It’s the Small Things | Fireflies at Grandma’s Place |
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In the 1990s in Assam, we used to regularly face load-shedding every evening. With no mobile phones and gadgets at the time, we all had to just sit in the dark with candles and lanterns, and talk to each other and play. Sometimes someone would switch on the radio, or simply hum a song, waiting for the electricity to come back before its time to cook dinner. Back then, most small-town houses in the region were characteristically ‘Assam-type’ houses: a sloping roof, spacious verandah and simple rectangular structure. It is actually a great architectural style for an earthquake-prone area.
I was between 5 and 8 years old, spending time at my grandma’s place. I remember being very happy when the lights went out – I didn’t have to study and could just escape with my thoughts, in my imaginary world.
There was a piece of land outside her house with lush grass, shrubs and plants. When everything went dark, the fireflies would come out, shining bright and sparkly. It was like my imaginary world merged with the fairytale surroundings. I surely tried to touch them, catch them, but my grandma instilled a funny fear into my toddler brain.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
She used to say: “Don’t........