RIP - Don't rest in peace - Return please..

After mourning for over 2 weeks today I write to pay tribute to two special men in my life. Steve Jobs and Jagjit Singh... Will my techy and musical life would ever be the same?

Jagjit Singh is not just the name of a singer he was an experience to listen or see him sing. I would say could I ever see him sing no it was to feel him all around you.

I remember I was 11-12 when I heard my uncle play his LPs. My dad was never into ghazals so my summer trips to my uncle’s home were the starting point. I still remember his collections of LPs. That started my love affair with Jagjit Singh’s voice. Slowly I collected his cassettes first then cds and now I can say I almost have all his ghazals.

Jagjit Singh gave different meanings to emotions. When Ashish and I were apart it was Jagjit Singh's ghazals which kept me going, made my tough days bearable. He was the one who could sing “mere jaise ban jaoge jab ishq tumhe ho jayega” or “socha nahi achha bura dekha suna kuch bhi nahi” and forever changed what Love is. We lost our dear friend in 97 and I remember it was Jagjit Singh who sang “aapni marzi se kahan ke kidhar ke hum hai” and I felt he was just narrating our loss. It felt so close to heart and i cried in every live performance for Ashutosh when he sang that.

For me Jagjit Singh is the memory of my newly wedded life. Ashish and I could stay up whole night listening to Jagjit Singh. I cannot thank that silken voice to make my years beautiful, in love. We both are not even bathroom singers but Jagjit Singh sang for us to each other.

Now when I think of it he practically lived in my bedroom to kitchen to the basement. Thanks to my another love, Steve Jobs, I could carry the magical voice everywhere.

The first concert Ashish took me to in Pune was the experience I would hold close to my heart all my life. I had no idea when I left my seat and walked to front and just stood there. All I remember later that Ashish held my hand and brought me back. It has been a joke that I was in some other place that night.

I had been lucky to listen to him live few times and was amazed how he could be so entertaining. So much energy and enthusiasm and so professional. Last  year I saw him in Boston and I feel blessed that I could make to that show.

But is that enough for me? I feel that one part of me is just empty now. I have his ghazals but what would I look forward to. He sang enough to last lifetime but still the feeling that he is not around is very depressing.

It was Steve Job’s death when I realized that I chose to ignore the truth, didn’t want to face it.  We all knew we won’t have him for very long but I was expecting miracle. But sure enough Steve Jobs was needed more someplace else.

I have been an Apple fan forever. But when I look back I wasn’t just an Apple fan, I was a Steve Jobs devotee. It was his personality which drove me to Apple. His iPhone introduction speech was the first thing I heard from him and oh boy I was hooked.

I did wait for a year before buying my first iPhone but after that I have been in love with Steve jobs and his ideas.

I had owned an iPod and bought a touch for Ajey but it was the iPhone what changed my world. I was addicted. He always thanked his team and talked about team efforts but I respected him for his vision. He is the one who changed the way we have music in our life. Just music nah, how we live our life. So when I turned 40 all I wanted that damn iPad and lucky for Ashish just a week before it was announced.

My 40 birthday was great, thanks to Steve Jobs. I loved my gift like no gift ever.

I mourn for a visionary and I hope Apple can continue his legacy. But for me I just cannot go to Apple like before. It’s been days and I push myself everyday to move on but what I would do to the emptiness I feel. We would get new singers, innovators but I don’t feel hopeful. This is the time when I want to believe in Hindu believe of Reincarnation and don’t wish Moksha for them. Please come back, don’t rest.. we need you.