Dayends?

Day ends are funny; let me tell you why,

I've heard that during ancient civilizations or a few centuries ago before the bells of post-modern society rang, our ancestors practiced segmented sleep. They'd go to bed early, wake up in the middle of the night for a while, and then go back to sleep until morning. This was common in ancient and pre-industrial societies. However, with the introduction of artificial lighting and modern work schedules, the continuous 8-hour sleep pattern became the norm (although many of us don't really follow this, who are we kidding), and segmented sleep faded away. Different cultures and historical records provide evidence of this unique sleep pattern. It's funny how, with the never-ending extension of nights and days, human schedules have changed so much.

As I was leaving college and inching my way through traffic on the way home, a hilariously absurd thought occurred to me (because who can resist pondering the utterly ridiculous in the midst of peak hour chaos?).

Isn't it amusing? The dayends could be so very exciting. Just picture it – the tired yet content faces, the victorious feeling of dealing with that intimidating boss, acing a tough exam and that nerve-wracking viva, the joy of lighter office bags, empty water bottles, and tiffins, and your phone plugged into your musical escape( read as: carefully curated playlists) or a gripping podcast leading you one step closer to the "truth". Your soiled, battle-worn handkerchiefs and the now crumpled shirts and pants were all crisply ironed at the start of the week. While Fridays remain a public favorite (yes, including myself), days coming to a close are different.

Picture the long chain-like trains whisking you across the face of the city, marked by the cars on the highways and roads. The crows perched on the train lines must wonder where these two-legged, bag-carrying creatures are rushing off to. Half of them are inside the train, and more than half are precariously hanging on to the outside. The relentless city breeze is determined to slip through the tiny gaps in the net windows. ladies making highly negotiable deals for seats at different stations. Meanwhile, ladies can be seen skillfully negotiating for seats at various stations (another peculiar thing Mumbai locals taught me).

The motor engine revs up, the train emits a whistle, and we're off to another station, filled with waiting eyes and weary steps. The rapidly emptying Thumbs Up and Coca-Cola bottles are piling up. The trees seem to be at a standstill—do they even realize it's the dayend?

Is it really the end of the day, or perhaps the time when it all begins for everyone? Now that you're done with what society expects of you, it's when you come back home, watch your favorite show, maybe annoy your mom a bit more (please tell me I'm not the only one), and spend time with your siblings and friends. Tackle assignments and exam preparations, wade through stacks of office reports, maybe listen to music, and have a drink to wash away the day's dreariness, draw, paint, write, or maybe dream up a better existence. Is it genuinely the end of the day, or just the start of something else? Or is the "real" start the one that happens after the 9-5 grind and the rigid schedules?

Is the life we live outside of those hours the one we can truly call our own, something that belongs solely to us?

If you've made it this far and it's Monday again tomorrow don't forget to ask each other "how was your dayend?"