Usha was roped in instead (that would be her misfortune – a poor filmmaker’s Lata). A small-budget film, its filmmaker could not afford the reigning singers' fees to sing the famous bhajans penned by Kavi Pradeep. The film made history when it was released. The song was Main to Aarti Utarun Re from the film Jai Santoshi Maa (1975). It was being played all over the nation since 1975. It was played in temples, pandals, satsangs, bhajan mandlis and bhandaras. Of course, what I was hearing was nothing unknown. In the midst of all this surreal drama, my attention veered towards the loud song blaring from a huge speaker. I wondered how this was even possible medically. The motion picked up momentum and soon became frenzied. The lady of the house, our neighbour, always in a cervical collar for spondylitis, was collar-free and was moving her head in a circular motion, with hair flying all over the map, eyes closed. What I saw in the drawing-room held me in thrall, as it did the others sitting with folded hands (which I found odd but whose mystery would shortly get resolved). There was a stampede which I had to negotiate to eventually get inside. This required a closer examination and I too went down. A throng had collected outside the house below and people were jostling to get inside through the door. Curious, I stepped out to the first-floor balcony to see what the fuss was all about. In no time, I could hear people assembling outside and my own aunt rushed out. I was preparing for my UPSC exams one evening in early 1981 in my room (I was staying with my uncle those days), when I heard a man shout excitedly from the square below (these were government quarters) – “ Mata chadh gayi, Mata chadh gayi”.