Day 941

Pic of the Week

So now we know why she isn’t coming to the Garden. This explains it!

Srichand Arora
Finally Hrithik Roshan has found a new heroine. Ma'm, please give us your autograph...
Jagmohan Papneja:
Here are two celebrities in their own field -- one from films and the other from yoga -- who prove that personality goes a long way.
Renu Babani:
Business meeting? Does Suzanne know where you were, Hrithik?
Anonymous:
Nice photograph with 'duplicate' Hrithik Roshan!
Harish Wadhwa:
Suzanne got a makeover of Bhaswati-ji... or vice-versa? Bhaswati-ji, you certainly make a good pair with Hrithik (somebody is fuming with jealousy)!!!

Freaky Treat

Luddoos for the ladies only

It was the freakiest celebration anyone could have imagined. Not that it was unexpected though. Shekhawat had already sounded us about his bizarre plan yesterday (see post). But whoever knew that he would actually be doing the unthinkable?
So immediately after the exercises and prayers, he separated the men from the women. “Ladies on one side,” he commanded, while pulling out a box of luddoos. “All the gents may please stand behind me.”
Dutifully, everybody abided.

Even crows got a share

And right there, before the unbelieving eyes of all men, Shekhawat passed the box of luddoos among the women. Some took two pieces, some three... and the men stood together at a distance, gaping silently – obviously in the faint hope that maybe, they would get some leftovers.
But no such luck. Once he was done with the women, Shekhawat broke a few luddoos and scattered them around in the garden. A flock of crows descended from the trees and cleared the mess within seconds. The men continued to watch, waiting patiently. Clearly, even crows enjoyed precedence over them.
After feeding the women and the crows, there were some luddoos still left in the box. Shekhawat shut the box abruptly and with a flourish, declared: “These luddoos are for the ladies in the yoga group. You may all go now!”

All the men were left high and dry!

This time the women were shocked beyond words. How could this man be doing such a thing? Partly out of sympathy (or was it embarrassment?) a few like Khatoon Baig offered half-eaten luddoos to the hungry, deprived men. “I shouldn’t be having so much sweet,” she explained, pity writ large in her eyes.
But the men had their pride. And it was for Harish Wadhwa to speak on their behalf. “May you all suffer from indigestion after eating those luddoos,” he blabbered. Then turning around, he cursed the crows up in the trees: “May you all have worms in your stomach after eating those luddoos!”
Nobody was listening. Everyone was on their way out by then.
Jagmohan Papneja:
To keep up the morale of women without caring for male members, Shekhawat-ji's action backed his commitment yesterday. That is the true quality of a man.

Women’s Day 2013

MALE SUBJUGATED: But Shekhawat is loving it!

A predominantly women’s club suddenly found itself with more men than women this morning. Hari Singh Shekhawat, who loves to keep count of people turning up for the exercises, kept harping on “male flags at full mast”, little realizing that today happened to be International Women’s Day. His boast was however, shortlived as one by one, more women trickled in. On last count, there were 13 women against 12 men. The women won!
Otherwise too, the women had the upper hand today. Razia Khan was in the middle calling the shots and anybody caught inattentive or faltering during the exercises was told to later see her outside the Gate. All through she pulled up the men and not the women. Even Srichand Arora was not spared.

Razia Khan

But he had the last word after being repeatedly ticked off. When Razia asked if he was “ready” for the next number, his cheekily replied: “Yes, I am ready. I am not lady.”
Within minutes, he was away and gone.
The best was however left for the last. After raising an extra laugh for the Women’s Day, all the ladies surrounded Shekhawat, demanding a treat. He tried to placate them with what looked like a tube of 'fairness cream’ (where the hell did he fish that out from?) but to no avail. He was made to hold his ears and do a couple of sit-ups and even bend double in front of the ladies. And still they were not done. They kept on ragging him till he finally agreed to treating them to sweets tomorrow morning.
The oddest part was that Shekhawat did not, for a moment, mind bearing the brunt of ‘woman power’. In fact, after a point, he started batting for the women – to the extent of conspiring to exclude men from tomorrow's treat. “Those luddoos will be only for ladies,” he said. “Men not allowed!”
Jagmohan Papneja:
Happy WOMEN'S DAY! There's an old saying: 'Behind every successful man, there is a woman'. But nobody knows the fact: 'Women go only behind the successful man'!
(Big Laaf: Is Mr Papneja jealous of Mr Shekhawat?)
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Numbers do not count. We women can throw a punch and how!"
* "I am strong. I am woman."
Harish Wadhwa:
* Just to add to Jagmohan Papneja's comment:
Behind every unsuccessful man there are two... Did you know the root cause of epics like Mahabharat and Ramayan were women? This century is no different, just that the mould and their form has changed (LOL). SO BEWARE!
* Congrats once again to Blog Monster for crossing the two lakh viewership mark!

Suspense Over!

