This is an incident from our visit to Kerala, when we were far away from the hustle-bustle of life in Delhi. Read on to find out, who we encountered, in our quiet time there.
There we were in Kerala – the land of my origin, the land of my ancestors. We had taken a flight from Delhi to Kerala to attend the ‘house warming’ ceremony of my sister’s new flat.
After our retirement we had made a house in Kottarakara (my husband’s hometown in Kerala). So, we had decided to stay back in Kerala for three weeks. However, we had not yet said goodbye to Delhi, where we had spent a major part of our lives.
Most of our belongings were still in Delhi. This included the car, the television and our books. We had no clue how we would spend our time without these. Visiting relatives was not an option because many of them were busy with their own routines and we did not want to intrude.
The first few days were spent cleaning up the house, buying provisions and cooking. Then came one or two boring days. An incident towards the week-end, however, helped dispel all the boredom.
STRANGERS IN THE FRONT YARD
It was Tuesday and a warm August morning. I was in the bathroom washing a few clothes while my husband had gone to contact the local plumber. Suddenly, I heard a tapping sound. It seemed to come from the front of the house. I went to the drawing room to investigate.
Was it somebody knocking on the window pane? I was alone at home and not familiar with the surroundings. I knew very few people around. The thought of opening the door to a stranger scared me.
“Kaun hai, kaun hai?”(“Who is there? Who is there?”) I yelled in Hindi forgetting that I was in Kerala, not Delhi. No answer. I bravely advanced towards the window and looked out but there was no one in sight.
Puzzled, I went back to the task of washing clothes. Again the same tapping sound. This time I stealthily went to the window, and drew back the curtains noiselessly. Lo and behold, I saw the two culprits!
I banged my hands on the window frame and away they went. They were out of sight before I could open the door and give them a chase.
When my husband returned, I related the incident to him. “They will return.” He responded matter of factly. I impatiently awaited their return the next day. Sure enough, they came and tapped at the window.
When we pulled apart the curtains we saw no one. However, a ruckus in the yard drove us out of doors. A group of birds were chattering and screeching loudly. I recognized them and shouted excitedly “Two of these were tapping at the window yesterday!”
I realized that they were the birds commonly called “Seven sisters “because they usually move in groups of seven. I had seen these noisy birds in Delhi and Secunderabad also, but from a distance. Today I was watching them and interacting with them at close quarters.
I realized that they were totally enchanting. Every day, I sat in the sit-out/porch and awaited their coming, while I absorbed some sunshine too. Every day I discovered new things about them.
THE SEVEN SISTERS
They were plain-looking birds, drab grey in colour with a pale yellow bill. They were up at dawn and foraging near homes of people. Every day, they announced their presence in the vicinity with a lot of chattering, screeching, squeaking, wing fluttering and even chirping.
They were gregarious and moved in flocks of 7-10 birds which, I learnt later, included both males and females. They were not sisters only. Though they were always screeching and calling out to each other like nervous excited females.
They moved in gangs probably to keep predators away. One or two birds would sit in high vantage points as sentries while the others searched for food. When they sensed danger the sentries sent an alarm through their screeching and all the birds would fly away to safety – though not noiselessly. Some of them spent a lot of time on the lower branches looking for insects and flew away as soon as there was a disturbing sound.
They were bundles of energy. I often watched them hop from branch to branch. Sometimes from the coconut palm to the papaya tree or from the jackfruit tree to the cashew tree or back. The commotion they created amused me always.
They reminded me of naughty, restless children. They often tapped on the window pane. Perhaps they found tiny insects buried in the window frame. Perhaps they saw their reflection in the glass and thought it was a rival.
Yes, they were plain-looking and drab but they were boisterous, entertaining, delightful and happy busybodies. There was never a dull moment when they were in sight. They are called babblers too.
There are other birds in the vicinity like the crows, the barbets, the wood peckers, the black drongos, and the cuckoos. Yet, the babblers/seven sisters were my favourites that season. They drew me out of my house that August and made me notice them as well, as other fauna and flora around.
Most of the time we are too preoccupied with our own lives to notice the bright and beautiful things God has made for us. Stop, unplug, turn off all distractions, look, listen and taste God’s gifts is what I learnt.
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Hi! My name is Rubitah. I’m a Content Writer certified Life Coach, Counselor, Social Work professional and the Founder of Being Rubitah. Over the years through my professional and personal life, I have realized that prayers and love can do wonders to family life once you come to terms with yourself and surrender to God. Do you relate to me? Then you may like what I post here! Read more about me
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