ADDING ANOTHER SONG TO THOSE THAT HAUNT ME

The fear of the pandemic has made most of us so paranoid that we are scared to go out and are content to sit at home and watch stupid, inane or horrendous serials on TV. On a whim and to free ourselves of the self-created shackles, Akhila and I decided to go out to the Army Golf Course for a drink last evening.

What a good decision it was. The evening was perfect; the sky was clear with almost a full moon glowing, temperature a pleasant 24* with a light, cool, easterly breeze blowing, and the golf course scenic with its greenery on display in the soft moonlight. 

A lot of people must have thought like us because the Club was full. We were lucky to find a table on the lawn outside the Clubhouse and ordered chilled beer for myself and a fresh lime and soda for my teetotaller lady, and some Paneer Shashlik Tikkas and Honey Chili Potatoes to munch.

On the rooftop of the Club there was a band which we could not see but could hear the sweet music wafting down to us. The singer was quite good and soon she launched into a song that has haunted me ever since. It is a beautiful melody and I wonder how I missed it when writing about my favourite songs of Lata Mangeshkar last month. Lataji sang it for Sadhana in the 1964 mystic movie, ‘Woh Kaun Thi’ and due credit should be given to Raja Mehndi Ali Khan for the outstanding lyrics and to Madan Mohan for the haunting music.

I can do no better than to repeat the lyrics here and leave you to listen to the deeply emotional song when you can.

‘Lag ja gale ki phir yeh hasin raat ho na ho,

Shaayad phir is janam mein mulakaat ho na ho, 

Lag ja gale se. 

Hum ko mili hai aaj, yeh ghadiyaan naseeb se,

Ji bhar ke dekh leejiye humko kareeb se,

Phir aapke naseeb mein, yeh baat ho na ho,

Shaayad phir is janam mein mulakaat ho na ho.

Paas aaeeye ki hum nahin aayenge baar baar, 

Baahen gale mein daal ke, hum ro le zaar zaar,

Aankhon se phir yeh, pyaar ki barsaat ho na ho,

Shaayad phir is janam mein mulakaat ho na ho.’

The evening is long gone but the song’s not leaving me!