The play of electricity on hot summer nights

Lights out! The frantic search for candles. And matches. And an occasional hitting into the wall or with the over-active cats in darkness. All activity came to absolute halt, be it cooking, studying, cleaning, watching tv or listening to radio or eating. Damn. Candles were searched, and all attempt was made to stick them upright on the bare ground or on kitchen slabs, or on door stoppers. The flickering flame would take the lead into guiding us. And someone who needs to go to toilet must fix up a candle first on the ventilator window, which usually is already stuffed with cigarettes and bidis. Mom always yelled for keeping the ventilator unclean. After all the activities were either dismissed or slowly completed like eating, we would migrate to outside verandah on and stretch ourselves on wooden cots, under the guava tree. Since there were only 1 or 2 cots we'd have to huddle ourselves together into it to get a perch. And if Dad was around, we'd ask him to tell his early days as a boy, or stories about their walk to village from city involving a horse ride on the river chambal, or details about how or my uncle ran away from home, and what all happened. How was it like 50 years ago? He used to tell us that there were no lights at all. He studied in lamp and candles. Oh boy, how gloomy it would have been in the past. Lost in all sort of imagination, and wonder. We loved the thrill of getting to know the past. Another respite would be to go to the roof top. And wander. Or lie down on mats, well you gotta bring one from downstairs.

In hot summer days we would plan to sleep on the roof top. So we'd take mud-pots (surahi) and glass with us in case u got thirsty at night. And usually white cotton sheets to wear to save from mosquitoes. Like devils they were. They would not feel mercily on an open foot or hand left out of the covers from the sleeping and unconscious. And would deftly suck into them more than they could handle, our blood. Killing them was so much pleasure! It was like getting revenge. They couldn't fly easily after getting their bellies full. So kill, kill and kill. It would get the sheets red though. But who cares.