Butterfly

Today I got up late. And you know very well how the whole daily routine goes shaky due to late rising. But there was a time...when no burden of responsibility was on my young shoulders...those school and college days...days when Ma was there to look after all the needs.

And now everything is so different. Being the wife, the mother and the lady of the home...ouch! ...my shoulder is burdened with responsibilities. I am very honest in doing my home duties...and grumbles do reach my ears which I brush aside and carry on.

Getting up late landed me in trouble. I couldn’t finish my cooking. Left it unfinished, ran in for a quick shower, got ready in minutes and was soon locking the front door to go for my everyday duty. This is something very special to me. So I increased my walking pace to be there in time.

As I walked briskly along the narrow lanes of the colony something very colourful and interesting caught my eyes. I saw a beautiful Butterfly sitting on the branch of a tree. I stood there watching the butterfly. The wings had the natural combination of so many colours, a patchy work of dots and round patches. As I stood transfixed drinking in all the beauty of this small living thing, my thoughts started sinking into the past. In school and at home we ran after the butterflies trying to catch them. There was so much greenery all around, bees visited the flowers to collect honey, dragonflies flew all around and so many different colourful butterflies could be seen happily making rounds among the trees and flowers. Nature is getting buried under the concrete jungle in the cities at present. Watching this butterfly moving its wings was a pleasant sight...very rare. I think my movement scared the butterfly who was gone in no time.

I was sad for a moment as I could not take a picture of it. Wish I had my camera...but wishes don’t come out to be true always...

As I walked on I felt in this fast growing world how much have we gained or lost...a mental battle which I fought till I reached my destination.

The picture of this beautiful butterfly in my mind’s eye will remain for a long time...and I will surely enjoy every thought about it.