Good narration.... nice to know that your dream had come true.. :)
2009/10/27 umiesha <[email protected]> > > > 17TH October 2009…… > Diwali – the Hindu Festival of Light…… > My Birthday too……. > > NETHERLANDS > > My `big dream of the decade' came true…in a most unexpected way. > > It was around 4.30 p.m. and I was chatting online with my sister, telling > her how depressed I was because I was going to miss another chance to see my > `Hero' – A R Rahman – who would be attending an award ceremony 350km away in > neighbouring Belgium. > > While we were chatting, the doorbell rang, making me jump, so I logged off > and went to see who was at the door – it was my good friend, Dinesh. > > Opening the door, he gave me a big hug and greeted me with "happy birthday > and may all your dreams come true!" I thanked him but told him that I only > had one dream and no way was that going to come true! Dinesh asked me what I > was talking about. > > "My Guruji is attending an award ceremony in Belgium", I replied. Dinesh > was a little upset and said, "He is not only your Guruji but mine too!" I > apologised to Dinesh and told him that all the tickets for the ceremony had > been sold the previous week – I have known that since two days before. I > didn't have a car – or a driving license, for that matter – and if I went by > train, I would not be able to get back home as the ceremony didn't finish > until 11.00 p.m. What's more, I did not know anyone in Belgium, so had no > local support. > > "Sorry", my `Rahmaniacs', I didn't tell you what the ceremony was about. It > was the `World Soundtrack Academy Awards' and was being held in the city of > Gent. > > OK, back to how I could make my big dream come true. > Dinesh suggested that we call the place where the ceremony was being held > and ask again about tickets. "OK," I said, "I'll do it" and dialled the > Awards office number. > "How may I help you?" the receptionist asked. > I told her that I was calling from the Netherlands and asked if there were > any tickets available for that evening's awards programme. I didn't need to > tell Dinesh that the receptionist's reply had been, "I am sorry to say that > all the tickets have been sold" – it was obvious from the way I looked at > him. > > I did not hang-up however but told the receptionist, "Look, I am A R > Rahman's craziest fan – I don't care if I don't get to talk with him – just > to see him would be enough. At what time will the guests be at the entrance? > Is it possible just to stand there to get a look at him? Please help me > madam! My home is 350 km away from Gent and it will take me almost 3 hours > by car to get there. Dinesh could hear all this as I had switched my `phone > to `speaker-phone'. > > After a while, the receptionist said, "Look, I know how much you guys love > A R Rahman… let me talk to my colleague". - my face got brighter – "The show > is going to start around > 8.00p.m. but the doors will be open between 6.00p.m. and 7.45p.m. and > that's when all the VIP's will arrive; then there's a break at 9.00p.m….oh, > just a minute" she said. > > After a short time, she came back on the line and told us, "you guys might > just be lucky…you might get two tickets after the break but I can't promise > anything because it depends on whether people stay for the second part of > the ceremony." That last sentence left our hearts racing and I could hardly > form my words to thank her. She laughed and hung up. > > Now, the next problem was the car! Dinesh had a license but did not have > his own motor. "I'm going to `phone a car rental company", he said, and by > the time I was going to remind him that today was a Saturday, he was already > being told, "Yep, we have a car available" and Dinesh told him that he would > collect it in 5 minutes. I couldn't believe our luck. > > I looked at the clock and saw that it was 5 minutes past 5.00p.m and my > mind could think of nothing except getting the car and driving straight to > Gent. Dinesh told me he would collect the car and be back to pick me up in > 10 minutes and that I should be ready and waiting on the street! > > Although my stomach was churning and my nerves were on a knife-edge, the > thought of the ceremony in Gent helped reduce the tension. I just wanted to > see my hero's humble face and tell him, "Guruji, I love you, jai ho!" even > if it was some distance away from him. That's all I was thinking. > > Out on the street, I saw a new Nissan approaching, with Dinesh at the > wheel. I was jumping up and down as though I had taken the winning catch in > the last cricket match of the season! Dinesh knew that I was not feeling > well so suggested I got in the back seat and try to sleep. > > To get there at the time the receptionist had advised us, Dinesh had to > `put his foot down' and at times, I saw we were doing 170 kph! After 20 > minutes driving, we hit a traffic jam and my nerves started to get to me > again. "Don't worry", Dinesh said, "we'll soon get through this"…and so we > did and were once again cruising at 170 kph while most of the other vehicles > on the road were travelling at around 120 kph. Our high speed, my iPhone and > Dinesh's `SatNav' all played a part in helping us reach Gent in 3 hours. > > I had fallen asleep and Dinesh woke me to tell me we had arrived…in the > city but not the ceremony venue! The `SatNav' had `gone on the blink' so we > would have to stop and ask someone how we could get to our destination. As I > was feeling refreshed from my sleep, I told Dinesh that I would go and ask > someone how we reach our target. It was 8.25p.m. and the interval was at > 9.00p.m. Then I thought, "why not call the ceremony office?" As luck would > have it, the same receptionist answered my call and I told her that we were > in Gent but didn't know how to get to the venue. This `angel' told us that > we were quite near and gave