Yet again! The electricity was cut off in the middle of my favourite programme. I came out of the room. Something was burning. Then I suddenly remembered. Oh my gosh! Mum’s favourite broccoli curry.

I have spoilt dishes many a time adding excess salt or chilly to keep up with my never-ending TV schedule. But nowadays, I never make the same mistake. The boob box’s gone silent, you see. Come to think of it: It’s not all gloom. Not by a long shot.

My father is a project manager and leads a hectic life. He hardly had any spare time to spend with the family. It would be months before I got to talk to him. But these days, thanks to load-shedding, he comes home early. Actually, my father is a gastronome and enjoys cooking and serving us. Mutton biryani and roasted chicken are his favourites. He also cracks jokes and makes us laugh. We play antakshari. It’s fun.

My brother never helped me in household work. But now, he has taken to chopping vegetables and doing dishes. All of us sit together and enjoy candle-light dinner. Then it’s time to warm ourselves up by the fireside, sharing daily happenings over our cuppas.

Having recently moved into a new place, I was bored to death not getting to talk to anyone. But last evening when the electricity was cut off, I saw my neighbour for the first time. He too saw me. In no time we have become good friends, visiting each other’s abode and chatting about our studies, tinsel town and fashion...anything under the sun.

My mum too helps in completing my brother’s assignment and inquires about my studies. All this, thanks to load-shedding. Otherwise, she was always busy watching her non-stop serials. It was funny seeing her cry during Kumkum. She used to talk about those serials with me, the only scapegoat she could find.

My brother and I used to fight over watching rights. He was a cricket fan while I was hooked to ‘According to Jim’. We quarreled and did not speak for days. When I had it my way, I ended up straining my eyes to HBO flicks well into the night. This in turn kept me from doing my homework. But nowadays, I go to bed early and wake up at the crack of dawn. All thanks to the Nepal Electricity Authority!