Spreading Cheer

Kiran Prakash gets us U.S. chocolates

Distributing chocolates is considered de rigeur after an overseas trip – or so, it has come to be in Big Laaf. Thus, when Kiran Prakash turned up yesterday from a trip to the U.S., empty-handed, people felt deprived. Nobody uttered a word though, but the feeling was palpable. Today he made up for it and normalcy was restored.

Sanjay Sharma (r) salutes Shekhawat

What a bar of chocolate can do to bring cheer in the Club, no other foreign gift can.
Kiran’s Prakash’s return also revived the practice of holding daily rehearsals for the play on the Annual Function later this month. This routine had been suspended briefly due to the New Year celebrations and more so for the fact that Kiran Prakash himself is to enact an important character in the play. In his absence, no progress could be made with the rehearsals.
So this morning, a group broke out of the exercise circle (as was the practice earlier) and

Shekhawat (c) does his Kadak Singh number

headed to the China Hut to rehearse. The ladies also regrouped and went away to prepare for their musical gig. All those involved with putting up the Annual Function got busy, except for one man: Hari Singh Shekhawat.
He hung around for a while and then, like a wound-up toy, began to rattle his ‘Jailor Kadak Singh” lines in the open Garden. Naseem Khan, who had returned today after getting a pacemaker implanted in her heart, became part of Shekhawat’s new audience. Another was Sanjay Sharma, a friend Geeta Latte had brought along today. A native of Nagaland (but originally from Nepal), Sanjay watched Shekhawat intently from a distance and then walked up to shake his hand. “I am already your fan!” he said.
Shekhawat was thrilled. Promptly he clicked his heels and pulled off a salute. Sanjay did likewise. And thus we witnessed the formation of a mutual admiration club.