It started with a memory. I’m sprawled on the floor, at 1am, home after watching a bollywood movie with a paper-thin plot. There’s an unread message from a friend who I’ve been trying to meet for a while now. I’m thinking about life.

Has this ever happened to you? Sometimes when you wake up, sometimes when you’re lying around, you remember some music- maybe the lyrics, maybe the tempo, maybe the tune. You don’t remember the name, but you’re consumed with a desire to find and listen to that song. You hunt for it, you find it, and then you listen to it a hundred times, spellbound. Then it becomes close to your heart, etched in your memory. My strongest memory of this kind is remembering “Don’t let it bring you down” by Annie Lennox in Georgia Tech’s relaxation room (where sleeping is banned) after waking up from a nap.

It happeened to me yesterday, again. I remembered a fast tempo, something that reminded me of a train, or a moving car, and the words “Gulabo Sitabo”. It struck me as the quintessential Coke Studio track- fusion, strong indie voices. After floundering around for a bit, I found the song. There’s no “Gulabo Sitabo” in the lyrics (there’s a movie of the name, unrelated to the song). The song’s name, is “Rang Saari”.

I’m listening to it right now. Once again. For the 100th time.

The song starts with a strobe, soft. A beat appears in the background- not exactly a beat, a melodious beat, and it becomes louder. A powerful voice emerges- not delicated, but soulful.

_Rang saari gulabi chunariya re, mohe maare ..__

Piano appears, singular notes at regular intervals. Then chords. Electronic elements, gibberish in a loop, more strobes, all appear. The voice comes back, and all the other elements fade into the background.

Rang saari, haaaye. Rang saari

Then a male voice (possibly autotuned), with an electornic motif, sweet and melancholy in the background. This is a duet!

Mohe maare najariya saavariya re

The song explodes. Its full EDM now. There’s swishes, louder strobes, and it feels like the tempo is becoming faster.

I’m in a car at a high speed on a never-ending highway, and this feels like bliss. The strong has reached its crescendo.

Javo ji javo

The motifs, the electronic elements, the tempo, all of it continues. My mind is racing at the same tempo. The singers in the duet alternate, and then sing in one voice. Beautiful.

This is followed by softer taanas, and a flute motif. The softer tones fade, and so does the music in the background one by one. The song has come to an end. On cue, I start it again, listening to it for the 101st time, ready to be lifted off by its melodies.