Feeling Home In The Unknown

Every once in a while you meet people who make a difference in your life, it may not necessarily be in a grand way but in their own small way they would've touched you somehow, blown your mind a little and left you with a memory you'll cherish forever

Today a friend and I were carpooling all the way from Montreal to Toronto after the long weekend holiday. We were travelling with three others, the one who initiated the carpool ride - the driver and a mother daughter duo. When we started our ride we were a couple of strangers who only had one thing in common that was our destination - Toronto! I was constantly engaged in a conversation with my friend because you know, I'm extremely chatty (lol, no surprises there) we continued having our conversations until the driver who was listening to Indian songs changed the music to the title track of kal ho na ho. I've always loved singing, i don't sing well nevertheless that doesn't stop me from singing anyway. While I was singing kal ho na ho feeling every word of that song, i heard a voice that sang along with me at the very hook of the song "kal ho na ho".

Did I just hear the daughter sing the lyrics with me?

Oh wait, here's a little detail i missed to tell you about the mother and daughter. They came from Wanda in South Africa and moved to Canada only 4 years back.

At first I didn't think much because how would she know the song, for one it's Bollywood, two she wasn't Indian and three it was a really old song which I don't think is currently trending on tiktok (lol). I continued singing until the second hook of the song "kal ho na ho" and yet again I heard her sing along to which I went "wait, you know this song?"

"Yes, it's one of my favourites. I listen to it all the time"

"Whaaaaatttt?!"

In my head, I'm thinking she has a favourite? That means she knows more songs!!!

Her mother joined the conversation and added we love watching Indian movies and songs and we have a lot of Indian friends in our community.

The driver, who was also an Indian turned up the volume and said "let us go for it". I continued to sing and Nadia sang whenever the hook of the song came along. But you know what was more fun? She hummed while i continued to sing all along where she couldn't remember the lyrics. She definitely passed the vibe check! Tick, Tick and Ticcckkk!

We then jammed to kuch kuch hota hai, humko humi se chura lo, bole chudiya and mahi ve!!! (i knowwwww!!! Can you believe it? She knew kuch kuch hota hai and mohabbatein, who would've thought!). The Desi girl inside me jumped in joy listening to her sing the lyrics in Hindi annnndddd it gets better, she got the lyrics pronunciation on point!!!!!!!! How huge is that?! This was such a meet-cute kinda thing that is forever gonna be special to me - Vibing hard to Bollywood music while travelling from the French capital of Canada with a friend from Wanda! Omgggg!!! What a mind-blowing experience it was!!! (I guess we are friends now, haha). Truly every once in a while you meet people who make a difference in your lif, it may not necessarily be in a grand way but in their own small ways they would've touched you somehow, blown your mind a little and left you with a memory you'll cherish forever.

Sept, 2022