A tiny seed fell down among the grass of garden. A shower sprinkled some drops over it. The seed bloated. Came a spell of rain again. The dry ponds started filling up. Tired looking houses shone up all through the lanes. Greenery sparkled like never before.
The little seed had had the water it needed as raindrops trickled down into the earth where it lay. It swelled even further and put out a fine white thread; a tiny root. A caterpillar came by and inspected. But he did not touch it.
The root grew fast. It went deep into earth. Some new hairs came up all along its length. Then more roots grew.
The caterpillar came for second round of inspection. ‘What do you grow so many threads for?’ He asked.
‘Just to hold onto.’ The seed said.
‘I’ll come when you grow leaves.’ The caterpillar said.
‘You are most welcome.’
After a time came out a tiny little shoot from the seed. It went upwards, unlike the roots. It wanted day light badly. Later leaves appeared on both sides of the shoot as it grew tall and hard.
‘Who are you?’ The grass said.
‘I’m a sheeuli plant. A new comer. Let me grow up, please.’
‘No way,’ the grass thundered. ‘There is no room for you here. Sorry.’
‘I’m but just a tiny plant, you see.’ The sheeuli plant implored.
‘But you won’t remain tiny in future. I’ll try my best to block your growth, take it from me.’ The grass hollered.
The plant did not respond. Instead it made some deadly edges along its leaves; sharp and rough like a saw.
The grass was forced to retreat and hit out a plan. They pressed so closely with their long blades round the plant that it had to lift up its leaves.
Now the caterpillar came. It crawled up the stem to the leaves and started eating them. The more it ate, the more sheeuli grew leaves. At long last caterpillar turned to butterfly and flew away. ‘A big thank you for rearing me up.’ The butterfly said in gratitude before flapping its wings out a bit tentatively. ‘Thank you for remembering me.’ Sheeuli plant said.
As monsoon came again, the plant became a tree. Came autumn and the tree burst with white-petalled and orange-stalked flowers. In the morning the flowers fell down on the grass bathed with dew drops.
‘Look how much space you occupy pushing us out of the place.’ The grass complained.
‘Earlier I begged for place. You denied. I took up the challenge. I grew big on my own. Remember it’s my place too.’ The sheeuli plant said.
The grass bowed heads as autumnal breeze blew over them. Some more sheeuli flowers dropped on them.
‘I still don’t take you as my enemy. I extend friendship through my flowers.’ The sheeuli tree said. ‘It’s up to you to accept it or not.’
‘You are a big tree while we’re a small cluster. For mere survival we accept your friendship.’ The grass said.
‘No, for amity take my friendship. We need to co-exist for each other. I’m going to be trimmed by the gardener tomorrow. You then will get enough space to grow out.’ The sheeuli tree said.
‘You are great, not in size but in heart.’ The grass said. ‘Please, forget and forgive my narrow-mindedness.’
The sheeuli tree looked animated as slanting lines of rain splashed it from pieces of cloud passing over.
After moments, the tree and grass stood shining in bright sun light as rain washed all the dirts away.