A Scene of A Summer Night
Summer is a harsh season in India. The merciless heat, the power cuts, and the epidemic of mosquitoes, all add to the woes of an ordinary city dweller. The day can somehow be passed, but it is the night that a person finds most difficult to go through. It is very rare when people sleep throughout the night without the interruption of electricity failures. An average summer night is usually spent standing in the balcony or in the courtyard of one’s house or trying to sleep in the open under the onslaught of blood-sucking mosquitoes. At times a harassed city dweller draws solace from the moonlight. These are the periods when nature and the surroundings are bathed in celestial beauty and tranquility. The moon casts her magic on both men and nature alike. The trees and the animals respond to this spell of Goddess Luna. Those who sleep on their terraces and rooftops cannot but help marveling at this phenomenon of the night. Despite the summer heat, the night appears cool. But there are nights when there is no moon to cool the burning earth and air. During these periods in the summer months, a man’s best friend is his hand fan. We Indians often spend the night fanning ourselves with it. Those who are lucky enough fall asleep out of sheer fatigue of the day. For others, the nights appear long and endless.