Harish Wadhwa conducting the proceedings, as MC, with aplomb

Winner: Harbans Kaur

Arora presenting the winner's trophy

Anybody who has seen Tian Serrao could not have mistaken his grandmother for any other woman on the planet. And sure enough, out of the 22 entries received in the latest edition of Pehchaan Kaun (post of February 24), as many as 16 were spot-on at identifying Monthi Serrao from her photograph as a 19-year-old – just that there could be only one winner. And she was Harbans Kaur.

Teja Singh presenting the memento

The announcement this morning brought the curtain down on ten days of hectic parleys, animated suspense and wanton speculation – not so much on the identity of the person featured, but on the three supplementary questions to be answered. As master of ceremonies, Harish Wadhwa regaled everyone with the kind of wild guesswork members had got into. Not that Harish was an exception. A double-winner in the past, he saw Sandhya Narang in the pic!

Thank you, Monthi!

And to cover up for his blunder, he broke into a ditty, “Kya khoob lagti ho/ Badi sundar dikhti ho” -- almost serenading Monthi. Before long Nafisa Sayyad joined in with a robust “Phir se kaho, kehte raho /Achchha lagta hai” replete with double action-replay!

Luddoos for all!

Ultimately, Harbans Kaur turned out to be bang on target -- even getting the age of 19 years correct. But since she hadn’t turned up (apparently, she was unaware of having won and besides, there was a train to catch) Monthi collected the crystal trophy on her behalf from Srichand Arora. Monthi was separately presented a personal memento by Teja Singh in appreciation of her cooperation and support at making Pehchaan Kaun 7 a rousing success.
All the others, including those who took part, were treated to a round of luddoos. Thank you everyone, indeed!
Harish Wadhwa:
* Big Laaf has decided to recommend Geeta Sardhana and Arun Patil (who came very close to winning) to the Andheri Police Station's special squad for Gumshuda ki Talaash -- thanks to their acumen at identifying the 'old and lost' from pictures with such precision. Hopefully it will lead to many families finding their mele ke bichchde huey log.
* Assi taan sirf luddoo khand de shaukeen haan, Pehchan Kaun guess karan leyee nahin...
* Hurray! We are about to touch the 200,000 mark of viewership. Balle-Balle... Ek aur celebration banta hai bhailog. Is Badmaash Company listening?
Jagmohan Papneja:
It was very heartening that Harbans Kaur-ji has won the Pehchan Kaun 7 contest. My congratulations to her on winning Crystal Trophy. There was a good gathering in the Garden. But we all missed her in the presentation ceremony.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Now that I have everyone's attention, let me enjoy myself because rarely am I so lucky!"
* "And the trophy goes to..."
* "Sweets all around. Celebration time is any time!"
Bhaswati Bose:
CONGRATULATIONS Mrs Harbans Kaur! It would have been better had you come in person to receive the trophy.
Srichand Arora:
HAVE YOU GUYS OBSERVED THAT VIEWERSHIP OF THE BLOG HAS CROSSED TWO LAKH? CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BLOG MONSTER!

In Grief

Ramila Mistry conducts today's exercises

Ramila Mistry returned to the Garden yesterday, after three months. She had lost her mother to age-related complications and was busy with the last rites. Today, it was decided that even as she would be in mourning, Ramila should be invited to conduct the free-hand exercises – if that would momentarily divert her mind from the bereavement and help her move on in life. Shekhawat also tried to cheer her up by wishing her “Kem Chho? Bhaloo Toh?” as is his wont. But before he could even complete this peculiar Gujju-Bong greeting, Ramila stepped up and with folded hands rattled off his own lines – thereby prompting others to break into joyful pranks and jokes, simply to humour her.

Left by the wayside...

But Ramila was not her former self. She conducted the exercises in quiet, workmanlike fashion (pic above), deliberately ignoring all the laughter and loose talk around. Earlier, she used to be a terror in the middle, snapping at every wrong move and reprimanding the chatterboxes with her shrill banshee cry, “Out, OUT!” Today, she appeared to have even lost her rhythm while exercising – which is understandable, as she was out of touch for so long. It was a tough act on her part and we all thanked her for the effort.
The action, as always, shifted to the tea shop after the exercises – this time the Badmaash Company finding no place to park their backsides, but on the footpath (pic above). It speaks volumes of the progress they have made in time -- if not of the direction our economy is heading. You need to place a few empty katoras at their feet to complete the picture!
Harish Wadhwa:
* Arora-ji's eyes are glued to a special someone -- on the balcony of Tarapore Towers. Sah'b, hum log bhi toh aapke hee hain, hamein bhi kabhi aisi pyar bhari nigahon se dekh lijiyega!
* Deepest condolences to Ramila-ji on the passing away of her mother.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Coming to terms with the loss of a dear one is the greatest challenge of life. Ramila-ji conducted herself admirably after the loss of her mother. May God bless her!
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "I just need time. Seem to forget the routine... but will get into it soon."
* "Hum hain becharey... madad karo!"