Pinky felt a pit in her stomach. As if the world was ending. A flux of terror, doom and guilt stormed within her as the frightened, confused and desperate cries for help filled the air.
They were trapped. All twenty of them. The net was strong and tight. It cut through their soft wings and delicate necks as they fluttered and flapped their wings. It was chaos all around.
What had been excitement and immense joy at finding so much grain so early in the day, had turned into mayhem as their toes touched ground. As little Chinku pecked the first grain, the net had come crashing down on them. Searing through their flesh. Strong, prickly and cold.
“Everyone stop” Pinky shouted and the fluttering and flapping and shrieks halted. After all, she was the eldest amongst them all and had been lovingly elected as the leader of the flock since her partner passed, a few weeks back.
Pinky’s mind raced. She had had adventures before. Some escapes that could be called great even. But it had never involved the whole flock. Usually her and a friend or Pinak, her partner.
This was different. Her intuition had warned her that so much fresh grain in the middle of a perfect pecking place, away from the town but not too far a flying distance, was unusual. But little Chinku had been yapping for a while now and the flock was tired from a week of substandard food and an unrelenting sun. So she gave in. Dinky, Setu, Golu and Siri, their best and most able soldiers had scoured the radius for hunters or tricks and declared the zone safe. They didn’t see the net, very cunningly camouflaged in the color of dust.
The flock had assumed it must be some human festival and some rich-guilty family must have put out the grains as their good deed for the day. Pinky was beating herself up about her faulty judgement when she realised that the eyes of the whole flock were on her. For a fleeting moment, she felt a deep void for Pinak. She could have used his sarcastic brilliance right now. Or his humour to diffuse dark situations.
She took a long breath and said in a calm voice “Pigeons, we are trapped. But we are alive and together. We may not have much time before the hunter comes back. So let’s all take a deep breath and think. All ideas are welcome. Raise your neck to speak. There can be no bad ideas here.”
There was silence. A hopeful silence. Little Chinku was the first to move. He pecked at the grain near him, swallowed it and burped. As everyone stared at him, he justified, “We all trapped, ain’t we? No point in dying hungry no Ma.” He said, sheepishly gulping another grain as his mom stared down at him. He continued pecking.
Sheila was the first to break the silence “Can we break the net?” She asked trying to gnaw at it.
A few others started gnawing without any luck. They couldn’t even scratch the fibre.
Lalit tried “What if we all split and pull it in two different directions…maybe it will break?”
Pinky nodded. And the group split, balancing itself in size and strength and pulled on either side, with all the strength in their fluffy bodies, with no luck. They got tired.
Pinky signalled for a break. And she also pecked the grain. It was delicious. Little Chinku was right. They might as well go into the silent night with full tummies.
Just then little Chinku said something, quietly.
“What if we’all fly together? Um…like…”
It was almost a murmur.
“Explain kid” Pinky said. An idea forming in her mind. It was risky. And it needed a lot of unity. But …
“ Well…um…Me was thinking, if we all flapped our wings…down up down up…like …um….together…um…with the net….slowly…maybe …um…maybe…you know we can fly off.” Chinku said a little louder…staring at the ground.
“Fly off and go where?” Golu asked, mockingly.
Pinky said, “Hm….we can do that … I think …it’s a small chance. But ….” Pinky looked at her four soldiers and Leela.
They all nodded. Fearfully, doubtfully but she saw the nods.
“Let’s aim to fly 2 kms. To the trash dump of Hogenehalli. I have a contact there who may be able to help. “ Pinky said, with a confidence she didnt feel.
The pigeons all arranged themselves in a triangle. With Golu, their strongest flyer at the tip of the triangle. And the other big ones forming the base.
All four soldiers synced their counts and started counting…1-2-1-2..
The pigeons started walking slowly, syncing their steps. It was working…the net was moving with them it was heavy and each pigeon was doing a lot more than they had trained for, but they were gaining ground.
Then Golu commanded, take off. And all twenty of them started flapping their wings slowly, softly to the count 1-2-1-2. They got off the ground, an inch, an inch more…slowly, painfully.
The net was excellent quality and heavy. The hunter must have budgeted for a huge kill.
Little Chinku, the tiniest one in the center of the triangle sensed the low morale and started singing. In sync with the 1-2-1-2 count of the commanders. Sheila and Lalit joined in. And slowly the whole flock joined.
Their speed increased as their morale lifted. Golu commanded, “Fly” and all the pigeons increased their wing span and started flapping harder. They were soaring.
Humans below had stopped to stare and take pictures of them. A flock flying with the net. In perfect sync..
Pinky’s heart was thumping and all the while she was praying to the universe. Soon they spotted the trash heap of Hogenehalli.
Golu commanded, “Land”.
And the pigeons all tilted towards the ground and changed the angle of their wings in perfect harmony.
Soon they landed. Huffing and puffing. Exhausted but ecstatic.
Once Pinky had caught her breath, she started screaming at the top of her voice.
“Mickey…Mickey…are you there? We need help friend.”
A timid mouse peeked from under a discarded stinking sack.
“Is that you pinky?” he asked.
“Yes…yes…it’s me.” Pinky said. Heaving a sigh of relief. “Come here. We got ourselves into a mess. Can you see if those super strong teeth of yours can cut through this godforsaken fibre?”
Mickey timidly came near Pinky, smiled and bit into the net. It didn’t snap but it did scratch and everyone let out a long breath.
Mickey whistled and out came a group of mice. Big and small and fat and thin and brown and grey.
Mickey commanded, “Chew” and each of them bit into different parts of the net, gnawing away with all their might and the first fibre snapped then the second and soon the net had holes.
The pigeons started getting out through the holes nearest to them. Till all twenty were out.
All the pigeons hugged all the mice. Wrapping their wings around those furry shy creatures. And they flew away. Singing and laughing.
Pinky taking a medal from the trash and putting it on Chinku for having saved the flock.
Indeed, together you can win the battles that you’d lose alone. Remember that?
*Written as part of Write Club Bangalore’s session on pov. Not at all an original story. A very well known Indian fable.
Dreams Unlimited 