Ever since I moved to Delhi,
music baiThaks have become a regular fixture in my life. These have been
dominated by solos, and there was a suggestion to add some duets. So “vintage
duets" became the theme for the August edition.
Little did I realise then, that
these duets would play a pivotal role in changing the course of my life. I had
just started talking to Sushmita and routinely made her listen to selections
from the baiThak playlist, among others. Here's an account of our romance woven
around those melodies.
1) choTa sa fasana hai tere mere
pyaar kaa
The charming duet opens with Husnlal
Bhagatram's lilting music. The mukhda is in Lata's voice and Rafi joins with
"Ye kisne chupke chupke mujhe bekarar kar diya". Sarsar Sailani's
lyrics perfectly captured my restless mood. I could visualize fantasies and
realities converging.
2) hum tum ye bahaar, dekho rang
laaya pyaar, barsaat ke mahine men
This Ghulam Mohammed stunner
starts with a gentle prelude and then breaks into a foot tapping rhythm just
like our nascent love trying to gain momentum.
And what a better backdrop than rainy season for it to flourish? We used
to talk everyday on the phone, and our dialogue ranged from serious to silly
and everything in between.
Me: "Have you read Alistair
Maclean?"
Her:" No, but I remember
Sharmila Tagore reading his novel during the song "mere sapnon ki
rani".
We were keen on meeting one to
one at the earliest. Sunday was round the corner and the August baiThak was
scheduled for the same day.
We planned to meet at a restaurant
in the morning and wrap up by noon. The plan turned upside down, as the
furniture I ordered couldn’t be delivered on Saturday. So the D-day began with
juggling between getting furniture delivered in time for the mehfil, and
meeting "mere sapnon ki rani".
3) mujhe preet nagariya jaana
hai, koii hai jo rasta batlaade
dil se dil kaise milta hai, koi
hai jo itnaa sikhlaade
Koi hai ??
As Sushmita was not comfortable
coming to my house, I asked her to come to the nearest metro station. My idea
was to hang around in case the furniture didn’t come on time. Luckily the
delivery truck arrived just before I was going to leave. I got the furniture
unloaded, and asked them to deliver me at the Metro Station!! Sushmita located
"preet nagariya" (Golf Course) and I reached in time to respond to
"koi hai ?" J
That phrase happens to be the piece-de-resistance of the song for me.
With furniture out of the way,
our restaurant rendezvous was on track. Within an hour into our conversation, we
started planning for the wedding. I came back home in time for the baiThak and
we all had a great time listening to "vintage duets". This time
around, the impact of the songs wasn't restricted just to music appreciation.
Every song found a place in life, and I could relate to every situation through
a song.
4) yaad aane lagi dil dukhaane
lagi
While the families, did not have any
objection to our marriage, they had to meet for formal approval. September set
in and as per customs on both sides, discussing weddings was taboo during this
time. Like the proverbial lull before the storm, we couldn’t meet as well.
I used to turn often to the
K.Datta masterpiece during these times. The line "chaandni raat ab sataane
lage" just pierces the heart. The high point comes as Lata takes an aalaap
during the first antara, and Rafi's notes magically glide in to close the
aalaap and continue the progression with "chain dil ka najaane kahan kho
gayaa....apani duniya men badli si chaane lagii".
5) dil men sama gaye sajan
The families met on Vijaya Dashmi
and the wedding date was finalised. It also meant that we could “spill the
beans” to the world.
mastii bharii havaa chalii , haNsane
lagii kalii kalii, tumase mujhe milaa diyaa
Talat joins Lata in this mind-blowing
Sajjad composition, which epitomizes the union of two lovers.
6) tere chehre se nazar nahiin
haTti
Before the wedding, Sushmita
embarked on a spiritual trip. I went to see her at the station. She was waiting
for me with the luggage and the moment I saw her, started talking without
observing the expression of the in-laws. I gathered my composure in time to
realise that I was supposed to give her a hand with luggage and wriggled out with
"tere chehare se nazar nahiin haTti, luggage ham kya dekhen "
7) tujhe jiivan ki Dor se baandh
liya hai
It was now time to take the vows and formalize our tuning.
Our journey through melodies and symphonies, reached the Crescendo on Dec 24th.
mere jiivan kii anmiT kahaanii
hai tuu
merii taqadiir aur zindagaanii
hai tuu
After taking the 7 sacred steps,
it was time to take blessings of the lord of 7 hills in Tirupati. Since
interludes are a necessary part of a duet, we halted in Mysore en route our
trip to Coorg.
8) parbaton ke peDon par shaam ka
basera hai
The stunning sun set over Western
Ghats from Raja’s Seat was an unforgettable moment in the honeymoon. It just
brought the Khayyam classic to life; tall trees, dusky hills, fading sun and blooming
love.
9) dharti se duur gore baadalon
ke paar aa jaa, aa jaa basaa le nayaa sansaar aa jaa
Once I moved away from the hustle
and bustle of Sec 15 to Sec 37, I fell in love; with the surroundings, with
life, and with Sushmita. The Gulmohar and Amaltas trees gave a magical touch to
the landscape. Sushmita was in agreement, and we chose our nest amidst greenery
with great views.
Duniya Se Ho Apni Duniya Niraali,
Jag Se Niraala Apna Pyaar …
While the practicality of
adjusting to each other and the humdrum of life was not lost on us, there were
enough sparks lighting up the days ensuring that the magic continues.
10) gun guna rahe hain bhanvare
khil rahi hai kali kali
By now peak winter had set in. Sushmita
would make "garam garam roti" after I come back from work. As I
finish one roti, the other would come fresh from the “tawa”. And the icing on
the cake was that she puts a music channel while I have dinner. On one
occasion, I came home late as I went for a rehearsal of our SD Burman show. There
was repair work going on at home, and Sushmita handled all that to ensure that
I could participate in the program. I asked her not to wait for me but there
she was making fresh Roti after I came home. She tuned on the music channel and
Lata Mangeshkar special was on air. As soon as the prelude of the song started
she exclaimed "An Asha song in a Lata Special!" and with the food
plate in one hand, I give her a hi-five with the other.
Ritu aisi haaye kaisi ye pawan
chali gali gali….
Event in the middle of winter,
these moments ensured that the spring was very much in the air.
11) ham pyaar karenge… ek baar karenge, do baar karenge, sau baar
sau baar sau baar karenge
As we eased into our routine, we
planned for a house warming party and baiThak. The theme was a no brainer as
"vintage duets" kick started our romance. My long cherished dream of
hosting an event with wholehearted support of spouse was also fulfilled.
ham “mehfil” karenge, ek baar
karenge, do baar karenge, sau baar sau baar sau baar karenge
Music baiThaks and our romance
are thus entwined forever.
