A place called Freedom

Like all the other trees in the neighbourhood, the big mango tree standing proud and erect in front of my house too had started shedding its leaves. The fresh green leaves that had been the epitome of life a few months ago had gradually started acquiring a yellow hue and, finally, one by one, they began to wither and fall onto the hard earth below, under the contemptuous gaze of the young, green leaves basking in the sunlight.

Well… dead leaves need to be cleared away, and just the other day, I had embarked upon this particular task. A few swishes of the broom and suddenly, it was as though I had stumbled upon pure magic!

I had inevitably disturbed a whole cluster of appuppan thadis (known as Pappus in English, which is nowhere as romantic as its Malayalam name). They had been securely lying under the protective cover of the dry leaves until then. Thrilled by their first taste of freedom and spurred on by the gentle breeze, these charming winged seeds, which resemble the long, white beard of a grandfather, started their individual journeys towards unfamiliar places…

As I wistfully stood and watched them soar away into invisibility, I realized, somewhere deep inside, my own innate desire to fly free like these winged beauties… to travel to lands unknown, to places unseen, to mountains and lakes and forests and valleys… to be one with nature and drink in its splendour… to embark on a journey to discover myself… to a place called freedom!