Counting Stars on the Terrace

The day was hot. But now the sun is gone, and the night is here. We climb the stairs to the terrace.

In the evening, someone sprinkled water on the floor. Now it feels cool under our feet. Let us spread a soft mat... and lie down slowly.

Ahh... The floor is cool under our back. A soft breeze moves over us. It lifts my hair. It touches my cheek.

Down below, the city is still awake. Horns honk far away. A bell rings at the temple down the road. Someone laughs on the next roof. The streetlights glow orange.

Let us look up at the sky... At first, we see only a few stars. The city lights are bright, and the stars seem shy.

But we are not in a hurry. We can wait.

Let us count them, one by one.

One... a bright one, right above us. Two... a little one, near the water tank. Three... a twinkly one, over the neem tree.

One star... and then another.

Slowly, the city starts to go quiet. The horns stop. One window goes dark. Then another. Then another.

And as the lights go out, more stars come out. It is as if they were waiting for the city to sleep.

Four... five... six... And seven. There is the Saptarishi! Seven stars together, shaped like a big spoon in the sky.

One star... and then another.

Eight... nine... ten...

Our eyes feel heavy. The counting gets slower. Eleven... twelve... The breeze is soft. The floor is cool. My breath is slow and deep.

Let us breathe in... and breathe out... There are so many stars now. Too many to count. The sky is wide and deep, and it holds them all.

Little one, the sky is so big. It has room for every star. And it has room for every dream too... yours and mine.

We do not need to count any more. We only need to rest. The city is asleep. The stars are awake. They are keeping watch over us.

One star... and then another... and then another...

Sleep now... softly... under our stars.