Some Relief

Our prayers were finally answered this morning as the heavens opened up with a brief splutter, bringing us some respite from the oppressive heat and humidity.

A time to pray

Kajal and Dilip (centre) celebrate their daughter, Neelam's engagement

So happy were we that for once, the exercises were not discontinued and most of us celebrated by getting drenched. Only a few ran for cover, fearing a deluge! But that was not to be.
Nahid Khan had for long, been urging us (in the course of conducting the exercises) to pray for the rains. But of late, she too had given up. It had turned incredibly hot and sticky for close to a month now, almost negating the effect of the torrential downpour in early June. So when dark clouds were seen hovering over the north-west horizon this morning, our hopes were revived. Moreover, with most parts of north and eastern India experiencing heavy rainfall, we can expect another wet spell in days to come.
Our only problem during the rains is that we end up being cramped for space. Perforce we need to withdraw from the open spaces of the Garden and confine ourselves to the China Hut for the exercises. This can be quite distressful, especially on days when attendance is peaks.
During the last couple of monsoons, we had the option of exercising in a shed outside the China Hut, which was more accommodating – even as the tarpaulin roofing leaked at places. That shed broke down last month and has not been repaired since. So very soon, when Ramzaan gets over and our Muslim friends rejoin us, we could face a real problem of space constraint whenever it would rain.
Meanwhile, here is some good news. The Babanis, Kajal and Dilip came in today with chocolates and announced that their daughter, Neelam has found her ‘prince charming’ and that the families have solemnized the match with a formal engagement some time back. The boy is from their community, but resides in Australia – which means Neelam will have to quit her job as a speech therapist in Mumbai and start afresh in Melbourne. But this is all for the good and as always, our blessings and good wishes rest with her.
The wedding is slated for December.
Bihari Milwani:
How will it pour in Adhik month? Rains will come only when Adhik month is over.

Travel Bug

Much hair-splitting over the next picnic destination

Within two months of the Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani trip, the travel bug has begun to bite once again. And Shekhawat has already been bitten. Mercifully, it is a small bug this time. For, he is not talking of an extended, long-distance trip involving overnight stay but a short, day-long trip in the middle of the monsoon.
One destination suggested this morning was Lavasa – probably the same resort Jagmohan Papneja had taken a group to from the ‘other’ Garden last month. This would be virgin territory for our Club. But Bijoy Gupta and a few others have already been there on their own and were not too happy about the place.
The other suggestion came from Monthi Serrao – for a certain ‘wonderland park’ in Nerul. That too would be a one-day excursion with many games and rides, which should allow for members to take their grandkids along. Additionally, arrangements for packed food and refreshments would be made by Monthi’s sister, Priscilla who stays close by in Nerul.
Significantly, Priscilla Britto showed up at the Garden today. She filled us in with additional details about the wonderland park, thereby leaving Shekhawat in a dilemma he loves most:

Priscilla Britto

whether to head towards Nerul or to Lavasa.

Sheela Mirani is back

With newfound zeal, he mobilized his rank and file to work on the costing for both destinations. “Don’t forget to factor in the hiring cost of the bus,” he directed with the authority of a military general. Given that Shekhawat has started wearing his talismanic multi-pocket brown shorts, there is no reason why he will not see this trip through.
Meanwhile, Sheela Mirani presented a pleasant surprise by surfacing in the Garden after more than two months. Her old attendant had left her and today she was accompanied by a new lady. Besides, the lift in her building was out of order, leaving her stranded at home. But worse, she had suffered a severe bout of food poisoning that led to her hospitalization. The good part is that she is fine now. And she will resume her morning routine at the Garden.
Bihari Milwani:
Why not go to both places -- one this month and the other, next month?

