3 AM, Piano, Pain: The night Zublee sang her grief for Zubeen Garg

When Zubeen Garg left this world, he left behind more than silence. He left a hollow ache, one that settled deep inside countless hearts across Assam. Among those hearts was Zublee Baruah’s. Having sung alongside Zubeen for many years, she did not just lose a musical companion, she lost a mentor, a guiding light, and a voice that had shaped her understanding of life and music.

Life, as it must, moved on. But grief does not follow time. For Zublee, the news of Zubeen Garg’s passing brought everything to a standstill. The lessons he taught her, about music, about emotion, about living, burned quietly like embers in her heart. And one night, those embers turned into fire.

The writing of Hobo Janu began in the stillness of the early hours, on October 13, 2025, at 1:30 AM, and was completed by 2:30 AM, an entire world of emotion poured into a single, intense hour. The lyrics speak softly yet powerfully: “Ortho jibonor toi xikali”—you taught us the meaning of life. They carry longing, helplessness, and love that refuses to fade, memories that return unannounced, tears that cannot be held back, and a heart searching for comfort it can no longer find.

After Zubeen Garg’s passing, Zublee made several attempts to compose new music, but grief stood in her way. Songs remained unfinished, emotions too heavy to shape into melody. Then, on the night of December 13, 2025, she woke suddenly around 3 AM.

Drawn instinctively to the piano, she sat down in silence and Hobo Janu flowed out of her, unplanned and unguarded. The song came into being exactly two months after Zubeen’s death, turning that moment into a deeply personal milestone.

Through Hobo Janu, Zublee does not try to explain her loss. She feels it. The song speaks where words fall short. Musically and emotionally, it feels like a lullaby but not one meant for the world. It feels as though she is singing to herself, gently, tenderly, offering comfort, solace and the first steps toward healing.

Listening to Hobo Janu is like stepping into a quiet room where grief is allowed to breathe. It offers a rare glimpse into how Zublee Baruah is learning to live with absence by turning pain into music.

The song is set to be released on the January 6.

Across Assam, people continue to mourn the loss of their heartthrob. Some pay tribute through art, some through songs, some through memories filled with love. Perhaps that is how Zubeen Garg remains alive, flowing endlessly through the hearts of his people, like the mighty Brahmaputra that never stops, carrying music, meaning and life forward.