Solace in the car

For two hours when the car moves to and from work, I am parked firmly in the driver's seat. It's not easy... sitting in the same place for an hour at a stretch. But what makes it bearable is the music.

Earlier, it was just what played on radio. But since FM music makes a progression from bad to worse, I've made the switch to a saner option -- a select set of songs play most of the time. Yes, you guessed right -- Jagjit Singh's Ghazals are on top of that playlist. But there are a few other rare gems, mostly old Kannada classics.

The common thread among all these songs are the lyrics. I've now concluded that lyricists are perhaps the most talented bunch on this planet, closely followed by music directors. Some songs, you never tire listening to. Few of my favorites: आते आते मेरा नाम सा रह गया, होश वालो को ख़बर क्या, दुनिया जिसे कहते है, कागज़ की कश्ती, याद नहीं, ಸಿರಿಗೆರೆಯ ನೀರಿನಲಿ, ಒಂದಿರುಳು ಕನಸಿನಲಿ, ಬಾಳೊಂದು ಭಾವಗೀತೆ, ಮೂಡಲ ಮನೆಯ.

Some days, the player is completely silent, on purpose. It's good to have a change once in a while. But if the traffic noise becomes unbearable, the left hand automagically finds it way to the ON button.

Madhu keeps asking where one gets the patience to drive a car in this mad traffic. I tell him, music keeps people sane. I'd probably have gone mad by now on a bike.