The tale of a walking shadow

(1)
This had happened during the golden era of All India Radio.The audition test ended smoothly.The 'Ustad' was highly satisfied and enthusiastically told the young boy,over the intercom,"Very good,Very Very Promising;Sing one more song...My child."
As the jubilation and enthusiasm of audition arena started picking up the tempo,after such a frank and open comments of the Greatest Classical Hindustani Musical exponent of that time,very much well known also for his fastidious nature,all of them saw with utter dis-belief and awe that the young singer of the audition room took of all the gadgets from his person,went straight to the Ustad Gulam Ali and told him that he only sings whenever he wishes to and for his own joy and satisfaction and never at the behest of any body else...and saying so he stomped out of the room and mingled with the crowd. A small report appeared on the News papers of the following day,highlighting the audacity of the young singer and as well with a small comment of the Ustad that he had never seen before such a haughty musical genius and,unfortunately, surely his talent is bound to remain un-tapped.The news lingered for a few more days in the musical circle and then passed to the limbo of oblivion.
( 2 )

Did you notice any commotion in the road on your way to the school?The question was from a colleague of mine..a teacher of the school where I had been teaching at that time.No..I did not find anything unusual...I answered. He went one step ahead and specified the spot he wanted to mean and asked to think again for any indication worth while to notice.Now I remembered that although as such no commotion was there but something unusual I had definitely spotted at that place.On any other day,I always found,seated on the veranda of a house near the crossing of Nanda Kumar Road,close to the post-office,a thin dhoti-punjabi clad young man in his late twenties,surrounded by a group of young boys.But on that day,neither that man nor those boys were there.In fact,the stubs of un-shaved beard,the deshelved hair,the lighted cigarette in one hand and an earthen cup of tea at the other hand along with his authoritative attitude of conducting the conversation,only a glimpse of which I could see while crossing that small stretch of road,made him a 'stand alone' personality and that is why I could identify the happening when the 'spot' was mentioned by that colleague.Finding him much worried, I asked him about the reason which was bothering him.He sarcastically replied that it is not possible for some one like me,who is still smelling of the milk of his mother...an oblique remark about my tender age...the meaning and subsequent consequences of arresting 'Muloh'.A law and order problem will be there-in and around that area,school is likely to remain closed for 3/4 days leading to leave without pay for a family man but what with that to you...he said so pointing his fingers to me...as if my long walk from my house and the hard toil through out the day was a past time for me.But has he got any political affiliation?I did not get the answer from my colleague but I came to know every thing from the animated discussions in the Teachers room.
'Muloh' is the para-pet name of Shyamal Roy,member of a respectable and wealthy family of that area,someone with a mercurial temperament and a kind heart,haughty but generally respectful to his seniors,commands authority over that area although he does not have any political affiliation and has got both friends and good number of foes too.Some one of them also told that he could have been,by this time,an All India Figure in the world of Classical Music had he shown a little bit of restraint during his audition test.From the last information I had again been reminded about the vulnerability of the 'poor player' who is not aware of the 'play' he is to enact 'upon the stage' ....when and where...before heading for the wings.

( 3 )

A Musical Soiree,covering three nights, had been organised,three years after that incident during third week of the month of December.First night was ear marked for classical musical events.I had arrived early to have a seat to my choice ,for covering the whole night,since as per the system of those days,the function was organised in the play ground ....adjoining the Municipal Building. After being seated comfortably on the tarpaulin,padded underneath with straw to keep cold at bay, I looked around for a known face.The attendance was sparse and sale of the tickets were much less than expected as the programme had coincided with a much well known Sangeet Sanmelan of Calcutta.Most of the Organisers,along with Badges,were also wearing a distinctly noticeable worried face.Suddenly I saw a known face,an Epitome of confidence and Non challance. The owner of the face hurriedly crossed me ,with a lighted cigarette dangling from the grip of his fingers.I came to know that Muloh was the 'Prime mover' of that Classical Musical Night Event.Presently I found Muloh escorting Pandit Joshi to the Dias.Although Ustad Gulam Ali was still alive,much younger Joshi had already become the Un-crowned King of the Hindustani Classical Musical Exponents of India.Pursuing his vocation right from his childhood,blessed with the encouragement of his School Teacher Father,Joshi did not even hesitate to work as a house servant of a Film Actor at the far away city of Calcutta as that was to help him to achieve his goal...to muster the intricacies of Classical Music.The Singing started and 'suddenly' it ended but I found in my wrist watch the 'hand' for the hour had advanced by four places and during these four hours I did not know where I had been taken to by the magical voice of that man,immaculately dressed in a Black Suite and a matching Necktie,sitting crossed legged on the Dias with a ram-rod straight spine.As he was getting up and we were trying to come to terms with the change of our mood,we saw Muloh approaching Pandit Joshi,with folded hands,to shower the gift of a 'Bhajan' of 'Brahmanada'.Joshi complied with a smiling face and 'Paradise' descended for another forty five minutes.Pandit Joshi took leave of the audience,amidst thunderous applauds and I left my place to go outside the auditorium to smoke a cigarette and to quietly savour the ecstatic feelings just been experienced.As I lighted the cigarette,I saw the quick movements of some people heading towards the the temporary Rest Room Of the Artists and as well I heard some louder voices.Crushing the cigarette under my feet, I immediately headed towards that place.The sight I saw there was difficult for me to believe.I saw Muloh,kneeling down in front of Pandit Joshi,with his head on the pair of shoes of Joshi,weeping profusely.What I could surmise from his smothered utterance and intermittent assurance of Joshi,that he never met with such situation in his life,that his associates have let him down and he begged to be pardoned by Joshi and as well requested Joshi to consider the situation and to accept Only Two Hundred Rupees ,which he could manage to collect instead of his minimum fees of Five Hundred And One Rupees.Pandit Joshi took some time to grasp the situation and then holding firmly his shoulders, raised him on his feet,led him inside the room and asked him tenderly to sit on the sofa.He then took out notes of Three Hundred Rupees,gave them to Muloh and asked for a coin of One Rupee.While taking the coin of one rupee and stuffing three hundred rupees forcibly into the pocket of Muloh and he told him that he had taken a part of his fees as otherwise it would have been an insult to the music and leaving the rest of the money for paying to the other artists so that some one like you,dedicated to the cause of classical music, may not get humiliated.As Pandit Joshi was boarding his car for the Calcutta event,Muloh again touched his feet.Joshi patted his back and sped away after blessing him.Lights turned dim,accompanying instruments were being tuned.A voice announced the next programme.The singer will take the audience,with his vocal charm to the Mystic world of 'Malkosh'.But who could be that charmer?....To sit and sing from the place just been vacated by Pandit Bhimshen Joshi requires a Singer with a Lion's heart,...an undaunted soul completely dedicated to music?
Oblivious to the surrounding world,Muloh started the Alap holding his Tanpura in one hand.