"No memory is ever alone; it's at the end of a trail of memories, a dozen trails that each have their own associations." - Louis L'Amour in "Ride the River"

I was listening to my favourite 'Kishore Kumar Hits' cassette after a long time. Suddenly, before my mind's eye appeared the memory of a much-enjoyed school excursion to (where else?) Kanyakumari, Madurai and Kodaikanal. Because I had just bought the cassette, I had given it to our bus-driver to play it on the night we started out on the trip. It's another matter that it was booed by the majority of the class after a song or two, in favour of more "contemporary" music.

Listening to Roja's most melodious number and one of A.R. Rahman's finest tunes Chinna chinna aasai,I am reminded of the first time I heard it, on another bus journey. I was returning from a rock-climbing course near Udumalpet on a Pollachi-Coimbatore bus with many new-made friends, after five days of pure fun and exhilarating adventure. A seat near the window, a speeding bus, breeze blowing in, the bus's superior stereo: the scene is still embedded in my memory with this beautiful song. I remember wanting to own the cassette that minute.

Kadhalan's Pettai Rap reminds me of a junior in college entertaining us by reciting the whole song with its numerous names and meaningless lyrics, as soon as the cassette came out. I was disgusted the first time I listened to it but eventually bowed to Rahman's genius - he had packaged the gaana pattu for the masses and soon, even I was trying to sing along with the song! In this vein, there are many songs that come from my college days, bringing back memories of movies seen and music enjoyed with classmates.

Tu mile, dil khile from Criminal is a haunting, poignant song that has me thinking back on the year I spent at Pune. I was alone, hurt and grieving, and every time I listened to this song I cried inside. But now I think the music actually soothed me and gave me something to hold on to.

Suththi suththi vandheenga from Padayappa with its romantic undertones has a totally different connection for me. Once my husband and a friend boarded a bus to Coimbatore from Tiruppur, a journey that would take roughly an hour. Enjoying the movie songs played on the bus, including Suththi suththi, they suddenly realised the bus was not taking the normal route. They had taken a bus that covered all the villages between the two cities and when they finally reached Coimbatore after a harrowing three hours, they saw new meaning in the song!

Isn't it amazing how memories come back when one is aided by a tune, a song, a melody that haunts. Events, incidents, faces that lie in your subconscious come alive again with surprising clarity; some are pleasant, some otherwise, but all of them with that touch of nostalgia that is always a delight.