Singer-songwriter Ishan Krishan, who struck a chord with listeners with his breakout release Kol Mere, joins forces with singer and performer Shirley Setia for their new single, Tera Banke Rehna.

A tender ode to love, surrender and longing, Tera Banke Rehna captures the feeling of choosing someone so completely that the idea of belonging to oneself no longer matters. At the heart of the song is a simple but powerful promise “Jidhar jaaye tu, us raste te main rehna” wherever you go, I will follow.

Bringing together both the male and female perspectives, the song unfolds as an intimate conversation between two people deeply in love. Their feelings mirror one another, but their story takes a bittersweet turn: despite the strength of their bond, they cannot ultimately be together. What remains is a love that continues to live on even when the relationship cannot.

The release marks an exciting new chapter for Ishan Krishan, a Mumbai-based singer with roots in Chandigarh, whose emotive melodies and contemporary approach to music have steadily been finding an audience. His previous release, Kol Mere, crossed 2 million streams, inspired over 30,000 Instagram Reels, and found a place on Spotify’s Viral charts in India and Pakistan.

Speaking about his journey and the collaboration, Ishan Krishan shares, “The last year has been really special for me. Seeing people discover my music, connect with it and make it their own has given me the confidence to trust my instincts more as an artist. Working with Shirley was also something I was genuinely excited about. I’ve known her work for a long time, and what I enjoyed most was how easy and natural the process felt. I’m still discovering my sound with every release, and collaborations like this make that journey even more exciting.”

Joining him on Tera Banke Rehna is Shirley Setia, whose journey from an internet sensation to an established recording artist and performer has made her one of the most recognisable voices of her generation. From being described by Forbes as “Bollywood’s Next Big Singing Sensation” to delivering songs including Disco Disco, Tu Mil Gaya, Jab Koi Baat and the hugely popular Punjabi single Koi Vi Nahi, Shirley has built a global audience across independent music and Bollywood.

Talking about working with Ishan, Shirley Setia says, “What I liked about working with Ishan is that he’s very sincere about his music. There’s no pretence — he knows what he feels and wants that honesty to come through in what he creates. We also had a really comfortable energy while working together, which made the whole experience feel effortless.”

Adding another layer to the track is producer and composer Vaibhav Pani, whose body of work spans more than 170 tracks across Bollywood, pop and independent music and over 35 films and OTT series. His credits include projects such as Saiyaara, Metro… In Dino, War 2, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, 12th Fail, Vedaa and Deva, alongside collaborations with some of Indian music’s leading artists and composers, including Pritam, Amit Trivedi, Amaal Mallik, Vishal Mishra, Armaan Malik and Raftaar.

Known for blending contemporary electronic production with melodic songwriting, live instrumentation and Indian musical influences, Vaibhav creates a warm, intimate sonic landscape for Tera Banke Rehna, allowing Ishan and Shirley’s voices and the emotion between their two perspectives, to take centre stage.

Reflecting on his approach to creating music, Vaibhav Pani shares, “Working across films, pop and independent music has taught me that there really is no single formula for making a great record. I especially enjoy working with artists who come in with a strong emotional instinct and then finding a way to translate that into a sound. Over the years, I’ve learnt to trust those instincts more — some of the most interesting creative choices often come from simply following what feels right.”

With its relatable story of loving someone even when life does not allow you to be together, Tera Banke Rehna is a song for anyone who has discovered that some love stories do not need a happy ending to last forever.