I am made of light. I am shaped as a songbird and I am sitting on the top of a tree.

There is a nest of songbirds on the branches of the tree below me. In that nest, an egg trembled, then cracked a little and then split. He came out and opened his eyes. He looked at me.

My watch has started. I am the witness.

The chick had its first food, lovingly provided by his mother. He jumped around in the nest, while his father watched him with pride. He watched his father fly away and bring more food to the nest.

The chick witnessed the wonder of night falling on the world for the first time. Everything became dark. He could not see his mother and father any more. The jungle made noises of the dark. He was afraid. His mother pulled him under her wings. He felt safe, warm and sleepy. He cooed of safety. I watched his peace.

The next few days he spent in exploration. He learned how to flap his wings, he could jump in the nest. He could walk on the branches. His father and mother watched him trying to make his jumps bigger. Soon a day came when he jumped off from the nest and flew to another branch. He was elated at this discovery. And in his elation the songbird sang. His parents watched him with pride. He sang of adventure. I watched his adventure.

He started to explore the tree, then the nearby trees. Soon, he flew far and he flew high. But he never looked at me again. The songbird was grown now. He could get his own food and he left the nest for the last time. He took another branch of the tree for his home and started to build his own nest. He brought twigs and leaves. Some small bright stones, some beautiful things from very far. He spent himself in building the most beautiful nest he could imagine. When it was completed, he sang with joy. I watched his joy.

It was the mating season. He heard another bird singing somewhere in the forest. A longing that he had never known came upon him. The songbird had heard the call from his mate. He left his nest to look for her. He flew and he sang. His song was answered. He saw her flying above the trees, it was the most beautiful sight he had seen in his entire life. He was smitten. His mate came close to him. They flew in circles around each other and sang to each other. When the day was coming to an end the song bird and his mate came to the nest. He sang of love. I watched his love.

The song-bird and his mate lived a happy life together. It was the rainy season. He made his nest stronger as they were expecting to have their own chicks. The rains intensified one day. It rained for the whole day and during the night, strong winds gusted. The trees of the forest shook. Lightning filled up the sky. They cowered in their nest. A sudden gust shook their tree and the nest fell to the ground. The songbird and his mate, who was heavy with eggs – took shelter under some leaves. They were mortally afraid of the night and the thunder. The night passed and so did the rain. When the morning came, the forest was washed clean. Small rivulets were flowing in between the trees. They saw the pieces of their nest flowing in one such rivulet. They sang of sorrow. I watched his sorrow.

The songbird looked at his mate. She was afraid for herself and more than that she was afraid for her yet to be born offsprings. His heart welled up with emotions. He found her more beautiful than ever and he resolved that no matter what, he will always protect her. He flew and got some food for her. Then he started building a new nest. He worked from morning till nightfall. And he had a home for them for that night. It was not as beautiful as his first one, but it was a home where they were protected from the elements. He sang of triumph. I watched his triumph.

Next morning, his mate lay a couple of eggs. All the trials and tribulations were forgotten. It was a new day, filled with hope and joy. The songbird brought food for his home and he also worked on strengthening the nest. In a few days, in the fullness of time – the eggs cracked and two beautiful chicks were born. The song-bird had a family. He sang of togetherness, while his mate cared for the chicks. I watched his family.

The rainwater had pushed some animals from the floor of the forest to the trees. A cobra had his home destroyed when the rains rushed through his pit at the floor of the forest. He had taken shelter on the same tree as the songbird. He was hungry and he saw the chicks. His hunting instinct told him that the chicks could not fly away. He slithered towards the nest of the songbird. The chicks started to make distressed noises. The songbird saw the death approaching. He tried to scare away the cobra by making threatening gestures and puffing his feathers. But the cobra was large and it kept coming towards the nest. The songbird knew that he and his mate could fly away. But how to leave the chicks in the jaws of this terrible death? He sang of despondency. I watched his despondency.

While singing, a new resolve came to him. He looked at his mate and his chicks and then walked out of the nest. He stood in between the cobra and the nest, offering himself to the cobra. The cobra reared and his terrible hood was the last thing the songbird saw. As he was bitten, he lost consciousness. The cobra swallowed him. The song stopped. I heard the silence and then I disappeared from the tree.

An eagle was looking for a prey. He was expecting his chicks to hatch anytime and he wanted to provide enough food for them. He saw a cobra, engorged with fresh meal on an unprotected branch of a tree. The eagle swooped down, picked up the cobra in his talons and flew far away to the mountains, to his nest. He dropped the cobra in the nest and killed him. An egg in his nest wobbled and cracked. A chick got out and opened her eyes. She looked at me.

I am made of light. I am shaped as an eagle and I sit on the top of a mountain. My watch has started, I am the witness.

Note – The inspiration for this story is from a verse of the Mundaka Upanishad. 

Two birds, inseparable companions, perch on the same tree,
one eats the fruit, the other looks on. The first bird is our
individual self feeding on the pleasures and pains of this world;
The other is the universal Self, silently witnessing all.

– Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.1