Meeting a great soul..

Hey guys,
I was on my way back to Bengaluru after a great jugalbandi concert with Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya in LA. Was fiddling with my latest gizmo the iPad, in the plush lobby of Frankfurt airport, when a curly-haired, well-built personality walked upto me and this is how it went....
He : "Aren't you the flute player from India?, oh ! man!! I don believe this... You are simply awesome man.. I really don't believe this".. I got up slowly and shook his hands and he hugged me tightly. I wasn't sure who this gentleman was.
Me : Sorry sir, i didn't get your..."
He : Oh me? I am...(He told me his name but read on till the end and find out..)
He : "I saw your videos on the youtube and visited your website, ummmmaaaah they are out of this world..They pierce right here man.. " He thumped his chest with his fist."You are so .. so gifted prrravin. I have been researching on different techniques of flute playing and developed this flute, i got to show you" and started demonstrating a unique bansuri with 13 holes. By this time the whole of gate B25 and B26 crowd was watching two crazy musicians with awe. He is one of the most sought after flutist in the world. He has learnt from Pandit Hariji, Pandit Ravishankarji, learnt jazz in europe and US. He is settled in LA and regularly plays with world musicians like Anoushka, Paul livingston, Yanni and many more. He has invented a flute that has 13 holes and can produce all the komal and shuddh swaras just like in the Bansuri. He calls it THE KING BANSURI. He has heard most of the flautists world-over, specially all those living in India. He has analyzed all our playing styles. He is a dynamite on stage. A great believer in Jesus. He has mastered no less than 25 different wind instruments. More than anything else HE HAS A GREAT SOUL, A beautiful heart. His name is Pedro Eustache.
I was floored when he showered heaps of praises. He actually asked a fellow traveller "Do you know this guy?, you don't? what a pity, because he is one of the greatest flautists from India." I was embarrassed to say the least. Both of us played flute squatting down in the airport, discussed many great techniques, He showed me some wonderful head-joints for flutes representing different countries, each producing a different tone. I recorded a clipping on my mobile and he said " I should be taping you, you are much better player than me.. You are a star". We drank coffee, hugged at least 10 times in full view of the public. Then it was time for him to leave. He went to turkey for a teaching assignment. I just said to myself "WHAT A GREAT SOUL"
Is being humble a quality that we need to develop over the years or is it the one that comes with birth? Just like any Art, humbleness is also a gift of god which can be nurtured to great heights with constant practice. Pedro is immensely gifted with "this" art. Or else why would he need to check my videos and remember my face. And he could have simply ignored me in the airport. And he didn't have to demonstrate his flutes, tell me small secrets. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HEART.
Incidentally he told me why he was so excited on seeing me. " I was just thinking of you on the plane from Istanbul... Thought of contacting you through one of my Indian friends.. and God wanted me to meet you sooner than that and so i am walking down.. and i see you... oh my god!!"
And on my part i must narrate why this meeting means so much to me. My friend, a fellow musician very recently visited us and had said that i should play with Pedro. "He is just awesome. And the energy that you both radiate on the stage is so similar, i really wish you both could jam together some day".
I remarked" Isn't that kind of expecting too much buddy? I dunno, but i would love to". And then i left for LA.
God connected us in the most unusual places. Our flights were to leave to different destinations in less than half hour and from neighbouring gates. Destiny.. it was!!
Oh but that man, PEDRO... WHAT A GREAT SOUL, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HEART..
God bless you my dear friend...
And the lady who took our picture in my camera remarked in spanish " You both look like brothers!!" And yes we are!! Pravin and Pedro, the bamboo brothers...

check out the video on my website www.pravingodkhindi.in