Natural Wit

Monthi Serrao in full flow

On a dull day, if there is one person (apart from the usual suspects) who can enliven the surroundings, it has to be Monthi Serrao. She tries to keep a low profile and in any case, turns up late for the exercises. But for the time she is around, she would willy-nilly throw everybody into splits by her one-liners – much of which is unintended. For, she is actually a serious person and does not even realize how funny she can be.
Today, in the course of the exercises, at one point Arora directed everyone to hold their breath. “Saans roko,” he said, but Monthi heard “saas”, meaning mother-in-law. “Where is she?” she blurted out, looking around the Garden, agitated. Arora himself broke his breath and burst out laughing. Realising her folly, Monthi joined the laughter: “Sorry, I thought you saw your mother-in-law and wanted me to stop her!”
This was not the first time Monthi had heard wrong and spoken out of turn. Her bloopers are legendary, enough to fill a book. But how would you explain the incident she narrated this morning? Apparently, Monthi had gone to market yesterday to buy fish and picked up chicken first. She returned home and discovered she had left the chicken behind somewhere. “I had prepared the masala and was about to start cooking, when I found there was no chicken,” she recounted with dramatic flourish. “What to do? The cost of petrol in driving back and forth would be more than the cost of the chicken…”
What happened was inconsequential. It was her way of describing the incident that had us all laughing our heads off.
Bihari Milwani:
Why do ladies only think of mother-in-law when someone says 'saans'? Why can't they think of tomato/ chilli sauce?
Harish Wadhwa:
It's simple, Milwani-ji. Tasty food, like sauce, is easily forgotten. The bitter ones leave a lasting aftertaste.

Day 1694

Pic of the Week

Flirting with a Roman Gladiator...

Romance in Rome. Is he proposing to her? Yeh kya ho raha hai?!! --Anonymous

These days anything can happen. Thank God, she has come back with her husband. No Rome anytime in future. You are not lucky every time. --Kiran Prakash

Rise gladiator! You are a free man now! Hail Caesar! --Mezda and Julie

Wait! There's more to this drama...

Moral of the story: Never 
leave your husband for 
just about any clown!

When in Rome be like a Roman. --Mezda and Julie

OMG! She is smiling too. Kya se kya ho gaya... No idea how her husband managed to unknot this. --Kiran Prakash

Bhaswati-ji go for the handsome hunk! Don't look back... I mean the gladiator. Change is the spice of life. I am sure it must have been wonderful to feel like a queen with a crown and being proposed by a kneeling gladiator, followed by a generous hug and then a vow (pic with a sword on the shoulder) to be always protected from your ex!!! --Harish Wadhwa

Picking the Threads

Arun Patil shows the stump where his foot had once been

Arun Patil was there at the Garden today. This was his first appearance in two months – since the time his right foot was amputated owing to an acute diabetic condition. He came limping on crutches – a sad sight for a man who, till the other day, was brimming with energy and would be running all over the place, helping anybody and everybody in need.
But Arun was far from crestfallen today. His visit was more of a "release from incarceration" and as he put it, he felt “overwhelmed reconnecting with old friends” at the Club. In fact, this was his first day out after he was deposited home straight from hospital in early May. Since then, it has been a life of solitary confinement for him – barring occasional visits and phone calls from friends and well-wishers.
So it was decided from the Club that a few people should go and fetch him to the Garden, if that would facilitate his return to mainstream and a life of normalcy. Arora took the initiative this morning and together with Bose and Kiran Prakash, brought Arun by car in time for the exercises.

Santosh Tyagi narrates her tale of woe

All went well, except from a minor mishap upon returning home: Arun could not lift himself on his crutches up the stairs and slipped, falling face down. Luckily, he did not sustain any major injuries.
The other important news of the morning was Santosh Tyagi’s return since the chain-snatching incident (ref post of July 9). She described in detail how on the morning of June 2, a couple of “respectable-looking” thugs on motorbikes flicked the gold chain off her neck, leaving her shattered for days.
So rattled was Santosh that she did not even lodge a police complaint – much as Monthi Serrao and other ladies had offered to accompany her to the closest cop station in Oshiwara.
Today Sitaram Hivarkar also assured her that the cops would be able to retrieve the chain (or at least compensate her) as they had once done for him. But Santosh would rather not get involved with cops and robbers – which, as she says, would only lead to unnecessary complications and keep alive a bitter memory.
Harish Wadhwa:
* It was nice to see Arun at the Garden today. God bless him with good health. He should return to near normalcy once he gets the prosthetic leg. May the day be near when he can regularly come on his own to the Garden. Our good wishes go out to him.
* Maar pade uss khote noo jinne Santosh-ji da dil dukhaya, chain khichh ke. Uss noo woh chain kadi raaas na aave!