The rain like sea is an addiction for me. The mood for quintessential Bombay monsoon has certainly set in since last few weeks. Albeit, as I type this article, rain seems to have eluded and the deadly combination of humidity and heat is driving me absolutely nuts even in cool environs of my study!
But this post is not
about perpetually frustrating heat or humidity of Bombay. Day before yesterday, when the ominous thunder storm announced rain's arrival, a calamity occurred in our building.
I was taking break from the work, enjoying cool breeze and the music of wind chimes and shrill voices of children playing incessantly, jumping with joy without a worry in the world, soaking up in the rain ignoring fervent calls from their mothers to return home, hooting, running aimlessly. It is a visual treat to watch children play in open these days in city like Bombay!
Suddenly the wind turned ferocious creating scary noise declaring its might generating havoc in minutes! The romance and the tender chill in the air was transformed into harsh dissonance and I could see/listen the leaves, branches breaking down, birds flying helter skelter and the garden completely washed away. The wind chimes did not sound too melodious with the forceful notes and the whooshing sound of wind, swaying branches and leaves combined with pitter patter of the random splendour gave a very eerie feeling!
There was complete silence for quite a long time and I was surprised by children becoming unusually quiet. I decided to check on them and went down to garden area of our building. There they were; gathered under the Gulmohar tree, surrounding a bird nest that had fallen from the tree, with two newborn chicks already dead and the third one, counting its last breaths. The children looked sullen, a few were weeping, struggling to comprehend perhaps the biggest tragedy of life they had just witnessed!
While the children were trying to figure out how to save the last chick, it died leaving them gloomy and sombre. They became all the more serious looking helplessly at the mother sparrow, listening to her grief stricken cries while she kept encircling her dead chicks. The children stepped back giving some space to the sparrow to bid final goodbye to her chicks, watching that last union with utmost maturity of grown up people. Once the mother sparrow flew to the nearest branch, the chicks were cremated under the same tree with each child contributing silently, paying homage in their own beautiful, innocent ways. When they parted for the day, they all seemed suddenly grown up and there was a silent acknowledgement and respect for the ultimate truth, the two sides of life cycle.
I continued my rambling in the compound witnessing changed canvas, feeling bit wobbly for the mother sparrow and the tiny tots who had displayed such remarkable dignity in coping with death! They had experienced stab of sadness due to death and separation but learned important lesson on ways of life, the cycle of life and death!
From the thick clouds suddenly the Sun rays burst bringing in new radiance and energy. The gust of wind was slowly changing its gear and I knew it was just a matter of time for the children to be back to their usual happy, carefree selves and the wind chimes to sing those sweet melodies once again!
I was taking break from the work, enjoying cool breeze and the music of wind chimes and shrill voices of children playing incessantly, jumping with joy without a worry in the world, soaking up in the rain ignoring fervent calls from their mothers to return home, hooting, running aimlessly. It is a visual treat to watch children play in open these days in city like Bombay!
Suddenly the wind turned ferocious creating scary noise declaring its might generating havoc in minutes! The romance and the tender chill in the air was transformed into harsh dissonance and I could see/listen the leaves, branches breaking down, birds flying helter skelter and the garden completely washed away. The wind chimes did not sound too melodious with the forceful notes and the whooshing sound of wind, swaying branches and leaves combined with pitter patter of the random splendour gave a very eerie feeling!
There was complete silence for quite a long time and I was surprised by children becoming unusually quiet. I decided to check on them and went down to garden area of our building. There they were; gathered under the Gulmohar tree, surrounding a bird nest that had fallen from the tree, with two newborn chicks already dead and the third one, counting its last breaths. The children looked sullen, a few were weeping, struggling to comprehend perhaps the biggest tragedy of life they had just witnessed!
While the children were trying to figure out how to save the last chick, it died leaving them gloomy and sombre. They became all the more serious looking helplessly at the mother sparrow, listening to her grief stricken cries while she kept encircling her dead chicks. The children stepped back giving some space to the sparrow to bid final goodbye to her chicks, watching that last union with utmost maturity of grown up people. Once the mother sparrow flew to the nearest branch, the chicks were cremated under the same tree with each child contributing silently, paying homage in their own beautiful, innocent ways. When they parted for the day, they all seemed suddenly grown up and there was a silent acknowledgement and respect for the ultimate truth, the two sides of life cycle.
I continued my rambling in the compound witnessing changed canvas, feeling bit wobbly for the mother sparrow and the tiny tots who had displayed such remarkable dignity in coping with death! They had experienced stab of sadness due to death and separation but learned important lesson on ways of life, the cycle of life and death!
From the thick clouds suddenly the Sun rays burst bringing in new radiance and energy. The gust of wind was slowly changing its gear and I knew it was just a matter of time for the children to be back to their usual happy, carefree selves and the wind chimes to sing those sweet melodies once again!
