JOIN USNature's gifts
One early summer morn, I set out for a walk. The red sun was just rising and the rays filtering through the branches of trees cast dappled shadows on the ground below. The leaves, washed by a sharp shower the previous evening, looked glossy.
It was a brand new day, holding forth a new beginning, full of potential. The dawn heralded hope and dispelled despair, soothing weary minds and filling them with new energy.
It obliterated all thoughts of how the multi-storey concrete structures, the haphazard expansion, the increasing pollution, the growing population and most recently, the literally mounting garbage crisis have transformed the once beautiful, serene city of Bengaluru into an ugly metropolis where pandemonium reigns supreme.
It blotted out the barbarism that prevails on the noisy, crowded roads where people have little civic sense and no inclination for the niceties of life. For a few blissful moments, all thoughts of how nature was being plundered fled.
When I stepped on to the main road, a visual treat awaited me. There was a floral explosion in the trees lining both sides of the road. The extravagant burst of colour was a sight to behold.
A gentle breeze caressed the flamboyant flowers, which, without being aware of their allure, swayed seductively. The bees flocked to them, buzzing giddily. It was a picture to gladden even the most jaded spirit. Nature, it seemed, ruled at her resplendent best.
I spied a couple of squirrels scurrying up the trunk of a tree and nimbly jumping from branch to branch. The birds were quite vocal too, creating an avian orchestra that fell pleasantly on the ears (quite in contrast to the jarring music that blares from loud speakers and assaults passers-by with ear splitting force).
A discordant note was struck by the raucous cawing of a crow but the noise faded as it flew past to join its companions. The peace and quiet would reign for a while longer before the hustle and bustle of city life took over.
But just then, it was good to be alive on that tranquil morning, to linger and savour the gifts nature had bestowed on us. The sky was a beautiful blue and the fragrance of the jasmine was carried by the gentle breeze. The cool, crisp air was so refreshing that I greedily inhaled lungfuls of it. And it was all for free! Perfecting the harmony was the chime of a bell from a nearby temple.
It was a sublime experience, one to be bottled, to be opened and relived when, like the poet, I lie on my couch in vacant or pensive mood.