Yesterday someone at home switched off my room lights in the night. I woke up in the middle of night to have water and was horrified. I ran to find the light switch, toppled off many things in the process and finally found myself breathing normally. Ever since I remember, I have a morbid fear of the dark. I just can’t remain in darkness.

When I was a kid and used to scream about it, my mom would sit with me and all my fears used to just vanish. My mom tried very hard to release me from this fear of dark. But no attempts could do that. I always found the darkness very deep and enveloping. I would start thinking about all the ghosts I had seen in movies. I know it is sounding very childish but this is the case even now. I have not yet made my peace with the dark.

My wife somehow understood this from the very beginning. Even casually, in a jovial mood- she never makes fun about this. She never told me if she was uncomfortable with the lights on even at night when we are sleeping. She always says that she is fine with it. Sometimes I think that life becomes so pleasant and fulfilling with the right partner. I am extremely lucky in this case.

My kids have never taken this fear of mine in a wrong way. In their own kiddish ways- they are very understanding. Torch is the first thing we keep in our picnic bag whenever we have to go somewhere. I wonder if my kids feel ashamed of their dad. A dad who can’t face darkness must be very frightful to have. Dads are supposed to fight darkness.

I know I am not the ideal strong dad. I miss my dad too much. He left us when I was two years old. Sometimes I wonder if I had been afraid of dark, if my dad was with us. I wonder about it a lot. I have missed my dad at every stage of growing up. But I never wanted him back because he gave so much pain to my mother. I don’t know why I remember him so much.

I feel sad today. Let me take your leave now. It’s getting too late. I must go and sleep now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ stopped at his kids rooms before going to bed. They were both sleeping peacefully. The lights were off in their rooms and they were not scared about it. This is what gave common man the peace that had always troubled him so much. He was happy that atleast his kids are not afraid of the dark. They fight with it and also win. He was happy, very happy.