Sunrise Walks

I’m here in Pune. A city I love. The alarm thuds on my wristwatch in Brahma Mahurat and against all odds and quilts, I  get up.  The world is half-asleep, but my nutty mind is already negotiating, “Five minutes more?”  

The body says no, the Gita says get up and the Sony Alpha hanging on the chair looks judgmental enough to seal the deal.  Outside, the blue hour sits quietly over the city like a secret only early risers are told.  

The air is cool, almost wise and every health article ever written suddenly feels right; lungs stretching, heart waking up n d metabolism doing garba somewhere inside.  

A few minutes of slow walking melt into a brisk walk, then a short run and the joints, who were protesting at 4:00 am, now clap in reluctant approval. Carrying a stick to shoo off dogs, I walk up to a small hill range close by. I find a spot on the hill, plant my feet on the earth and slide into meditation.  Thoughts arrive like protestors who are there just to add noise and chaos. But the breath keeps flowing, slow and steady and somewhere between an inhale and exhale, the chaos agrees to take the back seat for a while. I put into play my own evolved procedure to harmonise. The Thoughtrons, Heartbeat n my Breath all synchronise in perfect harmony. Somewhere, inside a light bulb goes boom and time n space dissolve.   

Then the birds chirp and nudge me to open the eyes. The sky begins its gentle drama.  The deep blue softens, orange leaks over the horizon and the city lights blink like they are surrendering to the sun n signing off for d day.

This is where my Sony Alpha comes alive; clicking, focusing, framing burnt grass, sleepy buildings, twisted trees and that golden line where night quietly signs the handover papers to day.  Each shot feels like a small prayer captured in pixels.  The golden hour warms the face, the blue still lingers at the edges and together they paint a mood that no filter can truly copy.  

On the way back, the earphones go in and the Gita walks with me.  Verses pierce the hard nut, gently scolding the restless mind, explaining karma, duty, detachment, while the mind is still stuck on, “What’s for breakfast?”  Yet, line by line, some nonsense inside quietly rearranges itself into sense, or at least into a slightly upgraded nonsense.  

Back home, it’s time to make tea for self n my better self. The kettle goes up and soon there is a fragrant aroma of lemongrass, tulsi, adrak and Arjun ki chaal rising from the pot.  Two steaming cups appear…one for my beloved, one for the idiot who thought waking up this early was a good idea and now secretly agrees that it absolutely was.  

Later, the editing ritual begins.  The raw photos open up on the screen of my IPad and what was just a walk now looks like a story, smudged clouds, glowing skyline, a lone figure in a hoodie staring at the sun as if negotiating a better day.  Adjusting shadows, lifting highlights, playing with colours - each tweak feels like reliving the morning, this time with a replay button.  Finally, the images go out into the world…shared with friends, posted online n some archived for future nostalgia.  

People see a pretty sunrise; I see my stubborn alarm, my sleepy courage, my meditating confusion and my walking, running, clicking, chai-sipping journey packed into a few frames.  

It’s all an endearing experience - one that begins in Brahma Mahurat and somehow keeps the heart lit long after the sun has gone down. I thank life for yet another sunrise moment. 

- Ashutosh Tewari