A strange peace

The day is ending. The air has cooled down. It feels soothing after the burning heat of the afternoon. The Sun has gone below the horizon, yet it has left its lingering presence... the hour of twilight. The cool breeze gently flows over me, taking the tiredness off my body, leaving me embalmed and at peace. It is easy to clear your mind when you are surrounded by green and crickets and an occasional soft hum of a bird. Somewhere in the distance a vehicle starts... A momentary sound before it fades away.

There are some blurred sounds of human voices... a happy group of people... a laughter, a boisterous voice. We are unique, yet we appear the same. Perhaps it is the minute differences that define us, that separate us from each other. Like a small choice. Not so easily visible, yet present, nonetheless.

When I look to the west, I see a deep shade of orange mingled with a dirty shade of blue. Some ants catch my attention, as I stare at the west, scampering up and down the trunk of a rather thin tree. How busy life they must have, always running around. I ready my camera for a shot but the light is too low for any decent shot. After a few trials, aiming from a few directions I give up. 'Let those ants be', Nature says.

A temple has started its sandhya arati (the evening prayer). I'm not a religious person. So I do not attend many prayers. But at times like this, the haunting sound of bells feel strangely spiritual.

The light of the west has almost vanished. The street lights are slowly coming to life. The stars are becoming visible. This is one of the perks of living in the outskirts. The night sky is pure black instead of being dull red.

How tragic is it that we are losing touch with our origin! Will I be here tomorrow? Of course I will. Will I be here in this state, reaching back to what has been ours and can become ours again? I don't know. Probably not. A day, a month, few years. It reminds me of the nights sitting on the roof, marvelling at the wonders of the universe.

Where has the child vanished? What has it grown to become? Wrapped up in its own problems... Shutting down from within... Changing to mould into a shape that fits in the jigsaw of the society. And in the process, losing its individuality, its creativity, its innocence...

It is dark now. It is calm. It is quiet. There is no body near. The kalpurush is visible. The saptarshi mandal appearing in the corner of my eyes. All is at peace.