and a tinckle.. 

Ah.. my breaths are catching a rhythm..  

And.. 

....

Why ? What happened? I'm opening my eyes. Starry sky.. okay ! 

Yeah.. it's a moonlit night.. I'm on my terrace actually. 

... who's speaking just besides? 

Oh yes, Azra Qureshi. Tameel - e - Irshaad! And I'm switching off the radio. Nope. Nothing else I want to listen after this. 

Lemme stay intoxicated. 

I was in my early teens when I had fallen madly in love with this rendition of Rafi Sahab. Taron Ko dekhte rahen chhat par pade huve wali carefree nights.. me and my radio. All India Radio's urdu service had introduced me to this matchless melody. And it has stayed in my dessert island playlist till date. A diaphanous, dulcet lilt created by two maestros - Dada Burman and Majrooh Sultanpuri. Sheer and strong intoxication that binds you thoroughly in its velvety grasp and you can't help but want to sink in more and more. 

To me personally, Rafi sahab always sounds his softest with Dada Burman as some of my expert friends explains, dada made him sing in lower scale than his regular one and perhaps that brings the mellifluous Rafi to fore. Dada understood Rafi's timbre really well.

And whenever Dada Burman opted his voice for Dev Anand, it has always created magic! 

Here is the proven best proof.  

"ऐसे तो ना देखो.. "..

Rafi sahab hums and suddenly a soft feather touches somewhere near your ears first, your senses shiver a little and quite soon somehow you just start loving that feather pampering your whole being so gently.. You unknowingly close your eyes and keep absorbing that immensely fragrant and utterly graceful melody flowing through his voice.. 

Romanticism at its peak. 

That little breaks in the tune in mukhda..

ऐसे तो ना देखो - ( ah.. that tinckle on glockenspiel...) 

के हमको नशा -

हो जाए.... 

and then just like musical friend Pratik Mozumder used to say, the way the lines keep elevating to build that impending mood of heightened expectations. 

ख़ूबसूरत सी कोई (tinkle)

हमसे ख़ता (tinkle) 

and before culminating into absolute surrender... 

हो जाएं........  

Uffff... Such a prolonged expression of profound affection! 

This tinckles of glockenspiel very interestingly suggest something. A comely, naive demsel just had an engaging encounter with a suave, debonair, impish looking young man. Now, living in the same building, both are stealing some endearing glances of each other, standing behind the lacy curtains of their half closed windows.

Tell me, what happens when someone chucks small pebbles into a serene, tranquil watery surface ! Ripples.. wavelets.. and how beautifully dada Burman makes these ripples of Nanda's mindscape visible to your ears with the help of flutes and guitar mingled... And then follow santoor and glockenspiel infused in each other - do I need to clear what that suggests? Yehi to hai woh.. yehi to hai..!!  

An unmatchable beauty. Majrooh's poetry.. that resistless and resigned state woven in silken notes.. 

तुम हमें रोको.. फिर भी हम ना रुकें

तुम कहो काफ़िर.. फिर भी ऐसे झुकें

क़दम-ए-नाज़ पे इक सजदा अदा हो जाये...

Kafir ka sajda.!

We have come across multiple songs where lyricists have expressed the thought of shaken integrity /faith/imaan after looking at the beloved. But in how many of them could convey that through such sublime words? 

Sarangi in second interlude adds sheer grace - 'nazaaqat' to the song. You feel something melting, starts dripping and then flowing with some stream that leads to Majrooh's words wooing in a stupifying way.  

यूँ न हो आँखे रहें काजल घोलें

बढ़ के बेखुदी हंसीं गेसू खोलें

खुल के फिर ज़ुल्फ़ें सियाह काली बला हो जाये.. 

Oh.. the praises! Poor wench is wholly love-drenched. Elated, she opens windows to get a glimpse of her hero. But what he says! 

हम तो मस्ती में जाने क्या क्या कहें

लब-ए-नाज़ुक से ऐसा न हो तुम्हें

बेक़रारी का गिला हम से सिवा हो जाये.. 

Yeah, this is sheer but mere affection. Before making any serious commitment, the guy will have to encounter two more devian and the girl will have to wait until he opts for none other than her at last. Just look at Majrooh's marvel to weave the proceedings of storyline with a simple hint! 

How much I love just everything about this song.! 

No! You can't listen this lilt while driving or working! Just wear your headphones and go to a peaceful place - preferably on your terrace or balcony and get indulged.. By the way, watching debonair Dev sahab lip-synching the same with all his magnetic charm too is not a bad idea at all. 

I was thinking to share my thoughts on this song since long. But was waiting for some special day. Won't say that remembering Mohammed Rafi today. We actually don't need to 'remember' some people, as beyond their physical presence, they remain present in our lives all the way. We need them to lift, heal, adore or most of times just accompany us all along. They are dream merchants who get us reveries to deal with rigours of life and shamans to cure us when we fail or lose. 

So, yeah, not saying that remembering Rafi Sahab today. Just would say, remembering the time and the song that made me fall in love with his voice immensely.