An evening of Sufi couplets and setar Enchanted

Arshi Zaman

A haze settled over the city that was the stage for an evening of romance at Café Sanchi. It wasn’t your ordinary garden variety kind of romance, but an adventure one takes, when one tries to become one with the master of the heavens and fails, only to rise up and try again. It was the occasion of the book launch of Raqs – the Dance of Passion by Shaista Yacoob, who writes Sufi poetry.

The Café Sanchi that Kyoumars Freeman owns and runs is a direct reflection of him. The ambience of subdued elegance that gently nudges you towards quiet reflection is what he is all about. You can hear his sincere love for Rumi in his earnest impassioned recitation of the Maulana’s poems in Persian. He wanted to make everyone understand that the Maulanas words are not for two penny novels but need to be absorbed and imbued into ones whole being; that “Raqs- The Dance” is not any gyration to some local beat but the sway of the soul as it strives to meet the Master of all beings.

As the evening began, the lilting notes of the Setar (it can be likened to an Indian Sitar) filled the air. Played skilfully by Dr. Ali Parsa, who is a dentist by profession, only goes to show that one can be many wonderful things at once. As the music rose and fell gently it enveloped us, the small group of people that had gathered there to remember and celebrate the Maulana’s words. The time we spent there gave us a small peak into the world, the traditions and the culture of Iran. It also brought home the fact that we’re all the same but different, which is how the world and life becomes interesting.

The gentle breeze, of a mild winter evening, coupled with the poetry, the haunting song of the lute and the emotions of the people, made for a very benign atmosphere. The lowered lights, silently reflecting off the colorful glass tumblers and the shiny patina of the antiques all make one want to visit Kyoumars’ Café Sanchi just for itself. Although from previous visits I can vouch for the fact that he is a brilliant cook and host as well.

As we got up to leave, after having met new people, from a land not ours, we took with us memories of the words that come from people not of similar times, but still ring with a familiarity that traverses time, geography and gender. The entire evening was a reminder that even though we might live in different times, inhabit separate cultures our emotions and raison d’etre remains the same always.