Aahaa Chennai

A lone sentinel, a newbie in this garden,  I am trying my best to stand upright under the hot sun, the light breeze at times providing a soothing feeling as it makes me sway gently under the sweltering heat, when all of a sudden it seems the skies have opened up. Rain?  Umm...not exactly. I am honoured to be the proud recipient of a shower of fragile cream and orange blossoms, their tender petals tickling me thanks to the     avuncular branch right above my head.

Surrounded by pizzas and noodles? Or is it burgers,  French fries pasta varieties and cakes. Here is someone crying for attention. Nestled in a paper cone made in a jiffy, jostling each other as they roll around, the intense flavour of roasted groundnuts and yellow peas is unmatched, as even passers by will testify to.       Whether with friends at the beach, at the theatre or the usual meeting spots, the sight of eager hands popping these crunchy tidbits into wide open jaws will make your taste buds stand up and say...some more.

A foggy morning with the sun attempting to make an entrance. When the hot coffee becomes lukewarm within minutes, when squirrels call out a greeting as they scamper down the blooming mango tree, when the competition for the loudest call amongst the avians in the farthest tree has heads peeking through window slats. In a grassy corner, away from the din, silently growing up, dressed in a jazzy pink attire, an elegant persona makes a statement.

The incoming SMS perks up the waiting group. Their online order for a large cheese pepperoni pizza and garlic bread is on its way. Hungry mouths await its arrival. The wait will not be for long for the employee from the local diner is zipping onward  using his two wheeler to ensure timely delivery. Meanwhile...  a woebegone looking someone, his antlers proclaiming his lineage, a spotted deer to be exact, is desperately seeking  his favourite food. He wishes to  place an online order (which he has heard works real quick) for some yummy green stuff,  the usual grass to you and me, chopped, piled up and ready to be carted some kilometres away. Hello! Is anyone willing to take this order?😃

Amidst the clutter on the table... amongst the newspapers, gadgets, the coffee mugs, water cups, books, pens,  pencils, chargers, power banks and wallets, occupying a very special place is your very own fragrance holder. Bend down for a whiff of citrus flavour,  combined with that of oregano, blades of lemon grass, Basil, the pungent betel leaf, a sprig of mint leaves topped with your favorite Tulsi and curry leaves reposing in a special vase fashioned by nature's nimble hands. It seems that the young, fallen green coconut has found a safe haven.

There is a certain  something... silently tugging your mind off  the shutdown mode, dragging tired feet forward, inciting droopy arms into action. That difficult to suppress feeling inches its way up from  deep inside. A cry that cannot be contained, makes eyeballs move desperately hither and thither, egged on by a dry as dust feel encompassing  half-dead lips and a withered throat, sucking out once zippy energy levels. You wish for that one thing you hope a genie would thrust  into your hand, a wish when fulfilled brings forth a heavenly sense of pleasure, which percolates its way through shrivelled passages, perking up each and every cell, rejuvenating a sluggish tongue.                               Ah! A glass of water.                    Welcome  summer.

  Make do with whatever is available. This is something which has been drilled into me from childhood. So here I am, building my home with materials found in plenty in the outdoors. Look closely. What do you see? Ah! I see your discerning eye has noticed. It does add an interesting touch, don't you think? Those little bits of plastic, deftly tucked in here and there,  do offer a relief from those dull brown sticks. Hey! This is me, your very own innovative local crow, gazing forlornly at my empty nest, lying abandoned thanks to  a gusty wind, a skillfully woven piece of art, if you dont mind me saying so,  a silent witness to many a warm night with my little ones, who have now flown to freedom.

Little balls of green, tightly curled, swayed gently in the breeze, their tender green sheaths unfurling bit by bit, day after day, revealing little wisps of unburnished pale yellow desperate to take a peek  at the world above. The crimped yellow tufts shook off their langour to stretch  the emerging  sunny wings, their hard work paying off  as  exquisite little pocket suns put on a show tossing their heads to a merry tune, proudly displaying whorls of yellow rosettes drawing every passing eye.