i SAW a bird today

When I get up each morning, the first thing I do is drink water. Ten to twelve big gulps. I usually can not take any more than that. Then I open the windows to let in fresh air.

Today when I opened the windows, I saw a bird. A sparrow like creature. Small. It had an orange beak. Black-brown feathers from head to chest and back. The belly turned to gray and the inner side of its tail was a gradient mix of gray and white. It looked around moving the head from left to right, upward and downward in short bursts.

It posed on the balcony wall on its left foot. I had never seen this (type of) bird earlier. I was anxious to observe its activities. I stood there looking at it from my room. I picked up my phone that I had kept charging the last night on the table and thought of clicking it. Then I changed my mind. I didn't.

Maybe my mind wanted to register the episode rather than having a split moment of the bird standing there being in my memory card. The bird jerked its body, as if drying the feathers, or shaking off the cold. Then hopping on its left leg only, it moved towards the left, in the sun. I think the poor thing had its other leg hurt. After being still for some time, it jerked again and then sat down.

That was the end of it. I moved on with my day.

What kept me glued to the feathered creature was that I had never seen a bird with such colors. Or was it that I never took notice of an earthly carnal being, living life like me, just of a different species, behavior, habits and livelihood.

We are so busy with our lives to listen to the rain slapping the ground or follow a butterfly's vibrant flight. I wonder if we really mean it when we ask  "Hey! How are you?"
Is it just a gesture, or do we really intend to stick around and listen to the reply, because mostly we get an answer "bas badhiya bhai, tu bata", "i'm good, how're you?"

When we go to bed we have gazillions of thoughts regarding chores that need to be completed the next day. We run very fast to complete out tasks, to reach our destination, and in the process miss half the fun of getting there.. Life becomes like an unopened gift.