365 DAYS 365 TALES

A Crow Story

The storm was at the highest, shattering the lite materials, sending shocks through the heavy building and rattling the windows. I was in the balcony, sitting luxuriously on my arm chair. Sipping the hot chocolate from my white and pink ceramic cup, I tried on thawing my soaked chill skin, with the hotness emanated from the sparkling fluid. I had succeeded in luring the warmth, as my shaking hands began to steady slowly.

A slight movement on the EB post just outside my balcony, got my attention. I knew there was a nest on the post, a crow's nest, for about a month. The occupants, a small family consisting of a couple and their egg, lived in the nest, guarding their little one.

It had been my routine to check on the nest, before I'd left for my job. Witnessing a crow picking up the thorns and sticks one by one from far places and arranging it on the wedge of the post collectively, at the beginning, piqued my interest. At first, as much as it was intriguing, I was confused as of why would a crow needed nest at this place.

When the nest was set, I got the answer to my doubts. The male crow who had been working hard for more than ten days to set the nest, brought his pregnant mate along with it. I was like, oh so husband do take care of pregnant wife.

On one dry night, a screeching sound woke me up and I sauntered towards the balcony with my mobile in hand and threw the torch light towards the nest. Since, I couldn't see anything in the dark, I gave up and went to bed. Next day, I could see the top of a small egg, peeking outside the nest, like that of the snowy mountain peek. I was more than excited.

Now, I've to wait, I thought, so eager to meet the little one.

The egg still didn't hatch when the storm began to splash down and I'd thought the crow might have took shelter in a safe place but the movement in the nest, told me otherwise.

The scene before me shocked me to the bones. The mother crow was still brooding her egg, drenched in the stubborn pour, wiggling her head to shake away the suffocating rain. Father crow was no where to be seen. Mother's love, no one can beat it, my eyes began to tear up. At the same time, a red hot anger flickered in me thinking of the father crow who happened to abandon the mother and his child.

Dammit! I'll shoot him if he comes back after the storm, I gritted my teeth in despair.

Shoot! The father crow was flying towards the nest, something wedged in-between his beak, completely soaked in rain, the droplets dripping vigorously from his hair.

Am really sorry to be angry on you, I apologized mentally, watching the lovely scene unfolding before my eyes. The father fed the mother with the little food he had got and flew away, I guessed, to gather more. Then I understood, Father's love is not less compared to mother's. I remembered fighting with my father and mentally noted to apologise to him, once the storm died down.

Two days later, I got the chance to meet the little crow and I was super joyful, evenif I had done nothing to help the little family. Both the mother and father, brought food to the little one and shared their love, until the little one learnt to use its wings. When he did, after days of practise, my little crow family moved on from the post beside my balcony. Without even a small good bye, my heart ached in their absence and it went out to wish them all the luck for their future together, as a family.

I had called my father to apologise for whatever misgivings I had made till date. I understood what was the role of a loving father in everyone's life.

I may not be a Queen to my husband, but always a princess to my Daddy.
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A/N Akiprabagar (15/03)

Hope you liked the story. Thanks for the support you guys. Without you we'll be nothing.

Aki ~ ♥

"She could have been anywhere,

Anywhere except there,

But he was pretty sure of this,

That she was definitely there."