The jungle parable..

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
45
Crazy people say that if you listen carefully, you can hear animals speak...

The fox, the snake and the crab sat before their teacher.
"Why have you been away for so long ?"
The snake and the crab turned towards the fox. The fox sat silently, not answering.
"I don't have to be a wise ape to see the dark clouds around you. What ails you, fox ?"
Again, the fox stayed silent, it's wet eyes betraying it's heart.
"Did you come back voluntarily ?"
This time, the answer came from the crab.
"You gotta be jokin', Sir. 't took all o' me strength and a little bit of snake's 'ere too just to tire 'im down. Finally, he relented to our logic and agreed to come back 'ere."
"Ssss not good, I sssay." The snake joined in. " No animal should be an island.. we all need to ssstick by each other during hard timessss. But he just doesssn't lisssen to ussss. Perhapsss you can talk sssome ssssense into him."
The ape turned to the fox.
"What ails you, fox ?" he repeated.
There was no reply. The ape waited patiently. Seconds turned to minutes. The crab looked at the snake, shrugged and gazed at it's relection in it's claw.
"Are two people destined for each other ?"
The fox's question got everyone's attention.
"Why do you ask ?"
"It's... never mind.I wouldn't know where to begin anyway."
" Try from the beginning." The ape replied.

The fox gazed at him, looking for hints of mockery. Reassured, he gazed at the others. The snake raised it's hood, a gesture of warning for some, but of compassion to those who knew it.
" You all know Robin. She was just a little chick when I came across her. Her wings damaged after a fall, she had been left by her family to die in the jungle. I should have eaten her. After all, that's my instinct, right ? Yet, I don't know what happened to me that day. I felt pity on her. I carried her home and gave her shelter from the winter."
The crab nodded. "Aai. I remember 'ow the hyenas laffed at ya, callin ya a chicken fer shelterin a bird."
"I know. I heard what everyone said. I couldn't explain it myself. It was just something I had to do, y'know. I'd get her food, strengthen her up and wipe away her tears. I'd build her up with tales of how high she would soar one day, so high that even I'd wouldn't be able to see her as more than a speck in the sun. And the flying lessons."
"Yessss. I remember thossse. I kept thinking you'd fail and she's die.. "
"I'd carry her up to the top of the tree, then hurry down and tell her to jump. Every time, she failed, I'd be there to catch her before she hit the ground.

Every day for a year and a half.. till the day she finally managed to fly."
The ape spoke. "I recall the happiness that followed your steps in this jungle in that period."
The fox nodded.
"What changed ?" the ape asked.
"She did. One fine day, she met this bluebird and fell in love. And just like that, a week later, she was gone from my life. I never even got to say goodbye to her. "
"Did you love her, Fox ?"
"With all my heart, Sir. I devoted half my life to her. I would have done anything for her. "
"Except let her go ?"
"But why would she want to leave ? I gave her everything she needed.. I .. I.." Tears prevented the stream of words. The snake rustled up to him and wound it's tail around his, an act of solidarity.

The ape waited for the fox to regain his composure.
"Fox ?"
"Yes sir ?"
"Are two people destined for each other ?"
The irony was not lost on Fox, who grinned finally.
"I.. I used to think that our lives were intertwined.. soulmates destined to be together forever. I felt that it was meant to be.. after all, I literally gave her wings to fly. I took her from a death bed and gave her.. a life."
"And yet she left ?" The ape asked.
"Exactly. One fine day, she just fell in love and everything I had ever done seemed to fade from her eyes.."
The ape looked at him for a long time.

"Do you know what your problem is, Fox ?"
The fox stared back at him.
"You are too clever for your own good. No, don't disagree. You see, I've known you since you were a cub. I've watched you grow up. I know you. You are smart.

But your smartness is your own enemy. Having said that, you have fallen for the most sincerest of mistakes here, one which many in love fail to see."
"What, master ?"
"You have erringly decided that all true loves are meant to be together."
The fox's whiskers twitched.
"Happily ever after ? Who made that rule, fox ? Noone did. You are doubting all that you felt today because of what has happened. Don't you see ? Your love saved a life.. her life. She was destined to die, to never test her wings again in resignation. You gave her the dream. You made it a reality. She became what she is thanks to you. But your role ended there.. it was to give her wings, spiritually and physically. Don't you see ? You succeeded. Your love story was a winner. "
" But if it was a success, how is it that we're not meant to be together ?"
" Because that's the beauty of life, Fox. It's all about distance and time, opportunities and moments. You were not the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle of her life.. but you were the difficult blue skies without which the portrait would never have evolved. You see, in life, you will meet so many people who will add to who you are, who will 'complete a part of what you are destined to be'. And when the penultimate piece has been placed, the last space is left for the one you are meant to be with. "
"You see, Fox. Your loneliness and self doubt is tearing your ideals. But they shouldn't. They should goad you on. You have helped give someone a life. What you have not yet realised is that each life you complete also completes a piece of you. The question is - are you the type of animal who throws away the puzzle in frustration when it seems too hard or are you the type who's willing to wait, knowing the beauty of the final product ?"

The fox sat quietly for awhile, then got up. The snake and the crab too rose.
"Thank you, Sir."
Nothing more needed to be said. They all knew it. The dark clouds surrounding the fox didn't seem so dark anymore. They turned and left, leaving the ape to meditate.

Crazy people say that if you listen carefully, you can hear animals speak...
Wise people say that if you listen really carefully, you can learn a lot from them.

This post is dedicated to Mr X, a nameless faceless patient in the psychiatric ward where I work whose file states 'he can hear wild animals talking.'

