Is human touch a bliss or a curse?

Little Monu peeped out of the hole in that huge banyan tree. It has been drizzling since the morning. The mama bird left early when the streaks of dawn started to arise on the horizon. Before leaving she asked the little parrot and her siblings not to come out of their nest.?

While the rest of the brood kept to their corner relishing the comfort of being safe, Monu peeped outside. Its young beaks stiffened in the cold breeze and the young feathers did not protect it from the chillness.

Usually, the mother parrot brings more nuts so that they will not starve till the parent birds return. Little Monu wanted to try her luck on that day.?

She wanted to hop out and see how the world looked. Her curious young eyes watched everything with wonder. She slowly climbed out of the hole and perched on a nearby branch. The thick foliage protected her young feathers from the drizzle. She tapped on the bark of the tree and tested the strength of her beaks.??

Slowly she walked to the end of the branch and returned safely to their nest. She kept on walking till her legs pained. Monu stretched her young feathers and flapped them slowly. Her mother has already told her that her wings are not strong enough for flying and it may take another week.?

Monu stretched her young wings and tried to fly from one branch to the other. She did not succeed in the initial attempts but flew successfully after a while. The drizzle suddenly started into a downpour and the raindrops hit her like pellets with force. This dampened her young feathers and made her stumble down.?Before she could realize what?happened to her, she fell.?

The rain soaked her feathers and she struggled to get up from the muddy water that ran around the tree.?

“Monu, Monu” her siblings continued to call her. Their feeble voice did not reach her ears and she looked around her. For the first time, her brain realized the dangers of the world. The distance from the ground to her nest looked longer.??

Monu dragged her way through the muddy water. The drizzling rain blurred her eyes and she could not see what moved before her.

Suddenly someone lifted her from the mud. Two angry eyes of her mother stared at her. Luck helped her out of danger on that day. The mother parrot helped her stay safe from the rain.?

They moved into an abandoned nest at the bottom of a tree and stayed there till her feathers dried.??

“Please don't take chances. Next time I may not be near to save you” her mother warned her the next day before she left home to bring them food. A week went off without any events. Monu never missed a chance to peep out of their nest and examine their surroundings.?She would rush in if she listened to any sound that warned her safety.

The little parrots were all grown up. Their wings were stronger and they were ready to fly. The mother parrot helped them to collect food from the nearby places and they returned immediately without staying longer.

One weekend her siblings hopped together in a garden nearby picking up walnuts. Monu felt bored. She wanted to explore the sky and see the space beyond their living place.??

“Mom, shall I fly till that fence and come back” Monu asked.

“Be safe. I saw some hawks flying in the morning sky” Her mother warned.

“Thanks, Mom. I will be safe.” The freedom thrilled her. Monu flapped her wings and started to fly high in the sky. In the fence, she saw red-coloured fruits. She landed in the middle of the heavily grown climber and started to eat. Those fruits are their favorite. Next to walnuts, Monu loved to eat those fruits.?

In the morning light, Monu watched a shadow that lingered for a while above her. Hawk!?

A shock went through her. Her mom warned her about hawks and now she could see one right above her. Monu hid herself in the thick foliage of the climber. The shadow slowly moved away. Monu hurried through the remaining fruits.? ?

“I will come and eat tomorrow” Monu hopped out of the foliage and started to fly. Moving her wings fast, she hurried forward.??

Halfway through before she reached their home tree, a shadow lingered once again above her. Monu looked around. No birds were there. Flocks of birds seen eating on the ground, bushes, and tree branches disappeared suddenly. Not even a single bird.??

“Oh, my god” Monu started to flap her wings wildly.? ??

“I must escape from that hawk.” But the hawk was keen on getting her prey for the day. Monu, the little parrot looked to be an easy target for her. The hawk followed her stubbornly with the speed of a heavy wind. Monu desperately wished she would escape from the thick talons of the hawk. In the grip of those tough talons, that day may turn out to be her last day.?

Monu rushed her way to reach the safety of her nest. But things took a bad turn. The hawk persistently chased her and Monu deviated from the way that took her home. She moved far away from the thickly grown trees and reached the highway that bustled with traffic. Monu saw the moving traffic that congested the highway. In her attempt to escape from the hawk, she decided to get into one of the vehicles that moved on the road. She entered through the entrance of a moving bus and landed literally on Vel's lap.??

Vikram applied the brake suddenly and it jerked everyone in the bus. Vel looked at the little parrot on his lap. Monu struggled to move away from him but slipped and fell at his feet.?

Vel picked the parrot and examined her feathers.?

The parrot trembled at his touch.?

The beady eyes helplessly looked at him.?

To pacify the trembling parrot Vel cuddled it to his chest. He tried to comfort the bird with his warm touch. He stroked the bird with his fingers.?

Though Monu struggled initially she slowly gained confidence. She relaxed for a while with her eyes closed. The racing heartbeats retold the chase of the hawk and how she luckily managed to escape from the hawk’s cruel talons.? ?

Is Human Touch a bliss or a curse?