The Memories Of Midnight
Borrowing the title from a Sydney Sheldon novel, I have had a memorable previous night. The electricity supply to our colony got snapped at about twelve in the night, and was restored only at six in the morning.
However, just beyond the realms of our housing society, lights were at the brightest as if cocking a snook at us. At the same time, our blood made a sumptuous dinner to the lurking mosquitoes. Needless to say, I could hardly catch a wink.
The most ironical part, however, was the fact that there was such a lovely breeze blowing outside, but not a whiff would enter in our rooms, no matter how many windows are open. Once again I cursed the 'Flat' system, and their builders. Missed the good old nights on the terrace of my house, back home in Lucknow.
Power outage or no power outage, if it was summers, all the fun use to shift to the terrace. Come evening, and we use to pack our 'folding' beds and bed sheets to the roof. For some, as little as a Chatai or a Dari would suffice. Few high rise buildings in the residential area meant there was no stopping to that gentle Purvaiyya.
The fun use to get double when some cousin would be visiting us. Chatting, Antakshari, screaming - nothing was barred. Due to low boundaries separating neigbouring houses, often neighbours would also join us in the fun. Similar scenes would be visible on, virtually, every third terrace. It used to be one grand party.
The arrival of pre-monsoon showers would add another dimension to the excitement. While deep in slumber, there would be a sudden onslaught of rain drops. Still not out of their sleeps properly, some would prefer lying down till it would be almost too late(people really take things to the brink). Others, who are always in hurry would run helter-skelter with their meager belongings, as if in half trance. Of course, all those cool dudes would walk easy.
Once safe below the roof, people would blindly lay down almost anywhere. Lucky ones will launch into the beds, some would hang on the sofa, while even the floor wasn't spared. Believe me, in the morning, some sleep walkers don't even remember how come they landed below the sofa, when they should have been sleeping on the terrace.
There was this another breed which use to head back to the terrace if rainfall would stop shortly. On a tricky night, when rain would play such hide-n-seek, this coming-down, going-back business was fun to watch.
Sleeping at terrace was also a good news to the astronomy lovers. The night in the plains is so clear that you can't miss the SaptaRishi or DhruvaTara. I wasn't exactly an astronomy freak, but those extended sessions at the lovely Allahabad Planetarium, inside Anand Bhavan campus, during my visits to that city were of great help(that's another story to relate). Also, my dear friend Manish Mohan, who is an avid astronomy lover, was a great guide to me.
Well, not all this anymore. To seek certain dear things in life, one has to abandon certain other dearer things. Only way to have both the pleasures co-exist is to relive them in memories, just like I did right now. Thank God for the memory.
However, just beyond the realms of our housing society, lights were at the brightest as if cocking a snook at us. At the same time, our blood made a sumptuous dinner to the lurking mosquitoes. Needless to say, I could hardly catch a wink.
The most ironical part, however, was the fact that there was such a lovely breeze blowing outside, but not a whiff would enter in our rooms, no matter how many windows are open. Once again I cursed the 'Flat' system, and their builders. Missed the good old nights on the terrace of my house, back home in Lucknow.
Power outage or no power outage, if it was summers, all the fun use to shift to the terrace. Come evening, and we use to pack our 'folding' beds and bed sheets to the roof. For some, as little as a Chatai or a Dari would suffice. Few high rise buildings in the residential area meant there was no stopping to that gentle Purvaiyya.
The fun use to get double when some cousin would be visiting us. Chatting, Antakshari, screaming - nothing was barred. Due to low boundaries separating neigbouring houses, often neighbours would also join us in the fun. Similar scenes would be visible on, virtually, every third terrace. It used to be one grand party.
The arrival of pre-monsoon showers would add another dimension to the excitement. While deep in slumber, there would be a sudden onslaught of rain drops. Still not out of their sleeps properly, some would prefer lying down till it would be almost too late(people really take things to the brink). Others, who are always in hurry would run helter-skelter with their meager belongings, as if in half trance. Of course, all those cool dudes would walk easy.
Once safe below the roof, people would blindly lay down almost anywhere. Lucky ones will launch into the beds, some would hang on the sofa, while even the floor wasn't spared. Believe me, in the morning, some sleep walkers don't even remember how come they landed below the sofa, when they should have been sleeping on the terrace.
There was this another breed which use to head back to the terrace if rainfall would stop shortly. On a tricky night, when rain would play such hide-n-seek, this coming-down, going-back business was fun to watch.
Sleeping at terrace was also a good news to the astronomy lovers. The night in the plains is so clear that you can't miss the SaptaRishi or DhruvaTara. I wasn't exactly an astronomy freak, but those extended sessions at the lovely Allahabad Planetarium, inside Anand Bhavan campus, during my visits to that city were of great help(that's another story to relate). Also, my dear friend Manish Mohan, who is an avid astronomy lover, was a great guide to me.
Well, not all this anymore. To seek certain dear things in life, one has to abandon certain other dearer things. Only way to have both the pleasures co-exist is to relive them in memories, just like I did right now. Thank God for the memory.
posted by Unknown at 3:41 PM
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