Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai
My old radio set screeched trying to find the right frequency, when suddenly Kishore Kumar’s majestic voice from the song ‘Woh sham kuch ajeeb thi’ filled the corners of my room and heart.
Woh sham sach mein kuch ajeeb thi ; the sky was happy, the world was dancing, my heart was racing for reasons unknown. I twirled around the cold tiles enjoying the moment I was in, it felt like it would all pass away if I stopped, and it did: the radio screamed and then complete silence filled the room that was once blooming with melodies and my laughs.
Disappointment brewed within me, but then all of a sudden something magical happened.
“Woh kal bhi paas paas thi, Woh aaj bhi kareeb hai” the most euphonious and velvety voice carved its way into my heart. Everything was perfect: the tune, the melody and that hypnotic voice.
I jumped out from my window onto the terrace, desperate to find the person who set my soul on fire with just one line.
“Who’s this?” I enquired, swiveling my head and running around barefoot, a beautiful smile on my lips.
“Look up sweetheart” said the same chocolaty voice. It was as if the stranger had hypnotized me because within seconds I was looking into the darkest orbs I had ever seen.
“You were spectacular!” I exclaimed heaving and puffing; completely in awe of his talent.
“What’s your name? Are you new in this area? What are you doing here?” I investigated, wanting to hear as much as possible.
“Easy there now. I’ll answer it all. I am Dev, your new neighbor, I just shifted today. What’s your name?” he looked down at me, with a sparkle in his eyes that glowed even more than the pearls of his smile.
I was mesmerized, enamored and ensorcelled by him: that easy going personality, that warm smile and god help me, his voice!
A snap pulled me out of my trance.
“So, you don’t have a name?” he asked innocently, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Funny” I said sarcastically, my face void of any expressions.
“Noor- my name.” I finally revealed, a smile breaking onto my face.
He bent down to reach my level, a whisper mixed with the winds, “A perfect name for the perfect woman.”
A wink, and a dimpled smile, with that he was gone while humming to himself proud of leaving me captivated and flustered on his terrace.
From that day onwards, I don’t know how many hours I must have spent standing on the same spot, watching woh kuch ajeeb si sham turn into bheegi bheegi raaton mein and woh ajnabee haseena se into lagja gale.
A nostalgic smile sat on my face, while the doe eyes of my grandkids peered up at me.
“Those times were different, they were real, people didn’t fall in love with just one like or comment.” I said pitying their generation.
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