Few hours at the terrace!

Hello all!

SMS... Facebook... Assignments... Calls... TV... Yeah, I am not talking about your lives, but mine! I guess yours would be similar too! Hi-fi!

This day, the 5th of May, 2011, the famed Government of Tamil Nadu had something to offer to me - POWER CUT! 20:30 hours, my area had a power shutdown all of a sudden. We knew it was just an accidental power cut and the power would turn up soon. But what made this special was the experience that it brought to me on this night!

First of all, I was hungry. Mom was determined to make Dosas even when there was no light. We had a few lamps to make up for it as usual. Ok, emergency lamps, but I did not turn them on! I wanted stone-age lighting effects. My mind travelled back to the good old Kindergarten times when there were frequent power cuts in my 'town' of Dharmapuri. It was fun though... Eating in the company of oil lamps!

Dinner was done pretty quickly, courtesy my hunger.

The power was lazy to turn up. I wanted to go to the terrace with my mobile phone and I did just that! Wow! I quickly remembered one amazing fact - I had not been to terrace at all in some five good years (except a few nights with friends in the State Open at Mannargudi, May 2010)... I felt so fresh, probably a feeling of bliss when some cool breeze (Yeah, Chennai!) kissed me out of nowhere! I really wondered if Chennai was so cool. And then my phone beeped for sms. I looked at the sky. It was pale White and had a few stars to show. It was not all Black. I could see the traffic on roads! Mother came and we travelled back again when she recited a few lines of Tamil poetry which we cherish a lot...

'அரிது அரிது மானிடராய் பிறத்தல் அரிது

அதனினும் அரிது...'

(If you readers cannot understand Tamil, contact me to understand this!)
As it often happens, we managed to spot a few flights flying with three lights... We Tamilians always watch it every time as if we have never seen an airplane before. I am in Chennai now, I guess I can't avoid it either! We enjoyed the stars again when it happened...

The power came back! Good bye Nature!
Lights... Noise... Traffic...
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Few things I learnt this night...
1) There is no substitute for fresh air! :D
2) Power cuts can be a mixed blessing!
3) The greatest enjoyments in life are available free of cost!
4) Don't search for happiness somewhere else when it's right next to you!
5) All is well! :)

Wishing you a bright life without power cuts...
ak :)