(Dedicated To Madan Mohan Sahab on his 96th birth anniversary
#LagJaaGale)
  |
| Lag Jaa Gale, Ke Phir Ye Haseen Raat Ho Naa Ho |
The pathways of life aren't always smooth and linear, they are often filled with unpaved passages and treacherous curves, jagged rocks and rending thorns. Our journey through them entails trudging through challenges and adversities, through setbacks and disappointments, through loss and pain. At the same time however, they are sprinkled with several wonderful moments to have too, in between the milestones (although at times they seem to be far and few between). What could be more blissful than having a special someone as your companion for life's journey -- someone to share and savour those beautiful moments with; someone who not only gives sanctuary to your heart and helps you cope with the hard times but also walks along with you, hand-in-hand, thereby smoothening the harsh asperities of life's path; someone who with her vivacity and sensibility keeps adding significance to seemingly ordinary moments, making them special and turning even those fleeting moments into lasting memories so that they can be revisited time and time again?
For Rajiv, Prerna was that special companion. He felt blessed to have her with him; he thought she could make even his desert-like life to blossom as the rose, with her tender love and nurturing care. Her presence made him feel lovable. There was no more that he could ever want. Life is only worth living if you have someone to share it with, isn't it? Love is what makes the journey worthwhile!
It's often said that soul mates are chosen by God and pairs are made in Heaven, that it's already pre-destined whom we would lose our heart to and that we will eventually get united with the one who has been chosen for us. That's probably true. You seek love and search and search for her everywhere but you don't find her. And then one day when you are least expecting her, Love comes to you on her own and soaks you in; you find someone who completely turns your world around. Strange are the ways of love! The arrival of his love, Prerna, too was a godsend to Rajiv; not only did she obliterate his past with her endearing warmth but also like a shower, she breathed life into his arid and barren soul. In her characteristic manner, she added music and colours to his otherwise prosaic and humdrum life. There was a time when he believed that love was a waste of time; he didn't know the ABC of love until then. But ever since Prerna walked into his life and swept him off his feet with that naive charm of hers, he had been madly in love. He felt like he was walking on air and yet at the same time, he had never felt so grounded before!
RELATED BLOG POST: Love Story Of A Nerd - My Musical Love Story
If there's one thing we all want, it's to be loved. We may run around hither and tither all our lives in pursuit of worldly pleasures but nothing other than love and companionship would grant us that perpetual happiness and contentment that one eventually seeks. But you never plan on falling in love with someone, it happens on its own. And fall in love, we all do, at some stage.
Thus everyone would have got a love story to savour. I too have mine, it's nothing spectacular as such, but it's my favourite love story. Let me share it with you all (my musical love story i.e., which was no less dramatic than a typical Bollywood movie) -- how I fell in love, how I got separated from her mid-way, how I met her again and how I ultimately won her heart! Click here to READ MORE... She had enriched their relationship with her optimism, her calmness, her friendship, her support, her companionship, and in million and one other ways. In return, she only wished to be loved and feel valued. She wished to be admired and adored, to be respected and understood. Every girl wants her beloved to tell her that he loves her with all his heart, wants him to make her feel special. These simple gestures wouldn't cost one much effort, but to his lady-love, they will surely be priceless. If only men could understand this! Though the idiots actually love their women very dearly, but they are often negligent about expressing their love that regularly. Sigh!
And nothing, I am told, upsets a girl more than when her man forgets the special days. Rajiv had done just that, he had forgotten her birthday! Prerna was hoping that he would be the first one to wish her and would have got some special surprises lined up for the day. But on the contrary, Rajiv had forgotten about the specialness of the day altogether. She kept waiting for his call all morning but he remained busy with his work. It was only in the evening did he call her up and asked her out for a movie, which was then to be followed by dinner at her favourite restaurant. But he still hadn't remembered that it was her birthday that day. He asked her to meet him outside M2K theatre and told her that he would reach there straight from his office. She rather took it as his planned surprise, thinking that a great date was getting brewed up, and so she readily agreed. Little did she know that her man was going to disappoint her big-time.
