Words, words and words...oh how words make me feel alive,
Words, when words pour down on paper,
Words, that were once thoughts hidden in my mind's deepest corner...
I cannot resist the flow of words,
That trickle down one after the other urging me to write,
A feel so blissed out, and, satisfied,
When I've captured every single thought into words in paper or screen of my mobile...
Yes, the medium has changed, and how,
But, the feeling of expressing out is always the same, and perhaps more...
People judged me for scribbling down all my thoughts,
But, these penned-down words are my jewels that can never elsewhere be found...
Sometimes, I felt I shouldn't be so expressive, bare my heart out for everyone to see,
But, words locked up doesn't soothe as much as words let out does to me...
Long after I'm gone, into dust when I've turned,
These words that I've churned will ( hopefully ) continue to float in the universe vast...
In 2019, when the CAA movement was at its peak, I caught a glimpse of Zubeen Garg ( my first ), and I was like truely bowled over, mesmerised. He arrived quite late to the event; but, when he did the function got on a different electrifying vibe altogether. Everyone was waiting for Zubeen - the crowd and even the organisers, press and other dignitaries/ stars/ participants who had arrived much earlier and had already performed their parts/speeches. Zubeen overshadowed them all, although, he isn't a man of great height or built ( he was quite lean and around 5ft5 if I'm not wrong ). His personality was something else though, enormous. When he spoke, everyone listened. Everyone loved his bluntness, dark humor which also sparked couple of controversies along the way. And when he left, in style, in his black specially modified Isuzu SUV, there was nothing left in that meeting. He left a void hanging in that ground which reflected his real star status and power - quite rare in Assam.
Two or three years back, I was walking back home and near the Rajgarh bylane that turns towards Lachit Nagar, I saw a man casually standing. He was bald and looked at me passing. There's a 2nd hand two-wheeler shop where he was standing. He looked so familar that I had to do a double take. It was Zubeen Garg! I couldnot believe my eyes. We had both made eye contact and maybe he expected me to act like a crazy fan ( he had an all knowing smile twitching at the corner of his lips ) and run to get an autograph, but, I hesitantly looked away...still stunned to see such a huge star casually waiting outside a shop. There was no body guard around. He was wearing a cap, but one could see the baldness underneath. Couple of interviews that I watched later confirmed that he had shaved his head for his upcoming movie. Well, those two are the only times I saw Zubeen Garg in real.
I was introduced to Zubeen Garg's music quite late. I lived in Bombay through the nineties and perhaps thats why I missed out when a star was rising back home in Assam. Like many others in rest of India, I was introduced to his singing via the famous Gangster movie song 'Ya Ali'. I was impressed that an assamese singer had made such waves with his song. Later, I found out that he was already an established musician back in Assam. However, I was still ignorant of his music untill my father's demise. Its when I started spending more time in Assam. And thanks to youtube, I could dig out all his songs. And I was hooked. I fell in love with almost all his songs and could understand why he had gained such a cult status. His music is refreshing and very melodious and stays in your mind, heart and lips. I've sung 'Maya maya, mathu maya' umpteenth number of times since.
When someone passes away at 52, its indeed shocking, that too in such a freak accident. But thats what has happened with the legend reminding us again how fickle life can be and that no matter how rich or famous you are, no one can escape death at some point. Death is the ultimate reality. Thank you Zubeen Garg for unleashing those precious and priceless melodies one after the other here on earth. Maybe, it was time for you to make music in the heavens too and rock the heavenly realms. Every assamase ( and also others ) will forever cherish the incredible legacy you left us with. You'll be missed and remembered.
Born: 18 November 1972, Tura - Died: 19 September 2025 (age 52 years), Singapore - A multi-instrumentalist with expertise in 12 different instrments and singer with songs sung in 40+ languages and dialects, music director, composer, lyricist, music producer, actor, film director, film producer, script writer and philanthropist.
Last couple of months I skipped writing my favorite section 'top news-makers of the month' what with Trump and Tariff hogging the limelight in a loop the entire time ( for months on end ). After playing Tariff tariff with China, Trump turned towards India - bullying it to stop buying Russian Oil, or else, face extra tariff ( as penalty ). Like a peeved lover, Modi then stopped taking Trump's calls, and instead turned cozy with China which threw Trump in a fit out of jealousy. Even though these tariffs are a punishment for India, it was so entertaining that I almost forgot to start watching Bigg Boss Season 19 (...yea, I'm catching up on it now, phew! ) that had started around the same time. Never in my life was 'Geopolitics or Economics' so interesting as it currently is, thanks to Trump and his tariffs. I still don't understand the intricacies of it all but the whole thing has been definitely entertaining.
Meanwhile, rains poured like never before and flooded the entire country. The visuals of cloudbursts that swept away multiple villages and towns in Uttarakhand, Himachal and Jammu, flooding even Punjab like never before, the scenes were chilling. The fierce rivers of Beas, Ravi and even Ganges ( and others ) flowing down with such fury was frightful to say the least, unleashing destruction everywhere in their path. But then, drops a funny bomb by a Pakistan Minister Khwaja Asif ( who had made some epic statements previously too ) - he advised that these floods are a 'blessing' and urged the people ( of Pakistan ) to collect the water in their buckets and drums ( and take them home and store ) so that they have enough water when India turn off the Indus Dam switches again. Jale pe namak wala joke karne hai toh Khwaja Asif ki tarha karo warna doob maro....hehehe...
We also had so many episodes ( news ) of couples/spouses killing each other that marriage ( or relationships ) almost seem like a nasty joke now. I'm begining to think why do people marry at all. Don't like someone? Kill them, has become the norm. In all of this India becomes the most populous country too in the world surpassing China with 1.4+ billion. Figure that out. Maarenge, kaatenge ek dusre ko aur baache bhi paida karenge. Govt keeps banning adult/porn sites/apps citing ours is a sanskaari country with moral values, but the way population is exploding tells a different story. P+rn ban karoge toh log jaada s+x karenge aur baache paida karenge, bhai sahab. India and Indians are not for beginners.
Coming back to Trump, we saw one of his supporters murdered in broad day light. Charlie Kirk, well, may his soul rest in peace. People have opinions - but, killing them for it? I don't agree to his views - all whites in America are decendants of immigrants too, and they had a nasty history back then about how they treated the original inhabitants. So spewing hate for new immigrants is hypocrisy - but, seems the murderer was a white too. So, surely there are others too whom he had irked. But taking someone's life altogether is indigestible!
In all of these the 3I/ATLAS got me intrigued the most. Some say its a comet, some say its an alien space ship that is entering the inner Solar System. Oh how I wish its the latter and I get to see some of them ( aliens ) in this lifetime itself :-) After Nibiru, Planet X and the Annunaki hype in 2012, this one's currently caught my fancy. Why is it moving so close to the Sun? Whats its purpose? Is it on some secret mission? How I wish I know the answers.
I won't even go towards with Israel-Gaza or Russia-Ukraine wars. As these wars will continue for ever it seems, sigh! ( will go into their history some other time ). Yes, an earthquake of 5.9 magnitude did strike my home state ( epicenter was couple of kms away from my city ), shaking my house as well as my knees that for some time all other headlines faded from my mind into oblivion except the urgency to run as fast as I could out of my house towards safety. During an earthquake you run as far away from your supposed safe haven - your home, as possible! Such is the irony. And these people keep fighting for a piece of land? Lmao! And, as if earthquakes hadn't destroyed enough in Nepal in the past; these days, nepalis come out in their hordes and do the earthquake's job themselves out on the streets.