Beware of the evil forces of the night’ is something we are always warned about. Man has always feared the night. Bereft of light, the darkness probably made the caveman feel vulnerable and defenceless against wild animals and evil spirits. Enemy attacks were planned at night using the darkness as a shield and robbers and highway men were in their element at night. It was the time when man slumbered, thus ensuring a surprise element.
There are numerous tales about night creatures both in fairy tale and literature. Who has not been terrified by the story of Dracula or scared by bed time stories about evil witches who cursed princesses or ghosts who haunted houses? Shakespeare set an entire play complete with spells and love potions entirely during the night aptly called ‘The Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Which of us has not been terrified by the ghostly hound who comes out of the mists of Dartmoor at night to haunt the last heir of Baskerville Hall in one of Aurthur Conan Doyle’s most spine chilling stories ‘ The Hound of Baskervilles’?
In modern times, the fears are more prosaic. In the urban areas one could get robbed, attacked, raped. In the rural areas, there are wild animals, snakes–all the night creatures that stay indoors during the day.
But, the night need not be one of fear and horror. I was visiting an aunt in a village in Palghat, Kerala. It was a traditional house with no AC and I had to sleep with my window open in an upstairs bedroom.
That’s when the night sounds hit me. The crickets were doing a relay concert–when one stopped another one started. An owl was hooting from some tree top. The frogs in the puddles nearby were running a parallel symphony. Various other unidentified insects were buzzing and humming in the air. I might as well been on a railway platform – there was so much noise around. But it was pleasant and soothing. I had not felt so peaceful or contented in a while.
The pleasant night air, uninterrupted by sounds of traffic, the buzzing and humming, made me feel happy and contented. And gradually, I don’t know when, I had gone off to sleep. I woke up in the morning to the sounds of the Indian robin whistling at my window. Other birds sang and tweeted around. I felt refreshed and active. And, I realised I had got my precious eight hours of beauty sleep without an AC!
I realised that the night was like a rose bush. Think of the thorns and you will never be able to enjoy the beauty of the roses. So, enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the roses while being careful of the thorns. In other words, be careful of the dangers of the night. But, open the windows of your room and your mind and enjoy the beauties of the night as well.