When Rajiv reached M2K, she was already there and had in fact been waiting for him for some time. But being the ever-sweet and clement girl that she was, she still didn't mind much about it. She was her usual cheerful self; she was actually glowing with beauty that evening but even a more radiant smile masked her glowing face as soon as she saw Rajiv coming. She seemed to be overflowing with joy and excitement and wordlessly gave him a hug to greet him. Since there was still some time left for the movie to start, so they decided to sit in the coffee shop within the same multiplex. Even as he blabbered on and on about how his day went at the office, she waited patiently all along for that moment to come when Rajiv would suddenly get up from his seat and would take her into his arms once again and wish her with a real tight hug. Of course she was expecting him to make her feel special on her special day. She believed that he would probably sing her a love piece or would have written something for her -- a poem or a love-letter may be, like he had done the previous year. Or that, may be he would give her yet another handwritten card of his that she so loved. Or may be he would surprise her with something that she hadn't imagined ever, she thought. But more than the surprises, she was actually yearning to hear those three magical words once again. Sadly nothing of that sort happened.
Her excitement evaporated in the next few minutes when she realised that Rajiv had in fact completely forgotten her birthday and thus had no surprises in store for her. She interrupted him and he stopped, as she placed her hands on top of his. Rajiv hadn't noticed until then that her eyes had moistened. Though she was silent all the while but he did feel a few times like she wanted to say something; words seemed to form on her lips like foam at the edge of a sea beach but died away quickly. And then just as he was about to ask her what actually was bothering her, she suddenly got up and rushed straight out of the cafe, onto the road, to catch an auto and leave for home. The fool that he was, Rajiv had absolutely no clue what had suddenly upset her so much. He too ran outside behind her and hopped into the same auto that she had got into.
"What happened, Prerna?", he asked, literally scratching his head in confusion, "You suddenly got up and left the cafe! Is everything okay? Are you upset over something? But you looked so cheerful only a few minutes back. Did I say something that has hurt you?"
"Yes, I am hurt and it's you who has hurt me. It's my birthday today. I thought you would be the first to wish me but that didn't happen, everyone wished me but you. I waited for your call all day but you remained busy. I still didn't mind much. And here I find that you don't even remember it. Actually you don't love me anymore the way you used to. All you men are the same; after a while, you start taking love for granted", she said in a choked voice. At some point during this, she had started to cry. Rajiv could now see streams of tears racing down her cheeks. She was definitely hurt. Sardarji uncle (their auto driver) too had slowed down by now, he was struggling to keep his eyes on the road. Instead he had started to peer back at the two love-birds benevolently through the rear-view mirror.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Prerna, I completely forgot your birthday. But you know me, how poor I am with my memory, don't you? And I've been really busy lately, it just slipped my mind. I am really really sorry, honey. But do you think that I have started to take you for granted? That's so not true" , pleaded Rajiv.
He apologized over and over to her, seeing her cry was hurting him too. He wished to say something by way of amends, he desperately wanted to do something romantic to mollify her anger. And then suddenly he came up with a couplet (he himself didn't know how he managed to do that, or the lines probably came straight from the heart) --
Iss kadar mashgool hain tere ishq mein, Sanam,
ke saans lene ki fursat nahin;
Mil gayaa hai jo saath tumhaaraa,
Kisi aur cheez ki ab khwaaish nahin...
Plato had rightly remarked, “At the touch of love, everyone becomes a (chotaa motaa) poet.”
Tears once again coursed down Prerna's face but this time, they were of love and joy. A smile had actually curved the corners of her lips. With one hand under her chin and angling her face towards him, Rajiv kissed away the tears and pulled her in for a tight hug, "Happy Birthday, Sweatheart!" Within no time, she melted into his embrace and throwing her arms around him, she too hugged him back and lay smiling in his arms. They had fallen in love with each other, one more time.
Sardarji uncle's eyes once again came up in the rear-view mirror. Rajiv could see him nodding his head in appreciation and also the smile that filled his face, as he glanced at them being entwined in each other's arms. He too was probably relieved. Turning on the FM radio, he resumed driving through the thriving Rani Bagh street. Coincidentally, it was the song from the movie "Woh Kaun Thi" that was being aired,
"Lag jaa gale, ke phir ye,
Haseen raat ho naa ho,
Shayad phir iss janam mein,
Mulaakaat ho naa ho..."
(Lyricist: Raja Mehndi Ali Khan
Music: Madan Mohan)
There could not have been a more apt song
...
