एसा भी होता है

Sometimes a little conversations leave a lasting impact on our minds. But little do we realise their significance until they finally take place some fine day. It happened with me on Saturday, my office holiday. My four-year-old nephew Dhairya recently developed a habit of throwing stones at pigeons wherever he would find them. We have about three to four places in our house were the birds could relax without disturbance. None of us in the family would ever disturb any bird except Dhairya. Whenver I noticed him doing that on my weekly off, I would object him. But I never got time to tell him the way he could understand that after all why I always asked him not to disturb them. Instead of telling Dhairya about how millions of birds around the world have lost their places to nest because of fast urbanisation and decreasing number of trees, I decided to tell him the kids' way. It was late evening and a pigeon was relaxing under one of the sheds of my study room's window. The window is located on the first floor and opens in our courtyard. But I always keep it close since I noticed how a few pigeons relax under its extended shed in day and night time. I had just returned from outside and wanted to relax on the cot lying idle in our courtyard. Dhairya came and just sat on my chest, as despite it being my weekly off he couldn't play with me. I asked him to look at the lonely pigeon sitting under the shed. He looked at it and said once again the pigeon was sitting underneath it and would soon spoil the courtyard by shitting. I said: "No, just look at the loneliness of that pigeon. It doesn't have Mumma and Daddy to talk to like all children have. It has nobody to expect food from. Even if the pigeon is looking sick, the parents cannot take it to doctor because they don't have cars like Dhairya has. Even for drinking water, the pigeon will have to wait for the day. Because children like Dhairya have not filled the pot with water today." Dhairya looked at the pigeon with rapt attention and probably developed some compassion for the poor bird. He asked me if the pigeons really had no one to care for them? I smiled and said: "Of course they have many friends of his age. They give grains and water to these pigeons during morning walk nearby their houses." "But I don't go for morning walks," Dhairya said. "May be that's why you don't have any friends among pigeons or sparrows," I replied. "But don't they have friends like I have at school? And, where do they watch cartoon like I do, if they don't have their own home to live in? Where do they celebrate their birthday?," Dhairya asked. "No. There are no school friends for them. They cannot enjoy cartoon films or songs on TV. And, nobody celebrates their birthdays. Everyday they have to fly long distances to arrange for food. They just remain scared of cunning cats and notorious children like Dhairya who enjoy throwing stones at them and waking them up even if they are fast asleep after an exhausting day," said me. Dhairya went silent as if he was deeply moved after learning about the pigeons' agony. He promised me saying: "Chachu, I will never hurt any bird. I will take care of all pigeons' dinner and breakfast when I grow up and become a big boy." I was delighte by his 'decision' and put my hand on his head to say: "God bless you Dhairya, the pigeon is now happy and will always wait for you to grow up."