Share    Print   Save    Become a Fan



The Eternal Flame
By Aditi Surendra   

Last edited: Monday, August 26, 2002
Posted: Monday, August 26, 2002

Its about this band . they used to come home and play!

My friends and I were thinking about starting a band. We thought about what kind of music we would play and what the lyrics of our songs would be like. But, there was a slight problem, we couldn’t play any instruments… I could play the keyboard. But, there cant be a rock band with one keyboardist and 2 singers! So, we started looking for some teachers.
Some months ago, while I was chatting on the net, I met Nataraj a 30-year-old guy who sang for a band. He was looking for a keyboardist, and that’s how we got to talking! I didn’t join his band as a keyboardist ‘coz I couldn’t read chords I could only play with notes (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma or Do, Re, Mi, Fa)! But, We kept in touch. When I told him that we were planning to start a band, He said we could ask him for help if needed!
We couldn’t find a teacher that would fit into our budgets! So, I contacted Nataraj (A.K.A Raj). Raj said his band could teach us, but we had to find a place where they could park their instruments and jam! Now my friends and I had an option, we could either search for a studio or lend one of our rooms. Krittika’s Room was filled with furniture… Priya’s parents didn’t give her permission. My room had the space and my parents gave me permission. So, the band moved in!
When they first came to see the room, Only Raj (the lead singer) and Prasad (the drummer) came. And when we saw the drummer… we said, “He looks Hottttt”… The first meeting itself was fun… They had a good sense of humour, which totally got us into having a good first impression about them! Then the next day, the drum kit arrived, along with which the bassist, Pradeep came! I had this instant crush on him! Then after a week or so came our guitar teacher, Terrence Vivian whom we call Terry!
They would jam everyday from 5 to 8! And we would sit and listen to them. They played covers of Smoke On The Water, Knocking On Heaven’s Door, Hotel California and many others. They also sang their own compositions, which included Baatein Banana and Suno. These two songs were stuck in our head for a long time. Every time we were going out, we would sing them on the way! It wasn’t long before Vinapra (the name of the band) was a big part of our lives!
Once, we went out for dinner with Raj. He is so much fun! He talks a lot. But, if you were sitting with him, you would never get bored! He is a very very knowledgeable person. He has an amazing voice and every time a person would chat with him on the phone, they would have a ‘Val Kilmer’ like picture in their mind! But, would find out that Raj was after all a bald guy of 31! He told us many experiences he had. It was fun and we kept meeting up for meals!
Prasad, the drummer was fun too. When he would play the drums, he would make these weird expressions. His eyes would become bigger! He looked just like a cartoon. He would crack good jokes and he was very friendly! He would never leave the drumsticks at my place. He knew I would play around! I always thought he was a bonehead for doing that!
Pradeep? Hmm… what am I supposed to say? I always compare him to “Oracle”… ‘Coz he hardly speaks but when he does, it’s a dart right on target! He would crack these amazing jokes. Every time I remember them I would laugh. Like, there is this song of theirs called Suno. And the chorus goes “ Suno………… Suno…………” and every time the chorus came, he would ask us to sing “Kaho……Kaho……” It was so much fun. He once even acted like he was eating a cockroach. Though, he hardly attended the jam sessions, we remember him all the time.
Terry, our guitar teacher, is cute! He loves chocolates and every time he would see chocolate he would jump with joy. When he first came, we thought he wasn’t friendly. But, as our classes began, we got to know him and found him really cute! Raj had told us that he was very strict. But, he wasn’t. I took a lot of time to get my first 3 chords! But, Terry would patiently let me learn at my own pace. He is definitely one of my favourite teachers!
They were here for about 2 months and by now we knew the lyrics of all their songs. And they weren’t just a band playing at my house, they were friends! One day, the keyboardist of their band came, Arun! I wasn’t home that day, I was at my cousins! I didn’t really get to talk to him. But, I find his smile really cute. He reminds me of a brinjal and that’s why we kept ‘Brinji’ as his nickname! He played the keyboard really well… And yeah he could read chords!
Then came Vijay, the rhythm guitarist. When my friends and I first saw him, we were literally drooling! He is hot! He looks like a typical rockstar with the long hair tied into a pony and a frenchie. Wowy!!!! Never really got to know him either until the end.
The End came sooner than we expected. Everything was going fine till one of my neighbours complained. We understood ‘coz She was a high blood pressure patient! So, we put up rugs and stuff near the window and sound- proofed the room a little! And they played. For a long time, about 2 weeks, no one complained! But, one day while I was up in the terrace, watching the sunset and listening to music on my Walkman. One of my friends came up and said that the next-door neighbour had come and shouted at them and gone. I went down and they had stopped jamming. We talked the whole evening and then they left. For another one week, things were fine. One Saturday, something horrible happened. That morning we had lost our college elections and our day was ruined. Then, the band came and cheered us up! And as we had just got out of the bad mood. My neighbour came and asked me, “ When are they gonna leave?? Are we your friends or are they your friends?”. Ad that’s when it came to my mind. What a big part of our lives the band had become. If they hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have been a better person. Terry helped me get over my fear of heights and climb the tank on my terrace. Raj taught me the realities of life. Prasad helped me ride a bike. Pradeep showed me how to laugh! Arun always made me smile with his smile and Vijay cheered me up when we lost the election. The band – Vinapra – every day in college, we would wait for them at Eat Out (a fast food joint near college). We would go for rides on their bikes. We would tell them secrets. I even showed them the guy I had a crush on and they went “Oooooohhhhhh……..”
My neighbour spoke to my sister. My sister came and told me that someone in the building had spread a rumour that the band was paying our rent and so we were letting them play. I thought to myself “How cheap can people get?” I told my friends and one of them broke it out to the band while they were playing their best song “Baatein Banana” The beats stopped and there was a major discussion. We were standing in a circle and Raj was talking. He said “When we came here we were out of practice, we were pathetic. But, thanks to this wonderful family that let us stay here and play, we have gone from pathetic to good. But, I guess now we should leave…..” I heard “Leave…..” and walked away. I called Priya (who wasn’t there) and told her the bad news and while doing so I broke down. And that night they moved out. They took the drum kit, the guitars, the amplifier and left. When I saw the bikes ride away, it pricked my heart so much. I went up to my room. I could still feel the music lingering. I could here them singing. I could hear laughter. The laughter that we shared. The fun we had! I played the song Pretty Woman. They made the electrical version of this song before they left. That night I had no dinner and I cried myself to sleep.
Ever since, I have ignored my neighbours. I have never missed someone so much. When we threw them a big farewell bash, they said they didn’t deserve it ‘Coz they were just a small band. And Vinapra, I’d like to tell you something. You may think you don’t deserve it coz you are a small band. But you deserve it coz you are like candle. A candle that gave us light when everything in our lives were dark. Like a candle that threw light on the rough path that we were taking. The candle that will have an eternal flame and burn brightly for the rest of our lives!

Reader Reviews for "The Eternal Flame"