6.
Ash had a very deep sleep. People often describe a light, restless sleep as "bird-like sleep," but today, that bird had a deep and long sleep. With exhaustion, fear, and regret—all these reasons combined—how could she not sleep? After all, sleep is just another function of the body, and when the body is worn out, sleep inevitably comes.
But even the slanting rays of soft, pale sunlight hitting Ash’s face did not lessen her sorrow. She was also feeling a bit hungry. She glanced down at the swamp below and then fluttered her wings to the water's edge. She noticed a small frog hopping around. With a swift peck, she grabbed it in her beak.
Just as she was about to swallow it, something happened. She suddenly opened her beak, and the frog slipped out, falling onto a stone below. Of course, the frog didn’t stay still on the stone; it shook itself off and leaped quickly into the water.
Ash was left feeling embarrassed. She was surprised at herself, wondering how she could let her prey escape despite being so hungry. Why hadn’t her beak stayed under her control?
But Ash, being wise, immediately realized that perhaps nature was trying to teach her a lesson. In an instant, she remembered how the hunting hawk had swooped down on her last night and how she had narrowly escaped with her life. The frog had done exactly the same thing—slipping away from her grasp.
Oh! Why did nature create this system where everyone is meant to be someone else’s meal? Wasn’t there any other way to coexist peacefully? For a moment, Ash felt that when she and her companions swoop down on small fish, insects, butterflies, crickets, and so on to satisfy their hunger, they must feel the same way she did now. They, too, must have their own worlds! They, too, have companions.
But perhaps this is why nature has made animals irrational and short-sighted—to forget everything else and just hunt down and eat whatever they can when their stomachs start to grumble. That’s it.
So, Ash did just that. She saw a school of baby fish swimming nearby. A feast was ready.
Now, Ash was feeling better. She even mentally forgave the hawk that had attacked her. She thought, we’re all the same after all.
After filling her stomach, Ash took a high flight and set off alone into the open sky.
Ash was experiencing something new today. She thought about how carefree the life of a solitary bird could be—no worries about being scolded by others, no arguments or disputes. You could do whatever you wanted.
The sky was clear. The weather was decent. Ash had reached a great height. By now, she had lost all hope of reuniting with her companions. She continued flying in her own rhythm.
After flying for a while like this, a thought crossed Ash’s mind. She wondered if she could find some sense of direction to return home. Someday, she would eventually reach her home on the Hudson shore.
But then, she realized that she would still be alone there too, until her companions and Rocky returned. So why not enjoy the thrill of exploring the world alone? With this thought, her wings gained more agility, and she continued to fly, humming along.
In her merriment, when she glanced down towards the ground, she saw a magnificent, grand building. There was a huge crowd of people around it, and the rooftop was bustling with birds as well.
Ash felt a surge of excitement. She relaxed her wings to descend.
Aish descended into the midst of the bustling activity. It was an enormous courtyard, beautifully decorated, filled with crowds of people coming and going, numerous food stalls, a festive atmosphere, and a sense of auspicious tranquility akin to a temple.
Nearby, in a large park, the sight of serene ponds with various species of animals frolicking in the water made Aish forget all her despair. This new world was full of hope.
First, Aish chose a clean spot and took a dip in the cool water. Then, dripping with water droplets, she surfaced gracefully. Children were playing in the vast lawns and corridors of the park. Joy reigned supreme everywhere.
She saw some birds pecking at grains on a winding ledge below and leapt over to join them. There were delicious, diverse items, likely left there by the humans for other creatures. Seeing a monkey eating a banana, Aish moved closer to him. After all, in fairs and gatherings, no one is a stranger, nor a friend. Everyone just wants to meet and mingle.
As they began to converse, Aish discovered that the monkey was quite enlightened, speaking like a sage.
Aish was surprised when the monkey, tossing aside the banana peel, said to her, "Child, do not worry. In life, no one is truly alone, and no one is really anyone's companion. Here, we are all companions to each other."
Aish wondered, how did he know that I’m sad due to loneliness? Is my despair written all over my face? But I just took a refreshing dip in the cool water and had a delicious meal. This monkey must indeed be a great soul. I should talk to him more. Who knows, he might reveal something about "love" or the essence of life. If he’s so insightful, maybe he can even tell me something about Rocky. Where is he? What condition is he in? Does he miss Aish?
