Its not just your loss!

During my trip to Bombay this time , I decided to pay a visit to the TAJ and Oberoi. My friend Karadi accompanied me as he also had this interest to pay a visit to this place. Oberoi / Trident as it is known was looking rather subdued during the setting sun. The usually roaring Arabian sea was rather silent. Why not .? She has also bore the brunt of this . the people who come to meet her had reduced and she had also reduced her interest to play around.

After a quite walk around trident, we proceeded to meet the Queen on the sea front – The TAJ. There was very high security around that area. But that did not stop people from coming to visit the Gateway of India. We were standing by the seaface and watching the tides.

Suddenly we saw someone standing close to us wanting to speak to us with an eagerness in the eyes. We picked up a conversation with this unknown acquaintance. She stayed there and started telling how the attack had affected her.

“ We were shocked by the attack. I lost some friends some of my friends got injured in the crossfire. After the attack the police have cordoned off the area completely. No one can come near the gateway of india. They have put a barricade from the left of the monument to till the Taj. No one can come near the gateway or come and sit on the parapet walls opposite the Taj.

I had always been playing around happily around the Gateway and Taj. There used to be hordes of people walking around obstructing my play and running around. But that was fun .. me avoiding them , they avoiding me … But at the end of the day there were all my friends and I had a good time. Now I have all the space at my disposal and play and walk as I want , But I miss something. I feel there is no one with whom I can play around. “

Me and karadi stood there listening to her in silence. What can we say ?

She continued “ Probably I would be the most photogenic one and Photographed one in this world. Any one who comes here would photograph me and take a photograph alongside me. I used to enjoy the privilege.

But out of all these , what saddens me most is , I don’t get to see my most favourite group of people – Kids. They are my best friends . every kid likes to play with me and leap in joy when they see me and my team mates jump and run in unison. There used to be a special happiness when I could see a crying child, smile and laugh and forget itself when it sees me. It’s a special kind of feeling. Now I don’t see any kids . I don’t find that happiness… I feel lonely .. I don’t know when next I can make a kid laugh.”

There was a drop of tear that dropped from her eyes.

Karadi asked “ Aap apke rehne aur khana ke liye kya karte ho”

“ woh bhi abhi mushkil ho gaya hai… Anyone who came to gateway or Taj made it a point to buy me and my team some eatables and sometimes food. Now with no one allowed to come this side , I have to go in search of food. Its tough.

And you know Ramu kaka and Chotu are also having a dull business , as they used to earn by the food he used to sell for us.”

I was dumbstruck by the concern she had for people who cared for her.

“ Rehne ke liya Kya.??. Tata uncle has built the hotel again . me and my friends will find some space there.

But somehow , this attack has left me lonely. I have to go in search for someone to talk and feel comfortable”

We listened her patiently and then brought her some chana dal from Ramu kaka’s basket. She happily ate it , bade goodbye to both of us and flew away to her nest along with her fellow pigeons.

After she left, we just thought, what effect it has caused to every living being on earth.

I just thought of one song at that moment “ Vellai Pookkal Ulagam Engum malarave "