The Sound of Music

Probably everyone does, consciously or unconsciously, relate songs or tunes with particular incidents, people, places or memories in life. When you hear a song after a long time, chances are that you would be reminded of those very incidents and might be even transported to those times. Happens to me all the time! Here's a few numbers from my somewhat random list:

[I mostly listen to popular Hindi music (I'm not really a rock-fan or one who would appreciate ghazals or Urdu lyrics either), but, in particular, KK, Aatif Aslam, A R Rahman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are my faves]

Na Tum Jaano na Hum (Kaho Na Pyaar Hai) - Post ICSE Boards, Trips to Aurangabad (Maharashtra) with cousins, Nasik home with Grandparents

Pyaar re (Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai) - Junior College, Tons of acne, Gawky and inconfident adolescent, 'The Mummy Returns' at Sterling (my fave single screen theatre at Bombay, with the best-ever popcorn)

Dil Chahta Hai/Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut (DCH) - Thick in preparation for the JEE Screening Exam, Anxiety, Friendship, Parth & Shyam (school-time chums), Lost in thoughts

Yeh Ladka Hai Allah (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham) - Mock Tests for the JEE Main Exams, Organic Chemistry rocks, Mechanics sucks, 10 marks FIITJEE Hyperbola problem solved by me in 3 lines by logical reasoning, without the use of numbers! (The FIITJEE soln was unusually long by its own standards - 1 page, but I was awarded 10/10, with a comment - try to solve mathematically :D )

Phatela Jeb (Aankhein) - Post-JEE summer with Parth.. "Arre bhaltaich pakda Baap, line mein aa, LINE MEIN AA!"

Gustakhiyaan (Aankhein) - Pre-Kgp blues, Leaving home, Neighbour's Mom saying "Kgp mein na woh pumpkin dete hain khaane mein!" Yuck!

Shakalaka Baby (Bombay Dreams) - First week at Kgp, humidity, Shriver-Atkins for Chemistry

Sharara Sharara - TDS Show after Chemistry class test, Going gaga over the dancers in red! ;-)

Baahon Mein Chale Aao (Remix) - At Park with Amit post-NCC on Saturdays; "Hey Amit, overeating nahi karni chahiye.. 2 roti se jyaada main nahi khaa sakta!" (Yeah right.. You should take a look at the greedy Chintan hogging away at Billoos now!)

Silsila Yeh Chahat Ka (Devdas) - Illumination@JCB, slept at 4 AM for the first time ever

Kabhi Toh Nazar Milaao (Adnan Sami) - Nights at the NCC Camp, Box cricket in the barracks, GPL sessions after lights-out ;)

Aye Udi Udi (Saathiya) - New computer, First SpringFest (SF)

Love at First Sight (Kylie Minogue) - Cal Trip with Mum, Dad and Urja (Amit: "Yaar, tune nahi bataaya ki teri ek badi behen bhi hai"; Me: "Oye, woh meri Mummy hain!")

Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye Ho (Armaan) - Summer after 1st yr at Nasik with Sid

Suno Naa (Jhankaar Beats) - Nights at C-109, RP (Amit's room), FIFA 2002

Achhi Lagti Ho (Kuch Na Kaho) - It became a tradition for Siddharth, Amit and me to watch this video for Ash before all 2nd Yr Autumn Midsems for good luck in the paper (Man! She is just so PURRfect!)

Mama I'm coming home (Ozzy Ozbourne) - This song really made me homesick during the Sem-3 midsems, just before DP

Its the Time to Disco (Kal Ho Na Ho) - Its all about Amit's favourite 'Aunty' :D

Ladka Yeh Kehta hai Ladki se (Main Prem ki Deewani Hoon) - KK's show at SF with Sid, watching KK from just below the stage - as close as it gets! :-)

Bin Tere Sanam (Remix) - Dinners with Sid, Andy and (Siddharth) Santra at the Tata Memorial Canteen in IISc, Bangalore (2nd Yr Summer)

Fanaa (Yuva) - Beautiful memories of Bangalore

Ladki Kyun (Hum Tum) - Dunno why, but this number reminds me of my friend, Girija. Hmm, probably because we argued a lot about the movie, 'Hum Tum'.. I thought the mush truly sucked, but she went gaga over it

Shikdum (Dhoom) - Mukund Sharma! I would've loved to put in his exact comment on Rimi Sen, but choose to censor it for the sake of decency :|

In the Shadows (The Rasmus) - Tapori Singh, aka Rahul Garg.. I adore it when he msges at 4 in the morning from Canada, "Chintan Singh, Chintan Singh, utho utho!", or simply, "Chintan Singh, tempo se!"

Numb (Linkin Park) - Cal Trip with Shaggy, Tapori, Sid, Amit and Aashu

Sun Suniyo (Musafir) - Winter Academy with Sid, Kaushik, Samudra and other friends from IITK and IITG at Haldia; Sid's micro-mini shorts! :))

Dekho Naa (Swades), My Dil goes mmm (Salaam Namaste) - Er.. Ahem..

Everything (Lifehouse) - Beautiful lyrics - I would love to sing this song to my soulmate.. Also reminds me of the nonchalance of Rachit Gupta

Tauba Tauba (Kaal) - The freaking heat and humidity of the Kgp summer in Sem-6 and the mad frenzy to the project eval. I lost a whopping 5 kgs in 2 months to end up my lowest-ever weight at Kgp - 60 kgs - and looked more like a zombie in those days!

Bulla ki Jana (Rabbi Shergill) - American Visa no.1

Woh Lamhe (Zeher) - Fun times with Nuria (Oliver), my mentor; my desk at Building 112, Microsoft Research (MSR), Redmond, Washington

Kajra Re (Bunty aur Babli) - Saturday evening movies at Totem Lake Cinemas, the only Hindi movie cinema in the Redmond-Seattle area (Kaal, Bunty aur Babli, Sarkar.. jannat); dancing on the seat with Sid and KK!

Dus Bahaane (Dus) - Sky-diving at Kirkland (near Redmond); Last few days at MSR

Rainbow Remo (Anniyan) - Yana Gupta.. Ooh la la!

Akh Ladiye (Neal and Nikki) - Missing the Bombay Diwali for the 4th year straight :(

Chinamma Chikamma (Mahalaxmi) - Siddharth Dev Sharma (God, this chap is soooo perfect!)

Aadat (Kalyug) - (Aatif Aslam is divine) (Hardly) Studying for GRE in the comforts of home and Mum's food

Pathshala (Rang De Basanti) - The Masti ki Pathshala that is B Top East, Patel Hall - my home for the past 3 years.. "Na koi padhne waala.. Naa koi likhne waala.. Apni to Pathshala, Masti ki Pathshala!" :D

Ya Ali (Gangster) - 2 days at Delhi (2 movies in 15 hours) for my Greek Visa interview; Sid's Monu Mama (aka Akshat Verma) played a great host.. Easily the coolest person I've ever met!

Tu hi meri Shab hai (Gangster) - KK's voice enthralls.. Makes me lose sense of time and space

Beedi (Omkara) - Lovely times with Scholars Avenue junta.. Singing all the way on road trips.. Jannat!

Bas Ek Pal (Bas Ek Pal) - (KK again) Why oh why did Michael Schumacher retire? Staring at his poster at my room, I almost shed a tear the night he announced he would be leaving.. Miss you, Schumi :(