THE TWIN TREES

I noticed the two trees, in front of my balcony, as soon as I moved into my flat two years ago. There were many trees all round our flat, but these two were similar, yet different from the other trees in the area. They appeared more geometrical than the rest, the trees growing upwards, perpendicular to the path, with branches extending outwards at sixty degrees!

 My mornings would begin with a good look at those trees, and one fine day, I was surprised to see three nests, balancing precariously on its arms! They had been built with scraps and bits, which I had discarded after unpacking. Birds will use any available material that they can carry away to build their nest! As soon as I cleared up one carton and placed it out on the balcony, three crows would swoop down to retrieve all they could, pieces of broom stick, bits of cloth, and strands of plastic and coir.  And when I looked up, I saw all those ugly things hanging from the nests in the trees.

As the days went by, there seemed to be no more activity, no eggs, no chicks, just the solitary crows, as if waiting expectantly! I wondered why they hadn’t found a mate and this time I went to the internet to find answers.

The bird kingdom! It’s all about women power, although the male birds have beautiful plumes and strut about to the delight of the females! The female bird inspects the nests and decides to move in, only if it meets her high standards! Else, she flies off to the one, which is safe for her eggs and chicks! I reckon there are many bachelors in the crow kingdom, going by the nests put together by the lazy crows! They did not repeat the fiasco the next year and those were the only nests I ever saw on the twin trees!

Those days, my flat served as a holiday home and during every visit, I discovered different facets of the tree. It was December, and the rains had soaked into the soil, the tree had a canopy, lush and green! Two months later, tiny buds peeped out and I saw a most amazing collection of flowers, yellow and white, through which the bright light streamed in!

This is when I heard the story of the parrot, which spotted these flowers, as it flew around, looking for seeds and nuts for its young ones! She was sure they would grow into beans, which would then ripen and turn red! They were going to feast on astonishingly large nuts!

One fine day, the tree burst into tiny beans! They grew bigger and bigger, thick fleshy pods, with a promise of large peas, something like the ones Jack held in his hands, before it grew into the endless beanstalk!

Later, one evening, the parrot returned home, all perplexed, and spoke to its mate of thirty years! ‘A most strange sight greeted my eyes today. ..the beans, they are drying up, all turning brown!’ It was indeed a strange sight. Like sausages, the brown beans hung from the trees. The parrots were heart broken! When the beans burst, there were no nuts, no fruits, just something soft and white and inedible! It was cotton and it flew down in the wind.

The parrot’s wait had been in vain! This tree in the story is called the ‘ilavan’ tree and the cotton is called ‘ilavan panju’ – which I learnt is the silk cotton. The unfruitful wait of the parrot gave rise to the phrase in Thamizh,‘ilavu katha kili’ – the parrot that waited in vain!

Well, that is when I decided to photograph the tree in its various stages. Alas! There is something about this cotton tree, which will not let wishes come true. The managing committee of our building took a unanimous decision to uproot it, saying it was against Vastu Shastra, the science of architecture and buildings.  It seems the tree tends to absorb a lot of water, and ground water being precious, the tree could not be allowed to survive! In its place, two Neem trees were to be planted, and our secretary remarked that when we returned after our holidays, the Neem tree would be there to greet us! Another wish which will remain unfulfilled, for whoever heard of a tree, growing tall in a month!

 
My thoughts go back to the parrot again and again! It was certainly the wanderlust which had taken her far away from her home! Like me, she must have noticed the cool blue ocean, with the sparkling waves! She must have also flown past the quiet tree lined lanes, with pink and white blooms, through which the wind whispers. Was it only the beans of the cotton tree which beckoned the bird? What an excuse to wander! It must have been so pleasing to fly around unknown paths!

The balcony is my favourite haunt. As soon as the clouds gather and threaten to rain, in the season of flowers, when the soft easterly blows, I find solace there!  It is a maddening mesmerizing wind that blows! The nightingale calls out to me from her abode in the woods and what a fool I become!  I join her in her songs! And words get caught in my feelings! But who will know the joy in my heart! The no-hope tree did not stand in vain all these years!
P.S.

 I wondered about the parrot just because she was central to my story, I have just read the the Parrot in Hindu mythology is the Vahana or vehicle of Kamadev (the God of Love!) and his consort Rati. Kamadev is depicted riding atop the parrot, (really a parakeet) taking aim with his sugarcane bow and arrows of flowers. It is believed that it is his arrows that arouse desire in human beings!How ironic!!!!