Sitarist Anoushka Shankar Monday opened up about an uncomfortable fan encounter, revealing that a man lifted her without consent during a post-show interaction, leaving her shaken.

“A man picked me up last weekend. I mean, physically lifted me. He asked if he could, but didn’t wait for an answer before I found myself suspended in the air, clasped in a bear hug by a stranger, feet dangling. I had been meeting a few fans after a show and it all happened so fast. I laughed awkwardly and asked to be let down, I signed his poster, I smiled and waved,” Shankar wrote on Instagram.

“Later when sharing the story, I was quick to say I felt confident he had no ill intent and was simply being overexcited and thoughtless (I still believe this is likely true). I was surprised people’s reactions seemed more shocked and upset than my own,” Shankar added.

However, Shankar later said she only fully processed the experience days after it occurred.

“Days later, the reality has sunk in. Once again, my history of abuse meant I didn’t know how to respond appropriately to someone crossing my boundaries in real time. I centred his hypothetical intent over my lived experience of discomfort.”

“When this happens feelings of shame, dismay and frustration can arise. How can I still be grappling with these never-ending nuances? I have come so far in this process of healing yet a single moment can show me further wounds still enclosed within. Another layer of childhood’s memories resurfacing and shedding,” Shankar further said.

“I share this to say: if, like me, you hold these experiences within yourself, please go gently. (Yes, I find it easier to tell others this than myself). The path of healing curves, and is never linear. If you lost your voice again for a moment, remember you can find it, always, within,” the sitarist added.

“The gulf between our bodies, our emotions, and how our minds are able to read them is narrowing with every moment that separates us from our past,” Shankar signed off.

British-American sitar player of Indian origin, Shankar is the daughter of legendary musician Ravi Shankar. Earlier this year, 13-time Grammy-nominated musician returned to Kolkata for a live performance at Netaji Indoor Stadium, where she had performed as a teenager three decades ago.

Over the years, she has earned multiple Grammy nominations and became the first musician of Indian origin to perform and present at the ceremony. Her first nomination came in 2003 for Best Global Music Album for her third album Live at Carnegie Hall, making her the youngest-ever nominee in the category.