Response to Big List Energy August Prompt
Five Arijit Singh Songs I Thought Belonged To Just Me
Bob Dylan. Whitney Houston. Arijit Singh. Music was always our path to love
Music is how we discover love.
Teenage love is quite a complex animal. A person’s teenage years are shaped by many things, but the most prominent factor I see is music. Specifically, Arijit Singh.
Come on, you’ve got to have had that one song that changed everything. That one girl who started looking more and more pretty, while the one thing that never changed was sitting in your hands — your gem-worthy Spotify playlist.
Also…some things us boys rarely share, but let’s leave that for another time.
Yes, you heard it, folks, we are here to talk about Indian legend, bona fide king, musical maestro, Mr. Arijit Singh himself.
It started with a pretty Asian girl sitting right across from me wearing beautiful earrings.
1. And the song came on. Tum Hi Ho
Tum Hi Ho translates to ‘You are the only one.’ I would sing that song in my head everywhere I walked. It gave me something deeper than I had ever felt — a pure sense of love. The feeling felt valuable, and it was. Arijit Singh opened a corridor in my mind, and I’ve been walking through it ever since.
See, teenage love matters. It really does. How else would we have married our high school sweetheart? Or…shot glances at a girl in class?
And when Arijit Singh pressed play on Tum Hi Ho, the entire population of Indian teenagers started experiencing what love truly is.
Get Rohan Poosala’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Sometimes though, love can start in sad ways. I lost my grandfather recently, and my world was shaken. He brought me up. He was there through everything. I cherish his memory through the vibrations of music. I turned to music when I felt so alone, and Arijit Singh was yet again waiting with his mike.
2. The song of sad longing, Agar Tum Saath Ho
It translates to, “If you are with me.” There was a hole in my heart, yet love never truly left me. I loved Thatha with all my heart, and I pay tribute to him through Arijit Singh. It might sound funny that a song can have that much power, but it does. The next time you long for someone, the next time you wish someone were next to you, play this song. It will heal you.
Sadness and healing need not originate from losing somebody. I have had friends who I don’t talk to anymore. Brothers from different mothers who I don’t even facetime. We shoveled snow together. Ate scrappy meals together. And it hurts.
So…this one is for all the little friendships we make and forget. Let’s bring them back through song.
3. The hymn for the living forgotten, Tera Yaar Hoon Main
It translates to, “I am your friend.” I’ve made so many friends which seem like a lifetime ago. Brothers who stuck with me through treatment centers, schools, even hospitals. My heart yearns to connect with them again, it’s just so hard to go back to that time. So, for all of you who have forgotten your friends, listen to this one.
4. Through all of this, one thing does not leave us. God.
The Arijit Singh song for that is, “Kesariya,” meaning saffron. Saffron is a sacred color in Hinduism. The song goes, “Beloved, your love is saffron-colored…” I have certain deities who I find solace and safety with. One is Ammavaru. She is the divine Mother. These Gods never leave. So, any time you feel helpless, reach out to the one who will never go away. Listen to “Kesariya.”
There is one love which we must foster together. Companionship. Shared suffering.
5. For companionship, there is ‘Humdard.’
It translates to, “I am your friend.” This one has so many meanings, which is what gives it its power. For me, it means giving a thought to others’ struggles. We’re in this together.
Listen to this song when you need a friend.
Love has so many different expressions, and I really hope this list gives you what Arijit Singh gave me. Love.
