The sun was rising when a bird at the very top of a bush raised its head and started warbling. It was haloed by the pink-orange sun, and so I couldn't immediately see it. I could hear it though—and it picked at my memories neatly—a tuning fork whose crescendo kept rising in meaning. I remembered afternoons with a song that sounded like a "be-careful," "be careful" call. What I was hearing sounded like a familiar and cheerful garden bird, with a cocky crest, a black head and a red bottom—the Red-vented bulbul. Only, this call was a little different. Its notes not quite the same, the warble a bit wilder. I looked again, the sky completely orange with the rising sun, and I saw the bird this time. A cocky crest, a blackish head, but a yellow rump, not red. This was the Himalayan bulbul. The difference in their songs was hard to put one's finger on—it was an intuitive feeling rather than anything else.
And throughout our lives, there have been these familiar sounds which have played like a background track, in a natural fashion. Often, these sounds are indistinguishable from the actual act of living. These are transformative sounds, that immediately transport us to specific moments from the past. Such as the softly grating sound that came as my grandmother took out coconut from its shell, using a boti—an upright knife whose handle she held between her toes. The soft cluck-cluck sound of a house gecko from behind a painting, from monsoon days. The horrible screech of marble cutting, signalling Delhi's construction boom in the 2000s, which never got over. The clarion sound of a train horn, signifying I was up at 5am studying for an exam. Evenings meant the swishing, swelling sounds of scores of insects. And some of those sounds are hushed today, even as noise is dialled up. The natural world is falling silent.
Bu hikaye Mint Chennai dergisinin December 21, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Mint Chennai dergisinin December 21, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
How Bhansali Elevates The First Encounter
Love At First Sight Is An Emotionally Dense Moment, Predicting The Intensity Of The Journey That The Lovers Will Chart
The Treasures of Nimrud Pieced Together Again
The UNESCO-listed archaeological site was ravaged by Islamic State fighters
From arrack to wine, a bar crawl across Sri Lanka
Cocktail bars in the island nation are drawing on local traditions and flavours to give a heady twist to familiar spirits
Only human-centred AI can charm humans to adopt it
The AI industry could learn from carmakers how to focus on the consumer and modify perceptions
The Asian Dream is waking up to realities of middle-class life
Asians are realizing that staying middle-class is not guaranteed
How Emerging Economies Could Prosper in a Protectionist World
As manufacturing export success gets harder, they should focus on service exports. These are unlikely to face big trade barriers
Lessons from the 75-year-old National Sample Survey
Its impressive history tells us much about innovation, autonomy and state-level data collection
Fix India's bond market to lift economic growth
As India's economy slows, we should revive public-private partnerships to attract private investment. But, for debt funding, we'll need to reform and invigorate our market for bonds
We should let clarity prevail over nonsense: Here's a handy guide
We must use simple language, empathize with people, not take ourselves too seriously and be kind
Clear Goals and Discipline: How Small Investors Can Build Lasting Wealth
There is no one-size-fits-all, the answer will depend on your needs, personal preferences