The Nature

The Nature

Image Courtesy – Rifqi Ramadhan on Pexels.com

The tranquil silence of the forest gradually calmed the agitating mind as the otherwise quick steps slowly turned steady, moving quietly, as if trying to feel the force of every footstep as it fell on the dry rustling leaves, making a soft crashing sound.

Some leaves still clung to the branches firmly, trying to brave the strong wind, while others meekly surrendered, a quick jolt left them confused as they still comprehended their dissociation and the experience of the sudden loss of life and identity.

The gigantic trees now swayed wildly with the wind as it blew fiercely across the forest, the concerned eyes looked up at the sky, the sun though still shone brightly as if staring at the wind, and exhorting it to stop from engaging in something it wasn’t asked to, but letting it have its say, even if, for a short while.

The wind, realizing the sun’s annoyance, quietly retreated, slowing down at first before disappearing into oblivion.  The heat of the mighty star now baked the dried leaves, sucking out moisture from even beneath the ground as the bed of dry twigs exasperated in their last-ditch efforts to remain hydrated.

The parched throat now yearned for water; the tiring eyes stared ahead, before turning their gaze up above.  The vast spread of blue shone brightly in the sparkling light of the sun, the eyes unable to keep themselves open while staring at the loud reflection of the sun, squinted as the bright sun enjoyed the hegemony both in the heavens and on earth.

The mind turned quiet, and the only thought pricking its conscience was to find water at any cost. 

‘It’s strange how this (mind) behaves,’ an abrupt realization hit his head. 

What was till now muddled with myriad incomprehensible thoughts of life, people, the world, and his uncertain future, had now suddenly turned around, to focus on only one thing – to find water.

Unsuccessfully, he tried every trick, which he had read about or strangely his mind came up with, he still couldn’t calm it down and that’s when he decided to experiment with a walk in the woods and see if it works. 

The initial steps were still riddled with confusion and haziness before the mind immersed itself in the surroundings, to voluntarily let go of the thoughts, till now troubling every part of his mind and soul.

The only sound his mind could hear was of the rustling leaves, the soft wind, and the occasional chirping of the birds, welcoming him to their home, with open arms and a smile, something he hadn’t experienced for a very long time.

The chirping, however, soon turned quiet, and the wind gradually disappeared as the Sun took the command in his hands, forcing every other creature to now adapt to his whims and wishes.

The sound of the burbling water, though suddenly, alerted his tired mind and body.  A huge rock separated him from the stream as his feet now picked up an unusual speed, as he hastily walked towards the noise.

A peek at the water falling from a large rock gladdened his gloomy soul as he looked forward to hydrating his tired body and quenching the thirsty soul; the eyes stretched wide, and the face erupted into a large smile.

‘Is this the most important thing,’ he wondered, staring at the water and asking himself something, he knew he doesn’t know the answer.

‘Probably yes or maybe no,’ something replied from within, confusing him even more.

‘What about the thoughts, I was struggling with when I started the walk, are they important too,’ he quickly engaged himself in a debate with his own self?

‘Yes, that was also important and trivial both,’ he heard himself say.

‘So, what’s ‘absolutely’ important than,’ he asked in irritation.

There, however, was no answer this time.

The eyes stared at the beautiful sight; of water falling, making an alluring sound and attracting even animals and birds from faraway to quench their thirst, with no implicit awareness of why they were being pulled even here. The mind had wandered again, and he was not even aware of it this time.