The Empty Nest

The Universe unravels its layers in the most subtle ways. We just need to be there, witnessing it with all our sensitivity.

The two major weather transitions bring festivities. The nip in the air after September brings happiness with Ganpati and the remembrance of those who moved on.

This year was no different, choosing our Bapa and tiding the mandir and bringing Him home. The tinkles of temple bells during the arti time were accompanied by the chirping of little bulbul chicks.

The winds and the rains came lashing over the weekend, the nest unfortunately broke but the little one survived. Kept his zeal and jumped around soon to be infested by a bug attack. Sometimes, you sail through the storms but tiny bugs eat you up, Life. Lonely sat the parents mourning for days looking for their young one in the empty nest.

Visarjan and then the shraddh, life moved, the rituals and the grind kept days somber. While the Mumma bulbul did away with her mourning gathered the twigs and wove her dreams in the nest yet again.

Cute little eggs and her sitting on it to provide warmth. Never ever I heard her saying " what a drudgery this life is".

And Maa's homecoming was welcomed with dancing little orange beaks reacting to the stimulus of mum's calling to open their mouth for breakfast of worms.

Soon feathers and wings developed and the lessons to fly from the grills of the fourteenth floor began.

While the world celebrated Navami the family took their first flight together, leaving behind yet again an empty nest.

The Universe gives its lessons when they are most needed. Life, death, mourning, picking up the pieces to fly yet again, all temporary, the only permanence the zeal.

For all that shall ever remain would be an empty nest.