Mumbai Diary: Sunday shorts

Make good on your words, Dhunjibhoy
Now that Khushroo Dhunjibhoy holds the reins of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), having taken over from Vivek Jain in the recent hi-voltage election, here is a quick look at what Dhunjibhoy has on his plate, RWITC style.

HOTSEAT: (Left to right) Champak Zaveri, KN Dhunjibhoy and Maureen Wadia during CN Wadia Gold Cup in 2013

R: Renewal. He has to get the 100-year lease of Mahalaxmi that has expired, renewed.
W: Wordsworth. He has to prove that all his pre-election words and promises carry weight and act
on them.
I: Infrastructure. He claimed he was going to upgrade the infrastructure of the club. Yet, with the lease pending, one cannot do much, so it all depends on the first R - Renewal.
T: Tax. Betting tax, to be precise. Dhunjibhoy said he is going to prevail upon authorities to reduce it. Let us wait and watch.
C: Clean up racing. Murky stories and sabotage allegations were key to his campaign. He said he would bring in professional stewards for racing. The clock has started ticking, Mr Dhunjibhoy. Your time begins now.

Miracles do happen
In today's day and age, nothing breaks your heart more than losing your phone. After all, the amount one pays to purchase the gadget is worth people's one-month rent in the city (including yours truly). In the first week of November, this diarist's Samsung Grand Quattro was stolen at 10.30 pm. It all happened in a tizzy really. While getting off at Andheri station from a Borivli slow local train, the phone slipped from our hands and crashed on to the platform.

As the train halted there was a frantic search on the tracks but due to inadequate light, it was like searching for a needle in the haystack. Eventually told that the phone was vamoosed by a bystander, this diarist went to the Government Railway Police (GRP), lodged a complaint first and then two days later an FIR on a friend's insistence. Again at the friend's behest, we started following up the case and tracking record of the phone after submitting the IMEI number. Dear reader, believe it or not, just last week, lo and behold, the phone was recovered from a college-going boy who had bought it as a second-hand phone from the Grant Road station. After simple formalities, the dear phone is back and safe, tucked cosily into our handbag, lest any other slippages occur. A thing that we learnt from all of this is that one should have faith in the system and follow it up assiduously for the results are sure to be reaped in hopefully sooner than later.

Standing up, laughing loud
It was an overcrowded train as usual. A guy standing near the window was trying hard to read the newspaper. From the corner of his eyes, he saw an old lady with a small suitcase enter the compartment.

He thought someone will be courteous enough to offer the lady a seat but no one did. At this point, he decided to be the hero and asked the fourth guy on the nearby bench who barely had place for himself to ‘vacate' the place for the ‘senior citizen'. That guy gazed at him, looked at the old woman and began looking out of the window. The decision was made: He won't give up his hard-won precious seat for the elderly! Strangely enough, the old lady wasn't expecting much and signaled to the flop hero that it was okay. But it wasn't. How can he let such a gross inequity take place? So he decided to proceed and take matters in his hands. He went closer to her and clapped so as to garner attention. Almost everyone turned their heads towards him. He then loudly said, "Bhaiyyon aur behenon, yeh meri nani hain aur inki tabiyat bahut kharaab hai. Aap mein koi inhe agar baithne ke liye jagah de toh..." Even before he could finish his speech, his newfound grandma laughed trying hard not to blush. In the end, nobody stood up to offer her a seat - as usual.