Stars hiding in lights

I am from Pokhara, an alluring city in Nepal well-known for its impeccable green beauty and unique landscapes. Mostly, my morning starts with an invigorating walk in nature and mesmerizing views of mountains, whereas my evening is filled with cycling in the hills and easing off alongshore, savoring the sun casting long shadows on the lake. Whether I am worn out or worry-free, I often find myself relishing being near different lakes, as it is home to seven lakes. My friends from other places generally envied the nighttime cityscape. Much as I enjoy the lively nightlife on the streets of Lakeside, I equally prefer going sightseeing around the valley, which is usually just a 20–30 minute ride from my home.

One night, I took my grandpa to one of the viewpoints of the city on the hill. I parked the scooter, and we rested on the bench. I love to behold the scene that night offers. As darkness deepened, the city lights grew more intense, creating a breathtaking spectacle that captured the essence of urban vitality. While I adored bright city lights, my grandpa beside me smiled in reminiscence. With a mosaic of pauses and whispers, he recalled fragments of memories. He used to walk to the same place with his friends for almost two hours after exhausting work in the fields and lie down on the ground, where stargazing felt like finding solace in the boundless beauty. He said, "The freshness of the air, moisture of the soil, and timeless dance of the stars amazed us, and fatigue fell behind." Adding on that, I told him how much astronomy fascinates me with the presence of the myriad of constellations, the solar system, shimmering stars, and many more things. He was astonished by the knowledge I had at my age. I even showed him videos of the space via the internet—typical Gen Z behavior. The whole universe stored on the phone amazed him. In this day and age, impossibly distant creatures have become intimately close through the internet. As per recent data, there are 5.18 billion internet users worldwide, which amounts to 64.6% of the global population. My grandpa raised an eyebrow at the unimagined changes happening around the world and sighed. After some comfortable silence, where we deemed our enjoyment distinct, we returned home.