Aish smiled warmly at the monkey, looking at him with deep reverence.
The monkey paused for a moment, then said, "I know everything about you—who you are and where you’ve come from."
"But how? I haven’t told you anything yet," Aish replied.
The monkey smiled, then calmly pointed upwards towards the sky and said, "He… he is up there, the one who tells us everything. What can we possibly tell anyone!"
Aish looked up at the sky and then said, "Where? Who? I don’t see anyone up there." She felt a glimmer of hope that if this monkey could see everything up to the sky, maybe he could help find her companions too. She asked eagerly, "What else can you see up there?"
Now the monkey laughed, then said, "The vast void!"
"What do you mean?"
"It means nothing. Absolutely nothing," the monkey emphasized.
Aish's face fell. She couldn’t make sense of this riddle—someone up in the sky who knows everything, but there’s nothing there… just zero.
She felt a sense of unease, wondering if this monkey might be crazy. What if he suddenly attacked her while talking?
No, no, she shouldn't think that way. Why would he attack? He was just calmly eating a banana moments ago. He even tossed the peel into the trash pile in the corner. This place isn't isolated; there are so many creatures around. Surely, he must be saying something profound. I should listen to him patiently.
Thinking this, Aish moved even closer to the monkey.
Oh! What a marvelous monkey, Ash thought. The monkey was indeed sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, like a sage in deep meditation.
Ash noticed that a few other birds had also gathered around, curiously watching her conversation with the monkey. They had stopped pecking at their seeds and were now, like Ash, eagerly waiting for the monkey to open its eyes and say something.
Sure enough, the monkey opened its eyes. Then, with a serious expression, it spoke to Ash: "I've seen it. I've seen it all."
Ash asked in surprise, "What have you seen, sir?"
The monkey replied, "Your past, present, and future!"
"What do you mean?"
"It means I can tell you who you are, where you came from, and where you need to go now," the monkey said, in a manner befitting a wise and accomplished sage.
"Then please tell me something!" Ash said.
The monkey spoke, "There is a great secret about your life. Your life is about to change soon! I will reveal this secret to you, but for that, you must come to the highest branch of the tallest tree in this garden at midnight tonight. Alone. Completely alone."
Saying this, the monkey didn't wait for a moment longer; instead, it leaped away, jumping and bounding until it vanished from sight.
Ash kept calling after it, but it didn't listen and disappeared with the speed of lightning.
Ash stood there, perplexed.
All the birds gathered around her, surrounding her from all sides. The parrot, the myna, the bulbul, the sparrow—not just them, but even the squirrel and the stork—were astonished by what the monkey had said.
"He's a fraud; don't fall for it."
"He seems crazy, mad to me."
"Oh no, great sages are often like this; if he's saying something, there must be some truth to it. Go, at least hear what he has to say!"
"Who knows? He might just kill you and eat you."
"Oh no, why would he kill you? What harm have you done to him? Didn't you see, he was eating a banana? He doesn't even seem like a meat-eater."
"We've all been living here for who knows how long. He shows up often too. But he's never revealed any secrets to us. Today, he's called this outsider bird."
"Oh dear, not everyone has secrets in their lives. If there's a secret, he'll reveal it!"
As many mouths, as many opinions. Ash now heard what everyone was thinking.
For a moment, Ash thought there was a risk in going to him alone at midnight. But deep down, she also wanted to hear what secret the monkey would reveal about her life.
The stork encouraged her, saying, "Don't worry, sister, you go and listen to what he says. We will all be there with you, hiding on different branches nearby. If you sense even the slightest danger, just give us a signal by making a sound. We'll all come out and pounce on him. We'll beat him to a pulp."
"Yes, that's right. You should say something as a signal," said the parrot, making a strange noise.
"Shut up. That's your language, how will she make that sound?" said the pigeon.
Everyone laughed.
In the end, it was decided that as night fell, all the birds would silently gather, hiding on the highest tree in the garden.
The squirrel said, "Everyone should call out to Madam Ash once we've reached there, so she knows it's safe to go meet the monkey."
"You fool! We have to go quietly. If the Monkey Maharaj hears us, we're all doomed. He might not even come then," said the myna.
