Remember the Afghan cab driver I had chatted up in DC who was startled to find out that I knew about Ahmad Ali – who happened to have learnt music with him in Kabul together and escaped from Afghanistan together? And remember how I had struggled with a particular song of Ahmad Ali that I was sure was the same tune as a Nazrulgeeti that I had heard in my childhood and for the life of me, never could remember which?

Well, I had called my sister, held the phone next a YouTube blasting on my computer and she could not figure it out either. I reached out to a few more people who I thought might know. And completely hit a wall.

Enter my mother in law.

Last Friday, I was listening to songs and practicing some tabla when she came to the music room. So, we started listening to songs together and then out of a whim I had her listen to the Ahmad Ali song and asked her if it reminded her of any other song. To my complete amazement, she said she did. But struggled to remember the song. I was t*h*i*s close!!!

She kept giving me hints – male singer, words were like “laas dhuiyo laal paani diye” etc etc. Furious Googling led to nothing. Whatsoever 🙁

Saturday morning, as she walked into the kitchen, she said softly (she is a very soft spoken person), “I think it starts ‘Jedin Lobo Biday'”. Coffee be darned, I immediately jumped onto Google and YouTube. SURE ENOUGH!!! She had nailed the song. Found out the song on YouTube. Compared the tunes. Exactly the same!!!

Evidently, she had stayed up the previous night for sometime trying to rack her memory cells till she could remember the song!!

Now, that is my kind of mother in law!!!

You can check for yourself.

The Ahmad Ali song can be found here (start from 5:55 Mark) http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o37CBES5cE4

And the Nazrulgeeti can be found here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-H5xFEqFSxc

Uncanny, huh?