The letters for the room mates were left on the kitchen table, going through that stack of mail, the emotion of randomness in finding a letter with your name on it, is not something we experience these days with email. The click of a button does it….before email era a letter from home would stir up a sensation of .....of the way, you’d open the door and find a long lost friend at your door step.
One such day, a letter arrived from my mom. I grappled the moment, made tea, closed the door and tore open the letter…. and to my surprise all there was in the letter were the lyrics of Pankaj Udhas’s song “baday dino kay baad”... my mom also wrote -- remember how we use to listen to this song, in the living room watching chitrahaar and use to wonder how did the singer wrap such strong sentiments in few lines….
As I was reading the letter, I realized i wasnt alone, I was in that living room with my mom, sitting casually with no care in the world.
Many years later, one day while driving back from work, i heard on a FM show that Pankaj Udhas will be in town, so i pulled over and jotted down the contact no, got 2 tickets for me and vamsi. I couldnt wait for the day to dawn any sooner. On the day of the show, an idea struck me, wouldn’t it be nice to tell Mr. Pankaj Udhas how his song influenced me. In case i meet him, I thought I'd give the note to him and so I penned down my thoughts.
Two hours before the show, Vamsi called to say he cant make it as he is stuck at work. It was too late for me to think of canceling the show, so i pulled out my rocky (my xterra) and drove to this far out town. Meanwhile it started to pour, it was 7.30pm on dark cold rainy night. After many missed exits and bad turns, i reached but sadly the show started, that didn't waver my enthusiasm to enjoy the show.
At break time, i went backstage, but met him only after a silly indian lady wanted to get his autograph for her soon to be son-in-law! The way she asked him was what irked me... So, my turn came and I gave him my note, exchanged pleasantries and returned to my seat.
An hour into the show, I looked at my watch and wondered maybe I should head back or it’ll be too late and i had to stop at a gas station too. Just then Mr. Pankaj Udhas announced that the next song "Chitti ayi hai" will be his last for the evening. He also added that "i want to dedicate this to 2 people here in the audience, when i call names please do stand up". First he said, he wanted to dedicate this song to his friend who organized the show and second for the young lady, Imtiaz, who gave me this beautiful note, it's for both of u, who gave life to the meaning of the song…
I was dumb struck, could it be true, it was unreal, while we stood, the whole auditorium rang with the resonance of claps and whispers and i cant tell u how profoundly this moment had stuck to me since then. Then he sang....that beautiful song and I as I looked around, I realized that the grand concert hall was transformed to my living room, where me and my mom were watching the song on tv and sharing a moment...
One such day, a letter arrived from my mom. I grappled the moment, made tea, closed the door and tore open the letter…. and to my surprise all there was in the letter were the lyrics of Pankaj Udhas’s song “baday dino kay baad”... my mom also wrote -- remember how we use to listen to this song, in the living room watching chitrahaar and use to wonder how did the singer wrap such strong sentiments in few lines….
As I was reading the letter, I realized i wasnt alone, I was in that living room with my mom, sitting casually with no care in the world.
Many years later, one day while driving back from work, i heard on a FM show that Pankaj Udhas will be in town, so i pulled over and jotted down the contact no, got 2 tickets for me and vamsi. I couldnt wait for the day to dawn any sooner. On the day of the show, an idea struck me, wouldn’t it be nice to tell Mr. Pankaj Udhas how his song influenced me. In case i meet him, I thought I'd give the note to him and so I penned down my thoughts.
Two hours before the show, Vamsi called to say he cant make it as he is stuck at work. It was too late for me to think of canceling the show, so i pulled out my rocky (my xterra) and drove to this far out town. Meanwhile it started to pour, it was 7.30pm on dark cold rainy night. After many missed exits and bad turns, i reached but sadly the show started, that didn't waver my enthusiasm to enjoy the show.
At break time, i went backstage, but met him only after a silly indian lady wanted to get his autograph for her soon to be son-in-law! The way she asked him was what irked me... So, my turn came and I gave him my note, exchanged pleasantries and returned to my seat.
An hour into the show, I looked at my watch and wondered maybe I should head back or it’ll be too late and i had to stop at a gas station too. Just then Mr. Pankaj Udhas announced that the next song "Chitti ayi hai" will be his last for the evening. He also added that "i want to dedicate this to 2 people here in the audience, when i call names please do stand up". First he said, he wanted to dedicate this song to his friend who organized the show and second for the young lady, Imtiaz, who gave me this beautiful note, it's for both of u, who gave life to the meaning of the song…
I was dumb struck, could it be true, it was unreal, while we stood, the whole auditorium rang with the resonance of claps and whispers and i cant tell u how profoundly this moment had stuck to me since then. Then he sang....that beautiful song and I as I looked around, I realized that the grand concert hall was transformed to my living room, where me and my mom were watching the song on tv and sharing a moment...
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing this experience bought a smile back to me. I love that song.
I think i am going to listen to it right now.
P
Very pretty site! Keep working. thnx!
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