Imagine this, on a chilly winter morning, you sit with a cup of hot tea and dive into Anuv Jain’s “Husn”; and it instantly hits you, “Damn! This is incredibly true and relatable.”
This was my reaction when I watched the music video of “Husn” for the first time. There hasn’t been a day when I haven’t listened to Jain’s “Alag Aasman“, “Mishri“, “Riha“, “Baarishein“, “Gul“, “Maula“, “Mazak“, “Antariksh“, “Meri baaton mein tu” (and the list goes on!).
As one of my favorite playback singers, he never ceases to amaze me with his music. It manages to stay relevant even in this ever-changing world. He’s a multi-talented Indie artist. There is a beautiful enthusiasm and craze for him among the youth. The tracks, composed and vocalized by this singing sensation provide the most serene experience to his listeners. In certain instances, his songs have had a profound impact on me.
Recently, I have been obsessed with “Husn”. I was so awestruck by it that I ended up subscribing to Spotify Premium to listen to it on a loop (Yes, I did that. Haha!). This song addresses the emotional rollercoaster experienced by people in new-age relationships, thus resonating with a lot of youngsters. In an interview with Mashable India, Anuv Jain explains “Husn” to describe the range of emotions felt during a situationship or one-sided love.
Mana zamana hai deewana, isi liye tune na jana, tere liye main kaafi hoon,
Dekho dekho yeh zamane se thak kar, atey ho kyun masoom ban kar?
Tere liye main Kya hi hoon?
The above stanza quintessentially encapsulates the essence of this generation. We often find ourselves trapped in a world where feelings are disregarded, and complexities surround us. Even when we attempt to express ourselves, our intentions are misunderstood. At times, young people tend to feel overwhelmed in such circumstances as everything around them seems to be in flux. They struggle to navigate the challenging transition into the new world of adulthood, exploring a new arena of life.
In this stanza, the vulnerability of human emotions is laid bare. It portrays one person’s love for another. Unfortunately, that affection is not reciprocated. It shows the self-regarding nature of such human connections, where relationships and friendships are superficial and fleeting. The concept of one’s worth goes unnoticed.
I have had my fair share of such experiences. Last year, I finally understood the meaning of a situationship. It changed my way of perceiving relationships. It was a new territory for me. I, being a hopeless romantic, got heavily attached to a guy. But as time passed, I realized that he wasn’t right for me. We had the most beautiful conversations and a comfortable friendship. However, things didn’t turn out the way I perceived them to be.
Slowly, it culminated in a different kind of realization, one that negated the kind of love I thought for us. The act of approaching each other like a couple without commitment became toxic and emotionally exhausting. I started feeling broken. The expectations took a toll on my emotional health, further disappointing me. The bond where we felt the most comfortable, had the most amazing conversations, and confessed feelings, suddenly turned into a phase of disagreements, realizations, and ghosting.
I remember feeling betrayed. I didn’t even know the meaning of such terms. My friends cautioned me about this, but I guess my emotional self made the wrong decisions. It felt as if everything was a lie. The genuine connection I had felt came to an end. But I moved on and became an entirely new person.
I somehow found an emotional comfort in the other person. This is where I realized the dangers of excessive emotional dependence. The song made me realize that it’s not just physical relationships or external beauty that people might be attracted to. It’s much beyond that – a deep emotional connection that contributes to the growth of two people involved in a relationship.
Mere husn ke ilawa kabhi dil bhi maang lo na,
Haye pal mein main pighal jaun haan,
Ab aisa na karo, ke dil judna paye wapis,
Teri baaton se bikhar jaun haan.
The above lines express the perspective of a person in love while their love interest isn’t. As portrayed in the music video of “Husn”, the girl craves a deeper connection, not just temporary things. It indicates that relationships are not just about attraction arising out of external appearance. Rather, it’s the craving to feel loved. The lyrics emphasize on a vital element for long-term healthy relationships- emotional intimacy.
Phir aatey kyun yahan karne aankhon mein ho baarish?
Ab aye toh theher jao na,
Aur poocho na zara mere din ke bare mein bhi,
Bas itne mein sambhal jaun haan.
In the video, the girl is portrayed as in love with a guy. The above stanza attempts to convey what it’s for her when the guy doesn’t reciprocate similarly. She attempts to find satisfaction in the guy’s bare minimums. As the situationship unfolds, she feels confused about her emotions. In life, too, such instances prompt us to question the bond. However, unable to find distinct answers, we often go along with the relationship. With the yearning to hold onto ‘this’ bond, we may find ourselves unknowingly excusing the offs in the relationship.
The introspective nature of the lyrics makes the track an exhilarating hear. It’s like a healing process. Whenever I listen to this song, it heals a part of my heart. It is akin to a collective realization we all go through. And that’s completely okay. It’s fine if you have experienced a one-sided friendship, a situationship, or unknowingly surrounded yourself with the ‘wrong’ people. What matters is that you finally moved on and gave preference to your sanity. You grew and learned.
It’s like that pattern that keeps recurring. But you still try to be that person who believes in the good in others. Those bittersweet experiences might have given me the benefit of the doubt, believing in other’s potential and investing my time and energy to build that connection. But, I learned to be more cautious, set strong boundaries, and give myself enough time to heal and come back stronger, resilient, and hopeful. I finally learned to be kinder to myself and thanks to Anuv Jain for contributing to my healing process. Self-love is not a destination but a lifelong journey. And sometimes, the universe forces us to be alone after all the good & bad experiences so that we learn to love and trust ourselves.