thebengali

The other day, someone asked: “Do you write light stuff, like humour or positive anecdotes? Other than dark stuff?”
Now it was a funny question for me because I rarely classify my writing. And it’s been many years since I have deliberately thought in terms of darkness or positivity, or right or wrong, or good or bad and such polarities. But the question reminded me of how different people may think, and also that for most, everything that is dark is scary because we are taught to stay away from the so-called dark side. I wonder if they ever stopped to think that such an anti-septic approach may leave one unprepared and flustered when life deals you a googly.

Life is not all smiles and cheer and positivity doses. The way I look at it, the more you try to stay positive, the deeper the fears of negativity get because by hiding negative thoughts one is merely putting a cloak on their presence – one is not purging the earth of them. It takes just one event to change everything.

A typical day has affirmation, some doubt, a pinch of sadness, a dollop of joy, a few hours of hard labour under a mean hot sun, few stolen moments of a long cool drink of water in the shade, kisses, angry outbursts, a few seconds of rage even, diplomatic facades, solitude, company, love, hate, depression, ecstasy, confidence, cocky over-confidence, self-doubt, success, failure, performance, lethargy … every day has all of these and more in different measures. That’s how my days are any way. 

The deliberate segregation of black and white, and the consistent communication of only that which is white, is as risky an approach to life as the consistent communication of only that which is black. One does not exist without the other. I like life with all of its twists and turns because it’s all part of the one whole story. 

Most days I wake up early in the morning and the world is still dark as dawn approaches. And then the sun rays make forays and soon, little by little, the day blossoms into sun-lit magnificence.

Many days I wake up late in the evening and the world is still dimly lit-up with sunlight as dusk descends. And then the night glimmers through in all its glory, rapidly covering the day in its various shades of darkness and the night blooms into a bouquet of magnificent coolness. 
Darkness and Light are just states of mind. Nothing more. Nothing less.