THE JOURNEY OF WILDLIFE WHISPERER (PART 1 – The Beginning)

In Love With God

Ok. First of all no need to get alarmed. I am not devoting myself to God yet – in any religious order. And second of all I don’t know why I need to give this caveat! Any-ho trying to avoid this first pitfall all I want to say is that I had a ‘different’ experience today.

I have been traveling in flights for a long time. Initially whenever I traveled I would request for a window seat at check-in, simply because I loved an aerial view of the city that I was departing / arriving to. As age caught up, I started requesting aisle, as that seemed comfortable. I guess it also denoted an attitude of seen that, done that. Today of my way to Delhi, from Bombay, when the girl at the check-in counter asked my preference, window seat came to my lips, for which I chided myself afterwards, as that is such a novice thing to do.

Now people who know me know that I have a recurring habit – put me in a moving vehicle and before you know it I either am completely drowsy or have actually dozed off. No preferences / biases regarding vehicle – train, flight, bus, taxi, car, rickshaw, anything. However now that I was at the window seat I thought I would see a glimpse of Bombay before I dozed off. I love Bombay – any time of the day or night! And then as the plane took off I was trying to figure out which part of Bombay we were flying out from. And then before I knew I was mesmerized by the view, landscape, everything. The flight was cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet (according to the pilot) and the landscape was at places green, at places dry, interspersed with big rivers I guess, which looked like rivulets from an altitude that high.

I think my latest obsession would be with rivers. The new fad started when I was in Uzbekistan. En-route from Toshkent to Samarqand, I was mesmerized by the Amu Darya (river), which to me seemed one of the longest rivers and appeared to be a lifeline for the land. Throughout the flight it seemed to crisscross through the entire landscape; but before my eyes today the sight was different. The landscape was very random, but for some reason it appeared that there was a method to this madness. And it came to my mind that along with the role of God as a benevolent father, a nurturing mother, a splendid artist – was also an excited child, sketching random patterns and perhaps being excited about their tapestry. I am sure it was my imagination, but at one place I saw a heart shaped piece of green land filled with water, water bodies shaped as sea horses, dinosaurs, giant lizards, etc. And I seemed to be happy and excited too.

It was a bright, warm day and the entire sky was interspersed with clouds of different shapes and sizes and they all seemed to travel in a systematic motion, in a rhythm, with no two clouds colliding or catching up with each other. Some rivers seemed to have dried up, while others seemed to be rocking, and there was this one spot which looked so mystical – a big river tapering towards a mountain, which opened up to the clouds – and it looked like a stairway to heaven. I was so enchanted by the entire thing that despite the fact that I had my camera, I did not have the heart to take any pictures.

And finally above the clouds I saw the half moon silently glowing and it reminded me how the moon is always there is the sky, while the sun arrives and departs in glory. The moon silently stands witness to life’s passing, to seasons – so like some people and relations in each of our lives. Unfortunately we mostly tend to remember the dazzlers while the silent support in our life is taken for granted.

I guess all I am trying to say is that I had an enchanting ‘different’ experience today, for which I truly feel blessed.

Air-borne (somewhere between Mumbai and Delhi)

April 14, 2011