In August, I had to travel from Chennai to Pune. An official trip. I didn't get a direct flight and had to take a long route: Chennai-Bengaluru-Pune.
The onward journey landed me at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Immediately I proceeded towards the transit gate. After completing the check-in formalities, I was at the departure area waiting for my connecting flight to Pune.
I forgot to carry a book to read without which it was proving tough for me to while-away time. I had four hours. This time frame did not provide me enough window to visit my friends in the city.
I was left with very few options: read the free newspapers available within the terminal, sit idle or blink at people passing by. I could not purchase a book because I decided not do so until unless I finish reading my pending four books back at my Chennai residence. Finally I decided to take a walk and ponder over my to-do list items, which I often do.
I was feeling hungry so I increased my pace towards a food-stall in-sight. I ordered an add-hot-water-veg-cup-noodles and a veg-burger. I found a vacant corner seat in one of the many unmovable seats in an array, and sat down to eat my lunch peacefully. Instant noodles needed three minutes to get into the mood, so I unwrapped the veg-burger and had my first bite. Just then I noticed that there was a kid, may be of kinder garden age, very eagerly looking at me.
I have been through these situations many a times. So I carefully avoided my eye-contact with the kid and was busy stuffing the food in my mouth. I slowly side-glanced. The kid had glued his focus on me and was moving closer to a lady, I guess she was his mother, who was seated in very a close proximity of her kid. The mother-kid duo were located in an array of unmovable seats which was exactly in front of me. Before both decide to glare at me, I executed my Code Red-Alert - I finished gulping my veg burger and took my noodles-cup and rushed away from the target location.
Many would have experienced similar situation at some or the other point of time. I believe by now many would have guessed the conversation between the mother-kid duo. For others, here is an intro.
If I would have not executed Code-Red Alert and remained seated there eating my stuff. The kid after nearing his mother would have gently prodded her in order to attract attention, pointing his right hand's index finger at me(the target). Instead of two, now there would have been four eyes piercing in my direction. The conversation would have taken place more or less in this fashion.
Mother - My jujube...my jilebee... What is it my darling?
Kid - Mamma...(still pointing his right hand's index finger at me) I want that...
Mother understanding the gravity of the situation brings down the kid's hand and says - Cheee..chee.its bad stuff..
K - Then why is that uncle still gulping it
M whispers - Bad uncle, he does not know what is good and bad. You are good kid,right.
K proudly takes the compliment. Double emphasizing me as BAD.
Now all of a sudden, a new entry, the F, I mean the kid's father would come in to the scene. Having brought a free newspaper and intending to give it a read possibly would have settled down beside his wife. The kid would now approach and poke/tap gently his father's right knee. The father pulling back his head out the news paper sees that his kid is waiting as though to share a very-important-news. The father character will lean forward and lend his ears to his son. The kid secretly whispers into his father's ear, "that uncle is bad, he is eating bad stuff", unconsciously again pointing his right hand's index finger at me. The father figure now turning his head towards me slowly leans back to his comfortable seating posture and will come to the same conclusion. Now looking at his son, noddingly whispers, "yes...you are right... a very bad uncle". Really. Come on. As though it is a court-room scene and the kid's father is a judge announcing the verdict, "You are found guilty of gluttony". I don't want all this crap.
Believe me, all this will happen in a span of a quick-two minutes. Why anyone would want to be looked down as BAD by an entire family.
So I found another seat far away from the judging and law-practicing-family and completed my lunch. Intending to quench my thirst I was slowly approaching a drinking water station in the same floor of the airport.
All of sudden, half-a-dozen of sparrows flying to and fro in the waiting area caught my attention. One of the sparrow was jumping hither and thither on the drinking water station. May be it has come to quench its thirst. Slowly I pulled out my phone and took a snap which I have provided below.
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Bengaluru Airport, August 23, 2014, 13:03.
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I stood there silently watching the bird and its beauty until it flew away. I drank some water from the water station and was returning back to the departure waiting area.
The bird flew away but it revived my childhood memories. Now I sat blissfully recollecting my thoughts. It took me back to my grandmother's home in Krishnarayapuram, a small and pleasant village in Karur district, Tamilnadu.
Ka.kaa..kaaa...I remembered My grandmother's vocal chords rhythmically echoing and calling for birds. Inviting them to come and enjoy the first serving of food prepared at home. Every day after cooking breakfast or lunch my grandmother used to take a little quantity of food in a banana leaf and place it in the open verandah in the backyard of the house.
This first serving of food for birds by the household women is still practiced as a ritual in many of our Indian villages. I, myself have seen many women placing the first serving of food at a routine-spot (roof terrace or compound wall), after which they quickly move away from the food, giving enough space for the birds to eat the food peacefully.
Only after witnessing the scene of birds having consumed the food, the household women would go inside into their homes and begin to serve food for their family members. The belief behind this ritual is that our ancestors come in the form of these birds and accept our food. Its a kind of blessing in disguise.
Even today my mother has this habit of placing a little quantity of food on our compound wall at our Trichy's residence. Similarly my brother follows the ritual of placing a little quantity of food on the balcony wall at our Kotturpuram rented-residence.
They also place enough water in a cup for the birds to drink. Though I never heard neither my mom nor my brother echoing Ka.kaa..kaaa... as my grandmother used to. But I see birds coming onto our balcony wall to have the first serving of breakfast or lunch prepared at home. I firmly believe that the love and concern behind both the vocal and the silent echoes will always remain pure and universal.
The culture of feeding birds and animals should continue for indefinite generations to come. We should cultivate this ritual in us and our dear ones of considering birds and animals as living beings that are to be taken care of.
I have seen several birds, such as crows, sparrows,swallows fly to our balcony wall and eat food prepared by my mother or my brother. Sometimes squirrels may surprise our guest list. A pleasant surprise. Always.
There are lot of articles which are still being circulated among our email boxes and social networking sites, asking us, especially in summers, to place water pots for birds on roof top terraces or compound walls.
In Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince", a little swallow on the request of the Prince (a statue)plucks precious stones from the statue and gives it to the needy and poor. In the end of this beautiful story of helping the needy, the death of the little swallow breaks the heart of the Prince. Both die. I believe we all have the similar caring hearts. So Princes and Princesses of this earth let us all unite in taking care of these little friends. Its our turn and this time the needy are our sweet little birds. Let us not be a statue.
On the lighter note: Despite good food, its hard for caged birds to be healthy until unless they practice yoga and recite Aaaauuuummmm twenty times in their enclosures. Where as birds with liberty and sky-permit license with our good food and caring will be healthy for sure, singing our good deeds forever.
One friday evening my mom and brother went to our hometown, Tiruchirappalli. I was staying alone at the Kotturpuram residence. Reading a book I fell asleep. That night I slept on the floor facing the door of the balcony, which was left open. The next day morning, I think it was around 6am, I slowly opened my eyes. What I saw startled me. A crow was standing on the balcony wall and was silently observing me. It gave me the chills.I would have screamed, thank God I didn't otherwise I would have scared the poor crow.(Readers who have watched Omen movie series would understand my chills). Recovering from my fear, I slowly got up, went into the kitchen, found couple of chappathis and returned back.
The crow moved back and forth when I placed the food near it on the balcony wall. When I stepped back, it echoed kraw.kraw..kraw... I came to my senses at the Benguluru airport. A little later I heard an announcement asking people to board the flight to Pune. Pack up. :-)
