latent fascination with words...

CBSE 10th standard had some lovely prose and poems in Hindi/English the beauty of which was lost somewhere in the madness of the grades. 11th and 12th flew by while I was enjoying discovering the newly found (new for me ofcourse ;-)) mysteries of physics. It happened one night during my very lazy hostel days of graduation when I was lying in the bed cut-off from all the madness that finds life in the light of the day. That day as avid Mohd. Rafi fans, Manish and I had bought 2 volumes of his non-film ghazals. While waiting for sleep to come over, I put on one of the cassettes. Lying thoughtless and blank, Rafi's renditions were entering and escaping the ears as they would when few words managed to stay and refused to follow the others on their way out.

Words like
"Gazab kiya tere vaade pe aitbaar kiya, tamaam raat qayamat ka intezaar kiya"
or like
"Yeh na thi hamari kismat ke visal-e-yaar hota, agar aur jeete rahte yahi intezaar hota"

though in urdu were somehow capable enough to explain their meanings to me. All of a sudden I was awake and thinking of the time that was behind me. Of the innocence and richness of the words of those book of my 10th . The simple straight yet deep words of Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Nagarajuna or the profound ones of Viyogi Hari and R.K Naryanan were alive again in my memories.

Was wondering if the education system really wanted us to just score in the exams even if the cost means not enjoying the wonderful writings? And what about the period after that? Guess their impression was not complete enough to show some effect.
Now when I was in college busy doing nothing, Ghalib and Dagh in Rafi's voice brought to fore the joy, the capacity of what seem to be only words.
Then when I was made to read 'The Outsider' by Camus or 'Sidhartha' by Hesse or 'A Farewell to the arms' by Hemingway I was beginning to feel sane.

Later after graduation when drudgery of the job was taking its toll came to my rescue 'An Equal Music' by Seth which instantly captured me. It remains a favourite till this time all because of its simplicity, its innocence, its fluidity and because of what is not written!

Looks like laze packs quite a power as I still have to press hard to read something. But thank Sahir, Gulzar and now Prasoon Joshi that I can't continuously ignore those smooth, innocent words in the air. I believe they are poets who sometime are condescending enough to share their offerrings with Indian Movie Music and end up enlighting the lazy likes of me.

While I write this, Madhushree (I first thought,Lata Mangeshkar) is crooning
"Tu bin bataye mujhe le chal kahin
jahan tu muskaraye meri manzil wahin" ..............

Sometimes I do manage to appreciate the good things also;so what if it turns out late!