It is pretty lonely nowadays.
My friends are long gone in the name of ‘development’
There are a few new neighbors but they all seem so ‘posh’ and ‘pretty’ just like the many people who wiz past me. Always hurrying to work, dropping kids, going somewhere in their big smoke-spewing things called ‘cars’!
My neighbors are plants like me, but they seem weird. There is no sweet-smelling flower that blooms nor does any bird make its nest. They don’t offer shade and they certainly don’t shed! I really don’t know what they are but they aren’t interested in polite conversations, so I let them be.
It’s not all that bad you know! I am a part of a big housing society (that’s what people call their homes nowadays!) I am planted in the leisure forest walk area. A small patch of trees with benches and shade! Sadly, nobody seems to have leisure on their hand to come to this area and walk-in peace. ‘Peace is of course elusive! I must know, I am still finding it’
Who am I?
Oh! Sorry, where are my manners! I am Prajakta – a tree with sweet-smelling white flowers that have an orange stalk.
I should be happy that I am alive! I should be peaceful that there is no one to bother me and the gardeners take real good care of me, but there is no one to smell my sweet flowers. No one comes to this side in the early mornings to see the beautiful white and orange carpet that my flowers spread. My most glorious moments are spent alone! So is this really living?
To know what happens next check out Prajakta- companion
This is such aheartbreaking post, i can relate to it and with this beautiful flower in sight, i would look forward to the next one.
I love these flowers, did not know its names, such a heart touching writup dear! 😍😃
Prajakta is absolutely right. It has become lonelier with the passing years. We had a Prajakta tree in our garden and we would pick up these beautiful flowers everyday before going to school and give them to our teachers or friends. I used to collect them gingerly and give to our neighbour who would offer to Gods in her home temple. Just remembered that it’s been ages since I saw a Prajakta tree. 😐
So beautifully you relate the flower with our life. Life of today is changed then earlier, people care of each other ,talk,help and smile back
Beautiful post, enjoyed reading through. Prajakta just melted my heart.
Beautiful post which depicts the pain of Prajakta tree. I also used to pick the flower of the tree in my childhood, sometimes play and sometimes make garland.
What a lovely story! Heading over immediately to read the next part.
Your post made me remember many memories of this flower. I used to collect the flower for Puja and more.
We had a tree in our ancestral home in kolkata and in October the ground used to turn white. You refreshed many sweet memories for me
What a beautiful post you have shared, it has lot of memories connecting from my childhood nanis place.
This is heartbreaking story of the flower. Heading towards the next part related to this.
Such a beautiful piece Neha, cant wait to head to read the rest of the post in the series