New World
R E D R O S E S:
It was dawn. Sun's golden rays came through the window and competed with the cool breeze to embrace me. I was going to sleep more but I did not feel wasting the beautiful morning by lazily lying in the bed with day dreaming.
After a few moments, I got out of my bed and put my sandals and walked into the garden, adjascent to my house. My long white gown had covered half of my legs and was a perfect match for my black pants, I thought. The newly blossomed rose and jasmine flowers added beauty to the garden along with many white and yellow tulips. Dews were falling down from the leaves and squirrels were jumping from branches to branches. The sweet smell of rose and jasmine flowers had spread and covered the entire garden.The red roses were very attractive and I tenderly touched some of them.
All of a sudden,I felt an urge to pluck some of them. I did not hesitate, sure enough,I plucked some of them. Alas! I felt a pain on my fingers and I realized that the thorns of the Rose plants had pierced through my fingers. The blood spread on my gown and suddenly I felt angry. With great annoyance, I threw the flowers on the ground and when I walked, unintentionally my sandals crushed those flowers. I felt a little agitated but I could not do anything at that point and so I continued to walk. Momentarily I heard a cry and a sob. When I looked back, I knew the Rose plants were crying and sobbing.I was puzzled but did not want to ask them anything.
Next day morning was also very beautiful and I visited the garden again. That morning, the garden was decorated with more flowers and more serenity had filled the air. The beauty of the garden and the sweet smell of the flowers made me very happy.
I saw a few girls walking ahead of me happily talking. Their long black hair was adored with red rose flowers. Oh! what a beauty has been added with those flowers, I thought. I had forgotten the previous day's incident and without any hesitation, my hands stretched to pluck some flowers. All of a sudden I saw some changes in the rose plants. They stopped dancing anymore and started to cry. I could not realize what was happening.
I turned towards them and asked,"what is happening.Why are you crying ?"
They answered: "you are again trying to pluck our flowers, right ?"
I answered, "Yes. Why, is it a mistake what I am doing ?"
"Surely. You are doing a wrong thing" Their answer made me surprised. I asked them in a soft voice. "If I am doing something wrong, what did those girls walking ahead of me do? They plucked many of your flowers and they are on their hair. What about that.?"
" Yes,they have done a fine job. Wearing the flowers on their hair makes them look more beautiful and so many people could enjoy the beauty of those flowers. surely, people appreciate . What you did was plucking the flowers and throwing them on the road and crushing them with your sandals without any concern of their beauty! The people came after you also crushed them without any mercy !!If you had not plucked them,people would have appreciated their beauty and enjoyed the sweet smell,even if our flowers had a very short life."
My hands withdrew automatically. At that moment I found a great truth of life. Even if a life is for a short period only, it should be useful and beneficial to others and not to be crushed mercilessly and uselessly.
THE END
Written by George Kurian (RIP) - copy rights are with the author.
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