Epilogue :
The two birds sat happily, cuddling against each other. The pregnant glow left her radiant and an envious sight, taking his breath away every time he saw her. He arched his brows at her, an obvious question in them.
"No way" she giggled. "Behave yourself."
"Sigh, ok. That kid better know how much I'm sacrificing for him."
"He does, I'm sure.. now get me some food. I'm starving."
"Sure thing, honey. By the way, have you given some thought to what we were talking about last night ?"
"I have."
"And ?"
"I've decided to name him Fox" Robin chirped.

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45Comments

Let me know what you think.

  1. Awesome..
    Now that was a gem of a post...


    Really liked this one :)

    Many lessons to be learnt also ;)

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  2. Excellent! One of your best pieces doc.

    I don't really have an appropriate word of praise here.


    I do jigsaw puzzles and know how difficult the blue skies are. Very very prudent statement, this -

    "You were not the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle of her life.. but you were the difficult blue skies without which the portrait would never have evolved."

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  3. excellent..
    true love is unconditional and especially the ending,it's beautiful..

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  4. ap, muchos gracias...

    aishu, very very muchos gracias..

    meira, :D

    illeen, at the risk of sounding less original.. muchos muchos gracias.

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  5. Wow this is too good :)
    Btw you are tagged too.. :)

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  6. Very nice post,Roshan .. Enjoyed reading this one :)

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  7. lovely tag, dhanya.. will definitely get on it.. finally a tag that I'll have to think about.

    thanx, balu

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. now that...my dear boy, was one of your best evah.

    by the way, met bubloo at shani's wedding. :)

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  10. Roshan,

    It was a wonderful post. You are simply the best.

    Cheers,
    Lalith

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  11. Veena, thanks.
    Maxaud, don't remind me. Even he could make it and i got stuck here. Man, this sucks. Really wish i could have been there.
    Cheers, lalith

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  12. nicely done...its good the way you have done the characters...a fox being clever etc...could have been a part of the jataka tales if you know what I mean...

    scribbler inc.

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  13. thanx hope and love.. went by ur site.. nice posts.

    scribblers.. haha. I guess there's a bit of jataka in there, though i never aimed for it.. i was thinkin more in terms f kungfu panda chaaracters

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  14. that's a BBBBig one
    i never new this side of u
    greattttt

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  15. hi...boo here..) u wrote this?? wow...its beautiful...didnt know u wrote so well..:) keep gng doc...

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  16. Dr prashant, thanks sir. Welcome to the blog.
    Hey boo, how ya doing? Been awhile. And thanks

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  17. That was just great. But whatever said, human being cant free himself from expectations. Conditional love always rules. I am blogging these days thanks to a girl. I want the inspiration to be always with me knowing that its next to impossible. Still carve for the same.

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  18. suresh.. thats good. In the end, inspiration always comes down to a girl, doesn't it ? hahaha

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  19. im dng good..:)seriously...ure work is awesome..ive been glued to ur blog since the last few days..:) im on night duty this week..and ur posts have been keeping me good company during these sleepless nights...u have just got urself a new fan...!!:) superb stuff!!!

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  20. Nafi, It's a good thing i'm so modest ( in addition to being tall, hunky, filthy rich and multitalented ) or else these compliments would really get to my lucious hair filled head. But seriously, recently I've been readin my own articles and i'm glad that i still find em funny/heartfelt. Can't even remember writing so many of these anymore.. Even if i say so myself, some of the thoughts written down i could probably never conceive today even if i tried. Guess the old grey cells are finally wearin down. But hey, feel free to add your comments in any articles that you have an opinion on or anything. Findin the comments my problem :-)

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  21. may be the head ache i am having... or this virus i got yday... or the fact its sunday and i am in office.... but i had tears wen i read this poat of urs... esp d last conversation btw d birds...

    erm may be just it was this moving post of urs that made me feel..

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  22. rat, I wish it were the moving post... but i think its that damn virus !!! gives me the sniffles too whenever he comes by..

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  23. Excellent post.

    Few things in life serve the purpose of 'guiding lights'.. this post is one of them.

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  24. Wow. Punam. That is seriously, one of the best compliments I've recieved. Thanks a million.

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  25. superb!and very inspiring.I have become your fan:)

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  26. Thanks Renu.. this is a fav post of my own...

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  27. Inspiring, insightful and beautiful...

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  28. Hi Doc... I came to this post from the link you posted as your own fav post...and I am sincerely out of words for this one... This is the best story I've ever read.

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  29. thanks for linking to this from your latest post. you owe me one for making me cry at work.

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  30. Choco.. thanks... I wanted it to be inspiring.

    Anita, that means a lot to me..seriously..

    Nags, anytime pal...

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  31. Amazing,Beautiful wonderful mindblowing post :) :D :D :D

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  32. Thanks, Sm. Feels good to hear praise for a post thats more than 2 years old... :)

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  33. Thanks, Sm. Feels good to hear praise for a post thats more than 2 years old... :)

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  34. Omg Roshan...I am soooooooooo speechless...this is like the best piece of love advice I have EVER heard!
    Bowing down to you master with all my respect for your brilliant wriig hat went several hundred notches up*if that was possible, for I was anyways a very big fan*:-)

    I had to hunt it down to share it:-)

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  35. im actually smiling and blushing... thanks suruchi :)

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  36. Lovely read.You weaved the characters very well.
    Seems like you're a storyteller.

    Take care

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  37. amazing!cant think of a better protrayal of wisdom sir!!!loved it :)

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  38. Rainboy, glad u liked it.

    Triveni, thanks a lot ya :)

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  39. Intense ! :) Loved the post!Btw, Fox was really pleased to hear his story made its way to the blogosphere \m/

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