A haunting experience !
It was an experience that still haunts me! I was probably 22/ 23 years old when I was passing through a North Calcutta gulee- not exactly a gulee-which had its own character, usually seen and felt during those days. It was around 8pm and quietness descended the place with only a solo female voice coming from the first floor of a house. During those days flat culture was unknown or little known. The place was peaceful - in fact too peaceful except the voice which poured into my ears and compelled me to stand still !I stood there motionlessly for nearly an hour listening to that gentle and melodious voice. I presumed the singer to be of my age or proba- bly more. She was a Classical singer absorbed in her Alap along with the accompaniment of her Tanpura ! Little did she felt my lone presence on the street below.I quietly walked away and felt the haunting voice pursuing me throughout the night in my sleep ! The voice melted away in the morni