For outsiders, the jungle disguised as a place of serenity and solace. However, only the little birds know that the eagles have sharp sight and the vultures keep hovering in the vast sky.
Calls of sorrow, anger and misery echoed the jungle where a little bird was mourning the death of her offspring.
Frustrated and broken simultaneously, she was cursing the bloodthirsty vultures. Her nest has been under watch from the day he started wandering lonely in the woods full of wild prowling and haunting wilderness.
Amended by vultures, there was only one rule—whoever goes against them, they’ll hunt you down.
He was very much aware of this rule and also the consequences if he tries to break it. Disguised as a quiet-feather, he knew he was surviving in the space of savagery and slaughter.
He used to daily witness his fellow birds getting devoured by vultures. What was remaining of them were plucked feathers. Disturbed by these happenings, he decided to fly from his nest — the only place where he was safe. Without giving a second thought, he left.
He deserted his nest in the fall of his life. The withering season brings with it miseries, pains, and hardships. He was sensing it all. The jungle he calls home is all about din and dirges.
The bird mulled over the misery of his feathered tribe as he flew past the giant Chinar trees.
The red hues were reflecting on him midair. In search of food, he came closer to the ground. With drooped wings, he was panting when he looked downwards only to find an ant.
Soon after eating it, gusty winds began to blow. Unaware of what’s happening, he tried to fly into an open cavity. Just after getting into it, the rays of the evening sun got blocked. A shadow of deadly feathers, loaded with thorny spikes, casted over him.
As all of this was happening, the darkness of the night started to overlap the subtle sunrays. The darkness inside the cavity got more and more intense. Confronting the vultures, his weak beak and deformed feathers gave up.
He was overpowered by the number, might and brutality of the vultures.
Hovering over the dark cavity, his body was dragged.
On the other side of this site, doves were watching all this. Being humiliated and terrorized in the same way, they began to spread this news.
Once his mother came to know this, she along with her babies flew to the spot.
Witnessing the gruesome scenes and his deformed body, she fell unconscious. Her babies started wailing and cursing the vultures. They knew once someone is hunted, the body never returns.
On the other hand, making it more horrific, the vultures started eating his body in front of his family. The little birds were weeping while the vultures were laughing.
After everyone came to know about this, herds gathered around, witnessing everything helplessly.
Just some moments later, another nest was destroyed, a bird killed, a body eaten and plucked feathers mixed with the smell of soil.
And then a flock of falcons started chasing down the vultures.
Successful to some extent, an untimely strike made the flock disappear.
Capturing one falcon, the vultures were laughing again.
For outsiders, the jungle disguised as a place of serenity and solace. However, only the little birds know that the eagles have sharp sight and the vultures keep hovering in the vast sky.
Sky, that is longing to welcome the birds of paradise, not the birds of prey.
For outsiders, the jungle disguised as a place of serenity and solace. However, only the little birds know that the eagles have sharp sight and the vultures keep hovering in the vast sky.
Calls of sorrow, anger and misery echoed the jungle where a little bird was mourning the death of her offspring.
Frustrated and broken simultaneously, she was cursing the bloodthirsty vultures. Her nest has been under watch from the day he started wandering lonely in the woods full of wild prowling and haunting wilderness.
Amended by vultures, there was only one rule—whoever goes against them, they’ll hunt you down.
He was very much aware of this rule and also the consequences if he tries to break it. Disguised as a quiet-feather, he knew he was surviving in the space of savagery and slaughter.
He used to daily witness his fellow birds getting devoured by vultures. What was remaining of them were plucked feathers. Disturbed by these happenings, he decided to fly from his nest — the only place where he was safe. Without giving a second thought, he left.
He deserted his nest in the fall of his life. The withering season brings with it miseries, pains, and hardships. He was sensing it all. The jungle he calls home is all about din and dirges.
The bird mulled over the misery of his feathered tribe as he flew past the giant Chinar trees.
The red hues were reflecting on him midair. In search of food, he came closer to the ground. With drooped wings, he was panting when he looked downwards only to find an ant.
Soon after eating it, gusty winds began to blow. Unaware of what’s happening, he tried to fly into an open cavity. Just after getting into it, the rays of the evening sun got blocked. A shadow of deadly feathers, loaded with thorny spikes, casted over him.
As all of this was happening, the darkness of the night started to overlap the subtle sunrays. The darkness inside the cavity got more and more intense. Confronting the vultures, his weak beak and deformed feathers gave up.
He was overpowered by the number, might and brutality of the vultures.
Hovering over the dark cavity, his body was dragged.
On the other side of this site, doves were watching all this. Being humiliated and terrorized in the same way, they began to spread this news.
Once his mother came to know this, she along with her babies flew to the spot.
Witnessing the gruesome scenes and his deformed body, she fell unconscious. Her babies started wailing and cursing the vultures. They knew once someone is hunted, the body never returns.
On the other hand, making it more horrific, the vultures started eating his body in front of his family. The little birds were weeping while the vultures were laughing.
After everyone came to know about this, herds gathered around, witnessing everything helplessly.
Just some moments later, another nest was destroyed, a bird killed, a body eaten and plucked feathers mixed with the smell of soil.
And then a flock of falcons started chasing down the vultures.
Successful to some extent, an untimely strike made the flock disappear.
Capturing one falcon, the vultures were laughing again.
For outsiders, the jungle disguised as a place of serenity and solace. However, only the little birds know that the eagles have sharp sight and the vultures keep hovering in the vast sky.
Sky, that is longing to welcome the birds of paradise, not the birds of prey.
(All photos by the author)
Free Press Kashmir is now on Telegram. Click here to Join.
FPK Android App for 2G. Click here to Download.
Recommended for you