Life in Darkness

Back on line due to popular requests. At least more than one person has requested me to continue writing. More than the ability to write, it was the sheer laziness to pen in something. Inability to sit at one place and give the due deligence required to attain the level of concentration was one thing. What should I write about became the next problem.

Then came to mind a recent experience. powercuts are common in india. but recently, there was one that was a clear damper. But as they say, there was a silver lining to even this cloud. Here is how it went. we had very good rains this season. and i mean it when i said very good rains. it was pouring even in december when it was not expected to. result was, we lost power one of those times. i thought that was a common experience and it will be back on when the rains come down a bit. maybe 24 hrs or so. but later we realised that 2 houses, ours included lost power due to a short circuit. The EB department had to re-lay the lines and they kind of took 2 or 3 days to do it. These days were real eye-openers. most days i come home late from work but my home is always lit with light and noisy with the sound of whichever serial or reality program that was going on at that point. one night i was very late and it was pouring at my place. called up dad and told him the situation as soon as i got down at my station, least my parents worry and he said he will pick me up from the station. i had to wade through pure rain water. it was just ankle deep water but packed quite a current while roaring down the street. it was this 'flood' that i had to 'cross' to reach a dry bank of road. i came home wet and shivering in the cold doubled by the customary december climate and the added rains. and here is how the house looked. it was plunged in darkness. candle-lit rooms. songs through the FM radio in cell phone. we could not do much in the evening. we ate and went to bed early. no net, no work from home at night meant no mails or calls at night. i actually realized what a good few hours of straight sleep can do for you. refreshed in the morning? yep. One would have thought i might have learnt my lesson with this? nope. i suppose it is difficult to give up a life-time habit of reading before going to bed. but life even though it was difficult during those 3 days was sure simple and straight forward.