A couple lived in the woods by the stream away from the urban humdrum they were brought up in. They were both well educated, gave up their well paying corporate jobs and made the woods their home. Vinay and Riya woke up every day to the sounds of the chirping birds. Riya sets out to fetch water from the gushing stream. In the distant, she watches Vinay collect woods for the week as the mighty sun struggles to penetrate its rays into the thick tropic forest. It has been a month since they set out on a mission to embrace nature and explore sustainable development forgoing their burgeoning techno culture in the cities. Since then, Riya has found an inner peace that she had never known to be existent.
Riya and vinay discuss their plans for the tribal community inhabitant in the forest as they eat their breakfast of handpicked fruits and cereals. Both of them love nature and often went on treks in search of nature trails to break away from their mechanical living. In one of their treks, they lost their trail and were helped by the tribes. They were amazed at the sustainable living they witnessed in the center of the thick tropical forest.
The memories of that trail didn’t elude them. It was a quiet a dangerous trail, and having lost their way, they were frightened and worried. They swore that they will never enter the jungles again! Now, that they were back to their routine, hectic work schedules stole their time together. The ideals of the materialistic world suffocated Riya. She was often confronted with situations where her real aspirations were brushed aside by the cynical society. Riya’s energy was being zapped into fruitless mundane activities. She was caught in the cycle of living, often worrying about ‘what-if’ situations. She wanted to break free and go soul searching.
Vinay was equally charmed by the virgin forests, the lush green landscape, the hooting of the animals, the chill breeze swaying in the air, and the company of dear Riya keeping pace with him. One fine day, the couple could no longer resist and they decided to escape to the hills. Riya and Vinay opted to stay in the comfort of a resort 1500 meters above sea level.
Riya was perched on a rock overlooking a vista of green meadows in the highest peak of the region. Vinay was staring at the dark clouds that were re-arranging themselves into different meaningful figures.
“Vinay, why do we have to compete for all the things that we desire?”
“We compete for the things we need, not what we desire!”
Riya turns back. Her hair sways in the wind.
“But we do compete! We fight hard; we work beyond hours to buy that house, to buy that car. Don’t we?”
“Does your heart desire a beautiful house or peaceful home?”
Riya falls silent.
“Riya, we earn, we build a house, buy a car, save a ransom for kids because Human being needs security.”
“Right! We are rational creatures so we secure ourselves”
“And in the process we fail to live”
“Vinay, what is your argument that we should renounce worldly pleasure?”
“No! Believe in the universe”.
Riya slowly walks up to Vinay.
“And...”
“Have you been worried that your new car may be hit? Have you been worried that your house will be burglared? Have you been worried that there may be traffic congestion when you set to work? Have you been worried that your servant maid may not turn up today? Have you been worried that your colleague may not finish his deadline and it would land on you? We take precautions for everything in life. We are constantly thinking of situation where something may go wrong and prepare our self to brace it”
“Isn’t that good? We are prepared for the worst!”
“Riya, who is against you? Who is going to bring you worries? Where is the worst?”
Riya closes her eyes and says, “None.”
“We have been wired to think that way Riya, we constantly feel we may be harmed without any absolute reason. The worst is only in our minds. Don’t you think so?”
“More often than not! Yes.”
“Universe is here to provide each of us a beautiful experience. Believe in her manifestations.”
She realizes much more than what Vinay says.
Vinay holds her and shows her a nest on a tree top.A nest with four hatchlings sticking out their neck looking out for their mother. Vinay explains how the bird believes in the universe to guard the young ones that has just been hatched, if the birds thought, the wind may tear up the nest, if the birds thought the eggs may fall off the nest, every bird will have to build cover nets around the tree and nets over the cover nets like the way we Humans insure all our belongings.
Riya clasps vinay’s hand and they watch the mother feed the young ones.
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