Musical Chairs

There is a game of musical chairs being played everywhere in the world. Not just in birthday parties or picnics, though. This game is played in a much more high-stakes form in food courts all across the globe. 

Now, the scenario is usually as follows. There you stand, by yourself, while someone else gets the food. If you are usually in charge of getting the food, consider yourself lucky. You don't have to be a part of this rigmarole, which is influenced by innumerable factors completely beyond your control, but can totally be blamed on your ineptness. 

I had to play this game today, and it was nerve-wracking, to say the least. There are always food courts with inadequate seating and adequate food outlets, and food courts with adequate seating and inadequate food outlets. Rarely can you find one with the correct balance between both; that is usually left to restaurants. Anyways, back to the game. 

First off, there's the inevitable scan. Jet fighter pilots may not have the same range as some people do in this regard, but it's usually a close second. After the scan, you move as fast as you can and try to reserve your seat without making it seem too obvious. The subtlety involved is not taught to royalty, and that's probably why they can't survive in food courts. 

There is another obstacle to getting a table in food courts, and this is none other than(drumroll, please) couples. This usually involves one buff chap strutting about trying to radiate machismo and looking for a table so that his girlfriend with talons is able to sit there. After sitting down, there is a flick of the hair over one shoulder, followed by various pouty faces and whatnot. There is one thing that couples do with their eyes, which just makes every single person who notices it go "eww". The guy usually goes "aww, baby". Once again, eww.

Anyways, I managed to win the first round of this game. Yes, it was my sister who spotted the vacant table, so credit given where credit's due. All I did was plonk my keister down on the empty chair, thus creating history. At least, that's what it felt like. If only human wars were fought the same way-there would be a lot less gunfire, a lot more entertainment. 

Speaking of musical chairs, Lata Mangeshkar passed away this morning. News channels promptly went bonkers, continuously relaying the opinions of various news anchors and actors all day long. They didn't seem to understand that hers is a legacy which cannot be encapsulated in words alone.

What these channels(and me, regrettably) don't get is that sometimes, silence is better than the most heartfelt condolence or anecdote. That's one reason why people lose patience. Both with me and news channels, in case you were wondering. Be it face-to-face or in the virtual world, keeping quiet is often the best plan of action. Regrettably, this is an oft-ignored fact, which is why several people suffer far more setbacks than people who keep quiet. I may or may not be one of them, but that's not the point. 

What people want to know in such scenarios is simple; the reminiscences of her contemporaries. The smiles. The laughs. The memories. Not the attempts of a news anchor at prolonging a conversation to garner the attention of the audience. Lata Mangeshkar's legacy is unmatchable, in more ways than one. I have absolutely no authority or qualification to say anything in this regard; all I know is that there is no greater synonym for 'legendary' and 'faultless' in the world of music. 

There is something which has often been said about Sachin Tendulkar; that every shot of his was played so well that you couldn't possibly choose one and say that he played it best. The same can be said of Lata Mangeshkar, albeit in a different context. That is probably why Tendulkar is such a big fan of hers; greatness always recognizes greatness, no matter what the form. 

Lata Mangeshkar's death is a tragedy-of that there is no doubt. It is perhaps fitting that the best disciple of Goddess Saraswati left on the day after Saraswati puja; the goddess finally decided it was time to let that heavenly voice rest. What is left behind is nothing more than memories, anecdotes, tears and a legacy which a billion humans will never allow to be forgotten. Few people can lay claim to something as profound as this. 

I have said before that not a lot of people care about what happens to someone. They may die, and none would be the wiser. No one would be affected, save a few people. Today is a truly tragic day, but there is something good in it, too. Like everything else, this too shall pass. Adios!

Note: Due to a technical error, this post had been deleted before it was saved online. I have had to rewrite it from scratch, so some portions may seem somewhat rushed. I am sorry that it happened, and hope it isn't too grievous an aberration.