HERE, IT DOESN'T RAIN IN NOVEMBER-END; BUT, IF IT DOES...
Pic.: Alwyn Mathias
Early this morning, my brother, Rony, called up. “Congratulations
Rony,” I wished him, “Sorry, I am wishing you late.”
Rony is a popular Konkani singer, now based
in Kuwait. A week ago, he had been conferred with the honor – ‘The Best Male Konkani Singer in the Gulf'’.
“Thank-you dattu*,” Rony said, “Don’t worry about the delay; I can understand.”
“I am in Mangalore,” Rony said. Till then, I
was under the impression that he was calling me from Kuwait.
Melvin Peris is one of the oldest and most
popular Konkani singers, whose 100th Konkani musical-nite was
scheduled to be staged last night in one of the best open-air venues in
Mangalore. About six-thousand people, including my mom, sisters-in-law, nephews
and nieces, who are based in Mangalore, had been in the audience. Rony had been
specially flown in from Kuwait by Melvin to sing at his momentous occasion.
Many noted individuals, from different spheres of life, too, had been there to
be a part of the grand evening…
So, today morning, when Rony said, “I am in
Mangalore,” I, suddenly, remembered why he was in Mangalore…
Then, Rony told me this: Just some four
songs into the show, it had begun to pour insanely, thunder and lightning
adding more woes, mercilessly, for almost an hour. It was November 23rd…
Nobody, in his wildest imagination must’ve thought of a downpour of this
magnitude and impact. The organizers and patrons were not prepared for this… It
was a mess… and, it was all over after just four songs!
Rony, my brother, had specially come down
from Kuwait to sing for his friend and be a part of the great moment. But, God
had different plan… He disposed, accordingly!
“I am feeling sad for Melvin,” Rony told me
in the morning, “I could not sing a single song for him!”
Just one evening before this, my friend Uday and his wife
Pushpa had celebrated their wedding silver-jubilee. The venue was the terrace
of the building in which they had just made their beautiful new-house. So, it
was a double celebration, and, understandably, Uday and Pushpa were sharing
their joy with all of us, their friends and well-wishers. They had earned every
bit of success they had achieved – both professional and personal. It was a
beautiful evening… The event-managers had designed the venue amazingly and we
were transported into another world!
But, then, as I sat there, around the well-laid
table, surrounded by grandly-dressed guests and soothed by scintillating music
and romantic lights, I looked up… The sky was dark and sparkled by a million
stars… The hills, at a distance, stood gloriously in their silence… and people,
here, were happily dancing...
“God, please have mercy,” I remember praying
quietly, “may everything go well.”
I am sure, Uday and Pushpa, the event-managers
or anyone else must not have thought of rain coming to act as a spoil-sport.
Luckily, it didn't… God disposed exactly what man had proposed!
Thank-you God…
But, how do you explain what happened last
night, in Mangalore? How much must’ve gone into dreaming, planning and
preparing!
The intentions were the same; weren't they?
The prayers were the same; weren't they?
The hope was the same; wasn't it?
Well, I will be a fool if I try to ‘explain’…
All that I am trying to do is to remind myself with what Harivansh rai Bachchan would do to his illustrious son:
“Beta,
mann ka ho toh achcha; na ho toh aur achcha!’
I pray, it doesn't rain, here, in November-end and spoil my
party; but, if it does… SO BE IT!
GERALD D’CUNHA
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- Sunil Chavan