Silence of Bodhi ...

Once upon a time, as in the fairy tales, there was a far off land where trees lived happily. They admired each other, some were creepy to gossip about the others and some were small, looking up to the bigger ones. There was a banyan tree by name Bodhi, who always remained calm composed and silent. Everyone saw him grow and grow to a huge one ... biggest and oldest of them all. 

A creeper slowly crept on to a mango tree and said:
"You bear the king of fruits and yet they don’t adore you as much as they do the old banyan"

She smiled and said nothing....

The creeper went on to speak ill about the Banyan with envy. Some waved at the creeper when the wind blew and some heard him gossip, but a very few. Of the few was a thorny Kikar tree, who with his thorns hurt everyone. He spoke to the Sleepy willow and the willow to the Lambu bamboo. They laughed without being heard.

The wind heard the gossip and carried it to Bodhi. He was busy taking care of all the plants and animals around him. He heard what the wind said and blew it out through his leaves. They fluttered and said...

"I am happy the way I am....?”

The word spread like forest fire and a small squirrel went and told this to the small fruit which Bodhi bore. The small fruit was so sad, that it crackled in sadness... threw his life - the seed - on to the soil and died. The seed knew not what he should do. He hid himself in the soil with sadness. It was dark inside the soil. He saw no daylight. He kept worrying. Bodhi kept searching for the seed and found him nowhere. 

Deep inside the soil, the seed cried and cried. That was when Bodhi's friend Megha, the rain cloud arrived in the land. Megha knew that the seed was hiding in the soil and she showered all her love as rain making the soil soft. The sun shined bright and gave strength to the seed. 

The seed wiped his tears and said:
"I will prove to the world, what I am worth ... I should"

He threw out his hands with all his strength. Pushed the soil with all his vigour. He cared not what the creeper said. He wanted to reach out from under the soil and see his father who was worried and looking for him. He tried and tried but could not break the cover he had made for himself. 

The worm came by and said, "I can help you".

The worm pushed the soil for his new friend and one spring morning, the seed pushed his way through and saw the smiling sun. He was a sweet new plant with one leaf. All that he wished was to see his dad, but now he had his own leaves, like his dad. A soft tender green leaf. He waved to Bodhi, his dad and both were so happy. Bodhi was so happy that his eyes were wet with tears. 

"My son ... My seed... He did what many other couldn’t ...."
Son... never heed to what others say, you are what you are and you deserve to grow ..." Bodhi told his son. 

Bodhi extended his arms and hugged his son. The day was not far when he grew to a handsome young banyan tree, giving shade to the young and old, wise and dumb, merchants and kings alike. Even today in the far of forests, the father and son stand tall giving all their love as shade to all the birds and animals who come to them. They remained silent and from then on, learning from the wise Bodhi and his son, trees remain silent till date. And all of them lived happily ever after.... but silently.