the black lullaby

What am I looking for? A soft kiss or a strong embrace?

Would I rather be lost in romance or settle for some convenience instead?

Does anyone know how to love someone who doesn’t have any love to give?

I want the destination to be near but I’m loving the journey as well

There’s no cure, they say, for a confused mind searching for something stable

Are they right? What if I never find what I’m looking for?

I know I’m looking but then again, is there really anything there to find?

I want a moment that never ends, a touch that ignites my heart, a passion that drowns my soul in bliss

But everything around is so temporary, even life…

Can this longing be good? Can it be worth it?

If only people had the answers to their own questions, if only they know how it was meant to be

If wanting more is a sin then call me the devil

Here’s a thought though…

Is there someone else out there who’s looking for me?

And if they find me, will I be enough?

Most of you who know me well will know that I speak hindi. What you wouldn’t know and what surprises people to date is that I learned to speak hindi by watching Indian Teledramas or Serials. About eight years ago I was flipping through the channels on cable and I came across Star Plus. On the 10 o clock time belt was a show that caught my attention. So I watched it the next day and the next day and even though I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, the story seemed so intriguing that I had to go back for more.

The name of the show was Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and I had to get online and speak to an Indian friend to find out that it meant ‘the story of every household’. So with this great need to understand what the story was all about, I read up a bit about it on the internet. Then I started watching other shows, just so I could pick up the language. I connected words together and soon started putting phrases together and before I knew it, although not fluently, I understood what was going on.

Through the past eight years I’ve been an ardent fan of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and in waiting for the show to start at 10 pm I’ve also involved myself in other shows alike. Eight years later, the show ends this Thursday, the 9th of October and I couldn’t be more upset but also happy at the same time, knowing that I’ve been part of the drama from the beginning, all the way to the end.

Even though these facts may not interest you much, I have to tell you a bit about the show. Kahaani was the story of a family who was held together by the oldest daughter-in-law Parvati, played by India’s second biggest name on television – Saakshi Tanwar. Through the years, Saakshi has not only essayed the role of Parvati but also switched her character twice in the same show.

The show has dealt with situations such as extra marital affairs, drugs, the social issue of men wanting male offspring and looking down on their own daughters, when in fact, it is the man who decides the sex of the child. It has also dealt with issues such as mental instability, rape and dowry.

Throughout the past eight years Kahaani has featured some of India’s best talent as well. The show was produced by Ekta Kapoor and as much as most people love to hate her, this was one of her better concepts. Names such as Saakshi Tanwar, Kiran Karmarkar, Shweta Kawaatra, Ali Asgar, Achint Kaur, Meeta Vashisht, Kunika Sandanand Lal, Tisca Arora Chopra, Tina Parekh, Sweta Keswani, Mohnish Bhel, Kiran Dubey, Prabhat Bhattacharya, Chetan Hansraj and Aroona Irani who are all big on Indian Television and Cinema have been on the show. Even Manish Malhotra, who is one of India’s top designers was brought in to design Saakshi Tanwar’s wardrobe during the time she switched characters from Parvati to Janki.

Also, in a world of television where actors opt out of dramas quite often, Kahaani holds the highest rate of consistent actors on the TV screen. The lead characters who started playing certain roles eight years ago, are still on to date. Kahaani also holds the lowest record for the return of dead characters – on this show, the dead don’t come back to life regardless of how mysteriously they died and only one character ever got to come back in all of eight years.

But it all ends this Thursday and this is my way of bidding the show that was so close to my heart, goodbye. If I missed the 10 pm run, I would actually wake up at 3 am to watch the repeat, that’s how much I loved this show.

So goodbye Kahaani and thank you for the good times, the memories and the lessons.

From (probably) your biggest fan!

Brandon…

PS> Kahaani Katham means – the story is over