On October 31, when I refreshed my inbox after lunch, I was pleasantly surprised to see an “early closing down of office” mail pop up. Everyone in the department cheered as we hurriedly gathered our belongings and scampered to our buses. It was obvious that there would be no power and mobile signals would be down. So I thought there would be no ‘real fun’ after going home.
When I got home at about 5:00 p.m., the house looked all set for a candle light dinner. Mom and dad were at the dining table, chatting. Normally, when I get home at night, the TV and mobile phone take precedence over mom and dad. But on ‘Nilam Day’ things were different. I felt like a fish out of water without the phone and Internet! After many days of sandwiches for an evening snack at office, I got to eat hot vadas and tea made by mom. My parents teased that I had no other go but to talk to them. I took the cue and settled down for a pleasant chat. Nostalgia crept in, and mom started reminiscing about her childhood days at Triplicane.
Back then, when people were unaware of a phenomenon like the tsunami, people (mostly children and youth) used to gather at a safe distance from the sea shore to watch the giant waves during cyclones. There would be shouts of joy when a huge wave leapt up. This would be followed by their parents admonishing and dragging them back home. Dad recollected his childhood at Erode when the installation of a single street light brought squeals of joy from the street-kids. Back then, they didn’t even know what ‘power’ was, forget power cuts.
This was followed by a ‘candle light’ dinner with more conversation flowing. I forgot all about my technology-powered friends. Realisation dawned that Nilam had proved to be a blessing in disguise. I could see that my parents had missed me when I was preoccupied with my gadgets. Just a simple conversation enlivened them. And they never showed their angst when I didn’t pay heed to them and was occupied with my gadgets. I vowed that I would spend at least a few minutes a day chatting with them. Hats off Nilam!
S. ARJUN PRASANNA, 23 years, IT Professional
Published - November 14, 2012 07:05 pm IST
