A Tribute to the Immortal..



Today was the day. It was the 13th of February. Today, this tiny, little nuclear family of ours was going to welcome a new member into it. Apparently, it was my birthday in another 5 days and he was supposed to be my birthday present! How overwhelmed can a teenager be at the fact of getting a baby bird as a birthday gift? That too a day before 14th February i.e Valentine's day. 14th February had to be his birthday! I always did want a pet and a bird seemed to be the perfect choice. Since a dog was totally out of the league. I have working parents, you know.

So with all our hearts skipping we walked into the shop. Well-lit for nighttime as it was, the melodious chirping of the birds along with the various noises created by the other animals, gushed into my ears, filling me with a sense of uncontrollable hysteria. THIS WAS IT. From today I would have a companion! Someone I could cry my heart out to at the end of the day. Someone I would leak my darkest secrets to without the fear of losing them. Someone I could talk to and about, all day long.

My eyes anxiously searched around the room. It didn't take much time before I spotted those two small birds sitting inside a silver, rusted cage. They looked beautiful. Those orange patches on their lovely yellow feathered cheeks, even the blind could not miss the sight. The crest on top of their heads just added to the beauty. Out of the two, the one at the back caught my attention. I moved a little closer to the cage in order to have a look at him. He looked so quiet, so tranquil, so content with himself. My pulses almost slowed the moment I felt his presence drift towards me from within the cage. I moved away. The shopkeeper noticed my absent-mindedness and opened the cage, he got out the one which had been dancing for so long in order to gain my diverted attention. He kept the lively one on my shoulder and I just couldn't stop grinning! After a lot of discussion we decided we would take the on perching on my shoulder. But SOMETHING pulled me back! I didn't want the silent one to be left alone. Fate could be blamed for it or maybe just a twist of events. Whatever it was, we went back home with the silent one. He just was different and his uniqueness was yet to be discovered. I felt it. Something about him appealed to me in ways that others did not comprehend, not that I expected them to. We reached home. He was so silent, so shy to come out. Maybe it was the agitation to have been brought to a new place and asked to jump around. Nevertheless, we continued to stare at him with admirable eyes, waiting for him to come out of his own mellow world so that we could be friends with him. We name him Dodo, or to be honest, I did. It was just so cute! 'Dodo' was generally used as an insult, but calling him with that name just change the whole definition. Days passed but out confidence in him never lapsed.

It worked. Our patience paid off! There comes a day in life when all of us are ready to risk landing on water. He slowly made his way out of the cage and onto my shoulders. His tiny, reticulated feet tickled me but it was euphoria that overcame everything else.  When his crest ticked the back of my neck I knew he was having fun and so was I! I felt ecstatic. Those days, I can never forget.

Today I have a baby bird sitting in my balcony with no proper nest. It's mother is all it depends on and she makes sure she lives up to it.

Dodo isn't there with us today but we all remember him. Everyone has to go one day and his time came as well. Today, when I look at that baby bird outside I want to protect it. I want to shoo away all the filthy crows that come and try to strangle it. But since I can't do much about my past, I make sure I do the right thing in my present. I will try to protect it with all my heart. This baby bird might not be there in a few weeks time and yes, I shall feel bad. But the fact that it flew away safely and is ready to face the coming adventures is what will keep me smiling! :D