New Delhi, April 13 -- The passing of Asha Bhosle, one of India's most beloved, prolific, and genre-defying singers, doesn't just feel like the loss of a musician but also like saying goodbye to a voice that's always been there, to that kindly neighbour whose door you could always knock on. For decades-across generations, languages, and styles-she was part of the everyday soundtrack of life.

So much so that once, while riding an elevator up to a friend's home, I found myself greeting a petite, elegantly dressed woman in a sari with a casual, "Hello, auntie." She smiled warmly in return. It was only after I stepped out that I realised-slightly sheepishly-that she wasn't a family friend at all, but Asha Bhosle. That, in a way, was her esse...