We are only a few weeks into the year 2083, and while the calendar promises new beginnings, the nights have brought a familiar, exhausting rhythm. For the past three nights, my neighbourhood has been transformed into a concert venue I never bought tickets for.
It started two days ago. As a light sleeper, I found myself wide awake at 1 A.M. to the sounds of Haldi and Mehendi playlists. I told myself it was just one night of celebration; I could handle that. But then came the second night. At 2 A.M., just as I was finally drifting into a deep sleep, the sharp, vibrant echoes of the Panche Baja pierced through the silence.
By the third night of sleeplessness, the music didn't sound like a celebration anymore—it felt like a physical weight.
The Cost of Celebration
I understand that weddings are monumental milestones. They are beautiful, traditional, and meant to be shared. But there is a fine line between a joyful celebration and a public disturbance. When the drums and trumpets continue into the "quiet hours" of the city, they stop being music and start being noise pollution.
The impact of three days of sleep deprivation is no joke:
- The Mental Toll: Your patience thins. You find yourself wishing for the music to stop at any cost, even harbouring frustrated thoughts you’d never usually have.
- The Physical Drain: The vibration of the drums seems to stay in your ears long after the music stops.
- The Productivity Gap: The day becomes a blur of coffee and yawning,g while the nights become a source of anxiety.
Finding a Balance in a Crowded City
Our cities are already crowded and loud. We deal with traffic, construction, and the general hum of urban life. Our homes are the only places we have left to recharge.
Is it time we talk about "celebration ethics"? Can we honour our beautiful traditions like the Panche Baja without hampering the health and well-being of our neighbours?
To the happy couples: We wish you a lifetime of joy. Truly. But please, remember that while you are starting your new life, the rest of the neighbourhood is just trying to survive their 9-to-5 the next morning.
Have you, reader,s experienced this too? How do you handle the "wedding season insomnia," or am I just a grumpy neighbour in need of a very long nap?
