It takes a community to raise a child. I suppose I understand the statement in parts now. Nida Fazli was in the community that raised me. Quietly, without even me realizing, he along with many others gently tapped subtleties of what I am now.
Drives along the sea coast as a child, sitting behind on the right side were never without music. My older brother and mother are more musically inclined and so selection and rendition was their forte. The repertoire in the glove compartment was wide. Ustad Allah Rakha, Zakhir Hussain, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Jagjit Singh, Hari Om Sharan among others were integral part of our family. Music those days was in audio tapes that were manually changed for the other. After the click of tape, very often it was Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh who sang "Duniya jise kehte hain, jadoo ka khilona hai; Mil jaaye to mitti hai, kho jaaye to sona hai." There was no way I understood the depth of what they were saying. I did however understand all the words they used. Everyday words they were.
Years later a particular piece seemed to be played in loop at home. ‘Besan ki sondhi roti par khatti chutney jaisi maa’. My parents played it over and over again, each one making the effort to rewind and play the same song as they passed through the room with the ‘two-in-one’. I understand the layers and feel each word more today, but it was nice to listen to even then. Each word was visual and familiar and relatable. The piece was discussed often at the dining table on how the beauty of writing lies in its simplicity. I remember many conversations elsewhere among adults that tapered off with “kabhi kisi ko muqammal jahan nahin milta…”
The test of writing and communication is in the essence that reaches the aam aadmi. Nida Fazli reached me and my aam aadmi sensibilities with his simple language and sufi slant. “Chahe Geeta banchiye, ya padhiye Kuran, Mera tera pyar hi hur pustak ka gyan” and, “Pooja sabki ek si, alag alag hai reet, masjid jaye maulvi, koyal gaye geet.”
His words through my growing up years were like seasoning- scattered, subtle yet enhancing flavors.
I think I understand his classic “Tu is tarah meri zindagi mein shamil hai,” much more today.
