31st of December, a little bit
of greed for peace made me decide to spend two days at Yercaud before the
school reopening. I dreamed of the blue sky and quiet nature and flowers in my
garden all awaiting me. We had to trouble our aged dog, making him bear all the
hairpin bends and distance, as we were planning for an overnight stay.
We reached around noon..I was
not disappointed. Our water lily had a beautiful lavender flower on it and I
was so happy to see it for the first time. The sight of gold fishes that swam
beneath the leaves made my day. I took some time to see all the flowers. I
didn't regret my decision.
Night came and there was that
usual pin drop silence. I happily took my Bible and prayer book and sat on the
warm mat. I thought to myself..'what an ideal place to pray'!
I heard a loud beat of music and
as it stayed for a few seconds in the same volume, I looked at my husband. We
thought and we hoped that it was a passing car with loud music played in it. We
kept on hoping, but the volume didn't fade a bit. He left his laptop and I left
my Bible and we opened the door and went out of the house. Standing near the
gate we could see flashing laser beams and understood that the fourth house
from ours had arranged a discotheque for New Year in their compound with loud
speakers powerful enough to shake our house and break our hearts.
When we asked the watchman's
family they exclaimed that it is an every year affair and women will be dressed
like film stars and will dance with bottles in their hands. They endure it
every year and we were told that it will continue till 3 am!
As we decided not to confront
and risk a fight, we called the police station. The police told us that they
are also facing a similar scene near their police station and bearing it and
advised us to do the same for just one night. Also they assured us that those
people will get tired and will sleep soon! We missed our Salem house; thought
how quiet it would be there at that hour. Though we had an idea of
driving down to Salem, the thought of mad rowdies on the Ghat road made us stay
back.
For some time, the volume went
low, we quickly said our family prayer. Again from 11 till midnight they had
the worst music and at 12 when they screamed 'Happy New year' a tear drop fell
from my eyes thinking of my bad start of the year and the sleepless night
ahead.
We didn't even wish each other.
I was awake till early morning, till the music died down. I got up with a headache
when the phone started ringing to say "Happy New Year'! The morning was so
peaceful. But with my heavy head nothing meant anything to me. I felt like
hiring a cone speaker and blow it in the ears of those who were sleeping in the
morning after spoiling our peace at night.
No, I didn't do anything. Just
cooked lunch, had it, and packed back to Salem at the earliest, before
drunkards dance and drive along the way in the evening. It was just afternoon,
as we passed Yercaud lakeside, I could smell alcohol from the passing youths
and all I wanted was to come home.
To make it short, by the time I
reached Salem, I could only enter my home as if I'm rushing myself to an ICU
and fall on the couch, apply Himalaya cold balm to numb my forehead from pain
and thoughts and slowly sleep a bit.
I have nothing to tell to the
ruthless stupid senseless Indians and undisciplined India. I just want to
forget about the mad celebration of the rich with their English and rock music
and alcohol. Neither education nor money makes anyone a human being.
Our plans of going to church in
the evening, visiting the nearby orphanage, everything tumbled. The New Year day
has come to an end. One Indian proposes, another Indian disposes! I am dead tired,
yet I want to write this before I sleep.
I don't wish for a happy new
year..I just wish to have a good night sleep..if it's not too much for me to
ask of this New Year!!
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