It was with great deliberation that I finally decided to go all the way to Noida for the 'Ryze Mehfil'. One reason was of course that I wanted to meet up with Vikas and Kunal, who have been my www buddies but I guess it still matters to meet a person to actually make their aquaintaince ! or does it ! Also, that Amrit had called me over sometime back and I had said I would try to come but finally could not. And lastly because Vijay said 'please please'...now if it had been only one please it was alright to not make too much effort. I am a house worm really and since its my blog and I can ramble on - I quite hate the idea of socialising with people I dont know too much ...
We left home after a phenomenal performance of a tantrum by Ruhi and then lost our way in Noida and after going around a few circles around Amrit's house - we reached with Richa walking in like some pro with the biggest, most conspicuous Violin case slung on her arm. I realised I only knew Venkat in the room that we had entered and I managed to 'not recognise' Asheeth who used to be my ex colleague at Lacoste ! Richa reminded me later that I thrust my hand at Asheeth and said ' Hi I am Gurpreet ' !!!!!
After introductions, as was obvious, Richa was invited to start the 'Mehfil' with some violin. She gladly announced that she couldnt play anything since the violin wasnt tuned. It seemed we had slugged the Violin only as prop to decorate the party, but much to her dismay this very pretty girl in a blue top said she could tune violins ( and guitars, and whatever else comes with strings) but couldn't play them ! As it turned out, she was Smita. the German embassy ' cop' and that I had been chatting her on Ryze. Small world !
That's Richa's audience - Ishan, a friend of Kunal's who is training to be a CA with Ankur and Kunal !
She played some 'raag' I think and it sounded quite nice though she suddenly gave up playing without a warning saying that she was done ! After that Ashwath started playing the flute and kept playing right till the end. He played amazingly well to all the requests of old hindi film songs, most of them from Richa !
I loved the way he kept moving around the room playing his music. Obviously he loves to play the flute and has taught himself the instrument quite by chance !
Mukul lost in Ashwath's 'main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya'...
Shashi was the quiet one who sat fixed on his bean bag ( like Anu ) and got up only to occupy Anu's vacant seat! I noticed he was so completely engrossed in the music, often singing along with eyes shut tight !
While Aswath hogged the ladies' attention, Venkat sat there quietly, looking a bit edgy I thought. From his posts on Ryze, I had always though he would be a gregarious kind of a guy but he seemed very different...Vijay kept insisting that he had prepared some songs to sing but I guess, he was waiting to be invited. I tried to announce his performance a couple of times but just when he would get into the gear, someone else would start singing either that same song or some other. We were a loud rowdy bunch, compared to him and it was perhaps difficult for him to get heard untill finally he sang....and he sings very well !
Thats the gracious hostess ! I think it was very sweet of her to have us in her house, with two young boys to take care of. When I peeped into their room from the balcony, the kids looked quite perplexed by a bunch of juvenile grown ups ( I am sure that's how we must have sounded to them ).
It seemed that I had known Amrit for years...something was so familiar about her....
That's Vijay showing off his baritone !
Anu Sharma...
Ishan doing a Bipasha Basu to an Umraon Jaan song !
Richa, Smita & Anu...
Kunal after a trip to the 'Bam Bhole' balcony !
I was feeling a bit left out since just about everybody except perhaps the exception of me and Amrit were crooning like rockstars ! So just a bit of posing and I qualify too !
It was well past midnight while everybody was catching a bite with Ashwath still playing his melodious flute.... I requested my favourite Lata number 'yeh dil aur ye unki, nigahon ke saye..'...and while Aswhath was discovering the tune, Smita started humming it.
At the fag end of the party we realised that we actually had a trained singer among us. It was a pity she didnt remember the lyrics so she sang 'kis mod pe jaate hain...' along with Ashwath...it was truly beautiful.
I recorded her on my phone ( also Venkat) and insisted that Wasi listen to them at 2 AM when I came back home !
It was a truly wonderful evening after a long time.
Life never fails to surprise...as usual.
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2 comments:
"balle balle miranda" reminds me of the standard cry which we had to set up as freshers at MH (In the middle of a movie hall while standing on the seat) - why I remember it is because the evening was a lot like the good ol' days back in college - what with the Bum Bholey gang and all :D
:)
this is a beautiful report... especially for someone who floated in and out of the nukkad that evening like he were some zombie!
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