Thursday, July 27, 2006

Monkey Business

This morning..I went up to see if there is any chance of yesterdays performance in terms of rain..looked like it! The show started when I switched on the computer!!

I reached the roof, and stood there looking around. As I stared, I felt something was watching me, after yesterdays thinking marathon..I was not quite sure what to expect. A pair of green hazel eyes stared back at me.

A monkey! Sitting cool as you please on my roof, giving me the 'looks' as if I was invading its territory. As usual, you never find lone monkeys, I saw another head peering down at me from the top of the water tank, then another and yet another. Varying in size, but carrying the same VERY bored expression. And last but not the least was a tiny baby one..with grey eyeshadow on and kohl rimmed eyes...it gave me this heart wrenching 'I am only a little monkey' look.

The thing is...I am invading its territory. This part of Delhi where I am living right now was a mass of trees and fields a few years ago, this was monkey habitat. Now the original residents of this place, sit on top of flats and buildings, plucking domestic potted plants, stealing from the kitchens and upending garbage sacks, in search fo food. The human residents moan about these destructive creatures. But as is usual in India...the land of physics, law of physics applies...for everything you find, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Some people encourage these monkeys (either by feeling sorry for them - like me) or by thinking they are incarnations of Hanuman (the monkey God). Hence piles of bananas and cooked rice if to be found in places when you walk around here. Whiel others have resorted to keeping heavy bamboo sticks around them to beat a wandering monkey if it comes too close.

For my part..I sat there, watching and being watched. There was some amount of respect there. We could see each other, I was not threatening them. I did not have anything they wanted. I could not be bothered to be bothered by them. And vice versa applies to all those. So we all sat there, waiting for the rain! Evolution Indeed!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Morpheus,

Good to know that you are enjoying your stay at home. How long will you be there? I've been unable to go home for 2 years now :(

Keep blogging :)

Morpheus said...

I am in India till next Sunday..came for 2 weeks. One of the reasons I would rather be in UK than the US..closer to India..an 8 hour ride and you are home! I did just that..wanted to touch base, and be in time to eat mangoes and bhutta :)

SpaceMonkey said...

Post dedicated to me??? ;)

Morpheus said...

Yes Monkeyji..post dedicated to you and your kind! There are manu such tail-ed versions in India. Good to see your picture is back.