us the necessary directions. She also said that > she would send someone to escort us to the building where the ceremony was > taking place. What a wonderful woman she was!!! > > Sure enough, as we were parking the Nissan, someone came up to us and > escorted us inside. Once inside, he said, "Have a nice evening and hope you > might be lucky and meet with > Mr. Rahman". We shook his hand and thanked him for his help and kindness, > realising that the receptionist had told him all about us! > Making our way between Porsches, Lamborghinis and other top marque cars, we > headed for the entrance and asked the security staff – in the politest way – > where the Reception was. "Could I see your tickets please", the security guy > asked. Instead of showing him, I told him the entire story about our contact > with the lady receptionist and our break-neck drive from Netherlands. He > replied that while he recognised that we were devoted fans of A R Rahman, we > could not enter without tickets but said that he would check with his > colleague in Reception. > > I told Dinesh that even if we failed to get in, we shouldn't feel too bad, > as we had tried our hardest for our Guruji. Dinesh agreed with me but said > that we should not lose faith. I agreed. > > The security guard returned and said, "You guys are really lucky as they > have had two cancellations". Dinesh and I could hardly believe what the guy > was telling us. Wow…could it really be happening? He opened the door and > took us through to Reception, where I noticed the clock showed 8.50p.m. – 10 > minutes to the interval! Then I heard a voice asking, "Are you the two guys > who `phoned me from the Netherlands?" It was our `guardian angel' and we > told her, "Yes, we are the guys" and thanked her for all her help and > kindness. She laughed and told us how lucky we were, handing us the two > tickets. The security guard showed us to a waiting area and told us that in > a few minutes, the place would be full of famous people. > > I told Dinesh how grateful I was to him for getting us here. "Yeah, yeah", > he said, "But now, we have to ask someone where our `hero' is, in this vast > place". Big screens were showing live telecast but it was already 9.00p.m. > and people were quietly making their way to the waiting area – where we were > waiting! > > I recognised some of the programme organisers, and I approached one of them > and said, "Hello sir, we have come from the Netherlands and would like to > see Mr. A R Rahman". "Hmm", he replied, "You have missed the first part of > the programme when `A R' received the award for Best Song of the Year". "We > just need to know where we can see him, even from a distance", I replied. > The programme organiser told us that at that moment, `A R' and other VIPs > were having their photographs taken but that he couldn't let us into the VIP > area. However, he showed us the entrance where the second part of the > ceremony would take place and said we would definitely meet `A R' if he > decided to stay for the second session. > > I switched on my iPhone, keeping my eyes on the people coming out of the > VIP lounge with only one hope in my heart…that our Guruji would come through > that door! As I stood there, my nerves were once again at breaking point – > like a student waiting for his exam results. It was 9.40p.m. and the second > part of the ceremony would be starting in just another 20 minutes. > > After a few minutes, I saw someone in a blue coat and I called to Dinesh to > look. > Yeahhhhhh it was the man himself… > > …the golden moment in my life > …the moment I had waited 13 years for > …the only humble face I had wanted to see in my whole life > …the Mozart of Asia > …the music miracle > …The One and Only A R Rahman > > Yes, he was coming to the entrance for the second part of the ceremony. He > is just 15 metres away from us. I said to Dinesh, "Oh man, I can't believe > this" – my whole body was shaking! > As his eyes met ours, I greeted him in the traditional Tamil way by saying, > "Vanakkam Sir", shaking his hand with one of my trembling ones, my other > hand over my heart. Although overcome by my feelings at meeting my hero, I > was strongly aware of how much I missed my sister, in India. > When we looked at each other and I took in his humble face, I felt that I > was on another planet or, maybe even in Heaven! > > I knew that Guruji had little time, as he had to return to the concert hall > for the 2nd part of the show, but I asked him, "Sir, is it possible for me > to have a photo taken with you?" Without a second thought, and in his > typically humble way, he said, "Ya, sure". > Although I was thinking that a photo of me with my Guru would provide > enough pleasure for the rest of my life, I still couldn't stop thinking > about my sister. I am the only one who knows how much she adores Guru Ji and > how much she would have loved to be with me at that time. Still, I thought, > "one day, she too will meet our hero." > > Dinesh and I posed with the great man, while our photos were taken. Photos, > which undoubtedly, will be the most memorable in my life! Then we had to bid > our hero "goodbye" as the ceremony organisers and security staff was waiting > to escort him back to the concert hall for the second session. > > After this `golden moment' many other unexpected things happened but not as > important as when I met our dearest Guruji. > > P.S. > Dear Rahmaniacs, I know all of you dream of the day when you will meet our > dearest Guruji. > > After waking up each day, I used to wonder if this would be the day that I > would see my hero, and that thought always gave me an indescribably good > feeling. > > Finally I met him! > > So my advice to everyone is, "Stay confident and Keep The Faith…one day, > you will all meet him!" > > > -- All the good praise goes to the Almighty http://www.arrahman.asia
