Awesome Indian things # 4 : Power Outage

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For the more unfortunate friends of mine (I mean the Westerners) who missed the rare opportunity to partake an event such as a "regular" power outage will never get themselves to understand the freedom and joy a power outage presents. Allow me to explain.

Also, I could write about power theft - another topic, another day. Pic courtesy: The Daily Reporter

In the 90's and also late 80's when shining stars (such as me and also a certain guy named Steve Jobs) thrived, power outages were a part and parcel (I love how I switch to British English) of life. Of course, as a kid, I had not many TV show options. So when that most favorite TV show (which also happens to be the only show that airs Bollywood songs) - Chitrahaar - was supposed to air and the power outage happened imagine my sorry state. In fact, I would spend the whole day terrorized thinking about what I would do, if the power went out on me during showtime. I sometimes resorted to praying and becoming intensely devout just so that God could allow the power to stay until the end of the show.

So but for this one situation, power outages were always welcomed by me. Since,

1) I didn't have to do my homework. I always had words of wisdom up my sleeve - "There is no light to study. Candle light is not good for the eyes." Parents would just give up at this point.

2) I could play "antakshari" without interruptions.  There is never a dearth of Bollywood songs. Ever.

3) Antakshari not only meant honing my singing skills, but also practicing verbal and physical fights with siblings, cousins, neighbor kids, street kids...all the young victims of power outage unite at such a fateful time.

4) I could go up the terrace and stare at the stars and the moon and think I will be some sort of a big deal sometime in future (also called as dreaming) while battling mosquitoes into the night.

5) I could eavesdrop at what the adults and senior citizens are bitching about. Oh they must really hate that old fat lady around the block...point noted.

6) I could play hide and seek, lock and key, chor police in the moonlight.

7) I could gossip about which guy is "sighting" which girl at school and whose love letter I messengered this week. I could also talk more important things like which Bollywood star is dating which other Bollywood star.

So there you go, you inferior people in the power-always world - You will never know the power of a power outage. Or you could just move into my hometown.