A small cassette lesson

The pencil and the cassette reel.

There was a time when hearing a song again meant taking care of it first.

Chai Ki Gumti · Original editorial · 8 October 2026

When the tape tangled

The thin tape inside a cassette could slip out. Placing a pencil in the reel and turning it slowly was a small way to put it back. Sometimes looking after the recording took a little time before the listening could begin.

Taking care of a melody

Today one tap can start a song again. Yet the memory of that pencil offers a gentle lesson: we need not hurry past a favourite song to reach the next one. Make chai, choose a melody, and give it its full time.

A small ritual for today

When the song ends, leave a few moments of quiet. Perhaps the memory will come from the calm after the music, rather than the music itself. We no longer need to turn the cassette over, but we can still listen with that patience.