As a child I would, along with my regular riyaaz, sing her songs as a part of my practice. Her harkats and taans were part of my study. We literally grew up on the songs of Lata didi and Ashaji.
Years later, I met her and didi at a function in Kolkata. I presented them with a bouquet of flowers and touched their feet and took their blessings.
We didn’t meet much in Mumbai. Lataji had come to an event where I was singing and gave me her ashirwad.
People did try to tell me things that the sisters were annoyed etc but their behavior towards me was that of love and mutual admiration.
Years later Ashaji and I were judges on a show called Sur Kshetra, produced by Boney Kapoorji and directed by Gajendra Singh, which was conducted in Dubai. So one day, with great trepidation, I knocked on her vanity door and went in. She was so warm and nice. I presented her with a Jamdani saree. From then on we got along like a house on fire. We gossiped, we talked about music. She would share her sorrows with me. Our friendship grew.
She was so full of life. We would shoot late into the night. But she wouldn’t take a minute’s break. I would ask her to relax and take it easy. But she wouldn’t. She was on the ball. Once she went to the market, bought prawns and cooked an entire meal for me because she knew I liked prawns.
We did an impromptu version of Dama dam mast qalandar. After a contestant sang the same song, we were asked by the presenters to sing it. First Abida Parveen ji sang, then me and Ashaji joined in. It was a wonderful rendition. We spent two months together in Dubai. It was such a lovely time.
I remember she had come to Dhaka once for a show and I was invited to the show to welcome her. The organiser asked me to sing Dama dam and I said, “No it’s Ashaji’s concert.” She was such a sport she said, “Come, let’s sing it together,” and we sang the number. She had no airs at all. I would touch her feet and she would stop me saying you’re my friend don’t touch my feet now. But I would anyway touch her feet. We were in touch over the phone and used to chat for a long time. She would keep me up to date with the Bollywood gossip also. Ha!
I had composed a song called Chole jawa dheu for her. She readily said yes. So I sent her the lyrics and sang the song for her. A day before recording we went to her house and rehearsed the song.
She said now you sing it again and show me exactly how you want me to sound. I was like,”Ashaji you are so senior, main kya sikhaaongi aapko?”. But she was, “No! You are the composer, you show me how it’s done.” She made the song so special with her special embellishments. I remember we recorded the song at Suresh Wadkarji’s studio.
How do I explain the loss of a friend? It’s too much of a grief to bear. I still feel she’s just a phone call away…
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