1 the very first meeting

it was a rainy day. i distinctly remember the area as it was so full of greenery . there were huge banyan and mango trees all around us. my father and i were riding in an auto-rikshaw together. An area ,so full of greenery ,was such a rare sight in the city of kolkata. It was so village-like that somehow i started doubting that how can the shooting spot of such a big show be here, in such a backwards countryside? the roads were very bumpy and the rickshaw was literally jumping up and down with each potholes. I was feeling very irritated and confusedly stared outside.

Finally we reached there. I was just awestruck to see such an advanced architectural sight in a middle of nowhere . It was a good 2 acres compound with 2 huge buildings facing each other. There was also a big canteen area in the middle of the 2 buildings. i gasped in total awe and my father was turned more than insane at the sight . The whole scenario was so grandly beautiful at first but gradually it became somewhat frightening to me. I started forgetting all the music lessons that i had prepared at home. i became nervous to think of how the judges will be and how will they treat me! it was my very first time.

A man came downstairs to escort us to the main reception area. he waved us and asked my name and then led us to the elevator. we were to go to the 3rd floor. when we reached there he pulled out his cell and called someone. then he told us to take our sits on the black sofa beside the receptionist's desk.

the whole 3rd floor was beaming with activities. we could clearly hear that the rehearsals were going on as the rehearsal room was right beside the sofa. i can still call up the song that was being rehearsed at that time.I dont know why, but my face got paler when i heard the rehearsals. I was sweating of fear. i dont know but that kinda thing never happened to me before. i just prayed to god for some more confidence.

The main reception area had a carrom board and many college-going youngsters gathered up there. Some of them were also from the orchestra team. there were literally having some kinda serious match and every one else cheered for them.

i was just 13 years old and read in class 8.so, basically i was the youngest there and everybody else were somehow more prepared and more accustomed to these kinda atmospheres (well, i know this is kinda stupid and idiotic to think that way but THAT'S what i thought at that point of time!!).

And THAT FREAKIN' SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME!

i just prayed and prayed and prayed. Suddenly I felt that the wait was too long.i just wanted to go directly in there and finish the job as soon as possible (well, basically before I get more scared!).

My father left at the sofa area alone and went somewhere around the compound. I was listening to the songs that I was gonna be presenting a while later. Suddenly i saw that a man , wearing a brown kurta and a dirt-covered dhoti , came upstairs by the stairs. He totally seemed different as he was strangely dressed. not like anyone else. he didn't seem to be one of the contestants to me. he seemed much more aged than that. Long hairs,reaching down his thick eyebrows, gravely unshaven cheeks, he was listening to some sort of classical music in his headphones as he animatedly gestured his hands in the air out of admiration. I don't know why but i just couldn't stand his attitude. I was so irritated at the sight of him . he was pretending as if he knew the classical music BETTER than anyone present there.

Somewhile later i guess he saw me observing him and calmly came near the sofa and took a seat right next to me .