A Musical Encounter – Throwback Thursday

As part of Throwback Thursday, I would be re-posting some of my older blog posts. I will try to make this a weekly feature. Like MicroblogMondays

It is said that music connects people. Even if they are strangers. Sounds so clichéd na? And the type of thing you’d expect authors, journalists or lyricists to write. Its makes fine reading but in real life, such things don’t happen. Right? Wrong! They do.

Something happened to me today while I was in the train. I was standing near the exit, waiting to alight at the next station. As everyday, I was flipping radio stations, hearing snatches of jockey’s conversations, ads and a medley of loud, soft, meaningless and good songs. My ears caught a few strains of ‘Lag Ja Gale Se’ one of my all time favorites. I didn’t know where the sound was coming from, but it was certainly not my earphone. So I pulled off my earphone and started listening to this song. Now everyone who knows me is aware of a habit that I have. But before I tell you about that, let me declare that I am a pathetic singer. Now having established that let me proceed with my narration. The habit I was talking about is that whenever I hear a song, I can’t help singing along. Since I am so bad at it, I take to humming at times. When in public all I do is mouth along the words. You know, the way singers do during a vigorous stage performance. So that’s what I was doing. Mouthing along to the antara of this lovely song.

Then I hear someone else singing along too. So I look up and see this girl standing right beside me. It seems that the music was emanating from her phone and she was humming the song softly in a voice far more musical than mine! Well, whose voice is more musical is not the point of this post, but what happened thereafter. You see, both of us realised each other’s presence at almost the same time. We just smiled at each other. It wasn’t the customary, polite and cold smile you’d normally give to a fellow passenger. It was a warm, heartfelt smile. Direct dil se types.

We continued to hum for a while till my station came. As I was preparing to get off the train, I happened to glance at her. She gave me a slight wave and a smile once more. I promptly returned the two and was off on my way. And later, as I waited for the connecting train at another platform, I thought about this incident. I have no clue who that girl was. If our paths ever cross again, I might not even recognise her. But I don’t think I am going to forget her. Why? Because she was an excellent case in point that music transcends all boundaries. In the host of all radio stations that I’d become accustomed to, I’d kinda lost my love for the old melodious ones. I just rediscovered my love for them. After a while, I realised that this song wasn’t on my phone and wished that I had it too, so that I could listen to the whole thing again. And guess what, when I reached office a couple of colleagues were toothing songs to each other. No points for guessing which song was in the list! Yeah, I got the song just about an hour after I’d wished for it. Darn, I should’ve wished for a crore rupees too! Needless to say, I listened to the song the whole day and even afterwards, the song was pretty high on my playlist.

This post was written during my train travel days. It remained safely in my cell due to lack of time to transfer it on the blog. Today as I was reading this, I thought of another lesson that the incident taught me. Something that I’d perhaps not thought about. The human mind or rather the human soul takes an instant to make a connection. Its only when we explore that connection do we form relationships. That’s how you make friends right? You meet strangers at school, college, at work, in a party, while traveling. And once you feel that split second connection with them, you try to take that connection further. Real relationships are formed this way. When there is no driver for forming the relationship but the need to explore a connection. And the way human souls are designed, they allow you to do just that. The big question is, if our systems are built this way, why are we so wary of using it? Why do we shy away from creating bonds that could develop into beautiful lifelong sources of happiness? Why do we try and find selfish motives in every act that we are subjected to? Why can’t we be more trusting, more giving? Why can’t we make our surroundings a happier place???