While some of us sit inside our lovely homes and enjoy comfortably within the four walls with our families, there are some people for whom enjoyment can mean stealing mangoes from someone else’s mango tree and run happily on deserted roads. Read this piece to understand how happiness can be reflected in the little things we do.
On one cloudy day under the lockdown 2.0 in India, I sat on a bench in my balcony and started looking at the birds. Flying freely. No lockdown restrictions, no chaotic humans around them. I felt happy and sad at the same time for the same reason. Sad- because I was now caged in my house and happy- because the birds were freely enjoying and chirping all day, from dawn to dusk. I could even hear some birds during mid-night. This might be a result of the lockdown and environment healing, or maybe because I am observing it now as I have become a night owl. Each day feels like a Sunday with slight variations, on repetition mode.
This is a time that will be narrated as stories to our future generations, only if we survive this. We are learning patience every passing day yet waiting for the time when the COVID-19 crisis will finally get over.
So, while I was sitting on my bench with my eyes closed and enjoying the breeze on my face, I heard the noise of some children on the street outside my house. There were four of them. Four little boys, somewhere around the age of 6 or 8. I recognised one of them being the son of the domestic worker of my neighbours. I stood at the railing of my balcony and began observing them.
At first, I was nervous as they were running carefree and enjoying themselves on the empty roads with no proper physical distance maintained between them. There is an old house right in front of my home with two mango trees inside. One on the front side of the house and the other at the backside.
I could only imagine the process and enjoy the sight of the mangoes on the tree, but the young boys were determined to achieve a sweet victory.
Sitting in my balcony, I too enjoy watching the unripe mangoes swinging from the branches, hoping they will become sweet one day. Hoping that maybe our neighbours share the mangoes with us when they get ripe. I could only imagine the process and enjoy the sight of the mangoes on the tree, but the young boys were determined to achieve a sweet victory.
One of them had no slippers in his feet and was running barefoot on the ground. I waved at him with a smile. He smiled back at me but looked very shy. I looked away from him so that I do not interfere with his confidence in stealing mangoes. The eldest boy among them was sharp in throwing stones and breaking off the mangoes from the tree. After a few minutes of struggle, they managed to break one mango from the tree and the mango fell on the ground.
As he reached the end turn of the road, he quickly looked back at me, paused and smiled.
Soon after, the owner of the house came running outside shouting at the little boys. One of the boys quickly picked up the mango and all four ran with joy as if they had won a battle. The boy with no slippers was running slowly and was the last one among the four.
As he reached the end turn of the road, he quickly looked back at me, paused and smiled. As I smiled back at him, he waved me a final goodbye. All I could do was keep waving at him till he disappeared from my eyes from the end of the road.
Thanks for reading!
