So, I was lighting up some of those colourful, fruity-flowery scented candles at home this evening after a weekend of super-cleaning and was reminded of the simple, traditional, white, long pillar candles we light when we do not have electricity (which is quite a regular thing) back home.
There's something magical about that candle.*~*~*~*~*
Of course, it takes a while for it to set in. Once you stop cursing the electricity for disappearing just at the most important part of your tv show you were watching while having dinner, then running out in your pjs with kozhambu dripping down your fingers to check whether the neighbours still have their power supply and furiously complaining to the EB, only then scrambling for those candles which choose to play hide and seek only in the dark! But once they're lit, they transport you to this whole different world......
Have you ever tried cutting the flame with your fingers? Or chased pallis with wet cotton balls? Or had idli-sambar-molaga podi picnics in the moonlight on a paai? Amma always came up with the best stories then, more than making up for that stupid tv show we were missing, and Appa hosted the most exciting antakshari game making Anu Kapoor's CloseUp Antakshari a child's play, with the neighbours, our humble audience, listening in to the donkey-like renditions by my brother and I of film songs.
The way the entire city slows down is downright miraculous. People slowly migrating to their balconies or doorsteps, the only sounds heard are those stark calls of crickets and frogs, people chattering and the cars whooshing past on the main road; the only lights are from the cars that pass by and fireflies if you are lucky, and the only things you can see would be the silhouettes of the tall coconut trees swaying to the tunes of the sea breeze against the moon and starlit sky.
These technology-impairing moments are just what we all need once in a while to remind us what the world looks like and sounds like without whirring machines and noise-polluting, electrical thingamajigs! Its just the type of digital-detox for the soul I would like sometimes, especially when the only time I abstain from dependence on a machine is when I'm asleep. In this age of electricity generators and phones/tablets, I doubt we'd bring out that old white candle any more. I stay in a place where I've never had a power cut! I tried switching off all the lights and machines to make a pseudo-power cut and it didn't last for 5 minutes.
Once, when I was younger, my grandfather asked me for 5 rupees in exchange of showing me something extraordinarily out of this world. Excited, I quickly dug out the coins from my piggy bank and paid my due. My grandfather then pointed to the sky and showed me a rainbow. I frowned at him and said, "Thatha, I could've seen that for free, its right there for everyone to see!" And he said to me, "Yes you could've seen that for free but did you?" I was quite surprised I had not noticed it until he stopped me and pointed it out to me. He then bet me that if I had set up a stall for this and did the same thing with every passerby, not only would I be rich, but 95% of the people would've been ignorant to it, when its right there!
I bet that magic is there all around, but we need the candle light in the darkness to point it out.
Today I lit the candle for that wondrous, white candle, for the magical moments it showed me!
There's something magical about that candle.*~*~*~*~*
Of course, it takes a while for it to set in. Once you stop cursing the electricity for disappearing just at the most important part of your tv show you were watching while having dinner, then running out in your pjs with kozhambu dripping down your fingers to check whether the neighbours still have their power supply and furiously complaining to the EB, only then scrambling for those candles which choose to play hide and seek only in the dark! But once they're lit, they transport you to this whole different world......
Have you ever tried cutting the flame with your fingers? Or chased pallis with wet cotton balls? Or had idli-sambar-molaga podi picnics in the moonlight on a paai? Amma always came up with the best stories then, more than making up for that stupid tv show we were missing, and Appa hosted the most exciting antakshari game making Anu Kapoor's CloseUp Antakshari a child's play, with the neighbours, our humble audience, listening in to the donkey-like renditions by my brother and I of film songs.
The way the entire city slows down is downright miraculous. People slowly migrating to their balconies or doorsteps, the only sounds heard are those stark calls of crickets and frogs, people chattering and the cars whooshing past on the main road; the only lights are from the cars that pass by and fireflies if you are lucky, and the only things you can see would be the silhouettes of the tall coconut trees swaying to the tunes of the sea breeze against the moon and starlit sky.
These technology-impairing moments are just what we all need once in a while to remind us what the world looks like and sounds like without whirring machines and noise-polluting, electrical thingamajigs! Its just the type of digital-detox for the soul I would like sometimes, especially when the only time I abstain from dependence on a machine is when I'm asleep. In this age of electricity generators and phones/tablets, I doubt we'd bring out that old white candle any more. I stay in a place where I've never had a power cut! I tried switching off all the lights and machines to make a pseudo-power cut and it didn't last for 5 minutes.
Once, when I was younger, my grandfather asked me for 5 rupees in exchange of showing me something extraordinarily out of this world. Excited, I quickly dug out the coins from my piggy bank and paid my due. My grandfather then pointed to the sky and showed me a rainbow. I frowned at him and said, "Thatha, I could've seen that for free, its right there for everyone to see!" And he said to me, "Yes you could've seen that for free but did you?" I was quite surprised I had not noticed it until he stopped me and pointed it out to me. He then bet me that if I had set up a stall for this and did the same thing with every passerby, not only would I be rich, but 95% of the people would've been ignorant to it, when its right there!
I bet that magic is there all around, but we need the candle light in the darkness to point it out.
Today I lit the candle for that wondrous, white candle, for the magical moments it showed me!
amazing megz! reminds us how we are all connected to "The System" we used to do this in my old house, that was the only time we could see everyone from the other houses outside, on the street or like you said, in the balconies, me and sis used to play some silly games, which, nevertheless was fun!.. the calm and quiet was something else! and the starry sky. sigh
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ReplyDeleteLoved reading this, Meghna! Your thatha is absolutely right! It's the little, everyday things that we are so used to taking for granted we have become oblivious to!! You have penned it down beautifully.
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