During lock-down, last winter, I used to sit on the roof at noon and read my favourite books till afternoon when the sun went down the big trees that lined up the western horizon. My books ranged from Tagore to Buddhodeb Bose to Ruskin Bond. After 3.30 I would put aside books for something very attractive.
3.40 on the dot waves of sparrows came flying down to the rooftops of my surrounding houses. When they came from the other side of rail-lines, they looked like floating dust. The more they came close, the more they took shape as birds. Settling down on the roofs they got down to some serious talking among themselves. Their faces looked so serious! After a time they flew away in a flock as another batch filled in the place(s) vacated by them.
This coming and going took some half an hour. By 4.15 the sparrows were done. Then it was time for two white birds (I don’t know their names) who flew in pair every day to move across the higher sky past the rail lines.
By 4.30 avian activities were over. Darkness looped on. I folded up the chair and came down the steps to my room after locking the roof door. That was going on for early November to December.
Post December, everything that I narrated, happened with one hour late. Sparrows at 4.15 sharp, white birds at 5.15 and by 5.30 I was off. I needed no watch to consult the time. It was the birds who told me the time and I acted accordingly.
It was a great relief to find the sparrows back in such an overwhelming number. The jaunty birds were almost extinct during the first one or two decades after the installations of mobile tower. As man talked more and more, the tiny birds – the life line of rural Bengal – became more and more silent. It is a sheer joy that they are back to their shrill vociferous best.
During lock-down, when the virus raged and took away lives like one plucks flowers at his own sweet will, the comeback of sparrows gave me a lesson what none perhaps gave at that time: Nature is benevolent. Trust in Nature and she will value your trust by giving back bountiful.
The only remaining question is – will man listen to Nature and keep faith in her?