Great Artists Will Always be Alive in Our Hearts

I woke up to a piece of sad news this morning.

Today, India is mourning the loss of her beloved daughter, popularly known as the Nightingale of Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar.

She was a beloved artist, India’s most treasured singer, whose career spanned over four decades in Bollywood and who continued to inspire the people of India with her beautiful, melodious voice. My parents grew up listening to her songs.

One of her songs is particularly close to my heart and at this moment, I can’t help but replay those lyrics in my head, again and again —

कुछ पाकर खोना है (Some things in life, we lose by getting) कुछ खोकर पाना है (Some things in life, we get by losing) जीवन का मतलब तो (The very meaning of life is) आना और जाना है (To come and to go)

दो पल के जीवन से (From this momentary life) एक उम्र चुरानी है (We have to steal our time) ज़िंदगी और कुछ भी नहीं (Life is nothing but) तेरी-मेरी कहानी है (A story of yours and mine) एक प्यार का नग़मा है (This life is a love saga)

— Lyrics by Santosh Anand

A beautiful, beautiful song — Ek Pyaar ka Nagma Hai

Yesterday I came across a very deep, very moving story by KiKi Walter. A relationship between a father and a daughter, beautifully narrated —