Lock- down, The Bird in My Current- House and A Throwback to Childhood- Paradise full of Sparrows

I thought I am the person who loves solitude, but this Lock- down scenario appears to prove me wrong. 😅 Now I am of the notion that though I love solitude, I also love to spent time with people for at- least some time in a day. Absolute solitude is sort of punishment I think.

In my lodge, every girl has kept herself confined in her respective room, which is indeed a responsible behavior during corona pandemic.

As far as I am concerned, I had already made myself aloof from rest of the world even before the term 'self- quarantine' came into vogue in India. So, on the first day of official Lock- down; I had already spent a week of self- quarantine. 
Pats on my back. How sensible I am as a person. 😜

Gradually, I started getting bore in my room. I started missing my long walks on road, watching birds playing on trees and other stuff I used to do outside. 

By the end of month of March, I was too bored to do anything. I could not write a Blog- Post; or if already written, I was not able to type and upload. The only thing I did was updating WhatsApp status and playing challenge- games. 😂
There were lots of pending tasks and I kept on procrastinating. 

On 4th of April, I was lying lazily on my bed, when I saw this bird in my room. The presence of this tiny living thing suddenly made me energetic. I smiled and said, "GOOD MORNING". 

The little creature flew away in fear when I moved a bit from my place. ALONG WITH HER, WAS FLOWN AWAY MY BOREDOM.
(I was able to click some pictures from distance the next morning, which I have used in thumbnail) 

It was that Bird's positive vibes that I was able to write The Sunday- Post and I am able to write this one as well.
Thank you mother- nature for creating such amazing creatures.

I had never cherished this fact before that a Pigeon or a Dove  comes to my house everyday, since I did not like its voice.
(as I don't know difference between the two, I apologize for my ignorance 🙏 Any Ornithologist reading the post... please help me out with this)

This Pigeon makes a strange bird- call. The first time I had heard it, I felt it to be too annoying, noising and harsh. It felt as if someone is crying in agony. The melancholy in its voice was not bearable to me at all. I love to hear sweet chirping only.

Generally, sweet chirping of birds is what the impression we have in our head since childhood. Every poetry we read, or every song we hear; explains that voice of birds is sweet and sweet only.

In fact, while writing this Post early in the morning right before dawn, I can clearly hear Kuhu-Kuhu of Cuckoo bird (Asian Koel) from outside. THE SIGNATURE SWEET SOUND.

This bird- call is followed by mixed chirping of various birds. It felt as if a bunch of iconic musicians are composing a song in harmony with different instruments. Then I heard loud raspy signature call of a crow.

"Caw- Caw"

The combined effect of all these bird- calls sent me on a journey back to my childhood.

My childhood- paradise was situated in a conventional village of Bihar. The house was an old- fashioned architect in a small village with huge courtyard. There was a tree in my courtyard, which used to be a mandatory presence in all the houses over there. That tree still lies there. 🤞

As stated earlier, that house was an old- fashioned architect; it had enough space for birds, cats, rats and serpents as well to breath freely (subject to law of survival) along with humans.

The house had thick walls. So, ventilator area was the ideal place for birds' nest. Requisite material for constructing a nest was also easily available in a village household. 

Sparrow was the bird I encountered the most while growing up. The chirpy sparrow. I could never understand her language; I don't know if she could get that of mine. But I often felt as if she had a sense of competition with me; or she just gained delight in annoying me. I would explain why I felt so.
Whenever I attempted to memorize Tables, or study any tough subject; she used to start singing in her exuberant voice.

Gradually I moved to live in town and then cities. Now, I miss the presence of that naughty sparrow around me. Even if I don't know it was the same bird all the time or not; as birds look identical UNLIKE HUMANS.

OR

It is fault of my ignorant eyes that I cannot differentiate between them, because old ladies in my house did the job. They could not only tell the difference in appearance, but could also tell the difference in nature of birds of same species.

My grandmother's elder sister (मौसीईआ) would tell- "This bird is naughtier. That bird is sweet and calm."
God knows how she did all this. I am the dumbest of all people in this respect I feel.

Coming back to present time, and hearing birds chirping (including this Pigeon's unusual call), I feel elated. This pleasant sound is filling me with positivity.

Now I realize why I felt the voice of Pigeon to be annoying, noising and harsh. I think it was my state of mind and not the bird's- sound. Now, when I have started cherishing the presence of this bird around me; it makes more sense to me during Lock- down period.

'Social- distancing' is the only way to fight this Corona Pandemic. I am grateful to God for filling this world with other creatures along with humans. This tiny creature saved me from getting depressed. Its presence helped me in completing my pending tasks. Though, I have always been an avid- bird- viewer; I have started falling in love with birds. 

Thank you, 'The Bird in my House' for giving me this perspective to handle the situation. While the entire world is shaken by this pandemic, I found solace in a bird- call.
Do tell me your story of positivity during Lock- down in comments- section below and Subscribe the Blog.

🖊 Prachi Kumari

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