Rest Day

Members gather for a pep talk on tomorrow's function

The analogy of a family wedding went down well this morning when we were given a pep talk for the Annual Function tomorrow. “We ought to be prepared for all eventualities and as members of one big family, we must help one another in making the event a big success,” said Kiran Prakash.
“There are bound to be problems during the staging of the show,” reminded Yusuf Rassiwala, fresh from a trip to Surat. “But that does not mean we throw up our hands or sit quietly in a corner sulking. Simply carry on with your duties as though nothing has happened. Ultimately it is the reputation of our Club at stake.”
As planned earlier, the eve of the show had been earmarked as rest day. For more than a month rehearsals have been going on at a frenetic pace (more often than not, twice a day), leaving most of us sapped of energy. Many like Banoo Apa, Bhaswati Bose and Kajal Babani have been complaining of sore throat while a few are nursing joint pains and muscular cramps.

Yusuf Rassiwala gets us nankhatai from Surat

Others like Kiran Prakash are regularly taking energy supplements due to physical exhaustion.
They all need to rest. Yet, for some strange reason, a small group among them plans to rehearse this evening again to brush up their act. The running joke is that we would end up producing martyrs at this rate – more so, were the function to be postponed, leaving us with more days to practice.
But there is a positive side to this as well. For a group without previous stage experience, the upcoming show promises to be a huge confidence booster. An otherwise quiet and reticent Nasir Putani Shah seems to have suddenly found his voice. Some ladies, known to be equally meek and withdrawn, are now the most talkative in the Club.
The biggest transformation though, is being seen in the play actors who would be appearing with full make-up and costume for the first time. So proud are they of their new get-up that they have invited all their friends and relatives to the show tomorrow. One member made a block booking for nine yesterday. And he is not alone…

Bihari Milwani:
Tomorrow the programme should start with loud shout, “Banke Biharilal Kii Jai!” All the problems will disappear magically.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
A rest day is necessary to recoup energy. We have been working overtime to ensure that all loose ends are properly tied. Three cheers to every participant.