Day 8 of Ramadan: Early Spring, Special Duty, and Quiet Reflections

It was day 8 of Ramadan, and I woke up very early at around 5 AM. I straightaway went to perform ablution and purify myself for the morning prayers. Before offering the prayers, I had the pre-dawn meal called Sehri. This time, I was quick to finish because Sehri time was ending around 5:40 AM. I had already spent some time brushing and freshening up, and with only 10 to 15 minutes left, I completed my meal and then waited for the prayers to commence.

I quickly reached the mosque and joined the community for the morning prayers. After spending about an hour in the mosque, I returned home and went straight to bed to take some more rest. These days, one can hardly complete proper sleep, so I usually go back to bed early in the morning after returning from the mosque. This helps me avoid any insomnia during the day.

I woke up again at around 9 AM and quickly got ready for the office. I left for work, taking a shortcut route to reach there on time. We have completed our task at the district headquarters, where we had been deputed for a special assignment. Now, we are waiting for the authorities to relieve us so that we can rejoin our respective departments. We may receive the relieving order in a couple of days. Honestly, I am not excited about being relieved because I have enjoyed this special duty throughout these more than six months.

In the afternoon, I returned home and started placing the plants that I had kept in a safer place before the onset of winter. Now, with a significant rise in daytime temperature, I shifted all the plants back to their respective spots. Some plants had died due to the cold, and I will need to replace them to fill the empty vases. I watered all the plants and also helped my mother maintain her kitchen garden. The dormant winter period is over, and people have started farming activities as spring has arrived. This year, spring seems to have come a little earlier than usual because the daytime temperature has risen significantly. February has been unusually warm, with temperatures reaching up to 20°C during the day.

Later, I visited my friend who runs a shop in the village market, as I needed some groceries. I usually buy from him because, apart from being my friend, he keeps all the items I need. It saves me from going from shop to shop.

After returning home, I broke my fast at around 6:25 PM, offered the evening prayers, and then waited for the special Taraweeh prayers. Meanwhile, I had dinner as well. Later at night, I went through a few chapters of Indian Polity. Only after completing my study target did I go to sleep and call it a day.