Song

Song

--Jay

A few days ago, while coming from office in my car, I was listening to a song. I generally keep the volume medium. I don’t like the blaring speakers, nor do I like the noise of blaring horns. So, I have to maintain the right balance. It was 8 p.m. and traffic was usual when the radio station started playing IKTARA. This is a song from a new RANBIR KAPOOR movie. I was blown away by the song. I cannot describe how cool the song is. Though I am not a great musician, nor the greatest music critic, I can just sense that this song is going to touch the hearts of many people. It may be unusual for many that I am restarting my writing by taking up an off-beat topic like a song. However, the song is so compelling that it has pushed me into writing again.

I often think about what makes a song a great song. I have a few of my parameters. I assume that many of the people from my generation will agree with my parameters. If I can listen to same song for more than 3- 4 hours on the trot, then I believe that the song has something in it. Many a times the lyrics touch you so much, that the next song you hum while you are in the restroom, mall, office cafeteria, lift and stairs is this great song.

Many songs have a property of connection. What I mean is that whenever you listen to this song, a series of events start running through your mind. These events may be pleasant or harsh memories of past or an imaginative episode of things expected in future. When you are in love, the first half decent romantic song shall remind you of your partner. When you are angry, the first song of RGV movie will remind you of your anger. When you break up the first PANKAJ UDHAS song you listen, shall remind you of your ex. Songs are terrific mnemonics of remembering events.

Song is one of the most accessible artistic pieces. Not everyday you are going to view a terrific painting. Not everyday you are going to see a dance being performed. But there is a high probability that every day at least for 5-10 minutes you may get a chance to listen to some song. Many a times in our hectic lives when we do not get too much time to relax, reflect or appreciate some form of art, songs come as a breathe of fresh air. I have come across so many colleagues of mine who daily exchange the songs via the Bluetooth. Songs always have this feeling of novelty. If nothing else, it represents some kind of change.

I have discussed a few things about the impact of the songs in our lives। However, the cycle of thought brings me back to very first song which had the power to refill the ink in my dry pen। IKTARA is a soulful song to say the least. While I can say a lot about how calm and peaceful the song is, I shall just want to sing off by pasting these 4 amazing lines of the song;

“Sun rahi hoon sudh budh khoke koi main kahani

Poori kahani hai kya kise hai pata

Main to kisiki hoke yeh bhi na jaani

Ruth hai ye do pal ki ya rehgi sada

(kise hai pata… kise hai pata)”

Midnight Prayers

My eyes are closed. For you, I lie alone.

Won’t you come and make me your own?

You close your eyes and see him only.

Why should I come and bear this infamy?

I will read for you, my favorite stories.

Won’t you come and relieve my worries?

The stories you read, all talk about him

I have no place, he’s in every fantasy, every whim.

I will play you music, the most wonderful songs

O! Please come to help me forget my wrongs!

Those tunes, those beats, those steps you matched.

When I hold you, will you let go what you had?

I have searched for you, I have looked everywhere,

Why don’t you come and show me that you care?

You looked everywhere, your mind and heart, except

How can I help you, you Insomniac Juliet?

Love

Sangeetha

You’ll be ok…

Today your boyfriend has told you a NO.

Rivers of salty water will continue to flow.

Questions like WHY ME will slowly drain you.

You’ll listen to Akon’s Lonely as life will pain you.

Then a stage shall come when you whine or move on.

Watch Roadies, Dance-India-Dance or quietly moan.

One day while seeing JOEY you will laugh out aloud.

Then you will go for a Bond movie with the crowd.

A day will come when you will forgive and forget.

You will smile a bit at your not-so-tragic fate.

After sometime you will meet someone nice.

You will be tempted to once again roll the dice.

Today you may be gripped by the helpless unrest

But Jay G believes, whatever happens happens for the…

Chance

I went to my regular saloon today for a hair-cut where I found a new barber amongst the bunch of experienced campaigners. I was intrigued to see a new face. I mean most of the time the hair-cutting experience is a typical routine for me. Today I decided that I should allow the new trainee to cut my hair. Initially I was a bit apprehensive. But once the barber got started with his job, I realized that the new guy certainly had a lot of style sense, a smart head on his shoulders and a good understanding of my requirement. He cut my hair in 20 minutes and he also added a little style to my hair which he felt would suit me. Overall I was happy with the output and he was smiling when I left the place.