The preparations were complete. Everyone waited for the night to come.
The night was deepening. The twilight of the evening had disappeared behind the thick trees. Stars were slowly twinkling like fireflies in the sky, gradually increasing in number. A profound silence was spreading as the entire world, after the hustle and bustle of the day, had slipped into the embrace of sleep.
Suddenly, there was some movement in the dense leaves of a tall tree. Every branch began to rustle in a fine whisper. One by one, many birds and small creatures started flying, crawling, slithering, hopping, and jumping, looking for a place to hide among the thick leaves. Everyone was alert as if they had been summoned to the front lines to fight an army.
Seeing everyone arrive, Aish’s courage grew, and she too, without fear, fluttered up to perch on the highest branch of the tree. She no longer had any doubts or fears, but there was certainly a curiosity about what secret the Monkey King would reveal about her.
She had been thinking about various things all day long.
Finally, her thoughts were interrupted. There was a slight rustling among the leaves, and out of nowhere, the Monkey King appeared before her.
Aish felt that perhaps one of her companions might say something, revealing their secret, but she quickly looked at the monkey and loudly said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Everyone hiding in the tree knew that the Monkey King had arrived. They all sat alert and silent.
Everyone held their breath, straining to hear what secret the Monkey King would reveal to Aish. All their attention was focused on their ears.
For a while, there was complete silence. Then, the Monkey King closed his eyes and began muttering something under his breath. It seemed like he was chanting a mantra. Aish quietly watched him in this meditative state.
The night was deep, and the darkness was dense, but being on the highest branch of the tree, Aish had a clear view of the sky, and a faint light from the moon was reaching there. Though the moon was thin and shone like the horns of a cow, it still provided a bit of light. The air was still, making the silence immense.
As the Monkey King’s chanting grew longer, Aish began to worry that one of her companions might lose patience and say something. If that happened, everything would be ruined. The Monkey King might become furious, and who knows what he would do, for he had instructed Aish to come here alone. Aish silently hoped that the king would quickly end his trance and reveal his secret. But the Monkey King’s chants seemed endless. He continued with his eyes closed, muttering something under his breath.
Aish thought of closing her eyes and joining in the Monkey King's prayer, but when too much time passed, she would silently open her eyes and gaze at his face.
Oh, what could it be that the Monkey King was going to tell her? Her patience was wearing thin. But no matter what, she didn't want to leave without hearing the secret.
As time passed, Aish began to strain her mind to recall what secrets might exist in her life.
- Could it be that her mother had flown to the Hudson shore from this very place? After all, she was a migratory bird too. Was the Monkey King going to tell her something about her mother? The thought sent a thrill through Aish.
But then, something strange happened. The long tail of the Monkey King, which was hanging down from the branch, suddenly straightened up like a stick and pointed towards the sky! It looked like someone was holding a long bamboo pole on the high branch of the tree. Aish was astonished, but at the same time, a hope arose that now the Monkey King would definitely speak.
She was looking at him with hope when suddenly the Monkey King extended both his hands and, with lightning speed, grabbed Aish’s long neck.
Aish had no time to think or understand, and a terrible scream escaped her mouth.
As soon as the scream was heard, it was as if an earthquake struck the tree. Everyone pounced from all sides. Some fluttering, some rustling, and some leaping—everyone attacked the Monkey King, launching themselves at him. The Monkey King was completely unprepared for this assault. His condition became dire, but even while being beaten from all sides, he did not let go of Aish's neck!
After all her friends had come out into the open, Aish was no longer afraid at all. But now she was suddenly feeling some regret because although the monkey king had placed his hands on her neck, he hadn’t caused her any harm or discomfort. She had panicked and screamed for no reason when it happened so suddenly. It’s possible that the monkey king touching her neck was just a part of his religious ritual.
But now, all her friends had come out and were attacking the monkey king with all their might. Aish began to feel pity for the monkey king. She yelled at her friends, “Stop, wait! What are you doing? The king hasn’t harmed me at all. In fact, it’s my fault. He invited me alone for this ritual, but I distrusted him and brought you all along. Stop, go back to your places. Let the king speak!”
