Mirror of Darkness

 Last night, Aman couldn't sleep. He prayed so badly to the God of slumber to embrace him but at this time even sleep had left him. He usually reminisces about the time, when the moment he hit the pillow he used to fall asleep. It brings a smile to his face. That time after all holds good memories. 

After turning and tossing in the bed he got up and turned the lights on. He looked at himself in the mirror. He touched the mole on his unshaven, left cheek as if there was someone else in the mirror. That evening, when Aman was out with his friends they told him he had lost the twinkle in his eyes. He asked Sarah, his confidant if this was true. And she nodded approvingly. 

Aman tried to read his own eyes through the reflection. They stared back at him and asked him how long he was going to live like this. When he looked again he felt like they so badly wanted to break the mirror and see outside the window.

When life happens it gives no warning, it has no fixed time limit. But the prolonged pain can make anyone feel that something is wrong with them. For how long one can blame destiny? For how long one can keep on trying, rising, falling apart, scattered like pieces, gathering those pieces? Sometimes we get tired from our tiredness, our sorrow also leaves us. Aman felt the same way.

It was already 4 Am and morning prayers had been started. He could hear bells and chimes. Aman switched off the lights again. After all, he couldn't stand in front of the mirror for all his life. He needs to go out and get out of his bed, and for that, he knows that he needs to sleep. 

This time he asked the slumber to be kinder to him and when he woke up sun was present all over his room. A bhajan was echoing in the morning silence: 

“उठ जाग मुसाफिर भोर भई,

अब रैन कहाँ जो सोवत है ”

[Loose Translation: Rise O traveller! It's morning now, the night has ended and there’s no time left for us to sleep]