LIFESTYLE
I have had you since you were half a foot high seven years ago. I planted you with great love and high hopes of being able to eat your mangoes after five years.
Dear Mango Tree,
I have had you since you were half a foot high seven years ago. I planted you with great love and high hopes of being able to eat your mangoes after five years.
You did not show any inclination to produce flowers let alone fruit and I was disappointed. However I had hopes that the sixth year would see at least one teeny-weeny mango from you. No chance – that year was a dud too.
I was rather irritated. I yelled at you mercilessly. I asked you how you could possibly hang around in such a shameless fashion when trees barely two years old were producing huge mangoes.
Of course I knew you were a local variety and not a made-up grafted one. I was willing to wait for a while but six years seemed too much.
I threatened you with dire consequences. I compared you to the banana plants that gifted not only us but the entire neighbourhood with the sweetest fruit.
This year I spied amidst your branches three tiny sprays of flowers and one bunch of the tiniest mangoes anyone has ever seen. I was so excited I cannot possibly describe it. I took snaps.
I looked at you and your little fruit while standing in the balcony every morning. I called out encouragement. I kept my fingers crossed. But of course there’s no knowing what might happen to the bits of green — they might shrivel and fall off.
They might also not be sweet should they grow to full size either. Bats may eat them. Squirrels may have a go at them. There is simply no guarantee.
I know none of this is your fault and yet I continue to hold you responsible. I compare you unnecessarily with plants that are completely unlike you. I do not remember to tell you how much I value you. I don’t take time to just sit and talk.
I don’t realise that you need your own time to grow in your own way. It is not something even God would rush. And yet I expect you to bloom without any of this. I need you only to meet my expectations. I want you to make me look good.
I want others to tell me I am lucky to be able to have great mangoes.
Like everything else in my life, I realise that I need to simply have more patience with you too and so I apologise. I am sorry for not being more understanding.
I am sorry for wanting you to be like my neighbour’s tree. I am sorry for not seeing you as you are. I know that from now on you will bloom more and more every year. I know that you will be joyous and spread that joy through your fruit.
I will water you and feed you and simply take a step back to watch you stand tall and proud. Most importantly I will let you be you.
Your gardener,
Me.
Ratan Tata's neighbours share stories of everyday encounters with him, say he was...
Viral video: Internet can't stop gushing over this little girl's breathtaking dance, WATCH
THIS Gautam Adani company's shares are in spotlight as it raises Rs 42000000000 in...
Delhi-NCR's air quality turns 'poor', AQI reaches...
India-Canada row: ‘No action on request to arrest Lawrence Bishnoi gang members’, says MEA
Cyclone Alert: Odisha coast likely to face cyclone next week, IMD issues alert
Noida school horror: Victim's mother reveals 'my daughter was told...'
‘India and Pakistan should bury the past’: Nawaz Sharif after S Jaishankar's visit
'Dil to bachcha hai ji': Rahul Gandhi's heartfelt interaction with kids, WATCH viral video
JEE Main 2025: NTA releases important notice on JEE Main exam pattern
Blow to Mukesh Ambani as Reliance Jio loses 10.9 million subscribers due to...
Joe Biden reacts to Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar's killing, says 'that obstacle no longer exists but...'
Viral video: Desi girl's sizzling dance to 'Aaj Ki Raat' impresses internet, watch
Watch: Heartwarming video of girl treating slippers like a baby goes viral
Earn Rs 250000000 through THIS NASA challenge: Here’s how you can participate
DNA TV Show: Bahraich murder accused shot in police encounter near Nepal border; 5 held
Good news for Narayana Murthy, Infosys net profit rises to Rs 6,506 crore
Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED in Guwahati in money laundering case, details inside
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel PM Netanyahu confirms
UGC NET June 2024 Result DECLARED: NTA announces UGC NET 2024 June exam result online, check here
Did IDF eliminate Yahya Sinwar, or has Martyr been born in Gaza?
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar among 3 killed by Israel? Israel Defense Forces updates
Kangana Ranaut's Emergency finally cleared by CBFC, new release date...
Here's the film after which Shah Rukh Khan started drinking, his co-stars were Aishwarya Rai and...
Akash Ambani, Shloka Mehta live on 27th floor of Rs 15000 crore Antilia, here's why
Young entrepreneur’s Rahul Sachdeva journey to make foreign education accessible
Is Rajinikanth's Poes Garden home flooded amid Chennai rains? Here's the truth behind viral video
'My family is broken but..': Zeeshan Siddiqui's first reaction to father Baba Siddiqui's death
DNA Auto Award 2024 Has Spoken: Jawa 42 FJ, bringing Neo-classic revolution in Motor Industry
Apple iPad 10th gen vs iPad 9th gen: Should you buy or wait for iPad 11?
Nita Ambani's hairstylist explains why haircuts can't fix damage and offers solutions
Bigg Boss Kannada's Kiccha Sudeepa retires from hosting duties, says 'let's make this season...'
Air India flight from Mumbai transmits emergency signal over London, claims Flight tracker
Elon Musk applauds India's decision: Spectrum allocation favors open access and innovation
BIG UPDATE on IPL auction, Saudi Arabia to host event, will take place on...
Two Bahraich violence accused shot by police in encounter while fleeing to Nepal; 5 held
'I won’t be returning': South African legend bids farewell to Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2025
Indian stargazers spot rare, ancient comet after 80,000 years, see breathtaking pics
'46 all-out new 36 all-out?': Cricket Australia trolls India after batting collapse vs New Zealand
Karwa Chauth 2024: Know the date, timings, history and significance
Mukesh Ambani's Jio superhit 5G plan, offers 90 days validity with unlimited data
IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli equals THIS unwanted record with 9-ball duck against New Zealand in 1st Test
Proba-3: ISRO to launch ESA Solar Eclipse Mission with precision satellites
'Law not blind': Supreme court makes 2 BIG CHANGES, unveils new justice lady and replaced…
J-K: Several CRPF Jawans injured in road accident in Budgam, probe underway
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna named CJI Chandrachud's successor, could become next Chief Justice?
Mukesh Ambani's BIG move: Reliance investors to get this DIWALI bonanza, know details here
'Ravan ko kisne maara?' This kid's hilarious answer will leave your in splits, WATCH viral video
Nayab Singh Saini takes oath as Haryana CM in presence of PM Modi, BJP brass
IND vs NZ: India all out for 46 runs, lowest test score at home
Hunter's Moon 2024: NASA drops first glimpse of brightest Supermoon, shares its significance
Meet man, IIT graduate who worked for Indian Railways, then went on to join Elon Musk's...