Hide and Seek

(This is my second story - trying my hand at story writing.)

I've been searching for some time now, and haven't found her yet. It never took so long. I start feeling a little worried and decide to tell her then, that this will be the last for the day. Playing hide and seek is one of her favourite games. She always picks the coconut and mango grove to play though it doesn't suite my old, complaining knees. She loves hiding and flitting from tree to tree, teasing me with her calls, till I find her. Also, I can never say no to the lovely smile accompanying the twinkle in her eyes. She means the world to me, being my only grandchild.

As I walk around, looking for her, a coconut frond falls a few feet away, with a huge thud, catching me unawares. After steadying myself and rubbing my bothering knee, I continue my search. I register in my mind to remember and call Moosa, the lad who drops the coconuts and dried fronds. There's a cool breeze blowing and I can hear the soothing sound of the fronds swaying in the breeze. My mind goes back to another time, another age, when I was young. When I was fifteen. The grove in my grandfather's house was much much bigger, with coconut, mango and arecanut trees. It used to be my favourite place to spend the day. And then I see, the young boy, me, running for life, pursued by an elderly man with a piece of frond in his hand.

One evening, walking back home after school with friends, we passed by the graveyard. I ridiculed my friends' belief in ghosts and proclaimed my fearlessness. They made a bet and I took it. To prove their non-existence I was to stay overnight at the graveyard. So, as my friends made their way home, I walked into the graveyard, looking for a nice place to spend the night.

At first light, after an uneventful night, I walked back home still half asleep. As I passed through the gate, I saw my grandfather standing on the steps, transfixed. The next thing I knew, he had picked a slit piece of coconut frond from a pile meant for firewood and was coming after me. I raced towards the grove. I ran around the coconut, mango and arecanut trees, with my grandfather pursuing me, the slit piece of coconut frond raised in his hand, yelling at me, eyes blazing fire, tears running down his cheeks. I ran for life like I never had. It eventually ended with me getting caught, and beaten.

I learnt later, that my grandfather had searched frantically, sending people in all directions to look for me till late evening. He had stayed awake worried through the night, fearing the worst, waiting to start the search again early morning. After my parents death, he had taken it upon himself to look after me, his only grandson. I still miss him, my grandfather.

A familiar voice brings me back from my stupor. I am a grandfather myself today. The breeze still blows but the smell is different, a mix of the old and new.

'Appuppa', she calls again. I hear her giggle. I turn around and see her standing behind a mango tree, head sticking out, smile a mile wide with a pup in her hand. Emotions rise within me. Of love, relief and happiness all at once. I walk up to her as fast as my knees allow, swoop her in my arms and kiss her, tears running down my cheeks. Life had come full circle.

* Appuppa - grandfather in Malayalam

I am lucky - Why ???

I am lucky.  Yes, I am.  I know that and can say that a thousand times over.  For I was born to parents who gave me the best of everything even though their lives were not so comfortable.  They have always got me what I needed and given me the best of education(my parents had to pay a heavy price for the donation to be paid in my school early in the 1970s and this when they were just starting their life).  They have brought me up to be an independent woman who knows to fight for what is right and say stop when someone goes beyond limits of endurance.  More than that, they have taught me to believe and fight which is the greatest gift any parent can give.

I always believe, that my birth was just a matter of chance, a matter of seconds.  I am a thousand times lucky because I was not fated to be a daily wage labourer, a manual scavenger or in any of those professions where  lives are worth nothing in this country, where you are treated like shit.  And they are also like me, two hands, two legs, eyes, ear

Manual scavenging is the most humiliating and degrading of all professions I can think of.  It is still prevalent in India in a few states like Bihar, UP and Jharkand.  What is such a life ?  Even an animal has more dignity to its life, don't you think ? 

Reading about the law to be passed, I wonder when this country will really attain glory, in the real sense.  Here, the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.  It is a matter of pride that despite so many suicides by farmers and weavers, you don't hear of one farmer or weaver taking to killing or looting or ransom.  That is I think where a real Indian is.  That is the heart and soul of this great country where even in abject poverty, a human being thinks of right and wrong.  And I hope I can live up to such an ideal, me being just an ordinary human being.  For it requires strength and courage of the mind to be that. 

