As I sit in my daughter’s apartment in central New Jersey, I realise that something’s missing . Noise .

In my city of 19 million souls ( Mumbai’s) I normally wake up to the sound of a rude alarm. Then comes the hiss of a pressure cooker , in a house somewhere, as the contents of the pot come to a boil. The thud of a newspaper landing outside my front door is followed by the sounds of the lift going up and down, collecting garbage on each floor.

As day breaks, the birds twitter and a swarm of screeching parrots flies past my balcony. Their noises a welcome change from the sounds from bathrooms above and below . Gargles and throats clearing, noses blowing and the pitter-patter of showers.

I’m the streets below me, busses zoom past, trucks rattle and cars honk. A frantic ambulance screeches past , it’s siren blaring . The noises of the road increase as the day progresses and reaches a crescendo at sunset when people rush home before dark. And in the night when all are sleeping, the roar of reckless motor cyclists shatter the silence of the dark.

During the day, I hear the noise of the TV and radio playing on in different rooms of the house. And ring tones of phones trill all day long .

From time to time, I hear the noise of dishes clattering, cutlery tinkling , spoons stirring and the splatter of food frying . The children come and shriek and yell. Pour out their toys in a clattering noise.

Here in this small Jersey town I feel a silence all around. Yes , there are people but NOT a sound.

Responding to the prompt NOISE on #TheDailyPost