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Two sparrows had been visiting my house since that Saturday. They visited the backyard verandah on the ground floor and the lounge on the upper floor. There is a deep niche on one of the walls of the lounge and backyard verandah has a ventilator. These sites were attracting their attention. By experience I knew they were in search of some safe and convenient place where the female sparrow may lay eggs. They saw both places again and again, and went chatter chee, chee after every inspection. Understandably they were discussing the merits and demerits of these likely sites.

One fine morning I saw that both of them were bringing straws etc and depositing on the sill of the ventilator. I immediately concluded that this place has been chosen for the purpose. It took them a week to build a nest there.  Then I found after a fortnight that the female had laid eggs.

My husband, Sudarshan, had a showroom of Maruti cars so he was busy all day. So I had enough time to engage myself in such trivialities. My small daughter, Sweta, 3 years old was a good company in such a fun. She asked so many questions and I had to quench her curiosities.

After some time it was seen that both birds were bringing food many times a day in their beaks. It was not difficult to guess that they were feeding their children. When the children were strong enough to move they navigate them to the plants and trees in our backyard. One day the male left them considering probably fit to develop of their own.

This became their routine every year. I can’t say that the female sparrow brought the same male every time or it was different because they looked alike. This year of course the male was certainly different. This male sparrow was quite big and apparently unrefined. He used to strike his beak in the head of the female.  My daughter used to say that it was a bad boy and should be punished for being uncivilized. The male did not help the bird in building the nest. He was not there when she laid eggs. Feeding, nurturing etc. was left to the female only. My daughter, who was now 5 years in age, asked me why the other bird is not turning up as other males were doing previously?

“Mom, didn’t I tell you that male bird (chirota) was a bad one. He neither helped this poor bird (chirayya) nor coming any time. Why so ma?”

“ He has divorced her.” I said to get rid of her further questioning.

In our neighborhood lived Mr Vikram. In his family were Mrs Vikram and their son Nitin who used come to our home to play with my daughter Sweta. We were good friends. Sweta also used to go to their house to play. Mr Vikram had been transferred and had gone from the city. Consequently Nitin did not come to our house. My husband one day teased Sweta that why Nitin is not coming to play with her. She said innocently,

“ He has divorced me.”

We, my husband and myself, laughed and laughed on hearing her reply.

 Many years passed. Now Sweta had grown into a pretty young beautiful girl. She was doing MA in English literature. We did not hear any thing about Vikram. But one day a handsome young man came out of the blue to our house and touched my feet. I was utterly nonplussed. The he said, “Auntie could you recognize me? I am Nitin.”

I immediately recollected and commented, “Oh! Nitin you have become so big and handsome. I certainly could not recognize you after such a long time. Where had you been? And where are you parents?”

“Actually my father is again posted to this town and we have taken a house not very far off from this place.”

“ That is very good news. What have you been doing during all these long long years?”

“I passed Engineering from IIT Kanpur and  did MBA from Ahmedabad.  I have been selected from the campus by a MNC.”

“ Have you joined your service yet?”

“No, I shall get appointment letter and then they will tell about the place of posting and date of joining. Auntie! Where is Sweta?”

“Yesterday was her last paper of MA. So she is sleeping and only sleeping after that. I will just inform her, wait here."