Picnic Revived

Shekhawat makes picnic announcement

It’s on, it’s off; it’s on, it’s off… That has been the situation over the past one month or so with no unanimity emerging on whether we should embark on the so-called ‘monsoon picnic’ (ref post of July 23). Even now, the Club appears equally divided on this count. But Shekhawat today seized the initiative and declared that he has spoken to the management of Royal Garden Resort (near Dahisar naka) and struck a deal on group booking that we cannot retract from.
“The picnic is fixed for August 16,” he informed. “I have spoken to the bus operator also. If we are able to form a group of 30-odd, enough to fill a bus, our cost per head would work out to about Rs700 per head.

Swiss chocolates from Ved Prakash Grover

If more people join, we can go for a bigger bus and the cost per head might even go down. Whatever the excess amount collected will, as always, be refunded.”
The announcement met with lukewarm response even as Mumtaz Jahan and Zarina Khan instantly stepped up to pay their share. The rest remained non-commital. But this is exactly a scenario Shekhawat enjoys as the next few days would see him on an overdrive persuading all and sundry to join his bandwagon. Organising picnics is another way of keeping himself occupied in his post-retirement years. And as everyone knows, he is very good at it.
Meanwhile, Ved Prakash Grover gave us a sweet surprise with mouth-melting chocolates his son has brought back from a trip to Spain and Switzerland last week. Dharmendra Grover had gone on an official tour to Barcelona and clubbed it with a family holiday at Interlaken and Zurich. It was extremely kind of him to have thought of us and share his joy in this manner. Our gratitude and good wishes go to the Grovers.
Bihari Milwani:
The picnic master's integrity and reliability have been proved beyond doubt. Now, with the support of his salis, the event of August 16 is going to be booked very fast. Rush before seats are full.