"Di ! What are you looking at?"
Something which has stuck somewhere came out as a faint laugh which stayed as a smile on Jeanie's lips. " I? I am looking at that bird." She pointed at a bird who was hovering in the sky.
After a brief pause Yashi again asked Jeanie , " What do you see in her?""I think she is young."
"But what makes you think so?" ...
" She is easy in her flight and she is in love with herself."
"Oh..."
Both exchanged a meaningful glance and again begin to observe the bird.
... "Di ... what do you think , will this bird ever feel love for something other than herself?"
"May be ... but..."
"But?"
"... That 'something other' shall not kill her love for herself... she is quite happy now... with herself."
"But di ..." She stopped speaking as she saw Azhar coming. She stealthily glanced at Jeanie , who also didn't like Azhar's interruption...
Azhar came in and began teasing both the gals (who were not in the mood to be teased by him) He must have observed this so he asked Yashi out and both went , though the later regretted leaving Jeanie's company.
After some ten odd years both Jeanie and Yashi got a chance to meet and to meet alone. Today silence was the sign of mutual understanding. And observing nature was the sign of life that has remained after the life that has passed.
Yashi felt the pulse of moment so she repeated the history , “Di ! what are you looking at?”
The memory of that day struck Jeanie , she faintly smiled and understanding the game , repeated the fragments of history , “ I ? I am looking at the bird.” Yashi appreciated her in her eyes and smiled.
“What do you see in her?”
“I think she has lost her beautiful feathers… she is aging.”
Understanding the shift in the old story , she posed her next question artfully. “But she is too far , how did you make out that she is aging?”
“She is flying mechanically , using the same strokes . It seems she is not enjoying her flight. It seems she is not flying for the sake of flying (enjoyment of flying ) but for some need. She has lost her some beautiful feathers.”
“Didi … will she ever recover her feathers again ? ”
“I am not sure… perhaps she will , the moment she will fall in love with herself again.”
They both looked into each other’s eyes… it was so deep and comforting that it said more than what has been said till the moment. They again looked at the sky until it turned pale to grayish magenta … until all the birds went back to their abode to rest … until all the thoughts settled down and a feeling arose … a feeling of contentment … a feeling of love… love for oneself.
Comments