The 'Food' Connection.............

I have seen my mom, mom in law, granny and aunties feeding the crows, before anyone in the house get to taste the delicious food. Till few days back I had hardly taken any interest in feeding these birdies. For weeks back I was given the reins of the kitchen and as it’s customary I fed the birds. Later I got on with my work and never bothered to look if the birds savored the food or not. The next day I completely forgot to feed the crows, after the usual feeding time I could hear some loud cry of crows. A couple of them were on the balcony standing on the place where we keep the food and were eagerly waiting to be served. They were calling out for us to nosh them. I damned myself on my forgetfulness. Immediately I served them with some rice and ghee. The moment they saw me nearing me they flew away. I knew they were afraid of me, so I placed the food and left them in their privacy. Today somehow I was curious to know what happened after. It’s not just the crows; they were later joined by squirrels, sparrows, pigeons and some unknown species of birds. It was so amazing to watch them eat one after another (a rare sight to see in humans). When the squirrels are feeding on the rice, the crows would silently sit and watch, would not disturb the little ones. The striped ones would cutely take the food on both their hands and merrily gobble them. On the other hand when the crows are feasting on their meal, the squirrels would disturb them, in spite of their petite built they would not mind confronting the mighty crows and the crows are so timid that they silently pave way. The next day I noticed that the squirrels do not disturb the pigeons when they are eating. I really did not understand why the squirrels were nice with the pigeons and not the same with the crows. It’s a lovable sight to watch the get together of these birds and animals. The interaction and understanding between them is complex and is beyond my understanding. For a few days the routine continued. I enjoyed watching them daily. Again one day I heard loud crying of crows, this time I could faintly hear other cries also. I did remember feeding them in the morning, but I guess I fed them less than the usual amount so they were again hungry in the afternoon. The way they demanded for food some made me feel some kind of closeness with them. The very next moment I ran to kitchen. This time when I was placing the food none of them moved. They were not afraid of me anymore. The silent relationship blossomed into a friendly one. They showed that they were friends with me by not being formal any more. As the departure date is closing in, this time I am not just going to miss my family and friends but also my new found friendship.