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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

THE FLOATING DIARY (Short Story Journal – 9): JULIE BRAGNZA’S PIANO

Music has been an integral part of my upbringing ever since we moved to Mumbai. I was 10 years old when we came and settled in Mumbai as a family of four, comprising of Baba, Maa, Aunt Padma and me. My mother had always been overenthusiastic about the role of music in a child’s life and Aunt Padma acted as a catalyst in this endeavor. I was never a very melodiously inclined child and was naturally scared on hearing the proposal.

The next question that arrived was what should I learn in music? This became a highly debatable topic over a few days and my guardians contemplated heavily before finally agreeing to send me for piano classes. To be more specific, the idea came from my Baba, who received the suggestion from one of his colleagues in the bank. Thus began my journey into the world of music!

We arrived at the small dilapidated single-storied house, in a small street behind the Mumbai Central Station. The walls of the house craved for a fresh round of whitewash, maybe from the last twenty years, while the small garden in front of the main entrance depicted clear signs of neglect. The owner of the house, Mrs. Julie Braganza welcomed us inside and Maa, Aunt Padma and I entered the small, dimly lit living-room and sat on the sofa. Mrs. Julie Braganza was perhaps seventy years old while her crippled skin and emaciated body presented the expression that she was possibly ninety years old! She lived in this house all her herself.

The old lady embraced me lovingly and took me over to an adjacent room while Maa and Aunt Padma watched. As I entered the room, I saw it! It was a mahogany colored vintage shaped grand piano! Even though signs of age were visible on its contours, the grandeur of the instrument illuminated the entire room. I had never played a piano before, but the sheer look of this retro yet mammoth instrument filled my heart with joy! The sight itself was so overwhelming that I clutched the hands of Mrs. Julie Braganza with delight!  

The old lady smiled at me and helped me sit on the pod in front of the piano and said, “She is a beauty, isn’t she? Her name is Diana!”

Saying the above words, Mrs. Julie Braganza stood beside me and began to play a melody that brought tears into the eyes of Maa and Aunt Padma. Even though I was pretty small, I too couldn’t hold back my tears on hearing the melody. Mrs. Julie Braganza stopped, touched my head gently and said, “Music is the language of God! Even a new born baby can understand the emotions expressed by it! I have dedicated 50 years of my life to music and this piano is my only companion with whom I am always happy. Pravin, I am sure you too would fall in love with this piano and the world of music!”

From that day, my rendezvous started with Mrs. Julie Braganza, her piano and the music lessons. Within the next two years I became quite proficient in maneuvering the instrument and the lessons became richer every day. I enjoyed playing the beautiful pieces (composed by great composers) like Chopin’s “Funeral March”, Beethoven’s “Gertrude’s Dream Waltz” and Mozart’s “Piano Sonata No. 11”. Every time I visited Mrs. Julie Braganza’s house, I felt ecstatic. The melody from Diana’s heart, filled the air with lyrical sweetness and refreshed my mind. By the time I was sixteen years old, music touched my every emotion when I sat and played Mrs. Julie Braganza’s piano. During this time, I observed a peculiar thing. The attachment that I felt with the “Diana” was different from any other piano I ever played! Once I played the “Polka Waltz” on a brand new grand piano at one of our relative’s house in Delhi, but it failed to cheer up my heart the way it did when I played the same piece on Mrs. Julie Braganza’s piano! A sweet connection developed between me and the elderly Mrs. Julie Braganza and I was even able to confide many of my little secrets with her! Maa and Aunt Padma appreciated this bonding, as this old lady filled the place of a grandmother in my life. Even today, I can visualize the thrill on Mrs. Julie Braganza’s face when I first completed the lesson on “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Mozart. I became one of her most favorite students! Then, there were the compositions of Mrs. Julie Braganza herself. I cannot express my feelings in writing, as to how much I enjoyed them! She fondly taught me some of her works and would listen to them with closed eyes, while I played them. She would then add, “Your fingers have a magic! My music and my ‘Diana’ becomes alive with their enchanted touch!”

Within the next few year, situations changed and I got more and more dragged into academics, so that I can have a secured future. Slowly, my piano classes became irregular and at last I had to discontinue them completely. Many years passed, but I somehow managed to keep in touch with Mrs. Julie Braganza. At times, on weekends, I visited her house for some quality time with the old Mrs. Julie Braganza, who was almost ninety years old.

A few years back, Mrs. Julie Braganza passed away. The members of a “Music Lover’s Club” took up the responsibility of maintaining her house, but within a year’s span, their interests, too, withered away. Soon, a local builder approached the society and some of Mrs. Julie Braganza’s distant relatives for ownership of the house. He wanted to come up with a multi-storied apartment in the area. Things got finalized and the folks started auctioning the old furniture and belongings of Mrs. Julie Braganza.

I got the news of the above development pretty late, and rushed to the spot in a fit of terror. I didn’t want to lose the most precious thing that was present in that house… Mrs. Julie Braganza’s piano! I was lucky, by the time I reached, there were no takers for the timeworn instrument. I spent a lion’s share of my savings and brought home “Diana”! She now stands gracefully at a corner in my father’s study-room.


I am writing this journal today, as I want to keep note of this special element in my life… my love for music and sheer ecstasy it brings into my heart. I know, even when I forget everything, I would not forget this gift of God and my proficiency in playing the grand instrument! Mrs. Julie Braganza might be gone, but her piano will be my companion forever! Whenever my fingers would dance over the black-and-white keys, the voice of “Diana” would bring a smile on my face! Whatever happens, Mrs. Julie Braganza’s piano would remain with me in house forever.

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