Songs I Would Dedicate to my Mother

Dear Maa,

How have you been all this while? Couldn’t see you since diwali, sometime I wonder how we are so very busy in becoming a successful individual but we don’t realize at what cost. I can ignore all the sacrifices that I made as far as my hobbies were concerned to start earning as soon as possible, but only thing that I repent most is being away from you in a far off city so that I can become the person dad wanted me to be.

While I was dressing up this morning to start another hectic day, radio city played one song which is engraved in my memories and always reminds me of you. “Mai kabhi batlata nahi, par andhero se darta hu mai maa..” is a song from "Taare Zameen par" Maa and it takes me back to you and to those 17 years that I have spent with you, when reaching out was not an issue, when hearing your voice wasn’t the only option. I am so fond of music Maa the simple reason is your love towards the music and how I grew listening to the songs which you sang on every apt situation . I remember how you used to sing all your favorite songs while you cooked and I sat next to you in the kitchen. It’s tough to remember all, but the can recollect the one which were close to your heart and you hummed endlessly when you use to put me for sleep. Thankfully my memory doesn’t fail when its anything connected to you Maa…

Remember my initial years at our old home in Dharmapur in the midst of guava gardens, where you played endlessly with me, even when I demanded for it during sunny afternoon.. Those days you hummed this song for me and it truly used to give me a sense of belongingness:

Chandaa hai tu mera suraj hai tu

o merii aankhon ka taara hai tuu

jitii hu. main bas tujhe dekhkar

is Tuute dil ka sahaara hai tuu

tuu khele khel kai mera khilona hai tu...

jisse bandhii har aashaa merii

jisse bandhii har aashaa merii

meraa voh sapna salona hai tuu

nanhaa saa hai kitna sundar hai tuu

chhota saa hai kitna pyaara hai tuu

chandaa hai tuu mera suuraj hai tuu -ARADHANA

Did I bother you too much Maa with my everyday nags and tantrums? Masi often shares how I use to run in the whole house after every bite of the food and you use to run behind to search me in the cupboard and ensured to feed me while humming this one.

BaRa natkhat hai yeh krishan-kanhaiya

ka kare yashoda maiyya haan

Dhund rahe rii ankhiyaan use chaaron or

jaane kahaan chhup gaya nand-kishor

ur gaya aise jaise purvaiya

ka kare yashoda maiyya haan

aa tohe main gale se lagaa luun

nazar man main chhupaa luun

laage na kisii kii nazar man main chhupaa luun

dhhuup jagat hai re mamtaa hai chhaiyya -AMAR PREM

Dad knew only one way to teach me lessons, which I could not remember for long but you had this simpler ways of telling me the hard and fast rules of life, sometimes just by singing this song which is very close to your heart. Probably you have derived strength from this time to time from this song and today I am following the trend:

Ek pyar ka nagma hai, maujon ki ravaani hai - 2

Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin Teri meri kahaani hai

Kuch paakar khona hai, kuch khokar paana hai

Jeevan ka matlab to aana aur jaana hai

Do pal ke jeevan se ek umr churaani hai-SHOR

I recollect when I became School Leader and was busy mugging up for the long speech on 15 August? You adviced to include a song at the end of it to make it effective and motivating, I was relluctant initially but when you hummed it for me, I felt so patriotic and rooted to my country and realized my duties towardsi haven’t done anything for my country:

Mera karma tu mera dharma tu

tera sab kuch main mera sab kuch tu

har karam apna karenge -2

aye vatan tere liye

dil diya hai jaan bhi denge aye vatan tere liye

tu mera karma tu mera dharma tu mera abhimaan hai

aye vatan mehaboob mere tujhpe dil qurbaan hai

ham jiyenge ya marenge aye vatan tere liye

dil diya hain jaan bhi denge ...

hindu muslim sikh eesaai hamvatan hamnaam hain

jo kare inko juda mazhab nahi iljaam hai

ham jiyenge ya marenge ... - KARMA

And then those days of teenage love and budding friendship, when things use to go wrong more than we can handle. How every little things mattered so much and was in an aftermath which lingered for months together. You explained how important it is to “Move On” as life never stops.. and you recollected this song from Safar movie and asked me to listen it whenever I was down… I still do Maa..

Nadiya chale chale re dhaara

Tu na chalega to chal dengi raahen

Jeeven ko tarsengi teri nigaheen... - SAFAR

Maa, I never felt that you belonged to another generation … you were there as a friend throughout, who ensured what I like or dislike. Who never hated my pranks , listened to my love stories , celebrated my success and also danced to cheer my mood… Mom, I smile when I remember these two favorite songs of yours which you used to enact just to make me laugh:

Honthon mein aisi baat main dabaake chali aayi

Khul jaye wohi baat to duhaayi hai duhaayi) -2-JEWEL THIEF

And

Jhoomka gira re bareli ke bazaar mein

jhoomka gira jhoomka gira jhoomka gira

haai haai haai jhoomka gira re....-MERA SAAYA

Mom you are growing old now but the child in you will never grow old… I wish we all can be like you, we all can learn to enjoy ice-cream at the age of 59 and still shake a leg at “Kajrare” at our Son’s Marriage (my Bhai) in spite of bad health. Hope to see you as effervescent in your grandkids’ marriages too.

Maa, you were right that we take life too seriously... we have forgotten to live it as it comes … and I hope I dance through my life well and sing away the moments with pride…

I wish I can be you MOM .. can take life just as another movie which will get over in three hours and I can play my part well.

Aapka Pyara

Monoo