The first post of this website was ‘My Beautiful Vintage Bungalow’. When I shifted to this Beautiful Vintage Bungalow constructed in 1904 on the banks of River Hooghly, I realized something – Cherishing abundance and good things is also a choice and this choice requires effort. The post ‘My Beautiful Vintage Bungalow’ was about embracing abundance and beauty.

In the year 2022, I shifted to this huge bungalow with large front lawn, a side lawn and a big backyard on the bank of river Hooghly. Somehow, the huge space gave a sense of isolation, loneliness and quietness, initially. To overcome these feelings I started spending more time with books and canvas. Soon, I was spending long hours with nature. I felt contented watching the different birds, squirrels, monitor lizards, snakes, mongoose, plenty of bats on the trees, and so on. Soon the rat snake which use to live inside the premises was not in a rush to run away from me. My fear of snakes went away. Squirrels, many times, touched me and sat on my lap. There were beautiful butterflies and moths sitting on my lap. My pet rabbits came. The eagle residing on the coconut tree of the compound never attacked my rabbits. Taking care of rabbits gave me a routine. We became part of each other’s soul. And soon the sense of isolation, loneliness and quiet became solitude and calm.

We got four rabbits. We found pet parents for their many kittens. And then finally neutered the ten rabbits who continued to stay with us. Each rabbit had its own personality. Each one expressed its affection and anger in its own ways. Like humans, they bond with some and compete with some. Ronald Lockley, a naturalist, in his book ‘Private Lives of Rabbits’ (published in 1964) writes that humans are so like rabbits. I felt it true. For myself, I can say that I understood life and human relations through my rabbits. With rabbits, there were many moments of joy, uninhibited expression of love and there were moments of grief. The novel ‘Watership Down’ (published in 1972) by Richard Adams remains close to my heart. Fiver, a young rabbit, gets a vision of destruction of their warren by humans. Ten rabbits from the warren take a journey to find a new home in this dangerous world. The sequel of ‘Watership Down’ is a collection of short stories. Although these books are for older children, the writing is mature and equally good for adults. My rabbits taught me, each day is different and danger can be anytime and anywhere.

There were many trees inside the premises. There were four coconut trees. An eagle use to reside on one coconut tree. It gave birth to eaglets consecutively for three years in the same coconut tree. Asoka trees, Jack fruit trees, Bel tree, Mango trees, Neem trees and Chinaberry trees were spread all over the premises. The squirrels and different birds resided on these trees. The squirrels and birds happily fed on the fruits, seeds and the grass. There was plenty of food. There were five very old chinaberry trees in the premises which housed many bats. Trees, plants and herbs were the source of life for many. and, sun was the source of life to these plants.

The nature is beautiful. There is other side too. One day I was watching two squirrels who were playing and were filled with life. Suddenly a wild cat jumped and took away one squirrel. The other squirrel was screaming in fear. One day I found a half eaten body of a cat kitten under the coconut tree were the eagle was residing. The nature has it’s law, and they are the most basic and ultimate at the same time. Mortality, the concept of prey and predator, and the continuity of life through reproduction, are the most basic essence of nature. The technological advancements and destruction caused by human to the habitats of animals and the plants create severe imbalance in nature. However, the basic essence of nature – mortality and continuity of life – keep going in its own pace. I don’t know how far the basic essence of nature will be at balance. The human intrusions and destruction seems to go much deeper into the nature.

I use to sit for long time in the veranda watching the River Hooghly. The river flows in its own pace, sometimes there are high tides and sometimes low. The colour of the sky and water changes with the movement of sun and moon and seasons. The ferries carrying passengers cross the banks many times. The fishermen were on the river anytime. Many times I saw them before sunrise and many times they were fishing during midnight. Party boats and Cargo ships passed occasionally. The river Hooghly was the source of life to fishes and birds. The municipality in the area depended on the river for the water supply.

Here are few lines I wrote:

In the serenity of River Hooghly,
I sit alone in my veranda, 
Rabbits, squirrels and birds, 
All play with trees and bushes,
The sun smiles, and the breeze laughs. 

There is no one to talk to,
Day after day, I gaze at the river and all the creatures,
And one day, the bird, the mongoose, the squirrel whispered,
Trees, the breeze, and the river whispered too,
And then they all continued to whisper.

Now the trees and rivers talk,
Oh, I am not alone anymore. 
The rabbits and squirrels sit beside,
Nature is the only reality, 
And the rest seems a myth. 

The snake, mongoose, and the big lizard stay close,
They lovingly smile and say,
We are creatures of nature,
All alike, No one superior, No one inferior,
And, we die sooner or later without each other. 

In the serenity of the River Hooghly,
We all sit together in our veranda,
Together, we talk, play, cry, and smile,
Yet, each one of us flows in life alone,
Like our very own River Hooghly.

And, on January 2026, I left my beautiful Vintage Bungalow as my husband got posted to another place. Only our pet rabbits moved with us. This time, I was leaving my many companions who taught much more than any curriculum and wisdom talks. 

(Views are personal.)