Dhalu in Chennai

“People are like water: Many rush, pass you, as some will over-flood. Some will drown you, or force you to go to their current ways” -Anthony Liccione

It was late in the morning, the visitor had thrown a mango at the monkey in the man-made forest. The monkey picked it, peeled it delicately with its teeth and paws and began eating it. It licked its paws  and devoured the mango till a shining seed was left, it then flung it far away. The seed got buried in the soil and after a few months germinated to see the stunning world. The mango sapling was dug from the soil by a compassionate visitor and planted in Chennai near the huge Banyan tree on the outskirts of the city near his sister’s house.. 

The mango sapling looked at the world enthusiastically as this place seemed better than the quiet forest it grew in. There were children who loved him. Ramu, the gang leader never forgot to gobble its pink leaves. It pained him to see that the leaves were never allowed to photosynthesize. Sita was compassionate and spoke about plants, environment and loved the Mango sapling who was called Dhalu now. The sapling was considered to be a friend of Ramu, Sita and Cherry. There were many more children in the colony, but this gang considered Dhalu an intimate friend of theirs as they sat in its tiny shade and conversed.

In the afternoons it was always hot. Dhalu yearned for the forest where it always had the shade of the Almond and Guava. Here it was definitely in the shade of the Banyan yet the Banyan tree was proud and arrogant owing to its huge expanse. It did not find the emaciated sapling a good companion. The Banyan felt it should have had the company of a Coconut tree, an Ashoka or a Peepal who could have shared his views through their great experiences. Dhalu was watered at times by the municipal authorities and it began growing well. It was two feet tall now with good foliage. The butcher’s goat always wanted to eat its leaves, but Dhallu breathed out horrible air and made his foliage taste bitter, perhaps it was the fear that made special chemicals ooze into its leaves. Children would  drive away the goat lovingly, but could never stop the buffalo that propelled it to a side owing to its blind trample.

Dhalu would see the cars and buses and other vehicles puff out smoke.  The city was crowded with children and adults, malls and factories. The streets and buildings were plastered with cement with very few trees. Many a times its beautiful foliage would be laden with smoke hindering its ability to cook for itself. Dhalu wished it had hands like human beings to wipe the  dust that clogged its pores and legs to move to a place of its choice. The initial rains in Dusshera were a welcome one as the leaves were clean. Dhalu could cook well when it turned sunny and gave the world some amount of oxygen. The Banyan tree was able to liberate gallons of oxygen, making Dhalu joyous. The kids sat under its little shade and discussed the importance of growing plants as they lovingly cuddled its leaves.

A few days later it rained again but this time it  rained heavily and softly but continuously. Dhalu saw the water rise till its waist, but remained happy as its roots were firm. Then it saw water rush into homes. People climbed onto the higher floors. Dogs and other animals also followed suit owing to their masters and animal lovers yet Dhalu could not move. It looked at the Banyan who had seen years of experience. It looked down at Dhalu and gave a weak smile. It said “maybe floods,” Dhalu did not understand what it meant, but shivered in the cold weather as the water kept rising higher. It felt its roots loosen as the sand was slipping away with water. It stood bravely facing it throughout the night. In the morning,  Dhalu could just peep above the dirty water as the drainage waste had merged in it. It saw the kids and their parents moving with their belongings in a boat to drier areas. It heard the children screech Dhalu 'bye'.

The sky was grey and the rainwater was black as coal, Dhalu choked on it. It kept looking at the sky and suddenly felt its roots loosen, it felt being pushed away from the land, and began floating on water. Its roots tried searching for a small piece of land to settle but found none.  The flowing water took it hither and thither, there was a man who held on to its  tiny branches to reach the shore, but on reaching the shore he forgot to pull it out. Dhalu remained in the dirty water as it saw people and animals being rescued by the Air force and common man, but no one saw that little Dhalu still breathed and needed to be replanted, a little later Dhalu fainted and soared into the blue sky above the grey one, he saw people pluck its leaves and use the wood. As Dhalu walked into the heaven, it wanted to ask God why did human beings, not care for plants just as they cared for themselves and the animals.

 “When this flood blocks the road 
I am worried more 
by my soil getting washed, 
than by getting late 
to reach my destination.” 
― Suman Pokhrel