Delights of darkness
MANISHA GUTMAN
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What do you do when there is a powercut at home?
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Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty
Light a candle: Try to relax.
In Pune, we often find ourselves in the dark, thanks to the insufficient electric energy available to meet the needs of the urban population of this city. After a long day at work when one gets home to find that the doorbell doesn’t work, one’s first reaction is likely to be frustration. This might turn into anger when one realises that its not just the doorbell, but the lights, fans, water purifier, computer and television also won’t work! There seems no
t much to do except light a candle and wait!
But of late, I have actually begun to enjoy the power cuts. First, being unable to do much, one is justified in not doing anything and just taking some time off to gather one’s wits, breathe easy and sit back to take count of the events of the day. Relaxing in the dark one suddenly notices the silence. The variety of electric gadgets that runs one’s urban life also produce an incredible amount of noise, and now in the darkness one suddenly experiences quiet.
In the cushion of this silence, other subtler sounds come to one’s attention. The insects in the garden patch, maybe even a frog, a bird, someone humming a tune. Our voices soften because we can hear each other better.
As our eyes get accustomed to the darkness, we wander about the house looking for something we could do. Out on the terrace, our eyes turn to the darkness of the sky and we look at the moon and its soft glowing beauty. And then gradually discover that the sky is in fact full of stars, that one has never noticed before. The harsh electric lights of a city obscure the magnificent night sky. A power cut can give you a little glimpse of how much your eyes can really see in the dark!
The activities in the neighbourhood seem to suddenly come to a standstill. You discuss with your neighbours about the power cut.
It occurs to you that the last time you actually had a conversation with them was also when the power had been cut! A cry of joy from the neighbourhood children makes you realise that the lights are back and you switch on the light. The short pause from urban life, that the power cut forced upon you comes to an end. I ask myself, “How much electricity do I really need?”
What you can do:
The next time there is a power failure try some of these —
Find out if your elderly neighbour requires help.
Sit back and pay attention to all the sounds you can hear.
Try this game: Make a list of the number of objects you can see in candlelight. The one with the longest list wins.
When the electricity returns, pay attention to the number of lights you turn on and ask yourself if what you are doing really needs that much light.
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