Breeze

As I was sitting in the terrace, cool breeze caressed my whole body. Gentle at times and sometimes the gust became quite strong as well. Listening to some soothing music it played to my wounded senses like the balmy waft. It just made me wonder, how nature can truly calm your body, mind and soul with one swift tender zephyr transporting you to another world instantly. All you have to do is just to let yourself go and immerse in the offerings of nature. It does not ask you of anything in return. Just align and live with me in harmony. Don’t plunder the natural resources that I have offered for you to lead a healthy and peaceful life. Yet we have completely lost focus on our integration with nature to live in a mechanized world.

In my teenage years there were no air conditioners. During summer time, by default we used to go to the terrace and sleep either in a foldable cot or Korai Pai (sleeping mat made out of special grass) which is actually healthy and does not induce heat unlike the modern day foam beds. As a process,  after dusk, we used to go and pour water on the floor, where we are supposed to sleep, to ensure that the embedded heat of the sun evaporates and the floor becomes a bit cooler by night time. It’s not just us, the entire neighborhood comes to the terrace to sleep. It’s also a time to catch up from rooftops, to chitchat, listen to radio and the sleep. When it is a new moon day (அமாவாசை), it’s all darkness and sometimes you do star gazing in the night sky. And when it is full moon day (பௌர்ணமி), the sky is beautiful with the new bride that’s glowing and radiant. Life in reality was simple like that. I have spent years sleeping like that in those days with my grand parents, brothers and neighbors. Today, I don’t see anyone sleeping in the terrace. One is due to the pollution (air, noise) and second due to the mosquito menace and third due to the fear of robbery. This is the reality of Chennai, a buzzing metro with tons of concrete jungle filling up every nook and corner of the ever expanding city. Probably, I can relive this when I move out to a place that’s not affected by all the issues I mentioned above.

In less than 3 decades life has changed completely and today, I cannot sleep without air conditioner. I know it is harmful to me and also to the environment, yet cannot ignore it. When it’s peak summer you ache for the trees that can provide not only shade from the sizzling heat but also cool draft to wipe out the sweat flowing from your brows. Nature offers you everything in abundance and for free but in today’s mechanized world we are hell bent on marauding it’s resources for generating money and profiteering. While there is a hoarse that cries about the environmental damage, it does not muster enough support yet across the board. People have to make a living and for that they have to obey the computerized masters that run the government and wheels of the economy according to their whim. It will go on until Nature loses it’s patience and comes forth in full fury to submerge and engulf everything in it’s enraged wake. Until then, let me enjoy my breezy days and nights….whenever I can find some time….and nature obliges to my earnest call….to relax my tensed nerves.