A Valiant Bird’s Tale
As I lay motionless on the ground, the summer heat baked the earth. A gust whipped up the powderous earth into a cloud of dust. There was no one in the wide expanse and I could see for miles. As I lay in embrace of the Earth, the primal colors of my land kept me company — the red of the baked Earth that contrasted with the pristine blue sky and the greenery of a lush forest on the horizon.
As I wandered in and out of consciousness, I tried hard to keep myself awake.
I stared at my severed wings that lay strewn at a distance with the now loose feathers flying around it. It bore a mute testament to the happenings earlier ..
It was a normal day like any other. I was perched atop my vantage point that overlooked the vast plains of the Vindhyas. I soared into the skies with my mighty wings and patrolled my land. Though old, for a bird my age, I was in a very good shape. Just when I was about to wrap up and head home, something caught my eye.
I swerved and headed straight for it..
Even from a distance it was unmistakable ; it was a man. Man and his greed know no bounds and this was a demon of a man trying to make away with a friend’s little one. I was not going to let that happen..
Talons bared and a shrill cry in tow, I swooped down on the perpetrator and took a swipe. My anger and tenacity surprised the monster.
He pulled out a weapon and started slashing at me. I did him great harm but he could withstand all of it.
This demon needed more.
I had to throw caution to the wind. The situation demanded it and it was my duty..
I dove for the final assault and went straight for his face. My talons gripped his face and he began to wince in pain.
I was succeeding. As I tightened my grip, blinded with pain, he slashed at me blindly. One of those random slashes went right through my shoulder clipping a wing off my body. More followed..
I reeled and started a downward spiral….
The pain was unbearable. Not the physical one, but the one in the eyes of this monster’s captor who he was now making away with. I said a silent prayer as I hit the ground.
It could have been a few hours since. I wondered why providence kept me awake and alive ? I obliged anyway. Everything happens for a reason..
The heat showed no signs of abating and the cloudless sky ensured it didn’t. As I lay helpless, I was reminded of the last time I was in embrace of the Earth like this. It was when I was a little one and had fallen flat while learning how to fly. I couldn’t but wonder how similar old age is to being a baby…
I was woken up when I heard someone call my name. I dismissed that as a hallucination. But there was someone..
A gentle face was bending over me. It had grace, aura and a royal lineage. As he looked at me, the sun seem to align behind him and ensure a halo worthy of his countenance. A lone tear welled up in his eye.
My eyes lit up. I knew who he was …
” Dear brave and noble Jataayu..” he said as he lifted me to his lap aided by his younger brother Lakshman….
Photo : http://www.flickr.com/photos/goierritarra1/2993965010/sizes/l/in/photostream/
A Tale Of Two Economies — and their Banks behaving badly
For His Eyes Alone
The Guava Tree
The Morning Prayer
