First we unstacked the extra chairs. Then we brought out the very rickety ones from David Sassoon’s stores, paint, bird droppings and other nondescript white matter splashed generously across them. Finally someone ran to round up whatever they could from other venues.
And still there were more people standing than sitting.
Let me rewind to 6pm, Saturday.
I am sitting right at the back of the Garden on one of the chairs - one which in all probability celebrated its centenary with the Library in 1970 - trying to figure out how to briefly introduce all 28 events of the programme in less than 2 minutes. Out of Context are rehearsing Rocking n Rolling with Kabir. There is still half an hour to go before we open.
“Excuse me, can we take this chair?” Two ladies, smiling politely, clutching newspapers.
When I look up to see behind them, all the other chairs are already taken.
Flashback over!
They warned me, the Indiscriminately-Called-They, that the bigger the name, the greater the nakhra. And starting on time, forget about it. So here is my two bit for those cynics:
Ha.
Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi were a dream!
We started on time, give or take a few minutes. This was a blessing in more ways than one because we were beginning to consider shutting off the entrance by then, so alarmingly packed was the Garden.
The two were such a delight, their only request was for some coffee and to be invited on stage as soon as possible. Once on, they simply charmed the crowd into a single, very still, listening mass of unblinking eyes - that’s exactly what it looked like from where I was standing.
He started with a little speech, confessing at the end of it that Shabana had instructed him before they came: “Don’t go there and start reading your poetry immediately, say something first!” That done, he switched to reciting his poems in Urdu from the collection Tarkash, alternating with her reading out the English translations from Quiver. Wah-wahs and ‘Kya baat hais’ abounded from all sections of the audience. The readings ended a little before 7.30, with an aptly chosen poem about time.
There was just about time for a few questions, and to all those who wanted to ask but couldn’t, I can only apologise - we anticipated a good crowd, but simply didn’t expect you’d turn out in such overwhelming numbers. So thank you, thank you, thank you!
And thank you, Javedsaab and Shabanaji, for helping us kick off the Literature and Writing Section in such brilliant style!