ROI 8: Mummy of 308

Sultry eyes…pretty face…beautiful smile…and a different voice…that’s the Aisha you know. But people…let me tell you guys…no one knows her better than her poor roomies (Vani & I) and Harshi too (she was partly our roomie)!!



Early in the morning she would start off with her Kharaj in Raag Yeman at 5:30-6’ish….”Sa Ni Sa ni Sa Da Sa da Sa pa Sa… Sa Ni Sa ni Sa Da Sa da Sa pa Sa…” and then she would increase her pace and go all the way till upar ka ‘Pa’ and come back and neeche ka “ma’ and go up and so on and so forth!!! Phew one really gets tired (not bored but literally sweating tired) listening to it…wonder how she manages to do this every single day!!!



And then came D-day…when she got her very first song for the very first Piano rounds…”namak Isq ka”…Oh Boy!!!!! She would start practicing this song right after her morning riyaaz…through breakfast (at the table mind you while the rest of us are eating)…back in 308 (while Vani & I are doing our bit of Riyaaz)…through lunch (same place again)…back in 308 (this time Vani & I would be dozing off like pigs…its afternoon rey…and how much can we talk.. we need rest too!!)…through tea…back in 308…through the evening walk…back in 308…through dinner…back in 308…and she wouldn’t stop till she feels every note of the song came out right!! No..what am I saying…the first day was not perfecting the whole song but just the “Maaaaiiinnnn” portion right at the very beginning of the song!!


She would start off “Maaaa..aaaain” and then stop and ask whoever is there at the room at that time (either Vani or me or Harshi..or Pinky), “Sahin tha na…barabar lag raha tha na sur”… initially we politely told her.. “of course yaar.. theek hi to aa raha hai”.. then by the tmie it was a day before the piano’s we went “AISHA…YOU…ARE…GETTING…IT…PERFECTLY…RIGHT…STOP…”maaaaaaaaaaiiinnn’ing” THIS…INSTANT…WE…ARE…GOING…CRAAAAZZZZYYYYYY!!!!ahhhhhhhhh”

And then she would stop to show her teeth and make her eyes small and laugh!!!! God Woman!!!!!


Oh...there was this one time when she really scared the wits out of me. We were all just relaxing in the afternoon…Vani with her cd-player’s headphones on…Me reading or writing…and meimsaab Aishu was for a change lying down on the bed…phew…what a relief. But then all of a sudden she just raises her head and along with hand movements sings just the “maaaaaainnnn...chaaand...nigalll...gayi” and lies back down on the bed! I went “OMG aish!!!! You really got me there!” and wackhed her with the pillow!!! God!!! What fun we had pulling her leg on this song of hers every other time after the first piano!! I remember once Pinky said ki “aaj ke baad har raat Savoy mein ammavasya hoga kyun yeh (Aisha) Chand ko puri nigal chuki hai!!” Heheheh…good one Pinky!!!



That was the singer Aisha…but there’s more to this damsel from Mumbai…her passion for cleanliness and hygiene. This only we roomies knew about! Rather had to go through with I should say.


Any time any our stuff is not arranged in the room she will start… “WHY IS THE ROOM UNTIDY???HUH?HUH?HUH?!!!” and we’ll both “sorry” her and quickly clean up the mess we created. Both of us called her the ‘mom’ of the room and we were her (in Aishu’s terms) “Naalaayak” kids! Hehehe! Of the two of us, Vani was just the opposite of Aisha…her box would always be…well never mind the details… you get the point right! And I was in the middle…I don’t like messy things but when we are not in the room for days like when we go for studio practices, I don’t get to clean up my stuff so that’s when the room looks shabby. But otherwise I’m Aishu’s achi beti! This is to Vani: “Nananapoopoo” *tongue sticking out and palms stretched out with the thumbs on my ears*



Oh and even in the middle of the night when either of us gets stomach aches or gas problems she would jump right out of her bed dig into her box and bring out the famous “Kaali meeri” bottle. She would give it with some salt (the tasty salt…not the normal kinds which we use for cooking), and o’la…our pains vanish. Once Vani had put it in her mouth and she drank water to make it go inside ‘cause it gives burning sensations. And then Aishu took some more…gave it in her hand…put on a small light near the door…made Vani stand right under that…and asked to swallow the whole thing in front of her. “I want to see you eat it!!! Not wash it down to your stomach with water….kya bache mile hain mujhe!!awaara lafange dono…raat ko 11 baje aatein hain son eke liye…ek ko tho 10 baar bathroom jana padtha hai sone se pehle (Vani)…or doosri likhti rehti hai kuch na kuch apne book mein…Hump!! I tell you…I must have done some great sins in my past janam to get kids like you!...aur phir kisi ek ko tho har rooz mujhe kaali meeri dena padtha hai….kya karoge tum dono mere bina huh???” Hehehe you know we love you for this na ‘Ma’!!!!! Muah!



Initially during the theatre rounds I thought she was a very reserved person, an introvert basically ‘cause she didn’t interact with anyone much. But after becoming her roomie…we know who she “truly” is!!Hehehe! Apart from an awesome singer…she would make a really good home-maker and a mother trust me!! I only pity her future family and in-laws ‘cause they would have to suffer her…

“Maaaaaiiinnnnn….chhaaaand…nigall…gayi”


Rock on girl!!!!No matter what…you’ll always be a very dear friend of mine…and I miss staying with you...hope this bond of ours would go on for years!!! Best of luck for all your future projects!