Friendly readers of BTC must have noticed by now that I rarely share any pictures with the blessed masters considering them as a personal treasure close to my heart. But the truth is that I rarely get those clicked and mostly forget or choose not to click such pictures respecting my beloved idols.
However today I am sharing one of those rare ones after a loving early morning call received from Dr. Kamal Kant, who inspired me to do so, re-introducing the maestro still active in his early 90s to all young friends of BTC as a duty or responsibility.
Dr. Saab’s call reminded me of that blessed day (8th May) of last year when I met and spent a few moments with my beloved master and here is the note I wrote on that night recalling the precious moments.
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This Day - Last Year - One of my most blessed moments ever.
"I FEEL TRULY BLESSED"
Today is one of those truly blessed days of my life as I got to meet one of the most respected poets and our nations pride Sh. GOPALDAS 'NEERAJ'......the master who actually made me learn and feel the magic of Hindi poetry along with Sh. Harivansh Rai Bachchan.
'Guru ji' as he is fondly called is 91, still participating in Mushairas with an amazing energy, and I felt immensely blessed with tears in my eyes when he gave his ‘aashirwad’ lying on the bed and then softly asked "Kuchh Sunao Bhai!".
Humbled by his gesture, I started reciting one of his poems and he stopped me at once saying, "Arey Mera Nahin, Kuchh Apna Sunao".
That was a frightening moment for me as I am not even a budding leaf in front of such a strong, majestic and divine, blessed tree (Baba Borh (Banyan tree) as said in Punjabi).
But as ordered, I recited two of my couplets and have no words to express my state seeing 'Guru Ji' repeating the verses supporting my amateurish poetic thoughts in so loving manner.
Appreciating my effort he said, "Achha Hai...... Likhte Raho".
I hope you can imagine what it means to spend such unbelievably divine 15 minutes with a nation's pride (still active at 91).... having started his poetic journey even before the independence around 1945 (3 decades before my birth).
I hope you understand what it means to meet the master who was among the 5 best lyricist in Hindi Film industry working on his own terms with Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, S. D. Burman, Shankar Jaikishan and many other stalwarts of the industry, and then left it willingly setting a rare example around four decades ago.
I hope you would agree that its nothing less than a BLESSING meeting such truly passionate soul in the year 2016.
I hope you can feel the state I am in.
It’s nothing else but just
HIS BLESSINGS
(Many loving thanks to Dr. Ajay Singhal & Dr. Kamal Kant for arranging the meet and dear Sundeep Pahwa for being the important connecting link)
(written on 8th May 2016)
