"Why do you think we are vulnerable ?"
Tatya had a full meal of nectar from the frangipani and hibiscus flowers , and was sounding mildly drunk . His voice slurred . Reclining on a branch , he had his legs folded over his yellow and black abdomen and was giving Pitambar his "hundred eyed stare ."
"because we can be crushed , eaten , pulverised , decimated , by anything that moves or flies or walks . " Pitambar was in a bad mood . He had probably encountered a bird or an army of ants on his way up here .
Without moving a muscle , Tatya replied , "look around you . "
They were seated on a silk cotton tree , under the blistering forenoon sun of midsummer . The bark of the branch was quite bumpy , but Pitambar daren't say that . Tatya was in a fierce positive" vibe " mood . He was likely to launch into his favourite see-the -positive -side-of -things tirade .
"What ?" Pitambar couldn't find anything out of the ordinary .
Tatya let out a very long , injured sigh .
"The leaves , Pits , see the leaves . "
Pitambar looked around him wearily . The leaves were green . Plenty
"What about them ?"
" What about them ? They are pale green , freshly sprouted . New borns ." Tatya shoved his face into Pitambar's , in a show of mock- school- boyish aggression . As it is , all his conversations sound like high school debates . Pitambar thought .
" and .....? " Pitambar knew Tatya needed to be goaded to say the punch line .
"So , they are against the sun . "
Then it hit Pitambar . The leaves were translucent , parrot green , standing upto the might of the blazing sun . It was a miracle indeed.
"They'll probably wilt by today evening . Poor guys . " Pitambar shook his head with dismay at the tree's decision to expose its babies to the harshest sun of the year .
"Probably , probably not . Look " Tatya pointed skywards . Rolling clouds of grey black colour had begun forming on the western half of the sky , slowly , but surely lumbering in .
"Monsoon is almost here . Probably the nature is not so dumb as we think it to be . The tree knows what is it doing exactly ."
"Now hear . " Tatya had perked up his ears and went silent .
Pitambar could hear the loud crickets humming , that's all . That , and the hum of fruitflies feasting on fallen mangoes in the field .
Suddenly , a sharp metallic "cheep " broke the air . Then other , another . Pitambar looked at Tatya , alarmed , ready to take flight . If it was a bird close by , better take flight . As his parents warned him always .
"Relax , it is the sunbird . It is looking for a place to make a nest , hence very busy . Anyway , they drink nectar , not eat insects . "
"So , we are competition ,right ?. " Pitambar pointed to his chest . Feeling very much like the insect he was .
" Okay , okay . they do get very hungry during ......" The purple black psychedelically coloured bird flew in at super speed and sat on the edge of a large hibiscus sitting , not two feet from the friends . It was amazing , a tiny bird producing a metallic sound so sharp , that it cleaves the air of the entire forest .
" Now , we will slowwwly move away . " Tatya whispered and the two friends , crawled and flew to safety , within inches of death .
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