Prakash Nagarajan
Prakash Nagarajan
* The Tree *
Somehow it always used to fill my heart with peace and happiness just looking at it. It was located not very far from my house. I just had to walk a small distance on the road to the left of my house and again take the lane to the left and there it was on a small ground covered by shrubbery besides the lane.
I saw it in different hues.
As a child when I used to walk up to the school, I saw it under the light of the early morning mist even before when the sun was up hearing the chirping of countless birds hidden under the thick foliage of its branches. On my way back I had observed it standing tall against the noon sky spreading an umbrella of shadow to weary passer bys. Again as evening fell I had seen it a countless time swaying gracefully in the breeze. The tree had an eternal quality about it. It enveloped my heart with a feeling of gentleness and peace whenever I happened to look at it. It was graceful in its demeanour and I could sense wisdom of ages touching me in its presence. It became a practice of sorts with me to look at the tree whenever I would step out in that direction.
As I grew up, I not only looked at the tree but also learnt to look up to the tree. Its selfless existence, gentle feel and gracefulness brought in me a desire to model my life after it. It had a calming effect on me, whenever my mind agitated over lifes countless travails and tribulations. It was a silent friend and a teacher to me filling my mind with a million thoughts about life and ways of life.
As years passed by, I learnt to look on lifes trials with a greater sense of equanimity, many lessons coming to me from my teacher, the tree.
And one day the unexpected happened. On my way to work one afternoon I saw the tree had fallen to the ground. There was no apparent reason why it should have. Its leaves were green and the trunk still young.
...Then why?
On a closer observation I could see small trenches dug near the tree. This must have loosened the soil around the roots. Maybe construction of some kind was likely to start on the ground...!
I felt a sense of shame and rage at the heartlessness of some men.
As I slowly walked away, I could not shake a feeling of loss and loneliness engulfing my heart. That evening my heart and mind was not on my work as I brooded over the loss of the tree.
The next day as I passed by that lane I saw that the tree had been shorn of its branches and was cut bare to its trunk. The sight filled my heart with pain and extreme anguish.
In the days to follow, I saw the tree trunk just lying on the ground like a decapitated soldier.
Somewhere in my heart I started praying and wished ardently that the tree should be resurrected once again standing on the ground majestic as it had, for as long as I could remember.
With the change of seasons, the rains came. I saw small fresh leaves branching out from its trunk. My heart leapt with unspoken joy. My hopes soared. If only the tree was made to stand upright
And so it happened one day.
As my gaze went in the direction of the tree I could see the tree firmly planted on the ground with its roots covered with soil. Some noble souls had done what I had yearned for!
The whole of rainy season I watched with joy new leaves and branches come to being.
But my joy was short-lived.
It was the month of September. Immersed in some thought I was trudging along the usual path. I cast a casual glance in the direction of the tree. I was struck with astonishment to note that the tree had vanished from its place! There was no trace of it whatsoever! Try as I did, I could not comprehend the mystery. Where could it have gone...? Who could have moved it? The days to follow saw me watch the place unfailingly, with fond hope that the tree might yet somehow reappear. But my hopes gave way to despair with passing days.
The land where the tree once stood now remained vacant and the emptiness of it, soon found its reflection in my heart forever...
- © Prakash Nagarajan
India
