The house was deserted, had no plants, therefore no birds. One day a girl got married into that house. She had spent her entire childhood amidst plants and trees, they were her subjects, her only friends. She had never lived a day without pet animals, be it dogs, parrots, pigeons, cows, ducks, tortoise, fish, goats, cats and even horses. She had seen snakes, monitors, honey bee accidents, dog bites, injured birds and squirrels she took in her custody and took care of until they got well.

She loved her husband and new house but her heart missed that bonding she shared with the flora and the fauna. After few years, she told her husband to bring some plant pots, they went together to the nursery and got eight plant pots. They also adopted two old plant pots that were living on their own. Disheveled and broken ones. They were transferred in new pots and taken upstairs. The eight new plant pots with solid green plants in it gave so much happiness to the girl when she entered her house. She knew that it was beginning of something good.

Her husband also fell in love with this new venture, he asked her to get more for the balcony and the rooftop. She gleefully agreed, that's what she wanted. They went to the nursery again, the owner smiled silently, he knew that the lovers are back and would be his regular buyers. They got more pots, this time with flowers and fruit plants in it. Bought stands for the pots maintaining their household budget. Every morning was beautiful with green around. They watered the pots, discussing every new leaf and bud. Hugging each other and feeling proud of their decision. Then some plants started dying, they knew they needed expert handling. Went to panacea, a close friend who always helped. She happily offered her own gardener, Shiv maali to the couple. The real transformation began thereafter.

Shiv maali was more excited than the amateur couple to beautify the available space. He suggested marvelous ideas and the couple could never say no to him. The results were outstanding. All plants beamed with happiness and so did Shiv maali and the couple. The pots multiplied with almost all species of plants and the rooftop, the balcony and the ground floor started attracting rest of the world. The girl was very happy, she decided to visit her sister meanwhile and went away for few days. When she got back, her husband and Shiv maali had prepared a flower bed on the ground floor with beautiful plants in it. She couldn't control her tears at this wonderful surprise. The deserted house now looked so pretty. It had life on all it's floors.

The girl asked Shiv maali for a vine, that bore red flowers and climbed till the rooftop. Shiv maali happily nodded and brought one. It died, he brought another one during monsoon. It grew with leaps and bounds and covered the house, just the way the girl wanted. She was happy to see the climbing vine and the attraction it was to her friends, the little birds.

Everything was going well, until corona came and took Shiv maali away. The couple was devastated as they adored maali and knew he was a treasure. They hired another maali but were still sad. With Shiv maali gone, the plants also got sad, but the vine didn't lose its zeal to climb. The girl thinks the vine is last gift of Shiv maali to the house, his endless blessings reflect in it. The vine is now abode of red vented bulbul, tailor bird, humming bird and sparrows. Every day the couple witnesses melodious chirping of birds on and around the vine and nests bearing eggs and little ones hopping around. The couple looks at each other, smiles and thank Shiv maali from their heart. Shiv maali turned the dream of the girl into reality softening the heart of her husband to ever giving Natural wonders.


© Meenu