But still, I am lucky, for I have the chance, the opportunity to do something.  And there are dreams of doing something small, something consequential, of giving back atleast part of what I got.  Working towards that dream.

The Indian Robin has got kids

I see the Indian Robin, next to the window in my workplace bringing insects to the nest.  Which means, the kids are born.  Which is a happy sign.  However, I am unable to see the kids as in the case of the Red Vented Bulbul due to its position.  Anyways, it's celebration time.

Sighting a wild cat - hurray

Yesterday, midnight, returning from the lab, I saw something big, bigger than a cat cross my path.  I breaked hard, and got off my cycle.  It being dark, I couldn't see the colour.  But there it walked on the wall and I realized that it was a wild cat.  Sorry, but I didn't have the camera.  Besides, I wouldn't have been able to capture it for I could see it only for a few seconds. 

Interesting life in University of Hyderabad.

Lesson from a Red Vented Bulbul (man's ruthlessness)

Gone is the nest.  I came in at 11:30 to the department having had to wash clothes this morning(had a huge bucket full of them, not having washed in four days).  As usual, I came, put my bag in place, switched on the system and ran to see the little ones.  And as I looked up ascending the steps, I found no nest.  Both the nests were gone.  I went mad - really.  My mind wouldn't work.  I saw two little ones(out of three) sitting near the window(which does not have an opening at all).  I searched for the third one and couldn't find it at all. 

I searched then for the workers who sweep and mop the department.  On asking them they said they saw a snake had come near the gate, so they removed the nest.  Snakes come so often in the department and the immediate reaction of people here is to kill them, not to shoo them away.  So, they had removed the nest and left the little ones to fend for themselves.  They didn't think the least little bit if they could fly, if they could survive.  

Took the two in a basket and went out searching for the parents.  Found them hovering around the area and set them out.  The nice part was that the parents came and flew near them.  And the little ones, opened their wings and fluttered for some distance.  I saw hope in that little flutter and came away, wishing them infinite joy and a safe journey in this world, this world were we men are cruel as no other being on earth.  What else could I wish for.

Lesson learnt:  Man talks about humanity, but that is contained to only one's circle, one's house.  I call it house because if man understood what a home is, then he wouldn't for anything destroy anothers.  Man's humanity is limited, it is actually unearthly.  

Exactly, what man needs to learn is not to be humane, but earthly, where he loves all beings like himself, where he feels the pain of every being like he feels his own.  Till that day, this earth will continue to get destroyed.

Lesson from a Red Vented Bulbul (takeover)

There has been no activity in the nest since a week.  Today, the oriental robin also called the Indian robin has taken over the nest.  The Red Vented Bulbul parents came and objected but the new two were much stronger I guess.  First I thought of helping the Red Vented Bulbul's but then felt I shouldn't interfere with nature too much.  Besides, I have no idea if there are eggs inside there.  The female is now busy widening the nest(sitting inside and shaking it up) while the other is bringing new twigs.  Below is a picture of the bird from the internet.  The one bringing the twigs look like this.  And I find a Magpie Robin (black with a dash of white) coming too.

So, things are changing.  If there were eggs of the Red Vented Bulbul and the little ones hatch, will the Indian Robin mom look after them ?  Wondering.

Lesson from a Red Vented Bulbul - (contd/-)

Since yesterday evening, the parents are back.  And they were making such a noise that I decided, I need to check out the nest.  But, not wanting to scare the birds, I put it off to today.  Morning, I heared the continuous chirping of the birds and was wondering if they felt some danger and hence were making the noise.  I went up and found three kids, sleeping tight, eyes closed.  The parents were annoyed and kept flying all around, I think to shoo me away.  

