There are somethings in life that are just not meant to be. You feel almost feel a cosmic power trying to push you off your chosen path. Well, the way I bought my violin was one such experience. Even though I was thinking of taking my dad along to buy my violin, somehow it was not meant to be. In the end, I had to go alone. I went to a famous musical instruments show room one evening and the minute I entered I felt my hair standing on ends, one of those times when you get goosebumps for no reason. I walked into the violin section and met this expert. He was sitting like a sage waiting to enlighten me. A knowing smile and a nod now and then, thoughtful pauses that made you hang in space for just a few seconds; had it been fantasy, I would have called him the keeper of the destiny of all the violins in the world; in real life he was aptly called master.
He asked my budget and then carefully took a Chinese violin. I liked it and asked it to play a tune, but I wasn't satisfied. Another piece was brought out from a dusty storage room and I knew that was it. When the case was placed in front of me and gently opened, I felt like I was witnessing something as magical as the prince of darkness waking up from a long slumber. When I shyly touched the surface, I felt a shiver of anticipation run up my spine. I had eyes only for it and I felt he was saying something to me. First I thought a violin could only be a she, what with all the curves and the screeches when played badly, but then I changed my mind when i saw this piece at close range, beneath all that delicate features, there was an underlying strength and resistance. I knew I have to win every bit of music out of him. When the master tuned him and started playing a sample, i felt mad with jealousy. I picked up a book on some basic tunes and walked to the counter.
This is where I think my luck ran out. There was something wrong with the card swipe machine and they asked for cash, I didn't have any cash but just my card and when they, rather rudely, asked me to draw some cash somewhere and then comeback, I was sad, angry and bewildered all at the same time. The master intervened on my behalf but there was nothing to be done. The woman in the counter simply called to an assistant at the back and said, "take this inside," I felt a sudden lump in my throat, I couldn't swallow. Hastily, I ran out of the shop and got into the waiting auto that had brought me there. From there on for nearly 5 mins my mind refused to accept the situation, but even so I was getting furious by the second. What was a lump in my throat had melted and evaporated into rage.
Regardless of the time or place, I instructed the auto driver to go to another shop on the other side of the city. Inside my heart I screamed at fate, "I wanted to buy a violin and I will, whatever you do I will not go home without it." The traffic was unusually heavy, we were stuck in every signal possible and we lost our way, but eventually after an hour's struggle, we made our way to the shop. It was a small shop and while the auto driver leaned back with a sigh, exhausted, I walked up the stairs into the shop with great conviction. I told myself, "if its meant to be like this, it will be", all the while not believing it a bit."
There was no master here, the whole place was cheerful and people walked around the brightly lit shop as if they were children in a toy shop. An assistant walked up to me and asked me what I wanted, when I told him, he just pointed to a rack on which were hanging several violins. I picked up one and asked the assistant to try it, surprisingly, he said he doesn't know how to and worst of all none of them did. In fact, I was the expert there as I am at least one session old. I picked a few and placed them back and then finally chose one of them. No vibes nothing, probably I was too hooked up and regretful about not getting my first love. I bought the same book here too and the violin was five hundred rupees less than the one I chose in the other shop. Without much fanfare I bought the violin and started heading back home. All the way, I was having mixed feelings. I still question if it would have been wiser to have just drawn the cash and gone back to the first shop. I regreted that i wont see the master again and most of all I cursed myself for not getting what I felt was waiting just for me.
Once back home, I stepped into my room and locked the door. I opened the case and took out the violin, he wasn't as light as my first love but he was good. He had a kind of coolness and serenity that seemed to calm me. As I took the bow and applied the rosine, I felt a kinship with it. Here was one who was considered not good enough by his own owner and yet when I tested the bow on the strings, it pulsated with a kind of hopefulness and abandon that made me forget everything else.
I have found one of my own kind and just before I went to bed, I kissed him on impulse and smiled. We have a long way to go together and tomorrow will be brighter than today.
He asked my budget and then carefully took a Chinese violin. I liked it and asked it to play a tune, but I wasn't satisfied. Another piece was brought out from a dusty storage room and I knew that was it. When the case was placed in front of me and gently opened, I felt like I was witnessing something as magical as the prince of darkness waking up from a long slumber. When I shyly touched the surface, I felt a shiver of anticipation run up my spine. I had eyes only for it and I felt he was saying something to me. First I thought a violin could only be a she, what with all the curves and the screeches when played badly, but then I changed my mind when i saw this piece at close range, beneath all that delicate features, there was an underlying strength and resistance. I knew I have to win every bit of music out of him. When the master tuned him and started playing a sample, i felt mad with jealousy. I picked up a book on some basic tunes and walked to the counter.
This is where I think my luck ran out. There was something wrong with the card swipe machine and they asked for cash, I didn't have any cash but just my card and when they, rather rudely, asked me to draw some cash somewhere and then comeback, I was sad, angry and bewildered all at the same time. The master intervened on my behalf but there was nothing to be done. The woman in the counter simply called to an assistant at the back and said, "take this inside," I felt a sudden lump in my throat, I couldn't swallow. Hastily, I ran out of the shop and got into the waiting auto that had brought me there. From there on for nearly 5 mins my mind refused to accept the situation, but even so I was getting furious by the second. What was a lump in my throat had melted and evaporated into rage.
Regardless of the time or place, I instructed the auto driver to go to another shop on the other side of the city. Inside my heart I screamed at fate, "I wanted to buy a violin and I will, whatever you do I will not go home without it." The traffic was unusually heavy, we were stuck in every signal possible and we lost our way, but eventually after an hour's struggle, we made our way to the shop. It was a small shop and while the auto driver leaned back with a sigh, exhausted, I walked up the stairs into the shop with great conviction. I told myself, "if its meant to be like this, it will be", all the while not believing it a bit."
There was no master here, the whole place was cheerful and people walked around the brightly lit shop as if they were children in a toy shop. An assistant walked up to me and asked me what I wanted, when I told him, he just pointed to a rack on which were hanging several violins. I picked up one and asked the assistant to try it, surprisingly, he said he doesn't know how to and worst of all none of them did. In fact, I was the expert there as I am at least one session old. I picked a few and placed them back and then finally chose one of them. No vibes nothing, probably I was too hooked up and regretful about not getting my first love. I bought the same book here too and the violin was five hundred rupees less than the one I chose in the other shop. Without much fanfare I bought the violin and started heading back home. All the way, I was having mixed feelings. I still question if it would have been wiser to have just drawn the cash and gone back to the first shop. I regreted that i wont see the master again and most of all I cursed myself for not getting what I felt was waiting just for me.
Once back home, I stepped into my room and locked the door. I opened the case and took out the violin, he wasn't as light as my first love but he was good. He had a kind of coolness and serenity that seemed to calm me. As I took the bow and applied the rosine, I felt a kinship with it. Here was one who was considered not good enough by his own owner and yet when I tested the bow on the strings, it pulsated with a kind of hopefulness and abandon that made me forget everything else.
I have found one of my own kind and just before I went to bed, I kissed him on impulse and smiled. We have a long way to go together and tomorrow will be brighter than today.
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