Flight of pigeons: Junoon.

Lola and Dali, were house guests with Jaee. When she shared this pic with me I immediately fell for them. They lodged and boarded up with her for two days. All fun and frolic for two days. But Jaee's big plans for Lola and Dali were to set them free. Yes, indeed set them free! This was my friend's beautiful idea to bring these avifauna home, host them and then set them free to soar in their own sky. As much as I loved this couple, I loved the idea. Isn't there something absolutely intoxicating about these words, 'soar' 'high' 'set' 'free' 'independance'? I decided to be inspired by it and immediately went to a pet shop to do my share of work in this 'Independence movement'!
The shop had many cages arranged on the pavement outside the shop. They were stacked onto one another. All full of unimaginable riot of colours on these winged creatures. What a commotion they were creating, cackling to the top of their voice! Was this show for me? Well, I was loving it! A peep into the shop told me that the shopkeeper was busy with a customer there to buy a couple of goldfish. They were engrossed in their conversation about the art of caring and raising them. I was in the meanwhile enjoying my personal opera performance. I'm not much acquainted with the different species of birds other than what are popularly called lovebirds, parakeets, cockatiels, canaries, etc. There were the big brothers too in the form of pigeons and doves. Finally the other customer left with two tiny gold fish and a big smile. 
I started my line of inquiry to the shopkeeper.
"I want to buy a couple of birds."
Here comes a smile of appreciation from the shopkeeper to a prospective customer.
"What kind of birds do you have in mind?"
"Well, such that can sustain themselves."
An eyebrow is raised here.
"What?"
" Well you see I want to set them free once I buy them." I felt like Mother Teresa, Amelia Earhart, and a Agatha Christie adventuress all rolled into one. Haah! What immense satisfaction. A deep sigh escaped me.
Instead of some appreciative noise, I was experiencing deep silence.The shopkeeper instead wanted to confirm the idea I had just blurted out.
" yes! I want to set these birds free. Could you tell me which of them could look after themselves? Be equipped in finding food and shelter?"
"NONE"
"What?"
Now that the shopkeeper had understood the whole act he started patiently explaining to me what I later realised to be a bitter truth.
" M'am look at these birds. Look at their vibrant colours. They are easily spotted by the larger birds and that makes them easy prey."
Hmmm..what he was saying was true. But hey wait a minute....
I rebutted, " Arre! Aren't there beautifully coloured birds in the wild. If what you are saying was true the forests would be bereft of beautifully coloured birds!"
He had his reply ready. Maybe every worldly person has this reply ready. Maybe my parents had this reply ready. Maybe every 'sensible' person I've met had this reply ready.
And all these people have the same concern and patronising tone in their words.
"These birds were raised in a secure environment ( read captivity). They've grown up in these cages. They don't know the outside world. Do you understand the meaning of this M'am?"
Oh yes! I did. Very well indeed! Without a word I turned and left the shop. 
As I lie on my bed at night and look out of the window at the tiny pink flowers which only bloom once a year during the spring, I reflect on today's incident. And beauty. And the vulnerability it causes. Those words 'raised in captivity' ring in my head. Those creatures must be born and raised under protection and utmost care. Now, in their cages displaying their beauty and cackling away; how happy they looked in this secure environment. But do they know the world on the other side of that cage door? Those beautiful winged creatures who soar the sky, dip down to catch the worm, migrate to warmer climates,; do they know about their caged counterparts? It is destiny or that happy accident of birth which has placed them both where they are. So the question I ask myself is who is really HAPPY? The one privileged to experience the secure environment or the one who soars the sky in the wild...
Is it limited to these birds? Am I not in the same boat or rather on the same flight? While being blessed with a secure environment is it really possible to discover ourselves? Does one go on that self reflection trip in the routine of everyday life? Isn't one most attached to one self when experiencing that detachment to the life left behind while travelling? Would I have realised 'my' dreams? How could all this happen if I wouldn't have opened that door of the cage and stepped out in the world. There have been tremendous risks and 'unsecured situations. My heart has beat like a drum so many times! I've been scared to death too but hasn't all this actually chipped me into the person I am. I've made plain, stupid mistakes to even put myself in jeopardy but ( and this is a very important BUT) they have all made me. In the truest sense. 
But isn't it also a chance to test all the virtues and skills, and preaching learnt in that secure world? Something on these lines had happened when I was taking that step out in this world, out of the cage. Out of all protection and security. Out there to discover the world and myself. One fine day my dad had called me from Abu Dhabi. He announced that he is going to introduce me to seven best friends. I was thinking,' Wow! Really, seven friends?' Then he further said that these guys will stay with me for life. 'huh?I was confused now.' I asked, not being able to contain the suspense. 
"Papa, who are they?" 
But he wasn't letting it go so easily. He first asked me for a promise,"You have to make a promise first. Whatever the situation in life you will never take a decision without consulting these seven friends." 
Hmmm...not that difficult to follow? I wanted to know who they were. " Yes, papa. I promise." 
And then he finally said," My dear girl, they are - Mr. Who, Mr. When, Mr. What, Mr. Where, Mr. How, Mr. Which and the most important Miss. Why." 
I knew it! This was again going to be one of my dad's stupid attempt at an 'art of living' discourse. I was annoyed. I wanted real flesh and blood friends! With whom I could hang out, have fun! Not these. 
That was that. I had even forgotten about these friends later until that situation which that pet shopkeeper had described. Of predators and unsecured surroundings. And then as in many situations in life no flesh and blood friend was with me. Here these seven creatures came to me and made me realise the right solution. And after that every time I have opened this cage and stepped out I have been careful to be accompanied with my seven dearest friends! 
So I think it isn't so bad to survive in the outside world if one is really 'prepared' for it. For the sake of it, the sky is visible even through the bars of the sky but for me I want to see it from the horizon to horizon and soar high to even touch it. My sky. My wings. My spirit.


Note: The title of the piece is a book by Ruskin Bond. Which was made into an equally good film titled 'Junoon' meaning 'passion'. I hope the context gets clear after reading the above piece.