Thank you Coke Studio for the Magic

Stress Stress Stress. God this chemistry gives so much stress. 

 While I was under that stress, I logged in to my facebook, just to take a break; the first post that I saw was of strings. Yes strings the band.

It read that strings are now leaving coke studio.

Silence!!!!!

That heartbeat suddenly rose to new heights. A restlessness, I’ve never experienced before.

I couldn’t find what to do with that post, whether to give it love as a gratitude for those amazing 4 years or a sad sa emoji that coke studio is never going to be same now. (At least, not for me)

(How hard it is to write, when I’m overcome with so many emotions)

Coke studio is love, not only because of that good music but also because of strings, because of the house band, because of the singers, because of its videos, because of the studio itself and because of…..

I came across Coke Studio around 2 years back and before that( forgive my ignorance) I didn’t even know something like coke studio exists, most of the songs that I used to listen to, as a kid, were in fact Pakistani songs and that Faisal and Bilal were actually behind ‘Duur’- the song. (Mera all time favorite)

I fell in love with season 8, then with season 9 and then with season 7.

I used to be excited about every song, I would play it on repeat for weeks, which annoyed my mother but I won as I forcedly, made it Dad’s favorite even. (He listens to coke studio on Sundays, especially ‘Sammi Meri Waar’, and even translates those Punjabi lyrics for me.) But even Mom now loves some of the songs and her favorite is ‘Dil Kamla’.

As I’m writing this, all the songs are constantly moving in my head, I don’t know what I’m writing. So if I lose track by the time I complete, apologies!

This year when season 10 released, I was on cloud nine. The day first episode was to come, I was so so so much excited (I can’t express it in words) that I was again and again checking YouTube, even when I knew the time. And though it was being released from Karachi, meant that it would come half an hour later in India (I was like a person waiting for someone to give him water in the desert)

First song, I hit the like button (sabse pehle) even before the song started. As the song started, the kind of happy I was to see everyone, I can’t even describe, I was literally jumping with joy. And with each episode, each song was my favorite.

Usually it used to release on Fridays and then on the finale, it was release on Thursday and I was like completely unaware of it, I was studying for chemistry ( again, chemistry has some connection with coke )

But then I saw notification on mom’s phone and I felt that ground slipped below my feet. Why on earth? I had never missed any episode, and I missed finale? Ok! Three songs.

I didn’t know what to do; I had my chemistry exam the next day and coke studio.

I was so much restless, I felt like crying. So I decided to stop studying and first listen to coke studio. I felt so emotional with every second of Uss Raah Par and the moment, Bilal and Faisal started to sing, end of everything.

I don’t know what I was exactly feeling at that time. I felt a certain kind of joy, a certain kind of motivation; I was happy but at the same time sad, that I’ll have to wait for a year for the next season.

(What about chemistry? The exam went very well. CS brings me luck)

Little did I know that I’m never going to experience this feeling again?

Shattered.

But I love every bit of those 4 years. I love the songs. I love the way a smile that starts from Rachel, passes over to Imran, then to Babar, then to Haider, then to everyone and ends on Aahad, but I feel it ending on me. (And I thank them for making my day)

I love the kind of faces Omran makes while playing. I love Aahad’s expressions. I love the kind of fun they have during jamming (BTS, you know). I love how Haider always plays in style.

I love the smile on Jaffer’s face after that successful recording. I love the way Faisal and Bilal congratulate everyone.

I love coke studio and there’s no match to it.

I’m not sure whether I’ll be listening to the upcoming seasons or not.

But today I want to thank each and everyone associated with Coke Studio for making it magical. I want to thank Strings. I want to thank the house band. I want to thank those magical voices, of course the singers (Who ended up being my favorite too).  I want to thank those who are behind every song, whom we don’t get to see. The photographers and the videographers, Zahra Sabri for the translations, a big thanks to you.

And everyone, who in any way is associated with Coke Studio.

(I don’t know whether any of you is going to read it, but I know it’s gonna reach in some way or other)

Thank you Strings!

#Gratitude