Edited By: Aneesha Chandra
If there is a time tranquil and fecund for thought, it is dawn. The sun is yet to rise, the breeze is cool and filled with chirps of anticipation made by birds raring to start their day. The inertia of the night accentuated by sleep grips a well-rested body. There is the base impulse of being lazy and sleeping some more against the higher drive to wake up and achieve one’s goals. In this moment of conflict, where one is required to carry out one’s duties at the cost of mental and physical discomfort, albeit momentary, character is built. It is as if by waking up before and respectfully waiting for the sun to rise, the birds wish to teach us something. They too have their daily battles, they may not be as large as ours but are equally if not more consequential. Having confined ourselves to concrete monstrosities, lest we forget where we come from, the birds caution us of our vanity.
In a moment, it dawns upon me that humans are but creatures of nature and are bound by her laws. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we fail to appreciate the fragility of life on this planet. We take for granted the sheer confluence of so many diverse factors just going right for us to be alive another day. Most of us in our ignorance or self-righteousness or both, try to alter and even disturb this precarious balance. We should be afraid, for imbalances in nature will be fixed in due course of time. The question is, ill we be part of the solution or part of the problem? If it’s the latter, then like many evolutionary deadends, our history will be momentous but brief, a wasted opportunity. Nature needs no one, we need Nature.
We have replaced the cock and the farm with a clock and a table in our journey to modernity. And so, at 5:10 AM, I am unceremoniously woken up by digital sounds which don’t cease until I make them. I gather myself and allow the reflex to brush one’s teeth to take over. As I make the journey to the washroom, grasping the tooth-cleaning implements in hand, the lights in the lobby light up at my approach. I am too hazy to feel self-important at this event and secretly shun the incessant flashing it inflicts on my pupils. At 5:15, having tended to my teeth, I proceed to fulfil my other bodily demands as they arise. Now, it is 5:45 and I am ready to step outside my residence hall and out into the world. I take a small walk and reach the gym from the poolside stairs, being blessed by pigeons as I take care to avoid the more tangible form of their blessings from gracing my sleeve.
The temperature is a full ten degrees or so lower than normal at this time. It is not dark, one can see the early rays of the sun over the reddened horizon. The atmosphere is inviting and conducive for activity. One can see people in the common areas, finishing some long-due assignment or just winding up a binge session. There is a sublime sense of emptiness one can perceive at this time. Although this is even more pronounced from 4:30 AM onwards and is coming to an end by this time. This small window of time is perfect for beginning things. Anything done during this time is liable to have a strong imprint on the subconscious and transform a person profoundly. It is now 5:55 AM, as I glance at my watch and enter the time into the register. At this stage, an hour-long workout commences after which I am positively spent and in need of some form of relief.
At 7:15 AM, I take myself to the washroom and have a relaxing, pain-relieving, and often mentally stimulating shower for 15 minutes. This is the time to ponder over pressing deadlines, strategise, or just relive old memories. I leave the gym at 7:30 AM, the same way I entered, only this time, I am greeted by the risen sun, resplendent in its majesty. The early morning sun rays are forgiving and very pleasant. They match the mood and fill me with the energy to see my plans through. They remind me of the need to persevere and never compromise with myself and to always, always fulfil my duties. After this, I go about my day as anyone else and wait for the nourishing rays of the rising sun and the sensation of the pristine morning breeze over my face.