A Teaser and A Tormentor,Part I

This bird teases me no end. I should have perhaps said ’fascinates’ me, but its constant movement is so distracting and yet so engaging that it diverts my attention from whatever I may be doing. 
An Enchantress
Extremely agile and active, constantly moving its posterior up and down, and never stationary for more than a few moments, once in the frame of my eyesight, it rivets my attention doggedly. It is its constant ceaseless movement of tail like the flapping wings of a beautiful butterfly that relentlessly captures my sight. It is quirky yet curious, constant yet captivating, sharp yet sensuous.
And as if in a spell, I give up everything and sit quietly watching her till it suddenly decides to take a long flight and move out of my sight.
I find myself entranced, held captive not by elements, but by the beguiling dance of Shama, a creature of the wild that flits and flutters into the corners of my vision and the edges of my heart. It is not merely a bird to my eyes; it embodies the spirit of fascination, a testament to nature's whimsical beauty and the poignant reminder of freedom that throbs in the deepest chambers of the soul.
Motions of Elegance
Shama moves with an elegance that belies the simplicity of her existence. Her agility is unmatched, a ballet of feathers and air, where each dip and curve of its tail weaves stories into the fabric of the morning light. It's a dance of the untamed, punctuated by the rhythmic bobbing that seems to mimic the heartbeat of the earth itself. Its presence is a constant flutter, a whisper of wings that speaks of the unbridled joy of life, capturing my gaze, rendering the world around us momentarily insignificant. 
In those moments, time stands still, and I am nothing but an observer, spellbound by the spectacle of its grace. In a ceaseless motion, it crafts an illusion of a world far removed from the tether of human concerns, inviting me into a realm where only beauty and melody preside. Its antics, a playful torment that ensnares my attention, become a delightful tease, a distraction that I welcome with an open heart and a soul eager to wander.
And The Eloquent Silence
It speaks little. For hours it remains silent, its flitting frame does the talking. And it silently yet eloquently conveys a lot, joy, jubilation, energy, enthusiasm, the pure ‘joie de vivre’.
Yet, it is in  silence that Shama communicates the most profound. Hours may pass in quiet observation,  every movement a verse in the poetry of the wild, narrating tales of joy, of exuberance, and the sheer delight of being. This silence is not empty; it is filled with the language of life itself, a silent oratory understood not through words but through the soul.
But when it decides to sing, it is ethereal, a surreal experience. What a range, and what a melody, and what a power. It’s like an accomplished ustad in his most productive moods when he decides to regale with a repertoire as uncommon as unmatched. 
Songs of the Heaven
And when it sings, oh, how the world fades into a hush! This melody has a resonance, weaving through the air with a purity and a passion that transcends the ordinary. It is a song of the heavens, a serenade that rivals the musings of the most accomplished maestros, filling the heart with a longing and a love so profound that it seems to bridge the divide between the mortal and the divine. In the echoing song, I hear the echoes of ancient wisdom, a melody that carries the weight of the world yet soars above it, unfettered and sublime.
An indefatigable vocalist, perhaps, it has a lot to say to its rivals, paramour, and passers-by; and it says all that in his song. The thirteenth-century Persian Sufi poet Jalal-ul-Din Rumi alluded to that in this verse: 
Birdsong relieves my deepest griefs:
Now I'm just as ecstatic as they,
But with nothing to say!
These songs, mellifluous, rich and sweet, are performances that captivate all who listen, a repertoire that is as varied as it is beautiful. It is a voice that carries the stories of ancient forests, of winds that whisper through bamboo, and of rains that dance on verdant leaves. In their song, one hears the echo of the eternal, a call that speaks to the soul of those who listen.
A Talent That is a Curse
Ironically and sadly, it is its singing talent and virtuosity that ensnares it in the cages created by humans, the only living species on earth that enslaves other species. And while humans sadistically enjoy the string of melodies by the encaged birds who despite its incarceration and confinement never gives up singing. In words of Maya Angelou "A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” Despite the pain and helplessness of the captive bird God has given it both the forbearance and fortitude to sing. And as it sings, the melody is as sonorous, as stirring, as it is soul searing. "I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, when his wing is bruised and his bosom sore; when he beats his bars and he would be free, it is not a carol of joy or glee, but a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core.”, famously said John Berry.
One of the starkest and most sadly abiding truths of human nature gets captured in the following lines of Jacques Deval "God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages."
And as soon as I say, ‘good riddance’ and get back to focus on my work, it appears again, with its beguiling charm and sensuous movements, as if saying ’never ever think I am away’.  I am again caught in the trap, my gaze never leaving its beautiful and athletic body.
(To be Continued……)

(Uday Kumar Varma is an IAS officer. Retired as Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting