NOTE FOR SALE

This is a sequel to the previous post “AN EVOCATIVE NOTE”.  The incident happened during one of those most memorable annual tours of the MSc students while I was in CMS college. It was the tour of  Suresh, James Raj, Rajalakshmi et al. The scene now is the street in front of  the Mysore palace. Almost all of our tour party had entered the palace but I was drawn towards the source of some instrumental music.  I found a person sitting on the ground playing the toy violin (chiratta violin with just two strings). His mastery over the instrument was spellbinding. There was a small crowd around him with a keen ear for the music. None ventured even “trying” the instrument, but in their eyes I detected an urge to play it the way the man did it. Realising this urge I had this naughty thought in my mind. Those days I used to regularly practice my violin. Therefore it should not be difficult for me to play this toy. I sat on the ground beside the man and learnt how the two strings were tuned. Thereafter  it was easy and I started playing film tunes. I played the then Tamil hit song “Ennedi Rakkamma......” with reasonable ease. Then it was “Kuttanadan Punchayile......”. That was more effective. I had deliberately chosen these two as they were fast numbers and I can skip the finer details without getting noticed. The trick really worked. Some among the crowd came forward and started “consulting” me. And I with my “innate humility” advised them to  buy one and back home, practice simple songs which can be played with three or four notes.  I even suggested some simple songs to them. And what ensued was to the greatest delight of the musician-cum-vendor. Some thirty violins were sold in no time as the little children in the crowd started demanding. No doubt these demands were not music to the ears of the parents and they might have said in their mind “to the hell with this dirty long-fellow!!!”. They could not air their anger aloud, as by that time I had become the darling of the children and of course, of the musician-cum-vendor. Now our tour party had come out of the palace and was surprised to see me sitting on the ground doing business. Yes, I was selling the violins and collecting money too, as by then I had acquired the status of a God sent Messiah in the mind of the musician. The man had made a killing in no time. The sense of gratitude in the man’s eye’s still lingers in my mind.

From among our group only James Raj had the sense of music (!!!) to buy one. I thought he bought it to decorate his showcase in his home.  But back home (ie, in CMS) he expressed his strong desire to become a Chiratta Violinist by playing at least “Kuttanadan Punchayile....). I quietly shouted (!)  “At least Kuttanadan Punjayile??......, what do you mean???”. I did not express my rage at his insult of music as, so strong and sincere was his desire. We started our first class sitting on the veranda of Thomas Chettan’s mess in the PG hostel.  That was a nice place to sit for music with the lush green meadow extending from the PG hostel up to the  Teacher’s hostel. I kept teaching and James tried learning putting in all efforts at his command. Days gave way to weeks. But James continued to remain weak. Finally we two agreed upon stopping the misadventure as not even the “Ku” of “Kuttanadan Punchayile.....” refused to come out. I do not know where James Raj is these days but I am very sure that he might not have tried “it” again.

A word about James Raj. He was from Kottarakkara. Immediately after his MSc he passed GATE and did his M.Tech in Electronics at the CUSAT, Kochi.

NOTE: James Raj should not be mistaken for the more famous James Raju. Dr James Raju is currently a senior Professor at the Hyderabad Central University.