“The world is my garden” she said before I resumed
my path. . . . . . . . . .
Stepping out of my home I usually head straight to
my destination without sparing a thought for my surroundings. But now with no
examinations and classes at hand, I have lots of free time . Thus unlike my usual routine I decided to
take a leisurely stroll around my neighborhood.
After travelling quite a distance, I chanced upon
an old lady who I saw was watering plants. Fair enough! Nothing new! But this
lady was watering the roadside plants. She carried on with her work for quite
some time and I stopped to look at what she was doing.
She watered the plants, picked up wrappers of
chips and chocolates and disposed them off at a nearby dustbin, cut off the
dead leaves, pruned the grasses and her work went on and on. I was so amazed to
see her working selflessly for these plants that I lost track of time.
She saw that I was looking at her and motioned me
to come nearer. She was clear in making me understand that she was not educated
enough to converse in English and was very glad when she saw I understood
Bangla. Thus began quite a monologue which changed my perception towards life
quite a bit.
According to her we are mostly alive and surviving
the scorching heat due to these plants which grow on the roadside. However,
they are abandoned in nature. Even though they give us so many useful
resources, no one takes care of them. She thought it to be her duty to take
care of these plants and thus every morning she watered the neighborhood plants. She explained that since this activity of hers takes a long time she
never bothered to maintain a house garden of her own. Every time a plant dies
she goes out to the market, buys saplings and replaces them.
She went on saying that there are many
afforestation programs in the world, but how many people seriously take part in
it; and what after planting the sapling? They abandon it and get on with their
regular day to day activities never sparing a thought for the needs of those
saplings they plant and took selfies with (Yes she used the term selphy). She
brought in an example and pointed out that if pets are cared for then why not
plants- both are living, both have feelings and above all both need love to
grow and survive. The lady told me she remembers the names of each and every
plant there (scientific names) and sometimes lovingly gives the new saplings a nickname of her own.
Her biggest concern was the polluted roads during
the rainy season which would harm the plants.
I realized that I had been away from home longer
than I intended to. I bid her goodbye and carried on my own way. “The world is
my garden” she said before I resumed my path. Her selfless devotion to the
roadside plants indeed left a deep impression on me. It has compelled me to
question whether we have become insensitive to our natural surroundings. Are we
truly missing a point here?
I have gone past the same road quite few times
after I met this lady and on one or two occasions have spotted her busy
managing her “garden”. Do let me know of what you feel about her work and if
possible ponder for a while on my question that are we really becoming
insensitive towards nature.
P.S I have no photographs here because the lady wanted to remain anonymous and I did not want to attach photos from the net in this post.
