Waiting for that day

Waiting for that day - (written in June 2000)


Sometime back, when I had been to one of my friend's house, I was able to glance at a huge 6 X 6 ft box, that almost looked like a coffin box to me. I was told, none other than most sacred instrument of Indian Classical music resides inside. When I asked her to open it and play that elegant veena once, she somehow succeeded in convincing me for not playing. But I said, my next visit should see her playing and if not, I will not visit again. Nodding her head with much vibrations, she accepted the deal. But that time, both of us guessed that, I may never get a chance to visit her again if at all my statement has any validity. But I always hope, our guess should go wrong. Music is just a rare and a great boon one can expect from the almighty. Even the gifted ones may not know that it's a gift.

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Few years back, I had written a article 'Friends for ever', in Youth Express, a Friday supplement of The Indian Express. That was the time, when I was just handed over my engineering degree and I had started creating my resume. One of my friends, also my batch mate staying 150 miles away from my place, called me up and asked if I was ready for a music program for Radio in next 2-3 days. What was I doing then? Just glancing at the avenues, Ascents and other Job placement ads, or probably applying for some MBA programs. 'O.K..Sure!!', I screamed. He immediately called all our other fellow men and confirmed the show, leaving me roughly just a day to prepare. Two days later, we all six members met at a place, where we had spent 4 years of Enggineering. Here's the team - His elder sister, also an excellent singer was in Bangalore, working for BEL . The one who has been associated with the percussion part of our troupe, Tabla for several years was then working in Kirloskar ltd, is now with Mico. Flautist of our team, who had passed with a Rank in Engineering from my neighboring college, is now in TVS Suzuki. The guy who called me, the wonderful Carnatic classical genius, is now with WIPRO. Our Key-board player, was already in Microline, Davangere. Another member, a graduate from Bachelor of Fine Arts, was a music teacher in a primary school. The Last guy, the then unemployed is now with BFL Software.

We all six met, some taking a day off to their respective offices and some (including me) leaving their job hunting activity aside. It was probably a long gap of several months, that we were united again and started picking up our respective instruments. Three of us, Keyboard chap, flautist and I almost spent the whole night composing new stuffs for the next day's program. Morning others joined, edited and brought out a new set of programs, and that afternoon, all of us left for the show. When we had a shortage of Mridangam for Jugalbandi, I had to play Ghatam too...I can still visualise those two days spent together. None of us were residing from the same place, none of us were from same domain, even the working atmosphere was different. It was just the bond of music, that had brought us together all of a sudden at one place in just a day. Ofcourse most of us were from Science, but it was arts that has brought us together. Wrote in the end, No doubt, SCIENCE might have brought PEOPLE together (thru network / communication), but it was ARTS that has brought HEARTS together.

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Now, I hope that the music instrument inside the mammoth box, that had sensed and smelled her several years ago, once again get an oppurtunity to experience the elegent touch of her tender fingers. Let it get excited when her silky hair falls on its gloomy strings, her stunningly beautiful eyes make an eye contact with the plucking card she use to play. I guess, that string instrument is still waiting and waiting for that day, when its malkin allows it to peep the outer world, decides to open the box, pluck its dead strings giving it a new resonance.......and ofcourse not just that instrument, even I'm waiting for that day.