A peep-hole view; The World Outside

Wings so soft, an offspring down all the way. Eyes set nowhere, heart set at comfort, the wind providing directions. Up high and high it flew…out of sight, out of reach – floating through the dust, floating away from home; in search of a new home. Yes, it was indeed the germination season. The wind seemed to slow down drastically, and its height dropped…more and more until it landed on the soil, the vast expanse; where there was nobody's bidding to comply with, at least not yet. The seed took in breaths of the warm and humid surrounding air…deep breaths. A couple of raindrops did the necessary and soon it was where it belonged – in liaison with the mother; mother Earth! The wings, make-shift feathers; having completed their job, slowly wore away into obscurity.

 

The first leaf

A few days into the soil, with food and water, the seed bore an offshoot; eager to see the World yet again, all by itself! Once out of the soil, the offshoot could feel the World around, could even hear it; but could not see it just yet. As days passed, it could even reach out and communicate with its World, but could not see it just yet. The other young offshoots residing close-by had the same woeful tale to narrate. The wind brought with it wisdom imparted by the trees and whispered in its ears each time it blew across. The shoots, now tiny plants, never lost hope, all thanks to the dear wind, and the dear older trees. Diversions forced themselves towards regularizing at consuming food and water and supporting a rather lean and tall stem, weighed down with leaves.

 

The first thorn

Soon it began to stretch…a thorn sprouted out from its stem. The plant was tearful. It could still not see the World around, and it pained to being jeered at looking ugly. All of a sudden, there was a loud shout and it's heart nearly skipped a beat! The wind that blew past whispered in its ears of the threat that it referred to as a "goat". It did not understand what this goat was, could not see it either, but scared that it was of perishing, it prayed…it prayed to stay at least as long as it could see the World outside – a hope imparted by the wise trees that it had grown to believe in. Soon it was all quiet again…the wind informed it that the very thorn had saved it from perishing…the same that some of its earlier mockers hadn't been able to escape!

 

The first bud

Wiser with experience, it continued living its way…never letting the hope to see the World someday die. It took more effort off late, it felt weighed down on one of its arms. It asked of the wind to check if its arm was hurt. The wind seemed pleased as it mildly replied that it was closer…closer like never before. Puzzled, yet not disturbed, life took its own course…a routine now.

 

The World outside

As the days elapsed, its arm hurt more than ever. The wind brought with it, messages from the wise trees – on how often to eat, etc. Clueless, it just followed each instruction dutifully. Waking up from its slumber, it thought it felt brighter…something was different, something that seemed to strike it for the first time ever! Scared, excited, it asked the wind. The wind merely nodded and blew away. A little while later, it was sure that it felt even brighter. Was it the blue sky that it thought it was seeing? Was the big orange ball the Sun? Now, it understood! It had, as the trees had assured, blossomed! Taking a deep breath, it looked as far as it could span, the span seeming to increase with every passing moment. There it was, in a beautiful land, the Sun above, clouds gently splattered over the azure sky, brown the soil housing its roots…there it was – in The World Outside!