Happy that things had turned around fine,  I came away happy, telling myself that I shall wait for the right time to click some snaps.  So, now, when I went back to the department, I heard them chirping their heads off.  I picked the camera and went again to see why they were so disturbed.  There I find, a big fat cat waiting.  I drove the cat out.  Yes, I was disturbing or interrupting nature but then, how can I let the cat be and allow it to eat three small ones, so tiny, so cute.  I clicked two pictures in a hurry and came away.  Here are the two pictures.  The feathers are growing as you can see.  Their skin is red and they are yet to open their eyes.  So tiny.

A walk at night

The following two photographs were taken when I went for a walk one night around the university.  Something different, something feels strange.

 

When will I sleep ?

Look scary ?  I am not

My workplace

This is my workplace.  It is cluttered with paper, pencil, pen, books, clips and name the stationery, all around, reflecting my current state.  However, the bird's nest can be seen on top of the window.  The window is for me a periscope to the real world, having to work inside a concrete room all through the day.  Now you understand why this one is the best place in the room.  I can take my eyes off the greenery and not be distracted when I wish to focus.  Again, if I need a break, I just need to turn my head. 

The jungle where I work

Whenever I write about the place where I work, I mention about the jungle.  These photos, taken from my workplace as well as the roof show the jungle.  In the centre is a small lawn.  The place is well kept ofcourse, at huge costs.

                           

This is the entrance to the department.  Road leading to the small foyer.

                                   
This one is from the roof.  Is towards the side which my window faces. The three below is the centre lawn and sitting area.

However, the neem tree(picture above) there is a favourite among birds when the fruits are ripe.  Then, when the roses, chembaruthi(hibiscus), thechi(idliepoo in tamil and always wondered why they call it so.Ixora coccinea in english, see the pink flower above) and others are in full bloom, it is visited by butterflies and insects too.

Lesson from a Red Vented Bulbul - Day 8

The birds have settled in.  They take turns I guess in guarding the nest.  They keep rotating the eggs I think, in between as they perch themselves on the edge of the nest and move things around.  Now the wait for another 11 days before the eggs hatch.  I keep watching them trying to determine the difference between the parents.  Besides one being larger in size than the other, I am unable to distinguish any other feature between the father and the mother. 

Birds, I know so little about them, their habits and culture.  However, I do know that the Red Vented Bulbul is dominant.   The other day I saw them shooing away a crow.  Imagine, a crow.  They made such a noise and kept flying all around the crow, until the crow flew away. 

What's so great about football ?

That is a question many people ask, especially my cricket student fans.  I speak to them about the capacity of an individual as well as a team to create magic in 90 minutes.  About agility,  stamina, hardwork, perseverance.   More than all this, it is the spirit of the game.  Besides all of the before, it instills in you without your knowing a pride that other sport can only aspire to.  It removes boundaries of religion, of language, of discrimination in any form.  It breaks down walls created by politics, by war, by ethnic strife.  It is a game that breaks barriers.

You have as example players who made it there out of sheer hardwork showing you possibilities.  Players in the game, who have achieved fame not by their association but because they have it in them to do something great.  For they dreamed to be great.  For they worked to become great.

And the best part I like about the game is the surprise element.  Like yesterday when North Korea scored a goal against the mighty Brazil.  Mighty because they are ranked No. 1, for their sportsmanship, their skill, their grace, the magic they can do with the ball.  No they did not win, but that doesn't matter.  What mattered is the spirit they showed in playing the game.  North Korea, ranked 105 who everyone expected to get a drubbing, stood the onslaught and scored one too.  That is possible in football.  The spirit of fighting for a cause, for a nation, to inspire a nation, singled out, poor and  searching for a reason to believe.  What J. Yun Nam did was just that. 

Saluting North Korea and wishing them luck.  Also, waiting for the day, when we will have a team representing us, giving us a chance to feel great, to cheer, to cherish.

Lesson from a Red Vented Bulbul - Day 7

Okay, she's back.  She is in her nest resting.  Her head touches the ceiling.  It is safe that way because it is protected from the heat and the rain.  Another 13 days and I hope to see little ones. :)