Our world of sounds
A single song can bring back a thousand memories. Most of the time it’s not the music that makes us emotional, it’s the places and the people we associate with it. The sound of a crowing rooster reminds us of the dawn. The sound of rain reminds us of the petrichor. Even a decade later the sounds of ‘Waka Waka’ take us back to the FIFA Would Cup in South Afrika.
It’s Day 40 of the lockdown. Probably the last day of the lockdown as we’ve known it. From tomorrow the restrictions in many places will be reduced or in some cases removed completely. We’re opening up slowly. We’re trying to accept this new virus as a part of the new normal.
Although a lot of us will still be staying home. The continuous hum of the highway in the distance is back. A few honking cars are preparing us for the rising decibels that will return. The vroooom of the delivery boys’ bikes are slowly increasing. The news says that the lockdown has been extended but in fact, the lockdown has been relaxed. The sounds of schools and children may be a few weeks away but commercial activities are commencing gradually.
The Koel (Indian Cuckoo) will still be narcissistically heard calling itself all day. It’s summer, she’s empowered to brag all she wants about the nests that she may have captured. But now she won’t be breaking the sound of silence. She’ll be again competing with our human noise.
The last 40 days have been the most silent ones, especially in our cities. It’s time again, we’ll have to go to the mountains when we want to find the same peace. Silence, I’ve learned, is sometimes the most beautiful sound.