The 4th flying Squadron
A few years ago I saw a very beautiful view. Five small killis (Birds) coming out from their nest one by one and joining their Mom and Dad waiting on the balcony grills. And then, all of them flew away together.
Before this a batch of munias, a batch of bulbul, and a batch of a sunbird type had already successfully nested in this same balcony.
A Home in the Wires
Those Kunji killis (small birds) were born right next to us, in the AC wires. Their nest was made out of the grass in our own balcony garden. The parent killis were coming regularly for hatching, and once they were born, we were waking up to their chirping. As the morning sun rises and the brightness slowly increases, their chirping also increases – maybe for breakfast- I assume. This continued for about 10 days.
Facing the Nest
Then, one day I saw a small killi at our window… frightened, not knowing where to go, unable to let go the grill and nest. It stayed in the same position for hours. I could see its heart pounding heavily.
Later, it sat on the balcony grill just a meter away.
But all this while, I noticed one thing: it was facing the nest all the time.
I assume, with my experience, that it may be the fear of the unknown. We all face it, but we forget it easily. Whatever we do at present, we once feared to do: our first walk, talk, writing, or expressing emotions. Learning to run, using a computer, riding a cycle, bike, or car—we all went through it.
They Never Left
When I saw the parent killis coming often to check on the hatching and once they were born, coming with food the parents took roles. I assume the father waited and guarded at the outside grill, while the mother went inside to feed them.
The parents always stayed close to our balcony; they stayed at the top of the tree and kept a watch over us. They were tiny creatures compared to us, but they also had the same emotions as our parents. They motivated the small ones to come out.
Two Weeks and Two Decades
This reminds me of our parents and how they cared for us. For these killis, it was just two weeks. For me, I can easily say it was close to two decades… I was dependent on my parents. Such sightings help to remind us how small, dependent, and frightened we once were.
The Flight I Didn’t Photograph
At the end, the parents and the five killis flew from the balcony together. I never imagined there would be this many killis from such a small nest! I saw it and felt relaxed; I didn’t even bother to take a picture. The memory of that flight is still with me, and that is the reason I am writing this piece. But they never returned back to their nest.
We All Start Like This
We often forget that everything we do today, we once feared to do. Whether it’s a bird’s first flight or our first decade of life, we all start small, dependent, and frightened.
It took two weeks for the killis to fly, and two decades for me. We all start with that same pounding heart.
When was the last time you faced the ‘unknown’ ?
The art of Slowing Down 