Have you ever seen a water lily blossom? I have seen. We have a small lily pond in the front porch of our house in Hyderabad. The lily plants were planted in the pond just during the summer after our wedding. And by the next rainy season the plants started to flower. My Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law told us very excitedly over the phone that there was the first flower. We were in Bangalore at that time, and used to visit Hyderabad quite often. So, in the next visit, the first thing we saw, as we entered through the gate, was the lily pond in the right. It had two buds. The buds were still small. In a day or two they would be big enough to bloom. That was the time during Ganesh festival and we had some holidays. So we eagerly waited to see the lily flowers in full bloom. On one cool evening at around 8pm, my nephew Pranav called me excitedly and said that a bud looked like it was about to bloom. What happened in the next half an hour, was one of the most wonderful memories etched in my mind for ever...
Like a child's face breaking into a smile..
Like the moon coming from behind a cloud..
Petals fell out one by one..
some with a snap, ever so slightly..
some not even that loud..
silently..
Watching the bud bloom, under the moonlight, was a beautiful experience. Eventually both the buds blossomed (snap taken by my husband attached above)..
I believe, watching our daughters grow up, under the affectionate care of our elders, will be equally delightful..