All of Aish’s friends lowered their heads and retreated. Some of them, out of embarrassment, flew to other trees, while the others hid on their own branches. Now they were all secretly worried that the monkey king might indeed be a great saint, and that raising a hand against him might bring them some misfortune. They were all regretting their actions. However, Aish had already apologized to the monkey king on behalf of everyone, and forgiveness is a virtue of saints!
Everyone received silent forgiveness. Now, everyone was curious to know what secret about Aish’s life the monkey king was going to reveal.
The monkey king had now released Aish’s neck after patting it and had quietly retreated, sitting still in peace. It was a stroke of luck that despite such a brutal attack, he hadn’t suffered any serious injuries. He had only minor aches, but he ignored them.
The monkey king displayed his magnanimity, like a true saint, and spoke in a loud voice so that everyone could hear, “Friends, I had invited this foreign bird here alone to reveal a secret about her life, but all of you came along with her, hidden in your friendship. I appreciate that you risked your safety to protect your friend from any danger. Since you all are such close friends of hers, I have no hesitation in revealing the secret of her life in front of all of you. If you wish, you may all come closer and take a seat here.”
All the birds and animals let out a cheer of joy and gathered around nearby. In no time, the scattered gathering turned into an assembly on the dense tree.
From the pigeon, parrot, and mynah to the heron and squirrel, everyone was even happier knowing that the monkey king had forgiven their insolence.
Now, everyone was eagerly staring at the monkey king.
The monkey king began to speak, “Friends, I know that you all, and even Aish herself, are eager to know the secret that is about to unfold in her life. So listen, you will find it hard to believe that this migrant bird, Aish, who has flown here from a distant land, is soon going to take the form of a girl. A human… a beautiful young woman!”
The last watch of the night was passing by. Yet, no one was ready to move from their place. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, listening to the story of Bandar Maharaj. Even Aish was astonished that all of this had happened, and she hadn't known about it. She couldn't help but think of her Rocky. Who knows where he might be now, in what condition, and whether she would ever meet him again or not.
Oh, if only somehow he could come here, or if Aish could somehow fly to him. The world is round, and those separated by fate do meet again at some point, but here, there was a twist! According to Bandar Maharaj's story, Aish had very little time left. After that, she would have to turn into a human and appear as a young woman. Suppose Rocky did come, but only after she had turned into a girl—how would he recognize her then?
But then Aish also thought, even if Rocky doesn't recognize her, she would recognize him. This thought gave Aish great relief.
Bandar Maharaj's story was quite interesting and true too. At least Aish could understand that he wasn't lying. After all, she had seen some of it herself.
Actually, Bandar Maharaj's story went something like this: He revealed to everyone that he was once a human being. He lived peacefully with his parents on the edge of a dense forest. In childhood, when one lives with their parents, their world is extraordinary. They are like a prince whose every wish is fulfilled—carefree play, eating, roaming fearlessly and freely.
How can one forget the unparalleled joy of childhood?
Bandar Maharaj's childhood days were also passing happily. But then, suddenly, disaster struck. One day, after bathing in the river, while filling a pitcher with drinking water, his mother slipped, and the strong current of the river swept her away. No one on the shore could do anything except watch her struggling hands and feet from afar.
For a few days, father and son spent their time in sadness and mourning, but then suddenly, his father grew weary of this desolate world. He left his son to fate and took a boat to explore the world through the waters. He felt that since the river's current had taken his wife away, he would spend his days chasing it and spend whatever life remained in the memory of his wife.
He wandered across seas and rivers, drifting here and there.
The little boy somehow survived on wild fruits and flowers. Despite enduring so much sorrow, he didn’t leave that place because his heart told him that one day, his father would tire of his wandering and return. And when he did, if he didn't find him there, he would become even more despondent. After all, a man who was so restless for his wife would surely care for his son as well.
Meanwhile, his father, like an ascetic, roamed the world through rivers. He was poor to begin with, but now he had nothing to eat. Surviving on wild grass and occasionally small creatures, he somehow filled his stomach and kept wandering in foreign lands.
During this purposeless journey, he learned something new!
“What?? A miracle! An absolute miracle!! But how will this happen?” everyone exclaimed in unison.
Aish's eyes lit up with an incredible sparkle. Shyly, she asked, “But why, Maharaj?”
* * *
