Friday, February 25, 2011

Just You Wait


Today, while chilling out at the coffee machine in my office (enjoying my 'screen-saver moments" as Russell Peters elegantly puts it), a mellow voice floated in the air and brushed my ears. As I searched the corridor to find the young woman whose singing had caught my attention, I was disappointed. There was nobody on either sides of the corridor, except a janitor mopping the floor.

Before I'd dismissed it as a figment of my imagination (perhaps one of those "audio-enabled-screensavers"?), a closer inspection revealed the true owner of the voice.

The janitor herself.

There she was -- making deft strokes on the floor -- each stroke meticulously dampening every square inch of the floor -- each stroke meticulously following the rhythm of the song.

I couldn't help but witness the office floor be transformed into a Leicester Square stage (complete with strobe lights and live musicians), showcasing the musical of a discreet broom-wielding star.

I soon landed back on the office floor and decided to get close to hear her better. Keeping in mind of her discreetness, I walked towards the lift on the corridor, pressed the button to summon the lift and waited, unaware. Moments before the lift had arrived, I turned to her and said:

"You sing well, akka!"

"Sir?" she cried, with alarm reeking from her eyes.

"I said, you sing very well!"

"Me? What was I... Was I singing?"

"I was having my cup of coffee and I heard you sing. You sing well, seriously."

She blushed. Profusely. And I began to wonder, if there is any jewel in this world which can embellish a woman more than her unfaked blush.

"I head our company's music troupe. Would you like to sing on stage?"

"If I sing, the audience will run away!", she quipped, blushing all the more.

"I think the audience would love to hear you. May I ask your name?"

"Malath..." she stopped, bit her tongue and said, "Usha".

I smiled and took the stairs, knowing for certain that hiding her name can't possibly hide her talent.

I doubt if Henry Higgins has set foot on this world in my shoes, but I sure do look forward to have her singing on stage; only this time, wielding a microphone for a change.


UPDATE (March 03, '11, 17:40 hrs):

Spoke to Usha today. Learned that she has become the laughing stock amongst all of her fellow workers, after one of my colleagues (?!?) inquired my company's facilities team of her whereabouts and if she sings well. All of Usha's coworkers, she laments, now believe that the idea of her singing on stage is a joke!

I spoke to the clearly upset Usha (who now confesses that she can't sing more than two lines of a song), assured her that her coworkers deserve a mighty revenge, and that she must practice hard, get on stage, grab a mic and steal the show!

Hail Higgins!!!

7 comments:

Viji said...

:) double cheers to you! For identifying a fresh talent and for writin a post after quite sometime. Waiting to hear malath aka usha on stage. Truly wish she listens to you the way eliza doolittle listened to henry higgins. "all i want is a room somewhere...far away from the cold night air...Tara ta ra ra ta ra tha tha ra... ain't it loverly? Loverly loverly..." feelin happy this moment.

Shivsu said...

Was it you?!?

(Read the update in my post if you haven't yet!)

A Blip said...

Your observation skills are appreciative. But kindly don't come to my bay when I have my earphones..I get so involved in the music that I start humming..I really don't wanna be a laughing stock! :D

Shivsu said...

Don't you worry a thing. You can wear your earphones when you're singing on stage, and nobody will laugh at you!

Viji said...

Enough wAiting........next post

Selina Joney said...

Hey, u shld have got her to sing at StarTrek! Did u try? Or maybe an internal event at Siruseri office?

Shivsu said...

Selina, there's a mini-event happening for Diwali @ Aspire...

What can I say... It's showtime!!! :P