It was 9 in the morning.
Robert and Cara sleepily stepped out to the balcony to take in the fresh air. And the sun.
Winter had begun to set in.
Good morning my dear, said Robert to Cara as he gave her a big fat kiss. The sun had revolved many times across the earth but their love for each other remained as fresh as it was on the day they first met.
A fact that caused their children much consternation and embarrassment. No wonder they were in a hurry to fly the nest.
Their morning dalliance was interrupted by a loud metallic clang. And a dust storm that soared into the misty skies. The sound of frenzied chatter that they heard was the last straw. The Eden that they had made their own looked increasingly morose.
We must do something about this my love, said Cara to Robert. They are such a menace.
I agree, said Robert. Maybe a net to keep them out. Place spikes so that they can’t settle down. Time to takeout out the air gun perhaps.
Cara looked at him. She looked sad. She wished it had not come to this. Confrontation didn’t come to her naturally. Not even when her mother in law meddled in matters of the estate.
Yes. We are left with no option, she said. These pests are a threat to us and the surroundings. They keep multiplying and there are more of them with each passing day. More dirt. More noise. You can’t raise children under such horrid circumstances. I was so upset that I scolded the little one as she set off for school. I am feeling so bad about it. Desperate times call for desperate measures!
Robert was sad to see the love of his life look so crestfallen. He decided to change the subject.
Let me make breakfast for you. A juicy earth worm, soft rolled? Water dripping from the air-conditioner. Extra frothy?
A story told to me by two pigeons who were necking on the ledge below the balcony in the apartment adjacent to that of my brother and sister in law’s nest in Gurugram. The story and characters are fictitious.
