Memories of a swinging Life

An uncertain deficient monsoon ,  and a city hell bent on destroying its green at the alter of "concrete" progress  has many animals from the adjoining wooded Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) venturing out in search of water and food, thanks to the encroachment in what is actually theirs .  In the area where I live, it is routine to see entire families of monkeys and langurs nimbly trespassing on compound walls , ledges, and balconies, presumably planning grocery bag snatches and food campaigns.

My cousin Madhuri Pai, spied these folks  in the high rise where she lives. Clearly heights do not matter when food is paramount in the mind.

An old Bhavgeet sung by Arun Date(no relation)  came to mind.  " दिवस तुझे हे फुलायचे झोपाळ्यावाचून झुलायचे...."   Folks of my generation may remember :-)

(With respectful apologies to Mangesh Padgaonkar, Yashwant Deo, and Arun Date)

दिवस तुझे हे लोम्ब्काळाय्चे , झाडांच्यावाचून झुलायचे || पाण्याच्या शोधात जाणे, टाकीच्या आसपास रहाणे, तहानेने व्याकूळ झुरायचे ।। मोजावे तान्सा तलावाची खोली, पण बिल्डर्स शी केलीये बोली, सर्वत्र सिमेंट भरायचे ।। थरारे तहानेनी मी फार, सोसेना भुकेचाहि भार, घरात घुसून पोट भरायचे ।। तुमच्या या ग्यालरीपाशी, वळ दुसरीकडे गडे जराशी, पापण्या मिटून फळ पळवायचे ।।

Your suspended day, A treeless life swinging away. || Wandering for thirst, Spying cisterns at first, And pining for water day after day.|| The diminishing lake waters, And the greedy builder plotters, Cementing your life everywhich way.||  The thirst has me shaking awake  Sheer hunger, and the risks I take, Marauding houses, in concrete Bombay. || And so in your balcony as you stand, Turn away, shut eyes, as I slowly land, I must steal some of your fruit today. ||