
“For nineteen years, I thought the night sky above me was complete”
My Stolen Sky
I woke up at around four in the morning to see this view during my Mardi trek.
The mountains were glowing under the moonlight, the air was cold and fresh and the endless stars covered the entire sky. I had never seen so many stars before. Standing there that morning, I realized that the night sky I had known for the last nineteen years was only a small part of what actually existed above me. The difference was not the stars.
It was the air. For most of my life, haze had become such a familiar part of my surroundings that I never questioned what it had been hiding away.
It wasn't only the distant hazy hills or blue colour of the sky after rain that I used to notice.
I realised it was the countless stars that had disappeared from my sky.
For nineteen years, I thought the night sky above me was complete.
It took me one clear morning to realise how much the haze had already taken away.
Contributor
@panthipurnima
Badge
SafaHawa Guardian
Continue browsing
Related memories

a quiet road
"A quiet road flanked by trees, where clean air and dappled sunlight slow the city’s pace."
A lone road stretches into the morning light, empty of cars, each side framed by a row of tall trees whose leaves murmur like quiet guardians. The air here tastes of green — cool,

A village without pollution
"a village does not need an air purifier for clean air"
Anshu woke each morning to cool, clear air after the village stopped open burning and switched to clean stoves and composting. Children played without coughing, the river ran clear

The Silence of the Giants
"Where the mountains touch the sky and everything slows down"
This photo represents the feeling of standing in front of something much bigger than ourselves. Mountains remind us of nature’s strength, beauty, and the importance of protecting t