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Wednesday 6 February 2019

EP15: AN UNWANTED FLIGHT| Good bye India- FUSION STOR-IES

Novel: AN UNWANTED FLIGHT

CH # 15

Good Bye India


The celebrations of Indian wedding started at least week before the function. The situation at border went on calm after escalating for many days. The fear of war was away, so the whole town was involved to cherish the family. Melodious and canarous musicaccompyning the dance practices of young continued whole day till Mehndi function. The women were full of activity at roaming in the markets for jewelry and dresses. Dazzlingly dressed girls started to beat dholak while singing folk and latest songs at dusk and this festivity continued till dawn. Sweets were main part of refreshment for the guests. Siberian crane and other fowl from near pond flew to house to pick their share from refreshments.


 Siberian crane was trying to get pleasure from the gala but he felt to be restive. He was not able to fly high or far because of its trimmed wings. Above all his mates, the local grey cranes at pond were not hospitable at all. They were not happy because of diverting the attention of all towards white fowl at town. The pond was messy with town's and a near factory's sewage.  
There was only one who continued to see him daily but the grandfather of police officer who brought him in the village use to visit him regularly. He brought grain for him and feed him with its hands.
siberian crane turned back from india
siberian crane at punjab wheat field
‘I have worked a lot throughout my life for reservation of extinct animals and birds but now I’m also tired of this malicious technological world. These growing cemented forests, burdened creepy vehicles, latest hunting gadgets and impatience of every self has made all self centered and selfish for not thinking of any other species on this earth except humans. We used to play and see elephants, tigers, migratory birds live in our childhood but now my grandchildren seek pleasure to watch them all at their mobiles. Now birds don't move forward to visit India,’ the old grandfather shared his sentiments with big white crane spy guest for long until someone look for him at pond.
'We couldn't protect our forests, our lakes, our skies from pollution and from trimming like your wings,' he usually confessed.
It was the wedding day probably. The orchestra, gulping horses on drum beats, fireworks, everything around was depicting the joy of family. Siberian crane spotted a decorated car passing by a pond, where the groom was sitting. He probably forgets about that crane. Most of the birds were flying out the field when crane sat gloomy at one corner. Just then he saw grandfather approaching to him.
‘Your wings are mature enough,’ grandfather checked him up.
‘The spring is about to bloom and it’s time to back my Siberian friend. I know you can’t bear our upcoming burning sun. It’s better if you can meet any of leaving flocks at wetlands of Pakistan.
‘Oo…oh…let me check your wings. When I first saw you then I found some writing at your wigs. A smart boy at Pakistan wrote title of famous story ‘”fox and crane” there in Urdu and you’ve been caught here in India as spy. They've dumped you here with clipped wings as punishment,'  grandfather knew to read and write Urdu from his pre partition friends. He checked his feathers carefully.
‘Umm…what was that story…?’
He cackled so loud that his teeth cleared his jaws. It seemed that he was laughing after long. 
fox n crane in urdu
story:loomri aur sarus(fox n crane) in urdu
‘The marks and any writing have disappeared from your body now but don’t let any child from here to write this story on your wings in Hindi if you want to go back safe. This tug of war will continue between us two neighboring atomic rivals, Pakistan and India but this shouldn’t affect the residents of free sky,’ he continued to grin.
 Grandfather held the crane to open ground to farewell him.
‘Now fly…what you are waiting for…? I’ve to join my grandson’s wedding reception. What you want me to turn a ‘fasadi mama’ of this wedding? Someone soon will come to term me, ’he almost scolded him.


 ‘But…,’ the Siberian crane whooped.
‘I’ll see the consequences here. I hope my grandson will understand me but you promise me to visit here again with your friends,’ grandfather turned back towards the ripening golden wheat fields leaving crane and marshy pond at back taking a promise from him.
Siberian crane waited for while, 'I'm an eastern Siberian Crane who had been drifted towards here instead of China but I will never forget you,' he gulped at near tree and took off high in sky.
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‘Good bye India,’ he carefully checked the wind pattern and sun for navigation and entered back to Pakistan in hope to join any of flocks moving back to Siberia. He just wished to see his friend Houbara bustard once again while entering Pakistan but he knew this might not happen now…,
TO BE CONTINUED

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