Tale of a silent world

"Hurray!!! I am adopted!!”
Cheered Robo!!
Robo is a cheerful Rubber plant. He has some tiny branches that were right angled. His leaves would shine all the time. We grew up in the same nursery.

He was too excited on his adoption. It is not that he does'nt like the nursery, but he had always longed for somebody to own him.

I was feeling fortunate to be adopted with him. I had always wished to stay with Robo all my life. Though we were good friends, we are complete opposites. Robo is friendly and extrovert, while I prefer staying quiet and observing my fellow plants. And now we were going stay in the same house. With the same parents. Our mother has selected simple but comfortable pots for us.

Robo clears his throat for a farewell speech. He wants everybody to be cheerful as he leaves. Not only his sibling Rubber plants but every other plant is sad. Everybody was keen to listen to their favourite plant.

“My fellow and dear plants here!!”
Loud enough that everyone stared at him.

“Everybody has always desired to be rooted into the soil we deserve, but only few are fortunate enough to find appropriate soil. We have always heard stories about plants being taken from here and taken good care of or the other way round.
Only Some of us were planted in a good soil into the ground with good food and water around. Many of us are potted into some or the other balcony, but taken good care. And we have also heard the stories of few unfortunate plants who died due to lack of care or due to unfavourable habitat.
These stories have always fascinated me. And I have always longed for a parent. Now I have one and I would be planted in a pot and would be carried on to the adventure I had always desired for. I don’t know what future this adventure would take me to. But, Yes I am excited. At the same time I am sad that I would be missing you all. And the good part is Spidy, the Spider plant is accompanying me."

I could feel all eyes on me. Though awkward I managed a smile!!

"We would be together in case the time is tough. So friends’ good bye and good luck to all of you. I hope you would remember me.”

Who would forget a Rubber plant that delivered a farewell speech!!
All the fellow plants clapped to the speech and wished all the good fortune for us.
Both of us were taken to the plantation section and were fed with good fertilisers and replanted into pots. While we were waiting for our mother, we met a couple of flowering plants who were accompanying us to our new home. Wasting no time Robo started a conversation with them.
Mother came and picked us up into a car and brought us home. Our Home!!
Robo geared up for what he thought was a great adventure.
And yes it was!! Because we were going to stay in the house where there are two kids and four Adults. We were immediately taken to the balcony where we already had other companions.
Robo greeted all other plants. We started to know more about the family. We came to know that the kids are too naughty and so curious that sometimes they can take out the complete plant to check whether the roots are growing properly or not. Mother is strict, while the grandfather in the family takes good care of all plants. We had a goodnight sleep feeling the warmth of our new home.

Days passed. We enjoyed the ambience. Kids played in the balcony most of the times. Robo liked to watched them, but at times he would get worried what if one of them would curiously check the growth of his roots. Fortunately, that never happened. Robo was feeling blissful with his new plant family and human family. There were some flowering plants, a cactus, the Holy Basil and a baniyan tree. Being the oldest amongst us, he used to tell us fascinating stories, which we loved to listen.

One day the family got up early then usual. Father and mother standing in the balcony were deciding something about the arrangements. They took me and Robo. I could hear my heart beat like a drum until they placed us in the door. I turned to find an excited Robo. He loved the rearrangement. After some time one by one people started visiting. They looked fresh and were smelling nice. Robo is happy that we were choosed to welcome guests for some function. People appreciated are elegance. Robo became joyful.

A couple of months passed we were at the entrance. After every 3 to 4 days the kids used to come and cleaned Robo’s leaves. Robo blushed then. He was enjoying there. He observed people coming and going, Kids playing around. Sometimes he used to miss the stories from the Baniyan tree. But whole day we used to talk about some or the other thing. He talks and I Love to listen.

One fine day, only I am moved to the balcony again but not Robo.

He is left alone at the entrance. I am worried. The only thing that Robo feared was to be alone. I could feel him praying for company, to be with all of us or at least one of us.

Robo needed less water and sun, but more and constant company... he needed us.

I was in the balcony and he, probably still at the entrance or somewhere in a decorative corner, behind the curtain. I was sure that, grandfather is watering him like us and probably he is enjoying the company of the kids and the family. Though I hoped for that, I could not stop worrying about him.

On a casual day, I heard the younger kid telling his mother that one of the leaf from the rubber plant is faded. In shock I tried peeping in but only thing I could see was mother sitting near Robo. I was desperate to listen to the conversation and even more desperate to see Robo. I could make out that mother is worried about Robo. Mother was seen moving around him but almost after a week, nothing is heard about him.

Finally, she came to the balcony. She looked worried and was looking at the black box they always had in their hands and was talking to herself on the black box. She was wondering that 'the habitat is favourable for the Rubber plant but why was the plant not responding and that too suddenly after so many days.

May be that's its usual process of fading leaves.'

She looked convinced.

I wish I could explain her the reason in human language.

To examine Robo she brought him to the balcony.

In front of me was the lame and depressed Robo which I had never ever seen.. he was almost unconscious. I called him. He could not believe his eyes that he was placed in between his plant family. A smile went through his nerves. All the leaves which were about to fade, faded completely but because he was cheered again. Mother was sitting with the Rubber plant observing the stem, the fading leaves, the soil. But everything was so perfect. She thought they were not taking good care of Robo. She felt very sad and helpless. I can recall her asking Robo "what’s wrong with you?".

Kids too, sat with her worrying that the plant might die soon.

I remember, Robo felt important that his human family loves him so much. He forced a smile and I believe he said please “let me stay here”.

Obviously mother didn’t understand that. But she left Robo in the balcony near the Baniyan tree. Baniyan tree bent a little to hug Robo.

Whole night I could not sleep. I was continuously staring Robo and he was sleeping like a baby. He didn't wake up early. But when he was awake he was fresh as he saw the sun after so many days. He told us that he was depressed to be away from us. Whole day he talked and all of us listened. That night again I felt asleep staring at him.

"This is a miracle!!"

I heard one of the kids saying, while I woke up. All of them were gathered near Robo. I wonder what the miracle was!

As the rays of sun transpires through the clouds, I could see Robo between the two kids. He had a fresh leaf coming on his stem.

I breathed a sigh of relief!

Robo was saved!

Today Years have passed. Rubber plant has got its shine back. The family has never changed the places of any of the plants after that incident!

Silence had many things to narate.

Sometimes unnatural behaviour of somebody, though, against nature might become its natural behaviour!