The Invisible Tree!!

It was a beautiful morning for me.. I had a good night's sleep and had woken up to the chirping of birds in my balcony. I always wished if only.. I could understand their language!! I don't know when technology would prosper to a level where we could understand the language of all animals.. Maybe things would be different then.. But for now... I interpreted a heated conversation between the sparrow couple as they chattered!! I thought may be they are freaked out on seeing me at the window.. but then I went like.. "Naah...they have got used to seeing me everyday now.. rather they are not afraid of me at all..." Something which I take as a compliment.. Like my usual routine, I took my toothbrush with a little paste and salt on it.. and came back to the window.. to take a view and sink in the beauty of the little nature that was left in my surroundings.. But no.. Nature had other plans.. :( Post the cyclone Tauktae a day back, the now beautiful soothing weather had to take care of the shambles the cyclone had left behind.. the beautiful Pink Gulmohar tree which I had befriended in my childhood was turning lifeless.. The tree which danced in the wind and in rain and whenever the sun shone it's rays over it... was on the main road but never once did it harm any human or animal since my childhood... Whenever I walked besides it.. I would hear the birds chirping songs.. crows cawed like they were passing some information about me to each other... the pink flowers fell on the road as in.. the tree was welcoming the passers by like a king or queen...High up it's strong branches.. were dozens of nests.. The small ecosystem in itself was no less than the tree of Eywa they showed in the movie.. Avatar.. But now it's leaves and branches had shrinked like a broom.. Who knew a once humongous blossoming tree for decades... would get affected to such an extent.. in just 2 days! I felt a shudder to see it going lifeless.. maybe it must have got uprooted because of the nearby houses encroaching its roots.. but I thought maybe the municipal authorities will try to displace it to some good place or re-root it again.. I prayed for the tree to stay alive till help arrived..

But as the day passed.. I started hearing saws running and axes thudding the branches of the tree.. all at once.. I got up and looked at the tree.. 4 men were trying to cut the branches of the tree from four different angles.. My heart gutted in pain with every strike the axe took on the tree.. every time the saw hit its branch... I thought of the tree.. if only I had the power to displace it to some safer place where humans would have not disturbed it.. Throughout my childhood whenever I was upset or wanted to relax, I would come to my balcony and watch the tree swaying.. watched how beautiful it was.. watched how it served others.. watched how it stood strong even in the harshest of the weathers.. it taught me passively how one should be.. A teacher who never knew a student was always looking at it and learning from a distance.. I was writhing in pain as I saw my childhood friend getting bashed.. I hoped they cut only few branches to minimize the danger on the so called encroachers.. but no.. soon after the branches were cut... The trunk was targeted and in no time the trunk vanished too.. I could not bear the sight of them cutting the tree..so I tried to redirect my thoughts to something else but my heart stayed there.. stayed on one of the branches of the tree just like a nest had rested there before.. The night fell like a blanket of darkness and the void stayed in front of my eyes.. the birds mourned the loss of a loved one which they once called home.. and tomorrow morning when I will get up.. I won't have the strength to look outside my window to see a void.. which now has The Invisible Tree.. !!