Nahid smelt a rat. “Why don’t YOU make the announcement?” she challenged Arora. “You want them to all come tomorrow and sit on my head, demanding a party?” The message was out, loud and clear.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
Thin attendance is not desirable. It is against the basic tenets of the Club. The attendance on non-celebration days should be more, so that calories can be burned. Hope members keep this motto in mind always.
Bihari Milwani:
Wow, tomorrow there will be two parties -- Nahid Party and Arora Party -- both in green uniform.
Srichand Arora:
* I agree with Angad-ji. Waise Angad-ji, when are you returning. Soona soona laga hai yeh garden aapke bina. Kya hai, woh jo north mein hai, west mein nahin...
* Bihari-ji, thora calories par bhi dhyaan dijiye!