The Lone Venus In The Sky

VENUS SMILES NOT IN A HOUSE OF TEARS.. 

-SHAKESPEARE

Good Evening Friends, it is 7.30pm now as I sit in my balcony pondering as usual. The Lone Venus shines brightly in the west sky and the moon is not visible today on my sky view. These days the Venus stays put at my piece of sky for a longer period and does not drop behind the buildings. Every evening as I sit staring at the Venusian sky, myriad thoughts cross my mind. I wait for the celestial objects to pair up once again and dazzle the night sky. I miss my childhood home terrace with the skies full of sparkling stars. The Moon and the Venus grow apart from each other as the month passes by and will start coming nearer to each other towards the middle of the month and pair up to light the night on 26^th April again.

There is hope for the world I believe. As per Roman and Greek mythology, Venus is the Goddess of Love and Victory. Victory of Good over Evil, Victory over a disease, Victory over our desires and wants?

As the world is under lockdown trying to contain the virus, the earth heals itself from the pollution created by the humans! Reports keep coming in about the blue skies with fluffy clouds, a prolonged spring after a long time, clean Yamuna waters, whales in Mumbai waters, elephants somewhere, peacocks coming inside colony from adjoining jungles, a Nilgai in Noida and many more such news! The residents of Jalandhar in Punjab, woke up to a scintillating sight of the Dhauladhar mountain range last Friday morning. So from cleaner air to liberated wildlife, Earth is experiencing many positive effects despite this dreadful disease plaguing the humans all over the world!

It is 10.30pm now, and I am back to ponder again after the night chores and ‘Lighting the Diya’ ritual requested by our PM. Each house in our lane lighted a few candles and diyas and some even shone torch/mobile lights. The evening deep mantra ‘Shubham Karoti Kalyanam, Arogyam Dhanasampada; Shatrubuddhivinashaya  Deepajyotirnamostute… ’ played on and it was a beautiful 10 mins spent looking out of the balcony! I am sure you all must have experienced the same vibes of hope, peace and togetherness in your homes with your neighbours lighting diyas and singing the evening mantra.

For some reason the Koyal sang out! I just heard the sweet voice coo-coo-coo! And then the ‘hu-ti-ti-ti’ of another bird followed ! And all is silent again, there is an overall drop in the seismic noise and a silent night awaits! ‘Night is the wonderful opportunity to take rest, to forgive, to smile, to get ready for all the battles that you have to fight tomorrow’, they say. So I bid you all a very good night and may tomorrow bring in new hopes for all of us during this critical time. May all sufferings of Mankind be diminished and may we all see light at the end of the tunnel! Good night and Jai Hind!

Dr Anindita Roy (9818541252), CR Park, New Delhi