Once there were three brothers. Anuj, Amit and Ajit Horo. One was a techie through-and-through from the Ranchi Institute of Technology, the other a management honcho from IIM (Bangalore) and a techie, and finally the youngest Ajit Horo, a professional guitarist and an English literature student from Ranchi University.

Sounds incongruous? This is clearly no fairy tale but the saga of the Horo family with Ajit Horo, who chose a profession so different from the rest, that it could have clearly created a stir in any other family. But not in this one.

From the start, Ajit had the support of his father John. He was given a toy piano on his sixth birthday. Playing with the chords became a passion, so much so that by Class X he had demanded another instrument that he could play.

?I loved the fact that when you pressed a chord there would be an immediate effect ? melody. That one could create something so sweet that instantly, was truly fascinating for me at that age. And it still amazes me,? Ajit adds laughing at his unique perspective on music.

With guitar safely at his side, the next task was learning to play it. And that proved to be a difficult job, especially since there was a lack of teachers.

?I used to run after each and everyone who I thought knew how to play the guitar. I followed, pestered, cajoled and nagged nearly everyone. It was worth it at the end,? he says, before adding: ?I bought books and learnt theories from Anand Purti who taught me a lot. Theories were important because I had realised that I would surely land up as a professional guitarist one day.?

In fact, he was so sure that he started his first band in school itself and called it the Uncle and Nephew Band.

That was soon disbanded and one band followed another. All along Ajit performed in many places including prestigious education institutes such as the IIT.

Ajit was smart enough to continue with his studies in the meantime. Soon, he completed his Masters in English literature from the Ranchi University.

?I told my brother to concentrate on his studies so that he has a back up plan. The same idea should be followed by all teenagers who are interested in making it big in an alternative career. Music is fine, but formal education is a must. One should think in terms of the future, where formal degrees may turn out to be their bread and butter,? feels his elder brother Amit.

Ajit feels that it was because of his brother he not only completed his studies but later gained a foothold in the music industry.

?Amit initially did all the liasioning between me and companies. Since he is posted in Mumbai it made my work easy. He had all the important information about the market and a clue to the market pulse. He has also taught me to move with the fast pace of the music industry,? added a grateful brother.

Ajit?s devotion to music is a quality admired in him. But he is often scolded by his family, especially his mother, for it as well. ?Because of his music he forgets all other things, most importantly his health . He is a so devoted to his task that he teaches his students for longer hours without caring about his meals.

?He also spends late hours before his computer creating music for his shows. And he fails to refuse anyone, so others take advantage of that,? says a doting father, John. Ajit feels that without his parents? blessings and his brother?s support he would not have fulfilled his dream.

So are there any other aspirations waiting in the aisles to happen or has he done it all? Pat comes the reply: ?I want to complete my training from the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in California.?

Abhijeet Mukherjee