Riha By Anuv Jain Meaning: Wishing Them Freedom, But Can the Heart Let Go?

Anuv Jain’s song “Riha” is a very heartfelt song that talks about complicated feelings after someone you love is no longer with you. The word “Riha” means to be set free or let go. The song is like a soft whisper from someone who wants their loved one to be free and happy, even if that means they are not together.

But at the same time, the singer’s own heart finds it very hard to let go of the beautiful memories and the deep love it still feels. It’s a song about loving someone enough to wish them peace, while your own heart continues to hold them close in memories and dreams.

From the same album Feel Good with Anuv Jain, there’s song you might heard, yes it is Husn, one of the most famous song, that speaks about a different kind of pain—the feeling of being seen only for your looks, not your heart. If Riha is about setting someone free with love, Husn is about wanting to be truly known and accepted beyond what’s visible.

Both songs reflect quiet emotions that many people feel but don’t always know how to express. We also have a section dedicated to Anuv Jain’s songs, where you can explore more of his heartfelt tracks and find ones that speak to your own feelings.

Footprints on the Heart: A Selfless Wish Amidst Lingering Traces

The song begins by painting a picture of how deeply the loved one has affected the singer. It’s as if the loved one walked on sand, leaving footprints, but these footprints are pressed right onto the singer’s heart. These marks are precious but also delicate.

The singer worries that, just like waves can wash away footprints on the sand, the words or opinions of other people might try to fade these deep marks on his heart. How long, he wonders, can these cherished imprints last against the world?

Then, the singer expresses a surprising and very unselfish wish. He softly asks for his loved one to “ho jana tu riha, mere” – which means he wants them to be free, to be liberated, possibly from any pain or perhaps even from any feeling of being tied to the singer.

It’s a wish for their happiness and peace. However, when it comes to his own feelings, the singer says something different. He admits that he doesn’t want to be free from these feelings of love and memory, and he feels he never truly can be. This shows how deeply connected he still is, even as he wishes freedom for the other person.

Lost Smiles and Sweet, Treasured Memories of the Past

The song then shares a common experience after someone leaves: people start to notice a change. They ask the singer why he doesn’t smile anymore, especially when they see his old photographs where he looked happy. The singer explains that these outsiders, these “gairon,” don’t really understand the reason for his lost smile. The quiet truth is that the loved one was standing right there with him in those happy pictures. Their presence was the source of that joy.

Even though the person is gone, the singer carefully holds onto all the sweet memories. He describes these memories as being like “mishri,” a type of sweet sugar candy, precious and comforting. He has kept them safe in his heart. And in these beautiful memories, the loved one still belongs to him; they are still together in that special, preserved past.

He thinks of the person he misses as a unique and special light, a “noor,” that is unlike any other. In this way, in his heart and memories, they are still truly his. This part of the song shows how we often keep people alive and close to us by holding onto the good times we shared.

Who Am I Without You? A Question in the Quiet Emptiness

The song then explores a very deep and sometimes confusing feeling that comes with loss. The singer feels that the loved one is not physically there, yet, at the same time, their presence is felt very strongly. It’s like they are gone, but also still everywhere for the singer. This strong feeling of their presence, even when they are absent, leads the singer to ask a very big question about himself: “If you are not here, then who am I?”

It’s as if a big part of his own identity was connected to the person he lost. The loved one has “flown away like a bird,” moving on or moving away freely. And in their absence, the singer feels a bit lost, questioning his own self. “Tell me, who am I without you?” he asks. This shows how deeply our relationships can shape who we feel we are, and how losing an important person can make us feel like we’ve lost a piece of ourselves too.

Dreams as a Beautiful Garden: A Safe Place for Love to Live

Even though real life feels empty without the loved one, the singer finds a special place where they can still be together. This safe and beautiful place is in his dreams. He says that in his sleep, there is a “gulistaan,” which means a lovely garden. And this garden is their shared home, their “aashiyana.” It is in this world of dreams that their togetherness continues, untouched by the sadness of waking life.

The singer deeply longs for the loved one to come back to him, even if it’s only in these dreams. He wishes they would come into his sleep, and when his eyes are closed, he feels them close to him every single moment. Dreams become a sweet escape, a comfort, and a space where love can still feel alive and real, providing solace when the days are hard.

A Gentle Final Wish: Please Stay With Me, Until the Very End

The song closes with a very tender and soft wish. After wishing for the loved one to be free, and after finding them in his dreams, the singer now expresses a deep desire for them to stay. He wishes that his loved one would return to him, perhaps falling gently like a shooting star from the night sky. He asks them to “reh jaana tu yahan mere” – to stay there with him.

This plea to stay is a little different from the earlier wish for them to be “riha” or free. It shows the complex nature of love and loss. You might want someone to be happy and free, but your heart still deeply yearns for their presence. The singer wants them to remain with him, perhaps in his heart, in his memories, or in his dreams, “until I meet you somewhere among the stars.” This suggests he wants this connection to last for his entire life, until he himself is no more. It’s a beautiful and poignant way to show that some connections are so deep, they feel eternal, and letting go is the hardest thing, even when you wish the other person peace.

“Riha” is a song that beautifully captures the gentle sadness, the cherished memories, and the undying hope that often live within a heart that has loved deeply and experienced separation.