Fear of the unknown is perhaps the greatest fear of a human mind. Everything which fails to provide a logical explanation tends to thread under the cloak of the supernatural. One such thing happened to me on my return journey from Bangalore to Mumbai.
The NH4 is a breeze when it comes to driving, vast expanse of land on either side of the highway. The highway tends to be a never ending tract of straight line. This road is a treat during the day. When the sun is at its full glory you just marvel over the beauty bestowed upon by nature.
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As rightly said, every beauty has a darker side and the same can be said about this highway. As the Sun sets in and the daylight withdraws itself in the closet of darkness, this beautiful road transforms in a mystery, the darkness of which unnerves the toughest of souls.
The golden rule of traveling at night is never to stop at an unknown location or not to slow down when you see someone asking for a lift. Perhaps I may sound selfish, but trust me when you are with your family or alone and traveling at night you may not want to take up that adventure.
People in villages say that every area has a set of good and bad vibrations/energy associated with them. You have to experience it to believe it. It was midnight around 2:00 am, I was breezing at 140 Kmph, which is normal considering the good condition of NH4. It was that part of the year, when the temperature at night is between 10-15 Celsius and a good amount of fog on the road. Such weather gets the smoker in you in overdrive, who longs for a smoke or two. It has been 3 hours and I have not smoked which is unusual for me. I decided to stop near the next tool exist as this is the place where you can at least see a swamp of live people in the dead of night. But to my sheer luck the next toll was after 150 km. I decided to stop at the nearest dhaba or atleast where there are some people around. For the next 20 km there was neither a sign of a living soul nor were there any restaurants. The road started to get narrow and suddenly from a four lane road it converged into a two lane road. I might have taken an exit, in the dearth of light and must have landed on the state highway.
Significance of Fear Of Unknown
The fear of the unknown is a common human emotion that can have both positive and negative effects on individuals. On one hand, it can serve as a protective mechanism, helping people avoid potentially dangerous situations. For example, if someone is walking alone at night and hears a strange noise, their fear of the unknown may prompt them to quickly leave the area and seek safety.
On the other hand, the fear of the unknown can also hold people back from taking risks and trying new things. This can lead to missed opportunities for personal growth and development. For example, someone may be afraid to apply for a new job or start a new hobby because they are uncertain about what the outcome will be.
Overall, the fear of the unknown is a natural human emotion that can be both helpful and hindering. It is important to recognize when this fear is serving as a protective mechanism and when it is holding us back from reaching our full potential.
Contributed By Sheru Kadam