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| - Published in StoryStar 2014 She was the prettiest looking bird the greenwood forest had ever been home to. A new arrival as bride of a big cat, she was adored by all the milder inhabitants, even as wild beastly ones cast an evil eye upon her. She, however, was innocent as ever. When the daisies danced to her cooing at dawn and dusk, the pretty young thing was reminded of her parental nest down South in the hilly region where all picked upon her to do the community song & dance show. Birds of all feathers would flock around the huge clearing atop the solitary guava fruit tree. She would spend hours hopping up the branches day dreaming as all maidens of her age used to...! Her parents had chosen this big cat as her spouse and after a grand feast for all animals & birds of neighbourhood woods, left her in her husband's den, and returned to their own forest-city. Time flew by. She brought two little birds into this world, and forgot the tortures meted out to her by her in-laws and husband by immersing herself in raising her bird-babies. The hay of her nest was often drenched by her tears and it acted as her lone confidante. More time passed by. One sunrise in autumn season, she was drawn to the verses of a human sage being played loudly on the forest guard's smartphone. Oh, those humans had a way with expression of feelings, and with communication. She made random queries and soon found herself perching atop a tall coconut tree looking down at the saintly form seated in a posture of deep meditation. Hours later, she saw him look up and smile benevolently. Responding to his gesture of welcome, she flew down to prostrate herself before the learned, wise man. Being a lady of virtuous disposition, she felt herself sobbing and bless-echoing the holy man to save her and her baby-birds from the awful torturous big cat, her spouse, and his wicked kith & kin. She noticed the sage close his eyes for a few moments, apparently looking into her life's past, present, and future through his Third Eye. The serene soul then spoke in a quiet tone- 'Yes. But, The Lord who protects is greater than evil ones who wish to inflict injury. I will pray for your happy life, and that of your loved ones. But, you must stop eating worm-food and mingling with wicked cats, hereafter. And, sport a red spot of protection on your forehead. Do not let evil misguide you in the name of partying or such other forms of gallivanting.' He then pulled out an amulet from his right arm and asked the Lady-Bird to don it around her neck but not let it be visible even to her big catty husband. She accepted the protection-guard, bowed in reverence and flew back to her nest-house! Months turned into years. She adhered to the sage's advice obediently. Things had begun to change. Within a fortnight, she had been gifted a huge bird house of her own by her big cat and in-laws. Her catty sisters-in-law ceased to visit her place and turn her husband against her. Baby birds picked up health and were faring well in studies. She herself would wake up and say the prayer imparted to her by the sage. Soon, her big cat of a husband brought in a wagon load of twelve jewellery -items, boasting of his intelligence and success. He sold off the items in the grey market to unsuspecting women-customers (wives of highly placed officials in government of human-beings) little informing the gullible purchasers that these were 'made in China' and not from 'Switzerland banks' as he had announced to them! Atmosphere was now wholly changed in the huge bird-house. A home-theatre set, gymnastics equipment, fancy cars to ferry the grown-up bird kids and many more things that added to paraphernalia of wealthy human beings transformed the air. She too was corrupted by the relatives and opportunistic friends that began to frequent the bird-mansion. All airs soon turned the grounded, docile Lady-bird into as monstrous a creature as her husband and in-laws. She soon got convinced of her riches having come her way not due to the non stop penance of that unsung sage in the jungle, through rain and shine, day and night ...but wholly on account of her own destiny, smart spouse and lucky kids! One night, she hears the voice of the sage in her sleep cautioning her from succumbing to artificial, imaginary allurements, for evil was out to throttle her life, to bring in a harem of slave-wives. She was also asked not to remove the sacred amulet under any circumstance. The Lady-Bird pooh poohed away the voice but her inner sense prevented her from removing the amulet. She, however, began a whispering campaign which spread throughout the greenwood forest and surrounding woods that the Sage was a fake beast, out to eat the birds, and that he must be shunned as a pariah would be by human beings in the society of gadgetry and sophistication. In this, she was aided by a few crows and cuckoos as were hyenas and other members of the forest club of ladies! One said- 'there is no God'. Another squeaked- 'Holy men? As extinct as dinosaurs'. Yet another lady bird of position said- 'he can just be a man, not God!' The chorus worked on her mind and, sipping her pomegranate-juice, she deputed her servant, a jackass, to go out to the nearest forest settlement of human-beings and spread malignant rumours about the sage, so that her new found friends would remain pleased with her and the secret of her re-birth, as the proverbial Phoenix emerged, would remain unknown to anybody. She smiled to herself ruefully. Even as she began to sing her bird tunes, merrily. The sage, who was on non-stop fasting prayers for the poor, suffering bird, though continues to meditate on the ways of Nature: a huge amount of his physical energies were drained out by endowing the power of his spiritual grace to bestow peace, health & wealth on the hapless bird and her chicks. To what end and to what purpose? At what cost? Such is the prowess of compassion, mercy, sufferings, evil, goodness ingratitude and wickedness that each battles to outshine the other. Here comes the necessity for a religion, an order of faith and need to harbour a good conscience! Saga of the Lady Bird does not end even where she has turned enemically disposed to her protector based on hearsay and foul play of her big cat and minion companions. Sage knows what is in store and continues to meditate for the bird who scorns her saviour. She was his adopted protege. Almighty had sent a suffering-being to seek his help and he had done the miracles of Almighty: success of penance. But, his health deteriorates even as the Beneficiaries remain unaffected by the result of their inhuman attitudinal change. He shall live on even without breathing. To pour life in a multitude of future generations. As a Saint. But, the hurt of being mistaken by benefactor singes his bright Soul. Lady Bird is smarter than her big cat. She does not take off the sacred amulet for she knows her big, fat cat would devour her and her baby-birds and wear the feathers around his neck, if ever she let charm of divine-protection be separated from her bodily form! A lady bird smiles on ... The Sage meditates ... World cares less ... Rest in Peace!
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