Satjiv, Harvinder and me
At the Moon Drunk Qawwali event by Rizwan and Moazzam Fateh Ali Khan, renowned nephews of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan—organized by DhunAnand Foundations and its supporters, including our dear friend Sanjog who tirelessly handled successfully the logistics, something unforgettable happened.
Shivpreet explaining to the August gathering on various projects of DhunAnand and how the foundation has helped 61 world-wide Artists
One of the special invitees that evening was Mr. Satjiv Chahil, an Indo-American business executive known for his leadership roles at Apple Inc., IBM, and HP. He had been invited personally by Shivpreet. Since he is a well-known public figure on the internet, I recognized him instantly. Gathering courage, I stepped forward, introduced myself as Shivpreet Singh’s father, and to my surprise, he reacted with immense warmth.
The famous qawwals put the house on fire. The gatherance was over fill.
He clasped my hand in a heartfelt handshake and said he was a big fan of Shivpreet. He told me he had long wished to meet Shivpreet’s parents—to understand how a son like him was raised with such values, brilliance, and humility.
At that moment, I also shared a special memory with him. I told him that back in 2001, we had the honor of hosting his parents at our home for a Shabad Kirtan program. Both his mother and father S.Pritam Singh Chahal a 1936 Summer Oympian, had deeply enjoyed that evening. His mother, especially, was so touched that she said it was the first time ever she had attended such a soulful and spiritually and elevating Kirtan gathering in USA. I also mentioned that Harvinder could share with him the heartfelt conversation with she once had with his mother about that memorable day. This recollection brought an instant sense of warmth and connection between us.
Harvinder and me enjoying the house concert.
We continued speaking for quite some time. Discovering that he was from the Lawrence School Snawar, he was delighted, and I then introduced him to Shivpreet’s wife, Shilpy, who is also an alumna of the same school. This added yet another beautiful layer of connection.
A clip of this gorgeous concert.
After the concert, which he enjoyed thoroughly, enthusiastically taking video clips and applauding along with the rest of the audience, he came to us again. This time, he made a heartfelt request: he wanted both Harvinder and me to pose with him for a photograph.
I was stunned. I had been a fan of Satjiv Chahil for nearly 30 years, ever since I first learned about him. And here he was—he was the one asking me to join him in a picture because of his admiration for Shivpreet. It was beyond anything I had imagined.
He handed his phone to a passer-by, politely requesting them to take the photograph. That moment was priceless—one that Arvind and I will cherish all our lives.
He told us that he would immediately send the picture to his entire family, all of whom deeply appreciate Shivpreet’s Shabad Kirtan, and let them know how fortunate he felt to have met Shivpreet’s parents.
On my side, I was equally moved, deeply touched by Satjiv Chahil’s humility, grace, and charismatic personality. It had been my wish for decades to meet him, and that wish came true in the most unexpected and beautiful way.
Vaheguru may bless him with a long life, and may another opportunity arise for him and Shivpreet to share a moment together again.
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