Ajay stepped into the garden once again. It always gave him a sense of peace when he came to the garden. The beauty of the flowers, their fragrance quitened not just his mind, but his soul too. He always made it a point not to touch any flower.
"A flower is a flower and I am I . We are two diff entities. Why should I spoil it by plucking it? " He had explained to Vijay yesterday only.
But today, it was something diff. Maybe it was a result of not having a flower in his shirt like all others did. "Comeon man, all the flowers are meant to make ur shirt more beautiful. They also want the same " Vijay had countered yesterday. Maybe that had enflamed some inner desire.
He went to his favourite part of the garden and gazed at that particular dahlia. What he saw in that dahlia , he could never figure out. Maybe its simplicity when compared to the roses. Maybe its non-assuming nature when compared to the sunflower. He could never explain it. All he knew was that just gazing at that dahlia had a special effect. It not just quitened him like other flowers but somehow, it seemed to make him Happy.
He had even asked the gardener abt it a few times. The reply was always the same:"You are you. Dahlia is dahlia. You dont have to pin it to your shirt. If I want it, it will be done".
Lost in these thoughts, he reached very close to the dahlia. He just could not stop himself from holding it in his hands. He cupped his hands delicately , very delicately around it. "Touch it already", came the voice from behind. He turned arnd and saw Vijay. "Touch it already. That will give you real happiness."
He touched. He put it on his shirt.How good it looked there? But then something happened.The flower which was happy till a moment back seemed very desolate now. When Ajay saw himself in the neighbouring pond, he saw Vijay.
And then, he CRIED. Tears rolled down his eyes. Tears not from eyes, they seemed to well up from his soul. He cried and he cried:"Oh gardener, what have I done"
Suddenly, heard a sound"Wake up my child. Reserve these tears. " The voice of the gardener was comforting. The tears stopped.
With start, he woke up and saw that the dahlia was still there. Vijay was lurking in the shadows but seemed afraid. And in one side, there was the gardener , smiling as always.
7 comments:
A beautiful metaphor to show human's intrinsic nature of possessing what is good. I read one story which narrated about a beautiful bird and a princess. The bird's flight in the sky was so skillful and graceful that princess fell in love with the bird. For hours, she used to sit in the balcony and see the bird flying. One day, she offered that bird some fruits to eat. Slowly, bird started to trust the princess and often visited her. The princess was so fond of the bird that she wanted it to be with her always. For that, one day she caught the bird and put it in a golden cage. The bird stopped eating anything and spent it's whole time in longing to fly again in the sky. The princess however tried everything to feed the bird but in vain. In the end, the bird died imprisoned. The princess repented that she loved the bird for its flying and beauty and she only took that from the bird while wanting to possess it forever.
The gardener always wakes us up if only we are alert enough to listen the call.
Good starting, friend..keep writing !
I loved the message, though it circumvented before hitting on the head..And thanks for your story Uday da... It was very crisp and sharp.
Dear sunil, can you please remove the word verification from your comment page. It will make commenting easier. Hare Krishna!
achche funde hain fundu.... keep it up....
interesting but cryptic ..
Are bada senti likhte ho Sunil. I have always seen u talking funny and humourous things but u can write some serious stuff too.. Great story!
I think you discuss the basic conflict between Dvaita and Advaita, of learning the balance to enjoy the creation..going to either extreme can be dangerous. :)
I think I read somewhere, that life is like carrying a bowl full to the brim, you have to make sure that the oil does not spill and yet you have to enjoy the beauty around as much as you can.
Nice subtle story! Just like Sunil Bhai....once you get to know him.
ur first story.... pehle do baar padhne par samajh nahi aayi... but after u said that symbology... fantastic!!! it was really great with such deep thoughts.. great work!! keep it up..
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