O’ for a thousand Suns!

         

O’ for a thousand Suns!

By: Rajbir Deswal

“Andhere se main darta hoon Maa ! (I fear darkness O’ Mother!)” This number from Aamir Khan’s ‘Tare Zameen par’ is not only a fearful child’s seeking a secure cover while being enveloped, embalmed and mummified in darkness, but speaks volumes of an important aspect of human nature. The only remedy, not only redeeming but resilient in letting things return to their normal shine, is then surely a source of light. I throw some light on them, prompted largely by the recent couple of blackouts.

Primitive man started with striking the stones to make fire. Thereafter, man literally played with fire and discovered it’s other forms, many of which nature had already lit. Lightening filled man’s heart with reason to sparkle; also being apprehensive, fearful and turn a believer in a super power. Till the discovery of radium, mankind believed in all kinds of natural sources of light and not an artificial one. From mashaals to earthen-lamps to lanterns to petromax to hurricane lamps, it was a long journey, in creating need-based light. Then came candles—my favorite. And with them, poetry and much more.

With the discovery of the alternating current and the direct current, bulbs and torches came into being. They gave the lily-livered more confidence—whatever that means. Even to the extent that one of my friends does not sleep without a torch for he says during the night when he has to use the toilet, he hits the walls making his foot-thumb thicker like that of a camel. Look even the Olympic Torch is just a proxy—of our own desi mashaal. One’s comely countenance has him seen by others in the dark, only when one flashes a smile, showing his white gems. Contrasts bring shine too, besides recognition.

There dawned curiosity of a kind in a couple (actually—Curie and Pierri) of France, who discovered an artificial glowing substance radiating with the name Radium, adding luminosity to the hither-to-fore dark ages of scientific haze. The faint bluish-green then started adorning watch dials, buttons and glow toys. I think the best creation of nature in flaming up life is found in a glowworm. And it uses a switch too, to turn it’s radiance on and off. Perhaps it has been giving a message to mankind to save energy since it was born! And look at another one of the smart species, the Weaver-Bird has in its nest, a glowworm fixed on a muddy-paste, to light up its twiggy-abode during the night.

That a face lights up, eyes sparkle, stars, moon and the sun shine, reflections weave patterns, mirrors cast beams, prisms add a rainbow to rays, and a flood is caused with mercury and sodium through halogens—the picture presents a whole haul of brightness, oozing out in abundance and taking over all the darkness, all the grossness—physical and spiritual—Winning.

I present a glowing scenario reflected in a Hindi short story ‘Jagmagahat’ by a Sirsa based writer, Roop Devgun. A head clerk asks his secretary to stay after office hours since he has an urgent work to dispose off. She had never overstayed, ever. She becomes apprehensive of the boss and conjures up a plethora of ugly moves on his part, at the same time preparing herself to be ready to face any eventuality.

Suddenly the lights go off. Her heart starts beating faster. The head clerk moves from his table in darkness. The creaking sound of screeches frighten her no end. The head clerk calls her, “Can you please look for a matchbox lying in the almirah near the window Beti (—daughter like!)” She then has a thousand suns dawned the room lighting up even the cockles of her fearful heart.

 

 

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