‘Leave Vacancy’

Kiran Prakash officiates in conducting the exercises

After what seemed like ages, Kiran Prakash today took to the middle and conducted the main exercises of the morning. There was a reason. He had to fill in for regular ‘teachers’ like Nahid Khan, Arun Patil and Razia Khan who had together done the vanishing trick. Khatoon Baig described our predicament politely in two words: ‘Leave Vacancy’!
That said, it was hunky dory all the way. Kiran Prakash himself set the tone for the group by turning the exercises into an interactive session and inviting the rest to keep count with him. Shekhawat had a free run in Arun Patil’s absence and was all over the place.

Zarina Khan (l) lodges protest with Shekhawat

Late comers like Naheed Siddiqui and Naseem Khan strolled in casually without fear of getting pulled up. Karuna Waghmare did not even bother to exercise and for the most part, kept talking to herself on a bench.
In keeping with this light-hearted, freewheeling atmosphere, Siba Prasad Maitra narrated two jokes, one so-called “non-veg, but not quite”.

Siba Prasad Maitra revives jokes session after a year

The other was in the nature of a ghost story on election fraud – a man discovering his dead wife had cast her vote in a poll booth ahead of him. More than the story, it was Maitra’s style of narration -- stretching the suspense of an otherwise commonplace situation -- that had us all in splits.
One way to explain the cheerful and carefree mood today was the absence of a domineering task master in our midst. That Arun Patil was away had resulted in the typical ‘mice at play’ situation. Everybody felt liberated. But then, Rukhsana Khan was to reveal that Arun was actually peeved over some people defying his authority and in protest, had decided to stay put at home. He even named Shekhawat, Banoo Apa, Bhaswati Bose and Zarina Khan as his prime tormentors.
Funny part was when Zarina heard her name being taken. “I didn’t even come yesterday!” she squealed. “What is that man talking? Let him come here, I’ll teach him a lesson!”
This was music to Shekhawat's ears.