the lonely man

Its 4 am. The empty streets, the starry sky and a stray dog are all whom you can see. Life is at a standstill, everyone sleeping comfortably in their beds and yet, there is someone there; a lonely man sitting on a roadside bed, wide awake, as if the world has no relations to him.

The clock strikes 4-30 and clouds are appearing in the horizon signalling a wet day to follow. A few people trickle out of their comfortable beds, still drowsy, eager to catch the morning bus or train to work. A few cars and bikes can be spotted on the road at times, but a lonely man sits there on a roadside bed, watching patiently, lost in his own thoughts.

5 o clock and the local tea vendors start opening their shops hoping to scrimmage just enough to get through another day. The clouds start to cover the stars which have already started fading in the still dark sky. The early morning bus leaves for its destination with seats filled with sleep deprived faces staring out of the windows hoping to catch a glimpse of something interesting. Yet, the lonely man just sits there, on the roadside bed, watching the world wake up to its morning routine.

5-30 means it’s time for the tea vendors to finally open shop and serve the small crowd of people who have gathered around the stall. The darkness is slowly and steadily giving way to light and the birds start to rise from their slumber, chirping away at their merriest best. Morning walkers and joggers can be found literally dancing to a tune. Still the lonely man sits there, a figure no longer hidden by the shade and the darkness.

6 o clock and the sky is a bright red. The sun is just beyond the horizon and most people have already woken up and are going through the motions, ready to jump in back to their little rat race. The birds are now flying from one tree to the other, jumping around as if a baby playing with a new toy. The shops start opening and the buses have started plying. The lonely man still sits there, lost in his own thoughts.

The sun shines brightly in the sky, yet the clouds rush towards it, ready to engulf it and take away the morning glory. A multitude of people have gathered all around, everyone of them ready to trudge on in their attempts at earning a day’s meals and the lonely man is lost, gulfed up by the crowd that surrounds him.