Topic: You enter a store that only sells musical instruments, but the shopkeeper turns out to be an expert Carnatic musician. As you browse, you end up learning all sorts of weird and wonderful facts about every instrument there. Write about your quirky and enlightening conversation with this storekeeper who seems to know everything about Carnatic music, and what all interesting stories he shared with you about the instruments in the store.

I entered a room which looked appealing and when I opened the door, a small twinkling sound of the bells, the store was called, ‘The Musical Marvels’, as I opened the door I was immediately hit with a pleasant smell of old wood and something citrusy that I couldn’t describe. There stood a middle aged man with a shock of white hair, whose eyes which twinkled like shining ambers he said, “Welcome! Welcome! My friend, it seems like you have an interest in finer things in life.” 

Something about his voice and his shop gave me a sense of serenity, I stammered. “I was just looking around.” I looked inside and I was mesmerised by all the instruments there, some I knew the names like vīṇa-s and guitars and some flutes, each more exquisite than the other one on the shelf, I pointed at a beautiful stringed instrument with a round head and a long body. “Ah! That's the Vīṇa, my friend. A Queen of Instruments. 

Did you know that a vīṇa has to be placed under the moonlight of a waxing crescent moon for seven whole cycles so that it can be played as smooth as the flowing waters of the river Ganges?” I stared at the beautiful vīṇa, then out of nowhere he pulled out a box which had small crystals inside it, he said - “This exquisite tiny box is a very rare and special masterpiece which was made by a blind artist who could see music and he made this masterpiece with intricate details.” 

He opened a hidden layer which had a beautiful carving of a graceful lady and sovereign cysts and minute details. “These, my friend, each cysts represent a moral value and a unique rāga”. I nodded and my eye caught an award saying the best underrated artist signed with his name at the end ‘Raman’. As afternoon rolled around, Raman told me about the tales of each instrument and a particularly majestic one named Mṛdaṅgam whose strings were to be made by the hairs of a mermaid and a particular drum which couldn’t predict the weather and was played by the great Carnatic music composer Tyāgarāja himself. 

I was mesmerised by all of his tales and I asked him. “How do you know all of these? He replied with a smile. I used to be a great Carnatic Music artist. I also had the dreams to go on stages in Chennai radios and music festivals.” I was a bit shocked so I asked him another question out of curiosity, “Then why did you become a shopkeeper?” He laughed and then said, “I used to be a man filled with fire and passion but I fell in love with my wife, got married and had children.” Then after a sigh and a long pause, he started, “But then I realised music isn’t about fame and all of that, it’s about sharing the mind with it and enjoying the experience and feeling it.” I was incredibly moved by his life story, it shifted something inside me. He told the tale of a small bamboo flute. 

“Did you know that this flute was owned by an indigenous tribe which was passed down to me? People from my great grandfather's side say that this flute belonged to ethnic saint who charmed the sharks and snakes underwater.” I asked him “Are all these true?” He got a good laugh and said, “Truth is gantam. There is no such thing as - Are these True?”. We both had a good time talking about the instrument and he played the Citravīṇa which looked ethereal and it sounded a feeling that I cannot describe which was instantly beautiful. I thanked him for his performance and as I was about to leave, he slipped a small package of 2 CDs in my hands with a warm smile and he said, “Hope you enjoy these with a touch of my own music performance.” 

I left the store thrilled and my mind still stuck to the tunes he played and the distinct sounds of the Citravīṇa and the unbelievable stories and tales about each instrument he said and my mind still buzzing, unable to think of anything else other than the music he played. I clenched the CDs hard and made a decision to visit the musical marvels once again. I was left wondering how these instruments were made and how it must be or feel to hold something so special and play it!