Do Naina Aur Ek Kahani

Do Naina Aur Ek Kahani

This song from Masoom is as rich in melody as well as meaning as Tujhse Naaraz nahi zindagi. This is a lullaby sung by Aarti Mukherjee. Now lullabies are meant to calm and relaxing for the children being put to bed. Surely, the tune is soothing but the for the more matured, the pain and sadness becomes evident from the lyrics when the reference gets to eyes and tears. It conveys continuous sorrow, sorrow as a condition of life rather than a passing event in one’s life. It conveys this by addressing the helpless child who wishes for someone to come and love it.

RD Burman has done a fantastic creation by setting tune to a lullaby in Raag Yaman structured on a Triveni. Triveni is a form of poetry created by Gulzar. Unlike a “Sher”, a “Triveni” consists of three "hemistichs" (misras). The first two lines complete the meaning, but the addition of the third misra gives a new dimension. Putting a rhyme to something that is symmetrical or “even” is done regularly, but putting tune to three lines requires creativity. Full marks to the composer. Being written by Gulzar, the song itself can be interpreted in many ways to suit ones imagination. Classic Gulzar stuff!

Masoom is an adaption of Erich Segals novel Man, Woman and Child. DK and Indu are a happily married couple with two daughters. DK had an affair a decade earlier and comes to know that he has a son born out of wedlock. The sons mother is no more and DK is forced to bring the child home. Indu is devastated to hear of her husbands infidelity. The child too in longing for love and tries to search his mother in Indu.

RD has used minimum instruments here – Guitars (Twelve string, Regular, Bass Guitar), Resso, Tabla, Flute, Violins and is it the Taar Shehnai or Saragi.

The song opens with sharp strums on the twelve string guitar along with bass guitar filling in 

the spaces. The तान  taken by Arti Mukherjee at Do Naina reminds of “Do Nainon Mein Aasoo Bhare Hai” from Kinara by in Lata Mangeshkar.

दो नैना और एक कहानी

थोडा सा बादल, थोडा सा पानी

और एक कहानी

The eyes tell a story

A bit cloudy, bit teary
That’s the story

As soon as the vocals start the guitar starts following alongwith Resso. This continues 

throughout the song pausing only at the Sam. The first Antara has the flute picking up from where the vocals are left and the twelve string guitar accompanied by violins to provide the required change in scale before the vocals start. It is at the start of the first Antara that the percussion (Tabla) is used. Almost all the time all music composers prefer to use percussions to provide rhythm to a song. Here RD chooses to use percussion's only for the first Antara. The use of percussions is also limited for Antara’s and that too only for the two lines of the Triveni! It’s back to the bass guitar to provide the required rhythm. One is just amazed the way this genius bent the rules of music to provide outstanding melody.

छोटी सी दो झीलों में, वो बहती रहती है

कोई सुने या ना सुने कहती रहती है

कुछ लिख के और कुछ जुबानी

The story keeps floating between the two streams

(This is an excellent metaphor for tears flowing down the eyes)

Keeps telling though no one may care

Sometimes written at times subtly

The second Antara starts with a conversation between the twelve string guitar and 

flute and the violins enter to give words of advice following which the Twelve string guitar relents. Hear it to feel it.

थोड़ी से हैं जानी हुई, थोड़ी सी नयी

जहा रुके आंसू, वही पुरी हो गयी

है तो नयी फीर भी हैं पुरानी

A part of the story is known the other unknown (or new)

(See how Gulzar plays with words – He uses थोड़ी सी नयी to mean new or unknown)

The story ends when the tears stop

The story is new yet not unknown

In the interlude music for the third Antara, RD uses the sharp tones of Taar Shehnai and Twelve string guitar to bring out the distress in the mind of the wife followed by violins to provide the matured thoughts in her mind where she accepts the truth and prepares to face the misery that has been imposed upon her by her unfaithful husband.

एक ख़त्म हो तो, दूसरी याद आ जाती है

होठों पे फिर भूली हुई, बात आ जाती है

दो नैनो की हैं यह कहानी

As one story ends another comes up
And a forgotten story comes on the lips
Its the same story of the two eyes