THE NIGHT IS JUST A PART OF THE DAY









Sometime during 1985-86, I used to visit a young boy’s house to teach him. I knew his uncle, who was a popular doctor. “My nephew may drive you crazy,” I was forewarned, “But, I want you to help him grow up.”


The 18-year-old, indeed, drove me crazy for many months! The class used to be at 7.30 in the mornings, at his place. I would be up around 6, leave home by 7 and reach his place five minutes before 7:30.  The young man would be still asleep, and, invariably, drove everyone at his place nuts… He would be, finally, ready to learn from me by 8!

“Poor fellow may need more sleep.” Thinking so, I decided to keep the class at 8. But, the same- old story continued… He would be still on bed and people at his place would cajole and force him out of bed and I would be able to start my class only at 8:30… It was frustrating, crazy!

I, somehow, completed my syllabus with this young man… But, I was not able to meet his uncle’s expectation. All my gentle and firm attempts to make this boy realize the importance of respecting other people’s time – and build his own self-esteem – went wasted.

I have never met this boy after that. Today, he must be a 52/53-year-old man. By all probability, he must be married and having children who are past 20. I am curious to know the situation at home, now… with all the gadgets at their disposal!


Most of today’s young kids have never seen a sunrise. They have never seen a morning sky… They get off their beds, when probably, I have completed two or even three of my morning batches… at 10 or 11 or even 12!

Now, they get up late, not because they study or complete their projects during the nights… the tribe which we called ‘Owls’. Not because they are some creative freaks like A.R.Rahman or Paulo Coelho, the tribe which finds the silent nights very, very inspiring for their creative work. Our young boys and girls, who stay awake till the wee hours of the morning, barring a few exceptions, are ‘drifters’… They have no idea what they have to do in life… So, they are willing to go anywhere, anyhow… along those YouTube videos or WhatsApp crap they keep watching one after another and yet another…

The staying up through the nights serves nothing… It stimulates nothing. If at all it does anything, it dulls the mind! Unless, of course, we belong to the tribe of A.R. Rahman and Paulo Coelho, or unless our jobs call for our night duty, or unless we have to keep a vigil on our ailing loved ones.  Else, why on earth need we stay awake during the nights, when we are supposed to sleep?

I have many young students who belong to the afternoon-college shift. Many of them have bad discipline. They don’t respond to calls or messages in the mornings… For, they are still fast asleep. They bunk classes… and, when they attend, they are not fresh.

“If staying up through the nights helps, it is good,” I tell the young ones, “If it doesn’t, it is bad.”

I don’t think, I can simplify my advice than this. “There is a reason why people like A.R. Rahman and Paulo Coelho stay awake during the nights… Just as there is a reason why the Owls do,” I tell my young students, “But, if there is no good reason why you stay awake during the nights, the night you have drifted through is bound to ruin your day… You will be drifted even badly, through the day, to a nowhere land.”

“The night is just a part of the day,” writes Paulo Coelho in his beautiful book, ‘Brida’. But, then, for the night to be just a part of the day, you and I need to be a Paulo Coelho, you see!


GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Uttam Ghosh

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