In Solitude

It was a beautiful summer afternoon when Rohen found her favourite perch. It was a dead tree, in fact the tallest in the far end of the forest where most of her tribe of peacocks and peahens never went. She sat atop one of the top branches of the tree and looked far into the horizon. She could see the sea of trees merge into the golden sky as the sun set in.

It was the most mesmerising sight that Rohen had ever seen, even more beautiful than the splendour of the colourful feathers that adorned her and her flock. It became a daily ritual – Rohen would sit on the branch of the tree staring into the horizon waiting for the sunset. This isolated her from her muster of peafowls, sometimes making her lonely. But gradually she started understanding the changes within herself in the process. She felt stronger, more patient, and the silence made her feel empowered.

Then on a stormy night, a bolt of light struck the dead tree. Rohen’s precious branch came crashing down as the tree got almost split into two. She was devastated. The pain of not being able to see the entrancing sight that spellbound her every day, almost threw her into the dredges of depression. But then, it all came back – the forbearance, the strength, all that she had imbibed sitting for hours in solitude on the dead tree branch.

Though the beautiful sight that gave her such great joy was gone, but an enriched mind and empowered spirit, made Rohen the bravest and strongest peafowl in the forest.