When A Miracle of Nature Perched On My Roof -by Anandini Kashyap

The morning seemed like night, with melancholic darkness all around. The wind was getting more and more unrestrained by the second. Humid shadows were hovering above us and we knew it would soon unleash torrentially upon us. My brother and I sprinted upstairs to get all the clothes from the roof before they got drenched in the rain.

That’s when I saw it for the first time! The tiny fledgling, fluttering around her mother. Each bolt of lightning startled the poor creature. Just as it started raining, the mother sheltered its nestling under her wings. My mother rushed to the roof to help us with the clothes and we went back inside, but the bird and her tiny offspring remained outdoor, weathering the torrent together. The storm lasted for two hours, but with my mind constantly worrying about those two helpless creatures on the roof, it seemed like a lifetime. I rushed up. The mother was there, with her wings spread like a canopy, protecting her tiny child from the angry weather with everything she had. The most poignant form of selfless love right there before my eyes!

Since then, I started regularly going to the roof, taking something to eat for the mom and child every day—rice, bread and a bowl of water. Every morning, the mother would lead her child to the other end of the roof, where a ledge protected it from the blasting heat, and the little chick would obediently follow. The father seemed more of a lone wolf, he had something solitary about him. Or maybe, he stood guard from prowling eagles and crows, while the mom went about nurturing the child. Yes, that’s probably right because as soon as he saw any threat to his child, no matter how large the enemy, he would plunge and strike at them, turning a blind eye to the fact that they all were many times his size.

The bird’s family became a daily topic of discussion in our family. I came to know from my parents that these two birds had been laying their eggs on our roof for the last four years, but unfortunately not even one of them survived ever. This little nestling was their only child who had survived this long and we were all hoping that it would soon learn to fly. After all, how defenseless is a bird that cannot fly!

It surprised me that I had never taken the time to notice this bird’s family before. It took a pandemic and my inability to step out to notice things that were happening in my house, though it was always right in front of me.

There must be myriads of similarly inspiring, pristine, exquisite beauty in nature that we must be missing to notice. Nature is so bountiful and unique. Days like the world environment day that celebrate nature are probably a reminder to us to stop for a few moments and admire the nature that is all around, just waiting for us to open our eyes and discover it!