The day I met The Maestro...........Raja Sir.......

Its going to be some time, even quite a few years, say 2 or 3 years now. Yet, that day, that evening is still fresh in my memories and I can still replay it in my mind.

It was October and we were given an appointment at 5pm at his Studio. Our CEO, my husband and I were little nervous and had already reached the nearby hotel an hour earlier. And, just as predicted, it started raining and we were asked to come at 6 by his manager. Another hour just went by leaving our CEO and my husband relaxed for a while and making me more and more nervous for I had my doubts of whether would meet him or not. And, I was self assuring repeatedly within myself.

It was 6 and his manager called us and informed us to come to his residence, because Raja sir had already left the studio due to heavy rain. I became even more nervous, "will he cancel at the last minute saying, he wouldn't meet anyone at home...?".And, all the while I conveniently forgot that our CEO and my husband was there to meet him to get his consent for conferring him a honorary doctorate for his outstanding contribution to the field of music by an foreign university and I happen to be handling their operations in India. I had forgotten my career profile and was jumping like a 7 yr old kid, coming to an Amusement park for the first time.

"Will he accept?"- It was my CEO. I just came back to reality and tried hard not to show my excitement and brought a cute diplomat smile on my face and said, "I think yes". and, much to my dismay,"I heard myself saying"Who Cares?"....OMG...how can i be so irresponsible like this....

We were on the way to his home and all I could think of was how he will talk, and whether he will talk to me or just to my CEO and ignore my presence.....After all, why should he care? I was completely silent and didnt realize when we reached his residence for two reasons, one being i never knew before where he lived and the minute my husband asked me to get down, I could feel my heart beat racing like an F1.

We just entered and some how I gathered the courage to ask my husband is his camera ready. Because after all these thinking of will he talk to me or not and all, what I concluded was whether or not he talks to me, I should get a photograph with him at the least.

So, when we went in, Raja sir came out from the room, what seemed to be a study room and sat on the couch, asking us to sit. I think, our CEO must have guessed on my madness on meeting him, as he could apparently see how am I behaving so insanely and childish...So, he simply showed me the seat next to Raja sir and sat next to me. I gave him a thanking smile and sat near Raja sir completely blank and silent. It was my husband that started the conversation, giving him the introductions and all the required details of the purpose of the meeting. He carefully listened to him and simply said, "I am not a public person as how you think, I am very remote and aloof. I just think of music for the whole day, whether or not I am doing any project."

I first thought, he is giving a small speech and at the end he is going to say OK. He continued saying a lot of things about how he takes Music what is music to him and all.. our CEO interrupted him saying, whatever you are saying now is all the reason why we wanted to honor your contribution. Raja sir went silent for a minute and I was like, why did he interrupt raja sir now...he should have let him speak so I could have heard him for some more time.....

Raja sir, suddenly looked at me and asked "have you heard of my songs?" thinking that I must be living in US since I was working for a US university. I went blank once again at his question and blinked like a kid when asked what is Einstein's Adiabatic Theory?. Then the next second, I just blushed and said " I grew up with your music and now, I am living it.". And, he gave me an approving nod and a smile. He just turned to our CEO and said, this is all I had earned all these years, a whole new generation of youngsters like her, still listening and enjoying my music.And, this is all enough for me. People like you, a Foreign university conferring a doctorate will be a great honor for me, but I would suggest you to look for other people who had gone unnoticed and do this honor to them, that would really help them." And, with that he finished the meeting and offered us some juice.

 He then noticed the camera in my husband's hands and graciously asked our CEO to come closer for the photos and I joined them, but still having the urge to take a separate photo of just him and I. I think he must have sensed that. And, he asked me to come and stand next to him and I should thank my husband for taking that photograph so nicely and of course giving me that wonderful opportunity to meet him.I always feel great, happy and privileged to have met him, spent some 20 minutes with him.

I still think of as."why did he not accept such an honor and only one possible answer comes to my mind, that "Only Raja sir could say such a thing"....

Just happened to see someone tweeting that "the 'i' in my iPad stands for Ilayaraja"...and thought how true it is...I would say, for me, Ilayaraja is the music......