Sound of Music

SHIRISH KOYAL / Feb 18, 2006, 00:00 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

Mohd Rafi's soulful voice, music by maestros, a rather salubrious train journey- and me alone with a Walkman: What could be a better way to enjoy music?

Mohd Rafi's soulful voice, music by maestros, a rather salubrious train journey �� and me alone with a Walkman: What could be a better way to enjoy music? I let the spell take over me.
My reverie, induced by the lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Neeraj, Shakeel Badayuni and Rajinder Krishen, was interrupted by a pull at the earphones.
He was a baby-faced toddler. He wasn't more than two. Hands outstretched, his command was unmistakable: "Hand it over".
Oh no, not again, I muttered under my breath, reminded of my 12-year-old daughter forever turning off songs played by me. I shooed him away and closed my eyes. Next time the pull had turned to a tug.

The earphones came tumbling out. "What's your problem, son?" An as-if-you-don't-know look on his face, he growled, "Give me that".
"Your Mummy is calling you", I attempted diplomacy, wishing the mom was really around. He lunged forward to grab the cords of my Walkman. Diplomacy having failed, I considered compromise.
"Here", I said, handing him one of the earphones. "Stick it in your ear like this", I signalled to the little devil.

He did so immaculately. I jammed the Play button on the Walkman, grimacing at the prospect of stereo turning to mono, of listening pleasure being reduced to half.
Lo and behold, everything fell quiet as Rafi's voice filtered into my right eardrum and his left one. The calm was disturbed only by his 'Nahi aa laha hai' (it's not coming) during the pauses between songs, his tiny palm fluttering like a butterfly's wing.
He sat for half hour, traversing with me the musical paths paved by Roshan, Ravi and Madan Mohan decades ago. What he understood, he knows best. The click of the auto-stop button stirred him into action again.
He pulled off his share of the Walkman and slid off the seat. The butterfly wing fluttered again, this time in a goodbye.
I managed the most beatific smile I could, and waved back. Wasn't it Rafi who had sung 'Bachche mein hai bhagwan'?

End of Article