SITAR MAESTRO USTAD VILAYAT KHAN IN THE EYES OF HIS SON USTAD SHUJAT HUSAIN KHAN

LIKE FINE WINE is nine real, rare love stories by Syeda Imam.

Quoting from the story, THE GENIUS OF A CHOICE

(In the context of Hindustani classical music, a 'Gharana'  refers to  a lineage based musical tradition passed down through generations of teachers and students. To put it further Gharanas are charaterised by a specific musical style. The term 'gharana' comes from the Hindi word 'ghar' meaning 'house'.)

"Ustad Vilayat Khan, of the famed Imdad Khan gharana, had been declared widely to be a magician with the Sitar. He was overjoyed when a son, Shujat Husain Khan, was born to him on 19 May 1960. 

Vilayat Khan brought up his son in the tradition of the famed gharana. Shujat Husain Khan was on the Sitar from his very childhood. His debut was at the age of six. It was  the  launch of  the seventh generation of the famed gharana.

Shujat's wife, Parveen, was proud of the raconteur that her husband was. She could never forget the tale of how Vilayat Khan once whisked him off to Saharanpur from Dehra Dun, where the family stayed, to do the household's grocery shopping at a modest little store there. 

Unfathomable, it seemed to him. 

Greeting the storekeeper warmly, Vilayat Khan handed over the shopping list to his son and stepped out himself to  look for his samosa shop.The storekeeper took over the list, led Shujat to the back of his shop into a puja room. He was pleasantly surprised to see a massive portrait of his father there. It was  at the centre towering over  of the rows of idols and statuettes of gods and godesses.

Shujat exclaimed,"You must be very interested in Indian classical music." 

He was stunned at the response.

"I know nothing about music... but I'm here because of him. In the old days, I was a tea stall owner at the New Delhi Railway Station. One day, I noticed this young boy walking, not buying anything or saying anything. I offered him a samosa. He promptly said no, he was not hungry. Later, when I took out my lunch packet, he was still there. Offering him my lunch I said, "Listen, we Hindus are not allowed to eat alone, eat something, so I too can eat." he seemed happy now, he ate very well.

"And he never forgot that. Years later , he came looking for me at the New Delhi Railway Station. He was told I had gone to Saharanpur, too ill to run the shop. Saharanpur was also his mother's home. He came, he found me. My entire treatment, this shop, these provisions, he bought for me. Now a big man. he has been there for me ever since. His picture should be even bigger,' his voice was tremulous as he finished hurriedly.

"He's like living god for me son, I know nothing about the sitar," the old man spoke in hushed tones, lest the ustad overheard him.

Shujat may never have had a clue of this had the long distance shopping trip had not occured."

Look at the kindness of the greatest. How they repay.

Question is, do we ?