While coming home, I realized that accidently I may have given the new trainee his first break. May be it was his first genuine chance to showcase his talent and skill. While washing my hair I felt a rush of déjà vu. Many years ago, a website named www.emergingpoets.net had given me my first chance to write some poetry and get it reviewed by expert poets. That break helped me a lot since it improved my confidence. Similarly, when I got into my company, I was given a freedom to come up with a web application using my skills and understanding. If I start thinking, I will come up with n number of instances when people put their faith in me. This faith may or may not have always paid dividends to my Godfathers but this faith certainly has helped me come a long way.

Many times we all come up with superb ideas. Ideas which may even beat the IDEA cell phone ads hands down. But people mock at our ideas. Few people feel our ideas are non-practical. Few people feel that our ideas are superb but doubt if ideas will get executed. However, a very few people will be ready to give us a chance to implement our ideas. This bunch of a very few people are the real risk-takers. The new barber might have really messed up my hair. But I had a gut feeling that he won’t.

Today, there are so many reality shows running on TV. Though a skeptic lot of people may feel that reality show makers are selling real emotions to make money, I have no issues because at least they are giving a chance to the needy person. What my intention of writing this article is that there will be a great lot of people around you and you can make a difference by just giving someone an opportunity or by creating a chance for them. Read different blogs, follow different news channels, watch different kind of movies, try different foods for you may never know, you may be somewhere in someway giving someone their first breaks. You may or may not enjoy the experience but at least you tried to make some positive impact in someone else’s life.

-Jay

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(I would like to take this opportunity and thank my friend Sneha Nayak, who has come up with this new look and feel for our blog. According to her, the previous look and feel of this blog made her felt that writers were in mid-fifties...Lol. Thanks Sneha for assisting us in our reverse aging process!!)

Feeling Right...

“Ooow! Everything here is soooo pretty and colourful!” I said.

“These rides are so silly.” Rohan said. “Look at that stupid train… I can walk faster than that.”

“Ahan? Look at that one. That doesn’t look silly! It’s one of the craziest rides I have seen in a fair. Wanna try that one?” I suggested.

He shrugged and went in to get the tickets. “You girls get excited about such kiddish things. You really wanna do this? I am sure you are gonna be freaked out.” he asked.

I just pulled his hand and walked him to the ride. The ride was as wild as I had expected it to be. How can you explain to someone the rush these small things give ya?

We came out with our hair all messy and cheeks all red but with broad grins on our faces. Rohan smiled at me and said “You are the bravest girlfriend ever!” I just rolled my eyes but inside me there was this whole orchestra playing a super happy song.

“I can hear music.” he said turning his head in all directions trying to figure out the source.

I was alarmed… How did he know? “What?” I asked.

“I can hear music.” He repeated. “I think there’s some band playing somewhere nearby. Come let’s find out.”

He walked in the direction of the music and we saw this huge crowd gathered around the stage. I couldn’t see a thing… The band was playing ‘Walk of Life’ and I thought it was doing a pretty decent job. The crowd was enjoying it. I saw a twinkle in Rohan’s eyes. He was loving it. I couldn’t help smiling at the excitement on his face. We stood there waving and hooting with the crowd and completely enjoying the music.

It started raining. I thought this might make them wrap it up but the band did not stop. The crowd started dispersing a little bit and we could actually see the band. That was when we realized that it was an all-vocal band. It was a treat to watch them perform. It was unbelievable that 7 human voices could replace an entire rock band! I couldn’t take my eyes of their vocal drummer who kept the beat coming out of his mouth throughout their own five minute version of ‘Harder to breathe’ by Maroon 5.

The next song was ‘25 minutes’ by MLTR and Rohan held out his hand and said “Babes! Shall we dance?” I took his hand and we danced unaware of who was watching us. It felt like the band was playing only for us… We moved with each other as though we had practiced this many times before… It felt like time had stopped… As if somebody had pressed a pause button or taken a moving snapshot. We had managed to trap eternity in a few minutes! The song ended and we suddenly came back to the real world and found that the crowd had formed a circle around us and were clapping. I hugged Rohan and we kissed. We forgot about the band, we forgot about the large audience… it seemed just right and the rain fell as if silently agreeing with me.

But I knew he had to go. Like the song said it was too late... I tried to hold back the tears and we stood there clutching each other’s hand as the band played their last song…

‘And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be…
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer, let it be!’

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
Loads of love
Sangeetha