The first flight of stairs was suddenly awash with uninterrupted sunshine. It was harsh and it hurt the eyes where it bounced off the glazed tiles on the wall. People climbing up or down, shaded their eyes with files, notebooks to avoid the glare.The rusted, years old ,railings, having been suddenly thrown open to scrutiny, each strand of cobweb painfully visible.
The tree had fallen. The tree that had always been there, as old as time itself, had given way. The impossible had happened.
Some said the tree roots had been gnawed away slowly by the inexorable termite, some said it was a simple case of old age, others had more sinister explanation of sabotage and arson.
All said and done the tree was lost. Forever.
No more dappling of sunbeams on stairs.No more sweet smelling blossoms flooding the first floor rooms . No more extra work for the sweeper to gather fallen leaves and withered blossoms on the verandah upstairs. No more cheerful squirrels running up and down the length of its benevolent trunk.No more shall flocks of parrots and mynahs fight over its fragrant fruits, no cackle over perching rights on the branches. No more shade fronm the harsh summer sun and no more soothing- to -behold greenery poking its way onto the roof.
That afternoon , it rained. Cats and dogs. Torrential rain; monsoon in all its fury; unleashed.
The first floor was a swamp, as the rain lashed and battered , unchecked, unhindered.
Next morning, as the sweeper grumpily mopped the floors, some one peered down and said' look'!!
We all craned our necks.The tree stump was moist, slowly oozing sap, as though, bleeding , and right next to it grew a small cluster of straggling saplings, poking their pale green heads through the dense layer of dead leaves.
A collective sigh rose from the crowd. We smiled at each other and went back to work.
The tree had fallen. The tree that had always been there, as old as time itself, had given way. The impossible had happened.
Some said the tree roots had been gnawed away slowly by the inexorable termite, some said it was a simple case of old age, others had more sinister explanation of sabotage and arson.
All said and done the tree was lost. Forever.
No more dappling of sunbeams on stairs.No more sweet smelling blossoms flooding the first floor rooms . No more extra work for the sweeper to gather fallen leaves and withered blossoms on the verandah upstairs. No more cheerful squirrels running up and down the length of its benevolent trunk.No more shall flocks of parrots and mynahs fight over its fragrant fruits, no cackle over perching rights on the branches. No more shade fronm the harsh summer sun and no more soothing- to -behold greenery poking its way onto the roof.
That afternoon , it rained. Cats and dogs. Torrential rain; monsoon in all its fury; unleashed.
The first floor was a swamp, as the rain lashed and battered , unchecked, unhindered.
Next morning, as the sweeper grumpily mopped the floors, some one peered down and said' look'!!
We all craned our necks.The tree stump was moist, slowly oozing sap, as though, bleeding , and right next to it grew a small cluster of straggling saplings, poking their pale green heads through the dense layer of dead leaves.
A collective sigh rose from the crowd. We smiled at each other and went back to work.
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