Adventure in darkness

The summer is slowly fading. The days are gentle while mornings are cooler. I have given up morning walks, cant get out of bed early and the first thing that comes to mind is books, and one is always lying by my side. I cannot deny it and one can find me with a book still tucked in to the bed, my face looking sleepy and lazy.
I went home feeling lazy, dizzy, tired etc.etc. Had just lied flat in my beloved bed with a book. Night was creeping and I could see the tints of darkness all over the earth, the clouds looked gloomy and peaceful. There was no sign of rain though the moon was hiding somewhere behind the clouds. The ground where kids play was empty which made me assume the kids had returned home after being shooed by the falling dark. The neon light was already lightening my room. I must say the ambience was romantic unluckily I was not, I was just indifferent. I could see a shadow in the curtain of my neighbor; someone was reading rather mugging notes, probably my neighbor’s son preparing for exam. He was moving from left to right and back. I could see the shadow of a notebook. I still have reminiscent of my college days and the treacherous exams. I felt sorry for the boy, but the movement of his shadow was disturbing me and I turned to other side. I could see the road gleaming in the street light. I had left my book on the table just to greet the evening but it held me by its unseen hands. I was trying to read the stories of the day brought to me by the smooth breeze. All of a sudden everything went dark. I was inside the pitch darkness. The damn power cuts. I hear we will have it fourteen hours a day. I realized my damnation of the darkness was not very harsh. I felt as if I was standing alone as some mystery was to unfold. I could see nothing only hear meaningless sounds coming from all sides, time and again the howl of the dogs tried to bring meaning. The empty road was nowhere to be seen and I could only guess where it could be. I raised my hand but I couldn’t see it. I had seen a candle in my table but I dismissed it. I was enjoying darkness. Helpless candles and electrical gadgets were already flickering in pride for being able to come to the aid of their masters. Man is falling slave to his own inventions. I had to move with greater precision not to collide with anything, not to fell the things in the table and not to hurt myself. It was such a helpless state still I was cynically enjoying it. My mobile shrieked and from its light I could track where it was. A distant cousin had called as he had been invited for a dinner which obviously I had forgotten. He hadn’t seen our home and wanted me to fetch him from a crossroad where he was strangled. These days I exist in my own home without the notice of my own people. Mummy complains that I see her only on my way to office or in the dining table and I dismiss that in a guffaw. I shout at my mum that I am going to fetch the cousin. I step out of my home without a torch despite the pressings of my mother. I enjoyed the thrill that I might stumble upon anything, fall into ditches still I wanted to avoid that. Sometime its such an adventure to test one’s own instincts. I only had to get to the main road because it won’t be difficult afterward and there was no way to carry on my experiment when my cousin and his newly wed would be accompanying me. I have a torch in my mobile, I dismissed it as well. Afterall I had felt pity on the mankind for falling slave to his own inventions, if I used my torch that would be hypocrisy and for that instant I didn’t want to be a hypocrite.
As I walked along the dark track, I assumed as if someone has spilled black ink all over the earth. The thick clouds were assisting in my experiment by barring the moon from peeping the earth. I thanked them and raised every steps with care, extending my hand just to ensure I do not hammer on wall or pole with my nose. As I walked I assumed myself to be the cavemen who dwelled in Stone Age. They would have done the same thing if they were lost in middle of the night.
I was walking like a blind and that thought washed away all my excitements. My experiment of a short span was a reality of life for so many people. In my childhood when I used to imitate lame, blind, deaf and dumb people mummy used to tell me that one who mocks at helpless become helpless themselves. If I were to imitate a lame man I will be lame eventually. Recollection of those memories scared me to death. I slipped my hands into my pocket briskly and soon I was walking in the light of my mobile’s torch. I had only few steps to get into the main road but I was happy I had light and I could see.