‘Black Day’

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KARUN SHARMA!

Siba Prasad Maitra (r) conducts the discussions today

Today was the day of the Annual Function that wasn't to be. It was also Karun Sharma’s birthday. He too did not celebrate, in deference to the 40 jawans who died in the Pulwama terror strike on February 14 (ref previous posts). Instead, in a unique tribute to our armed forces, Karun presented a pair roses to each of the two veterans in our midst – Hari Singh Shekhawat and Angad Singh.
“It is because of them we are alive today,” he reminded us.
The symbolism of the gesture was however, lost on Bijoy Gupta.

A rose for Shekhawat

He had made a last ditch attempt to revive the Annual Function and today was his day of reckoning.

Gupta is inconsolable

As indicated in yesterday’s blog (see post), the alternative dates suggested for holding the event would be March 2 and March 9 – or else, end of the year, post-monsoon.
Turns out that on March 2, Gupta himself would not be free, owing to a personal preoccupation. March 9 was also ruled out as another key participant, Kajal Babani has her own commitments on that date. Soon after,

A rose for Angad Singh

Yusuf Rassiwala (another important participant) would be away on an overseas tour for 10 days or so.
After much deliberation, Karun Sharma proposed March 23 (another Saturday) as the next possible date. Kiran Prakash informed that he would be away on an extended vacation during that period. In any event, Shekhawat shall have to be at his village in Rajasthan for a month, beginning March 1.
What was not mentioned (but understood) was that April is the month of school examinations and thereafter, we would be in the middle of peak summer, followed by an uncertain phase of torrential rains.
In effect, nothing can be done about the Annual Function before we are through with

Eager beavers poring over Karun Sharma's birthday calendar

the monsoon.
If there was anyone who looked thoroughly devastated by this turn of events, it was Gupta.
“Today is a Black Day for the Club,” he declared upon realizing that the function has to be postponed indefinitely. “This amounts to cancellation. If at all we are to revive the function later, preparations will have to start afresh.”
Kiran Prakash tried to cheer him up, suggesting that we could as well hold the skits informally, among ourselves anywhere, any time.
But Gupta was inconsolable. “Do you realise that we are having this discussion upon the corpse of our Annual Function?” he observed, visibly crest fallen and defeated.
In the end he consoled himself saying that today’s discussion brought closure to all his hopes: “I will now be able to concentrate on the work I had been neglecting for the past two months.”
Bhaswati Bose:
Many happy returns of the day, Karun. Your gesture of presenting roses was very thoughtful and much appreciated.

Karun Sharma:
There can be a lot of compatibility and consistency in thinking if we are able to organise our minds in the right perceptive. Bhaswati shares the same thoughts. Such thoughts come when we are not occupied with past events and are relaxed from worries and expectations of others for non-celebration.