God's Own Child

Dear God,

My name is Aarav, I belong to a family of Scientists and engineers, when I came to this world my dad thought that another nerd was born in the family and that’s why he kept a name that means “King of Wisdom”

When I was four years old my parents found out that I had difficulty in communicating my feelings and did not mix up with other kids at the kindergarten. That’s when the doctor diagnosed me with Asperger’s syndrome; a type of autism. This was a huge shock for my parents and the first few years were really tough for us, full of therapies and frequent visits to the doctor.

It’s been twelve years now and my family has come to terms with the reality, we live a normal life but due to my inability in social interactions and repetitive behavior people find me abnormal. At times I get bullied by a few ignorant souls; they call me a dimwit, dumbo, stupid, etc.

I am generally a positive person but the social stigma around my condition does upset me at times. Yes, my brain doesn’t work like an average person but I have a mind that doesn’t limit itself. Social gatherings do suffocate me but I give full freedom to my imagination.

I am a stay at home kid and that gives me ample time to observe and understand my surroundings and yes, I take my own sweet time. My day starts with a kiss on the forehead by my mom and dad; they for sure love me but have their work commitments so I have to spend most of my day with our helper, Gauri.

Oh! She is a real character, short and sweet looking but definitely not cutout for this job. I mean, she does take care of me but not more than herself. Loves watching her favorite daily Soap operas while I am lost in my own thoughts.

At times, she wears my mom’s make up and perfume and dances in front of the mirror.

But, I let her enjoy her special moments and never complained to mom, everyone deserves a good life. Don’t they?

We live on the first floor and our balcony is my favorite place in the entire world, this is where I get my world lessons without even stepping out. I must thank my parents for buying an apartment in such a green and peaceful locality.

The other day while sitting on the floor, I tried to obstruct the way of an ant with my thumb. She was carrying a half-eaten sugar cube that was twice her size and to my utter surprise she didn’t confront me and rather changed her direction.

I tried to distract her a few more times but she was unperturbed by any challenges thrown at her, simply refused to give up and managed to reach the other end of the balcony in no time. Her commitment and determination to the job was unmatchable. Like a true Karma Yogi, devoid of any ego and choosing to finish the job.

One of the advantages of living in a greener place is the abundance of birds, especially pigeons. There are quite a few in our colony and we have a couple of them in our house too, guess they too love the trees but prefer to stay near the Air conditioners like me. Mostly fun to watch but sometimes their grunting noise gets too annoying.

I heard pigeons live with one partner all their lives. Wonder, if it is a natural behavior or they too have social bindings. In any case their level of commitment is baffling.

Last week I saw an eagle on top of the Mahagony tree in front of our house, she was eyeing a dead pigeon thrown recklessly on the street by one of our neighbors.

I suspect it was Pinky aunty who lives on the third floor of the house, diagonally opposite to ours. A decent looking middle aged lady, seemingly well fed, her glowing and oily cheeks tell a tale about her fetish for junk food. Normally well behaved but too lazy to climb down to throw the garbage and wouldn’t mind hurling it on the street when no one was watching.

Mom once told me that eagles were high altitude scavengers; they have the strongest feathers and strike at their prey like lightening.They must be really powerful; it takes a lot to clean other people’s mess.Well, that was the first time I saw an eagle and in sheer excitement named her Bijli, she jumped out of the tree and came down to pick her favorite meal.

Bingo, our colony’s stray dog was quietly sitting at a corner but the moment he saw Bijli he started barking and running towards her. He doesn’t like strangers.

He is a real paradox, abandoned by his owners but treats all the street houses like his own, tiny in size but ready to take on bigger animals. Poor guy thinks that Pinky aunty likes to share her food with him; she won’t have chewed on those bones anyways.

God, I must compliment you for giving us such a beautiful animal, truly a man’s best friend. You have been too generous in gifting them the virtue of loyalty.

Bijli proved true to her name, she was quick enough to pounce on her meal and reach the tallest branch of the tree. Bingo was seemingly disappointed and sat quietly in the shade; guess he was expecting another chance.

Is it true that Mahogany tree is a manifestation of Goddess? I have no reason to doubt it though.

Such a magnanimous tree, not only in size, but also large hearted like a mother giving away all she has, accepting their toxins and ungrateful attitude without any grudge.

Everything comes alive in monsoon, sweet smell of earth, lush green trees, the chirping of birds and Bingo’s tail chasing dance is worth watching. I too enjoy getting drenched in rains; it is such an exhilarating experience.

Water is truly an elixir of life; a mere drop can lift up ones spirit. Heard they are trying to search it on other planets. Shouldn’t we try to save the freshwater available on earth before looking for it on Mars?

Mars reminds me of the never-ending Sky. Sometimes I wonder how you were able to create this Universe, must be difficult keeping a track of so many stars and planets. You are indeed the best artist, the most beautiful of them all is our Moon; I wish to go there someday.

It is a pity; mom does not allow me to sit alone in the balcony at night. God, she doesn’t understand that’s the only time I am able to look into your eyes and talk to you.

Although, my brain can’t comprehend the way our society works but I consider myself fortunate to have a mind that understand and appreciates the beauty of your creation.I feel sorry for other people; their life is really difficult.The humans you created are trying to become Super humans and in the process miss on the true essence of life.

God, I think it’s time for you to reprogram them; either make their lives simpler or their brains less complicated.

Thank you for giving me a place in this beautiful world. Good bye.