“Poth harabo bolei
Ebar pothe nemechi
Soja pother dhnadhay
Ami onek dhnedhechi
Poth harabo bolei
Ebar pothe nemechi”

Lyrics and tune by Salil Chowdhury

Roughly translated…

“I am stepping back on the road again
This time so that I can get lost on my way

The road, that is straight and narrow
Has disoriented me time and again

This time I am stepping back on the road
Just so that I can get lost on my way”

After my vinyl record collection, now I am into arranging my CDs! Thankfully, I had never discarded my music CDs after streaming and music-in-cloud took over. Brought out the 1200+ CDs I have, selected about 500 of them (mostly 90s and before) to keep for ready access and put them in these neat looking book cases.

Love the CD storage boxes. Took my a month to find something I would like.

Now I am ready for more music with Jay Jay. Who, for some reason, has equated Indian music without Pringles to be a cue for him to go to sleep!

“Do you not have a party to go to?” I asked her innocently.
“Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“No. No. No.”, I lied vociferously.
Like I had any chance of she not seeing thru it.

Truth is that in the small house, I do miss my corner in the evening where I can listen to my own music with Jay Jay with the lights dimmed to my own mood. Not saying she does not adapt to it – she absolutely does. But some things like music is very, very individual.

Right at that moment, she got a call from her friend to see if she was open to go out for a wine.

Boy, was she ever ready for that call!

Indeed, was I ever!!

Thanks to Paromita and Seemita-di, I was able to bring out an old “Bade Ghulam Ali Khan” record (another gift from Deval’s dad’s collection), clean it up and play it for myself.

Nobody has ever done “Yaad Piya Ki Aaye” to my ears like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan has. This evening was no different.

Originally a poet who wrote only in Persian, he was eventually persuaded to write in Urdu.

“Na Hui Gar Mere Marne Se Tasalli Na Sahi,
Imtehaan Aur Bhi Baaqi Ho To Ye Bhi Na Sahi…”

Roughly translated,

“If my death did not convince you (of my love), then so be it
If you want to test me even more after my death, then so be it”

Brought out one of vinyl records I got from Deval and played this evening. Some of the songs were new to me but her renditions are timeless.

I think Jay Jay misses his Pringles!!

Brought out the vinyl record I had gotten earlier this year from Kolkata and cleaned it. Unfortunately, there are some spots still that messes up the first song. While the movie was released when I was one year old, I had not heard the songs till I went to college.

My favorite song from this movie is: “Tu husn hai mai ishq hoon, tu mujhme hai mai tujhme hoon”

If you know this movie, what is you favorite song?

Currently reading a book on Morality (where does morality come from? why are we so bitterly divided in religion or politics?) The following quote from the eighteenth century Chinese philosopher Sen-t’san hit a chord with me…

“The Perfect Way is only difficult
 for those who pick and choose;

 Do not like, do not dislike;
 all will then be clear.

 Make a hairbreadth difference,
 and Heaven and Earth are set apart;

 If you want the truth to stand clear before you,
 never be for or against.

 The struggle between “for” and “against”
 is the mind’s worst disease.”