People are power, energy and vibe. They have that spark which can make you shine or burn you. Therefore, I say, “Travelling Is… more about the people and less about the destination.” This also resonates with the thought that the journey is more important than the destination as is these very people who make your journey worthwhile.
On my recent trip to Pune city, I met, well almost, four people who inspired me in their own way.
1. Amit Trivedi, magical musician
He is from the ‘almost’ category because I attended his concert from the first row like a true blue fan but could not meet him in person. Live concerts are a breed apart as the liveliness is unmatched to any song that you might ever hear. He had the energy, vibe, aura and magnificence that only few people exude. The stage was on fire, literally. People had amassed and how! There was no person present on the ground that was not singing and mesmerized by the man himself. An introvert in real life, Amit Trivedi successfully brought people who love different genres of music together.
Why do I mention him: Because his aura was felt by one and all. He was screaming and the crowd was screaming louder. He proved to everyone that being different by believing in your dreams and conviction is the need of the hour just like he debuted in Bollywood as a music composer for Aamir (2008)
I definitely wish to meet this brilliant and unique artist someday.
2. Raghu Dixit, music artist:
Hearing him for the first time at Red Bull Bus Tour, a precursor to the NH7 Weekender in Pune, was an experience of various happy moments sewn together. Here was a man wearing a lungi, chunky accessories with a guitar in hand and singing Kannada songs that no one in the 3000 odd audience understood. Yet the cheers in the crowd were magical and proof enough that music connects people.There was an even more happy evening at NH7 Weekender where he performed with his troupe.
What sets this humble man apart from the rest is the story that he narrates before beginning of each song. This story can be of his childhood or related to the conception of his career and you are sure to be on the edge to listen to him. His sober background and middle-class values are clearly visible in his stories, songs and speeches. Who else do you think will thank his mentors every single time before a performance?
I believe as humans we all love stories and more so if someone shares these with utmost conviction and earnesty. There is a small nerve in you that makes you smile every time he talks about something before the song maybe nostalgia, pain or love. I would like to believe that this is a silent validation by the audience that he has inspired them in ways more than one.
Raghu, a trained Bharatnatyam artist and a self-taught guitarist, was spotted by talented-duo Vishal-Shekhar at Zenzi in Bandra where he had once performed a solo gig. The rest, as they say, is history.
Thus it is essential for everyone to believe in their dreams and have the conviction to follow them earnestly. Then there is no power, man or task that will come in between you and your goal. It may take time but all in goodness.
3. Amrish Jaiswal, a localite
A commoner, a conversationalist and a charmer. Some people just project a certain rawness about themselves which gets conveyed through their talks. This subtly reveals their personality but does not delve into life details. Amrish was one such person who I met during the train-trip to Pune who shared the harsh realities of life in crisp words and refrained from touching upon specific details of the hard life that he must have gone through, a glimpse of which his eyes gave away. He thus makes the adage, mystery is attractive, to be true.
There is always something that people teach you, knowingly or unknowingly. He taught me to enjoy life each day as it comes.
4. Kashmiri uncle, owner of a silver accessory shop:
I did not ask his name and he did not ask who I was. He told me his life story and I did not utter a single fact of my life. How else do you justify the goodness of people, the honesty that they possess? His eyes did not flinch for a second while talking about the recent floods in J&K and how his whole family had to evacuate their homes. The pain in his eyes was felt when he mentioned that he could not go to Pakistan to visit his relatives whereas personalities, politcians and powerful populace could comfortably travel to the other side of the fence in their fancy cars. The genuine attitude of this man was proof that humanity still exists in bits and pieces and is scattered all around us. It is our choice to add our own little magic and spark to make the universe a more hospitable and human place to live in or not.
As humans our brain is what differentiates us from other living things. Let us use this small mass of neurons to activate ourselves into globes of positivity and make the world a more beautiful place.
Travellingis 