There is nothing more exhilarating than returning home at dusk. This is the best time to travel by bus or train leaving the crowded city. However, the weary workers may not enjoy the precious interval between day and night. They are burdened with mundane matters. They have no time to breathe in the cool breeze or to see the changes taking place in the natural world
The dusk is a poignant pause between daylight and night. It is a time of homecoming for weary workers and a time for hope and renewal for others.
I vividly remember the day when my mother took me to a fair in the city. I got lost in the crowd. I searched everywhere for my mother, but could not find her. Then I set out for home by myself. I walked up one road, down another, expecting to stumble on someone I knew. To my horror I saw many unfamiliar faces. Most of them were quite unfriendly and none of them asked me where I was going. I passed many houses, but I was afraid to knock on any door. Then I sat under a shady tree and soon fell asleep.
I awoke at dusk. The night was seeping into the neighbourhood shadow by shadow. A pale wash of sunset had pinked the rooftops. The environment darkened to a deep translucent blue and a brilliant star appeared in the sky. I fixed my gaze on it for some time.
Magic of dusk
Suddenly, I felt that the world was changing and the magic of dusk was creeping in. I saw fathers hurrying home with their bags full of goods. Children were returning home from tuition classes. Without hesitation I ran to the nearest house and banged on the door. A kind woman welcomed me. After giving me something to eat and drink, she tried to get in touch with my mother.
When my mother arrived, I was in safe hands. She asked me what really happened, but I remained silent. I did not know how to explain my plight. I wanted to say that the dusk was enchanting. For fear of punishment, I did not utter a word. Still I wished to go out and walk about in the dusk.
Mother switched on the light, but I wanted to peep into the darkness. I do not know whether you have walked down a lane on a later afternoon. If you had done so, you would have been surprised by the silent coming-on of street lights. In a way, street lights destroy the beauty of the dusk.
Homecoming
The dusk is purely meant for homecoming for both humans and animals. You will see birds flapping their wings and making a beeline to their nests. When I was a child, I read a short essay on dusk written by Laurie Lee: “The day was over and we had used it, running errands or prowling the fields. We returned to the kitchen, back to its smoky comfort. Every stone in the path as I ran down home shook my bones with arriving joy.”
There is nothing more exhilarating than returning home at dusk. This is the best time to travel by bus or train leaving the crowded city. However, the weary workers may not enjoy the precious interval between day and night. They are burdened with mundane matters. They have no time to breathe in the cool breeze or to see the changes taking place in the natural world.
As a child, I always looked out of the window when the day was coming to an end. This is the time to see sparrows chirping in their nests and nocturnal creatures beginning their day. Listen to the crickets; they are overjoyed and are singing. If you take a stroll at dusk, you will see numerous lamp-lit windows.
In each house, people are getting ready to cook their dinner or getting ready to go out for a meal at a nearby restaurant. Sometimes, you will see a pretty girl putting on make-up before the mirror. She may be having a rendezvous with her lover. In another house, children are getting ready to do their homework. If you see someone lighting candles, they are getting ready for a party.
Rays of the sun
The last rays of the sun are caught on a pond or behind a hill. They will not wait for a long time. Before you say ‘Jack Robinson’ they will be gone. Nobody knows where they go, but they allow the night to settle down peacefully.
It is wonderful for a child to burst from the house and play in the hide-and-seek dusk. However, you cannot play in the dusk for long. When the dusk disappears, you cannot see your friends clearly or you might see only their shadow.
This is the time fireflies enjoy. Their greenish-yellow gleam flashes and some children try to catch them. This is a game children enjoy. More than fireflies, lovers wander hand in hand paying no attention to the outside world. The beach is their favourite trysting place. They walk slowly along the beach building castles in the air.
Some people love the smell of sundown. For them, dusk is the best time of the day. Richard E. Byrd wrote: “In the Northeast a silver-green serpentine aurora pulsed and quivered gently.
The day was dying, the night being born, but with great peace. In that instant, I could feel no doubt of man’s oneness with the universe. The conviction came that there must be a purpose in the whole and that man was part of that purpose.”
Sometimes, the twilight appears to be a mystery. In crowded cities, the street lights go on at dusk. It is the time the twilight world of espionage and prostitution opens up. Twilight also means the end of the most active part in the lives of politicians, actors and other well-known people. Dusk has become an integral part of nature and human life as well.
