‘Tension Mandela’

Bijoy Gupta and Kiran Prakash expound on life's truths

Kiran Prakash today initiated an interesting discussion about the effects of mental tension on the quality of our lives. As office bearer of an NGO, he had gone to Fort yesterday for some bank work. It was an arduous journey to and fro, but he came back amazed and inspired. The way two of his colleagues conducted themselves belying their age (“one was 76 and the other was 80”) left him dumbstruck.
The discussion took off on predictable lines: of mind prevailing over matter, the correlation between physical age and mental age, that age is only a number, need to live in the moment, etc.

Laxmi Hadimani

and finally, boiling down to how mental stress can be a silent killer. “You will become Tension Mandela!” Banoo Apa warned.
Everyone agreed that no amount of self-denial can guarantee longevity “since death is preordained” and that it is imperative to make the most of every moment we live.

Mallika Kagzi drops by to say hello

“Who knows what lies in store tomorrow?” Rukhsana Khan observed. “Life and death is not in our hands. When our time comes, we shall go.”
Bijoy Gupta begged to differ. In his opinion, there were too many oldies in the Club for us to take such a dim, fatalistic view. “We desperately need to induct young members,” he urged. “Just imagine, if someone like Laxmi (Hadimani) joins us, what a boost it would be to our morale. Everyone would turn up bright, bursting with youth and energy. We need such young people in the Club.”
Laxmi’s close friend, Nahid Khan smiled to herself, asserting that “Laxmi will never join the Club”. But Gupta was deaf to her protestation even insisting, “Her name is not Laxmi, but Vitamin”! Only when he was told that she addresses everyone in the Club as Uncle/ Aunty (out of respect) and that would only make him look older, not younger, did Gupta finally pipe down.
He realised, rather hilariously, the futility of pursuing the idea any further.