Trees : Restoring their faith in humanity
This is the story of a tree being cut down, for the construction of a highway, by the orders of people advocating Save Trees Save Earth on big TV shows.
That land had been its home for around a hundred or so years. It was just another day in its life when he was stuck by the stroke of an axe on its trunk. It had faced numerous calamities ranging from strong winds, monstrous storms, hail-storms, heavy rains, and drought and had even survived the accidents of some careless drunk people. But it had stayed put all his life and never lost hope or accepted failure. Every such stroke had made him stronger than ever and he had always stood up with more confidence and strength. But the pain caused by the axe today was completely new to him. It didn't hurt him much physically but there was a strange fear that had engulfed him. His whole body had started shivering by a single stroke of that small axe. His complete life had started revolving in front of his eyes.
No one knew how he had covered the journey from his home to this faraway place. He had been just a small seed back then. Some bird, animal or maybe the wind might have carried it all the way to this amazing place it now called home. It had faced so many complications as a seed before it successfully converted to a sapling and started seeing its surroundings. Even then his struggle was not over. The sapling had been stumbled upon many a times and had faced all the hard times with a smiling face. He had always had a special relationship with all the birdies and butterflies. It was all because of them that he had become so huge today that he was capable of housing many bird families in its trunk and on its branches. All the struggles and attacks faced by the tree were nothing when compared to the one being faced by him on this day.
The fear of losing everything had forced him to call for help, something that he had never done in his whole life. He was waiting for someone to come to his rescue. All the birds had started fleeing from its branches. Everyone was scared for their lives. With no one left to call for help, he had started losing hope and was desperately wishing for an angel to come to his help. After all the unsuccessful attempts to cut the enormous trunk with a small axe, the people had now called for a huge machine. A number of people were eagerly waiting around the machine to witness the event. The tree was now positive that someone might emerge from the crowd for his help.
Suddenly a car emerged from the crowd and stopped right in front of the tree. An influential person accompanied by three armed men got off the car. The person had an aura of power and authority around himself. The tree had seen this face before, but when? Ah yes, a few months ago some people had gathered around this tree with flags and banners and were chanting slogans about saving the trees and saving the environment. He had seen this same person leading that group that day. That day he was here to save trees. That day the tree hadn't known the fear he was facing today. And hence, he was unable to understand why these people wanted to save him and from whom. He had thought that he had survived all the obstacles on his own and was now a grown up huge tree that wasn't afraid of anything. However, even on that day he had placed his trust in this man that he'll do something for the less fortunate and weak trees. The tree was now sure that he would be saved and would live here peacefully for coming years.
He had started dreaming of all the new families that would start dwelling on his branches and of all the happiness and chirping that had now abandoned him. The loud words of a person brought him back to reality and he noticed that the influential man was now shouting at the people holding the axe near the tree. Tree was happy and content that he had trusted the right person. Then he started concentrating to the ongoing conversation between the influential man and the other men. He heard words that he didn't want to believe. "What are you people doing? Why is it taking so much time? Can't you see all the crowd and traffic congestion caused because of this? Just finish your task as quickly as possible and clear it up. I want this obstruction removed for the betterment of the people" These were the words coming out of his angel’s mouth.
His angel was now gone and so were all his desires of staying in this cruel world. He took his last breath, looking forward to be reborn in a better world where peoples' intentions wouldn't change with advancement into powerful positions.
