Mar 29, 2007

Power Cuts

With the onset of summer, this time a new problem (Is it a problem, Not atleast for me) surfaced in Mangalore. I don’t know whether it is a familiar or unfamiliar problem for Mangalore junta but I never faced it in my 2-3 years of stay at Mangalore. It is longer, frequent and regular power cuts. Being from a so called “backward and poorer” state (UP to be precise), I never find these power cuts a problem. Probably because I am so used to long and regular power cuts from my childhood that I always take it as a part and parcel of our daily lives. And in my place if one fine day, power cut does not happen, then we used to wonder what happened? Probably some minister or high-level officer has visited the city :-)

Ok, so returning back to Mangalore. As the power cuts have become more frequent and most of my friends and acquaintances are finding it difficult to live peacefully and comfortably at their houses, I am feeling more at home. Reason – These power cuts are reminding me of the summers in my home-town – unbearable heat, long power cuts, sleepless nights and sweaty days. These days, whenever the electricity goes in evening, I turn-on my candle and make sure to read something in that candle-light. It reminds me of countless nights I have spent studying with the “midnight-candle”. And since the heat at Mangalore is still not too much, I can enjoy the luxury to sleep anytime irrespective of power cut.

Last night, power went off at around 10 pm and immediately I went to sleep. It was slightly hot but I was still enjoying it. The window was open but there was not even a single trace of a breeze. Never mind, I am feeling at home. During the course of sleep, may be a cool midnight breeze started blowing and entered my room through the window. It caressed my hair and made me slightly cooler. I suddenly woke-up saying - “Mummy, you still awake??”. Well, that wind reminded me of my mom who used to spend sleepless nights making me cooler in hot nights by waving her hand-fan. And I used to wake up one time or another in the night asking her if she is still awake. As usual, she always used to caress my hair and say – “You sleep, I am there”. But yesterday, mom was nowhere to be found. There was only that unfamiliar breeze. Sadly, I looked around my dark room, closed the window so that the breeze did not try to enter the room and take place of my mom again and went to sleep. [ Mummy, I miss you so much :-( ].

Well that’s all. Lately the electricity returned back at around 1:30 am and the TV who returned back to life with the power, woke me up with his screaming voice. It was difficult to sleep again so soon. So I switched to "SouthAfrica–SriLanka" World Cup match and to my luck it turned out to be a thriller. Wow…Sometimes I am lucky too :-)

Current Mood – Lonely
Current MusicI want to Break-free [Queen]

~Mayank