The Melody Of The Koel

Papa: “Wake up fatso, sleeping 12 hours means that you will sleep away half your life. Wake up and do yoga.”

Papa was definitely a fitness freak. Waking up early, doing yoga, and cycling were his usual routines.

Phones calls from papa always filled my days, he would always call at 5 am, a wake-up call. 

Then another and another and another call, throughout the day we were connected via his calls. A call to tell me they’d cooked chicken and I couldn’t eat it because I had been married in an orthodox Brahmin family, not that I minded not eating chicken or fish but I certainly did mind the constant taunting of my Father in law. He would usually comment on my family and say that we did not deserve to be brahmins as we had defied their practices. Now tell me where is it written that a brahmin cannot eat chicken? Guess what? I had always loved the yummylicious chicken prepared by papa, and I really did miss not eating that.

My face would light up when I saw papa reflecting on my screen, I so eagerly waited for his phone calls to share each bit of my life with him. I would even forget if I had been hurt by someone. His advice and understanding saved my marriage also and today the reason I’m happily married, and a mommy of two grown-up boys is because of my wonderful father. However, there is this particular phone call from papa which has left a mark on my mind. It is the one that I go over multiple times in a day as papa is no more so no more phone calls.

 He called me one day in the evening and I was standing on the terrace of my house. As I picked up the phone without waiting for me to answer he said: 

 Papa, “Listen to the melody of the Koel in the backdrop, it is sitting on the tree under which I am seated. (Taunting) Do you ever hear such a melody in your city? Hear how melodiously it sings, as though telling everybody that happiness is in the small things of life.”

Me: “ Of course, it sings here too.”

Papa: “ But I am sure it is not as melodious as our village Koel.”(laughing)

Me: “ Please papa, what has melody got to do with a village or city.”

Then that very instant, on a mango tree in my neighbourhood, I heard a koel, singing loud and clear, I said laughing: “Hear this, my city koel singing equally well.” Then he laughed and laughed, and I laughed too, it was like a joke only we both understood. His laughter rings in my ears even 10 years after his passing away. Even today I stand out on my terrace and wait for the melody of the koel in the mango season. Sometimes, I wonder if papa is still listening to the melody of the koel……koel it is because that is what papa always called it.