Dealing with people, running a business,
being an artist, gaining knowledge, earning money —
life happened.
I don't miss anything from my past,
this is all I ever wanted, just on a bigger scale —
eventually, that's going to happen.
Between this chaotic and unjust life around you,
something beautiful is being made, something to be proud of —
trust me, it happens.
The past few weeks have been a mix of progress and setbacks.
One music video for a client, shot and edited by February's Favourite, has been successfully completed and delivered. There was also additional work that came through - two video shoots and multiple music releases. The shoots were completed, but due to a few ego-related issues, I couldn't receive proper credit for my contribution. I have no complaints about it anymore. In the end, I believe it was their loss, not mine.
On the brighter side, I am currently in discussions with a few artists who want to record and release their music through us. It feels good to see people placing their trust in our work while I continue managing February's Favourite and everything that comes with it.
Personally, life has been a little chaotic lately. Because of a few unforeseen circumstances, I haven't been able to take my classes as regularly as I would have liked.
A week ago, I had a severe wax blockage in my ears—to the extent that I could barely hear properly. For someone working with music every day, that was genuinely frightening. Naturally, it affected my ability to mix songs. Thankfully, that issue has now been resolved, and everything is back to normal.
My voice, however, still needs attention. Between the changing weather, constant talking, and singing, it hasn't been as supportive as it should be. I need to be more conscious about my vocal health, speak only when necessary, and get my voice checked from time to time. My riyaaz has also not been as consistent as it should be, and that is entirely my responsibility. Discipline is something I need to reclaim.
Not everything has been difficult, though.
One of the biggest milestones has been Bombay Diaries. I have finally found all the principal characters for the production—Rajesh, Sunita, and the Narrator. They are currently working individually on understanding and developing their characters, and we are set to begin rehearsals next week. Seeing this project slowly come to life has been deeply satisfying.
Another milestone is something I have been waiting for, for a very long time. As planned, Sahil and I have finally started working on my original music. By the grace of God, everything has been falling into place beautifully. The first song is almost production-ready, and after one or two more sessions, we'll move into the recording stage.
क्या लिखूँ, सच कह दूँ या झूठ लिखूँ
वो पैर पड़ गया मेरे, खाने एक निवाले को।
कहता — "सुबह से कुछ नहीं खाया साहब।"
झूठ लिखूँ तो कल ही खाना चुरा के खा रहा था।
क्या लिखूँ, सच कह दूँ या झूठ लिखूँ
वो बोली — "भैया, एक चप्पल दिला दो।"
नंगे पैर चल नहीं पाते।
झूठ लिखूँ तो आज ही तपती सड़क पे कलाबाज़ियाँ दिखा रही थी।
क्या लिखूँ, सच कह दूँ या झूठ लिखूँ
वो ताली बजा के पैसा माँगे, बोले — "आशीर्वाद मिलेगा।"
कहते, तरक़्क़ी होगी, घरवाले आगे बढ़ेंगे।
झूठ कहूँ तो उसका अपना घर जूझ रहा था।
अब बोलो, क्या लिखूँ, सच लिखूँ या झूठ लिखूँ।
आँखों से जो देखा या मन से जो महसूस किया।
ये मन का देखा सच है,
या आँखों का फ़साना।
ये सच की कोई साज़िश थी,
या झूठ का कोई बहाना।
क्या लिखूँ? सच कह दूँ या झूठ लिखूँ।
— सिवा
The poem isn't really about truth vs. lie.
It's about surface vs. context.
The "jhuth" isn't a lie at all. It's the other
half of the truth.
