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The cherry tree across my bed-room window.

Part  one
 
An amazing sight was awaiting for my wake up this morning!
The Cherry tree in the garden, across my bedroom window was, till last evening, standing alone, fully naked, beaten by the penetrating pellets of snow and then wrapped by them to choke, drowsy like a drunkard, disheartened like a discarded lover, deprived of all its assets and fortunes, drapery and decoration. It has now blossomed with full glory with thousands of white velvety flowers with a brown dot in the center as if it is decorated with thousands of pearls with a coral in between. The dark flower- bees which had deserted the tree have appeared all of a sudden from no where in large numbers and move around buzzing and fluttering. The maple tree near by, like an younger sister about to get married, tries to open-up its veil. The happy, vibrant, mischievous wind, like a bride-groom, give a mild shirk to the cherry branches and instantly, the silky petals of cherry flowers fly in the air in thousands and spread all over the lawn below as if it is spreading American -diamond crystals all over the land to weave a necklace of emerald intermittent with diamonds and pears for the earth’s neck.
The sun appears on the horizon with all its glory and smiles.
That majestic magnanimity was denied to me and all living and non-living things around here for the past over three months and the first celestial celebration after a long gap, immerses my soul in unexplainable ecstasy.
I wanted to sing the glory of the divine delight. I have learned hundreds of verses in different languages, illuminating mantras, crisp and crystalline Rhymes from the Rgveda but alas, not a single word comes out of the cavern of my heart.
I wanted to at least wide open my eyes, fill them with the honey of the lotus of the skies and enjoy the royal parade. But alas, unwittingly, my eye-lids close partially, become moist, my hands move up towards my chest, palms join together and I remain motionless.
Extending His scintillating long hands across the window, The lord of sky whispers, “Why are you getting emotional?”, and concedes confidentially ” I am only a ‘sakshi,’ witness”.
“You are the ‘kartha’ the cause”. I wanted to tell him loudly.
But no words come out of my lips. I wipe my tears..
The temple bell announces the ‘harati’ time.
Part -Two
 
Searching for an answer
The fortune lasted only a few days. The elaborate decorations, the bejeweled crown, the overwhelming ornaments and the glossing silky apparels- all vanished with the same speed as they appeared. Not a single flower was seen on the body of the cherry tree when I awoke today. They all have either fallen automatically or pulled down by the wind and were spread all over the soil and the lawn below. It is only a matter of days before they all will get absorbed by Mother Earth. It is total death; absolute extermination of an entity of enviable beauty.
But the tree is alive! And it may probably, continue to live for the next several years and even after it is destroyed, a new tree could take birth from its bosom. The change in the weather brought some development on its body which stayed for a few days and vanished ? The tree has been witnessing this drama year after year and I’m sure it will be an emotional experience for it. Our eyes or nose, hands or legs do not develop afresh and decay after sometime, though regeneration in a limited scale takes place within the human body too, which is not as visible or as attractive as in a tree. Only the mythological Rakshasa king Ravana had that unique gift and his heads ( not one but ten numbers) had the capacity to regrow every time they were chopped of.
The tiny leaves which appeared on the tree, soon after a few rays of the sun affectionately touched its body, have now grown well, taking over the place of the flowers, giving a great relief to the mother. After a few months these leaves also will go away, leaving the tree alone to suffer the onslaught of the winter. Still the tree thrives.
I am really amazed at the ability of the tree to recreate and its mental tranquility to withstand the loss of such regenerated parts of its own.
“You are not only a sakshi, but a kartha, the cause too” . I tell the tree.
The cherry tree vigorously shakes its head to say, ” I am neither”, and looks up at the sun. The sun looks up at the sky and tells me, “He is both”.
I am unable to see any one up there in the sky.
So, l look deep within myself searching for an answer.
 
 

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