Songs on the Road

What is the mark of a good driver? How do you gauge the skill of a driver you are meeting for the first time? Well, for starters, you could ask him how long he has been driving. And he will give you an answer you wish to hear - saat aanth saal ho gaye saab. Of course, your face will betray the disbelief. Such a young looking man and seven eight years behind the wheel already? And he will continue with the explanation - 15 saal ke the tab se hi gaadi chala rahe hai. At this point, you may snigger at how everything goes in India, bribe the RTO guys or fake your date of birth in the age proof. When it comes to gaming the system, there is never a dearth of options, you'd say sagely, to show that you too are familiar with the ways of the world.

What other signs could you look for? Oh yes, the driver's age, the grey in his hair, search for the creases and wrinkles on his face. But it would be foolish to rely on this metric. After all, the driver could have begun driving quite late in his life, in all probability a few weeks ago and you'd never know. It is a profession with hardly any entry barriers, is driving. Somewhere a factory closes down, and surely there are a few to take to driving to earn their livelihood. 

What else, state of the car? Probably, a well-worn car speaks of the many hours spent on the road. But again, this parameter is far from reliable. In all likelihood, the driver could have rented this car or bought it second-hand, or he may just be driving one of his seth's old vehicles. 

So coming back, how do you know that you are in safe, experienced hands?

Well yes, the facility with which the driver opens the front door, leans out of the car while speeding at 60 km/hr, spits out a mouthful of paan gutka and returns to the wheel closing the door behind him - the sheer elegance of this seemingly complex set of movements corroborates his skill on the road. An experienced driver performs this task like an artist, unhurried and easy - never once losing control of the vehicle while emptying his mouth of its staple contents. However, thankfully, there is an answer to the above question that is far more credible and comprehensive.

The answer lies in the songs.

Any driver worth his salt travels with a long, many hours long, playlist of songs. Not the Yo Yo Honey Singh crap they blast in expensive nightclubs and lavish weddings. Or the latest Bollywood garbage playing out on radio channels. But songs of eternal love, of great longing, songs of painful separation, of soul-shattering betrayal. Songs sung by the man who rules the hearts of those who spend a lifetime on the road - songs sung by Kumar Sanu. Sanu Sahab's voice is the fuel that propels the driver. Sanu Sahab's voice is a balmy afternoon of a cold, wintry day; a savior against the tyranny of potholed roads, the impossible traffic, the pungent diesel fumes, and the often untoward passengers.

Navigating the same old roads, same old twists and turns, gliding past the same old milestones, the music player goes:

pardesi mere yaara...laut ke aana, mujhe yaad rakhna kahin bhool na jaana...

And Sanu Sahab's emotional rendition strikes a poignant chord with the driver, transports him back in time to the memories of his youth, his home in a village by the river and of the beloved - the pardesi - who never returned. He may never have had a lover and a tragic love story. But that is beside the point. The beauty of Sanu Sahab's voice is it craftily blurs the difference between reality and make believe.

Then President of India acknowledging Sanu Sahab's timeless contribution with a Padma Shri
Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle

As the vehicle speeds forward,  Sanu Sahab is swift to take us further back in time, from the bitter times of separation to the happy, cheerful days of infatuation and courtship.

Wooing the girl:

O laal dupatte waali tera naam toh bata, O kaale kurte waali tera naam toh bata...tera naam toh bata, tera naam toh bataa!

The days filled with youthful uncertainties:

Pehli pehli baar mohabbat ki hai...Pehli pehli baar mohabbat ki hai, kuch na samajh me aaye me kya karu. Pehli pehli baar shararat ki hai, kuch na samajh me aaye me kya karu...

And those sleepless nights:

O meri neendein churaane wale tera, shukriya! O mera chayn churaane wale tera, shukriya! Dard nahi tha jab seene ka, khaak mazaa tha jeene ka... O saari raat jagaane wale tera, shukriya...

Then arrives the monsoon:

Barsaat ke din aaye, mulaqaat ke din aaye... hum soch me the jinke, us raat ke din aaye...

Down to the wedding days:

Tere ghar aaya, main aaya tujhko lene...Dil ke badle me dil ka nazaraana dene...meri har dhadkan kya bole hai sun sun sun sun...

And more often than not, you happen to miss the bus. So the invaluable exhortation from Sanu Sahab:

Kisi se tum pyaar karo, toh fir izhaar karo... kahin na fir der na ho jaaye, kahin na fir der na ho jaaye...

Though, like life, the playlist invariably veers towards songs of pain and anguish. 

Jiye toh jiye kaise, haaye, bin aapke... Lagta nahi kahin dil, bin aapke...

Or the one that resonates too strongly and hits right below the belt:

Tu pyaar hai kisi aur ka, tujhe chahta koi aur hai... Tu pasand hai kisi aur ki, tujhe maangta koi aur hai... Tu nazar me hai kisi aur ki, tujhe dekhta koi aur hai...


A man listening to Kumar Sanu's songs on the road sees his life's story flash before his eyes. There is scarcely any hope, any despair, any emotion and any experience that his vast body of work fails to encompass. Sanu Sahab is that trusted friend, the humraahi who unfailingly accompanies thousands of men on their solitary journeys.

So the next time you are traveling, and are unsure of your driver's skills, turn up the system's volume; if it is Sanu Sahab's vocal cords serenading you from the speakers, sit back for a memorable time - you are in the hands of a seasoned campaigner - and hum along the quintessential road song:

  

Raah me unse...mulaqat ho gayi... Raah me unse... mulaqat ho gayi... Jis se darte the, wohi baat ho gayi!