One Evening in Golden Light. How a quiet street at sunset turned… | by Kanimozhi Thangamani | Sep, 2025
One Evening in Golden Light
How a quiet street at sunset turned into a moment of peace and wonder
I always have an attraction toward nature. Especially the (manjal veyil), whether it is sunrise or sunset ; from childhood, I have always been mesmerized by its beauty.
I grew up in a city, and on certain days, when the sun rises or sets with its yellowish glow, I stay outside until it completely sets or when it becomes normal . It gives me joy and a certain peacefulness throughout the day.
After a long time, one fine evening, I was drinking tea while watching the sunset. Our street was empty, everyone was inside their houses , and it gave a kind of lonely feeling to only watch buildings on both sides of the street in different heights and structures . After finishing my tea, I went inside to wash the cup , and when I came back , I was mesmerized by the orangish-yellow glow of the sun, which provided a new view of the street.
The street that felt lonely before was now filled with the rays of the sun. It is the light that gives a new view of the street; the bare buildings now look like glowing structures. Particularly , one house has a glass door on its balcony; when I saw the reflection of the light rays, I thought, wow! Between the buildings, the sun looked like a bright orange ball. I don’t even have words to describe the light’s color. I said orangish-yellow, but I am not sure if I said it correctly.
Not only the street that had a sudden change, but also the sky. The western sky looked like a scene from a novel. I read in many novels that the sky looks pink and purple ; I thought it was an absurd statement that couldn’t be possible. They were exaggerating to attract readers. I sometimes think that pink and purple are more liked by girls, so they mention it.
Though the colors may be seen by many , perhaps by those who have already witnessed them, it was my first time seeing those hues. I never believed it until I saw it with my own eyes. The sky with different shades made me feel as if I were present in the colorful anime world.
The street, which was deserted, now had onlookers enjoying the sight , like me. Everyone was looking from their rooftops with their kids. The light that came without a sound made everyone come out of their shells to be mesmerized by its glow. It was a sight to behold : the orangish hue of the sun, the sky in purple and pink, birds returning in flocks to their nests, and the dance of nature watched by people with their families .
A man who was in a hurry to go somewhere also stood for a few minutes ; a girl who was busy watching a video on her mobile stopped to take a picture of the scene . Who wouldn’t want to capture such a breathtaking moment? I too tried , but the photo didn’t give the same feel that reality gave me. I don’t know if it was my problem or the phone’s problem; I deleted the picture because the reality I stored in my memory was more beautiful. The dog and I, like we were in competition, watched the sun without blinking our eyes as it slowly set .
I don’t know how much time passed while I was mesmerized until my grandma called me ; then I realized the sun had set, and evening changed into darkness . As the street became dark, everyone switched on the lights in their houses.
In one house, where the light glowed the same as the sun, it didn’t hold my attention for even a minute, while the sun held my attention for half an hour.
I think my brain , which always thinks about something, was at rest at that time because I can’t even remember what I was thinking. I remember what I saw , but my inner self was at peace, a peacefulness reminiscent of my childhood days.
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Thank you for reading .Do sunsets make you pause too? Share your favorite evening memory in the comments. You can also follow me here on Medium for more reflections on books, nature, and everyday joys.
Cover image created with AI using CreArt.
