Brimful of Asha in Goel’s Chandni Chowk

“I thought it was a small function inside a hall,” she informed her host, Chandni Chowk MP Vijay Goel. But when her ride down Chandni Chowk began, Bhonsle was introduced to the people and places that this part of town is all about. Goel was the official guide.

The show began with Bhonsle riding a horse-drawn carriage. Anjali and Kajal, the two white horses, trotted past autograph hunters, curious onlookers and uninterested rickshawallahs. All through the tedious ride down the glittering Chandni Chowk, Goel pointed out buildings to Bhonsle, explaining how wonderful the history of the area was. Bhonsle’s daughter-in-law diligently filmed the crumbling buildings. “But my batteries ran out,” says Anuja. “The entire carriage ride was exciting.” On her part, Bhonsle thanked the people of the area saying that she had not travelled with such fanfare even on her wedding day.

The garishly decorated carriage was preceded by a band party, playing loud, wedding music. The tone was just not right, but Bhonsle rectified it when she hummed a few lines on stage.

“I am sorry about not having musicians and not being prepared for this,” she explained. “Actually, I did not know I was supposed to sing here.”But before she obliged and sang a few lines of Dil cheez kya hai… from Umrao Jaan, she thanked the numerous people who gave numerous gifts and bouquets. First it was mayor Yog Dhyan Ahuja, followed by Shanti Desai, MLA Vasudev Kaptan and of courses Goel himself.

The bouquets were followed by a memento, a Ganesha statue and a shawl. Then everyone spoke and Goel carried on with his carriage guide role, painting Chandni Chowk in the brightest possible colours. “Chandni Chowk is the heart of Delhi and there was no way the queen of music would come to Delhi and not visit us,” Goel declared proudly.

Then, he went on to devote five minutes to the Chaudvin Ka Chand festival held last month. “Ashaji there were 10 lakh people here on that day. And the square you are sitting on today was where freedom fighters held important meetings.” Finally, everybody finished what they had to say and Asha Bhonsle took centrestage, in a white sari. She greeted the people, thanked the people and then asked them to come to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium if they wanted to hear her songs.

There was a sigh of disappointment that ran through the crowd. But the minute the first strains of music floated into the audience, all was forgiven.