The Old Guardians

Heartbreaks can come in more than unexpected ways, this I learnt when the Ashoka trees at my place went down the axe today.

Almost for 27 years now, these 'Old guardians' as I call them have sheltered my home from excessive sunlight, harsh rains coming in & provided fresh air to breathe in. It also added as a cover up for the house, as nothing much could be seen inside; with these acting as filters.

Every monsoons we used to get them cut down.. [trim down] upto low level & by the next monsoons, they used to grow up again upto 30-33 ft. in height.

Greenery has always been a part of my growing up. Earlier as a child, I remember having eaten Guavas, Custard apples & Grapes too, from the trees planted at home. One by one they had to be rooted out due to termite infests & decaying.

Now as those trees aren't existent, I still feel happy nostalgia remembering those days. But today, as the last of the old lot, the Ashoka trees went down, a deep pain is there within as if I lost a very evident witness of my growing up years.

As I bade goodbye to the synonymous memory of my home, [The house with the Ashoka Trees, I used to call it.] , all I felt at that moment was, "I'm sorry to let u go.. & it hurts to see you go. If there was anything I'll be looking forward to, its to see you come back again, back in place again! ...& that's a promise I make to you & to myself, that I will plant double the trees back, as soon as it would take. "