She came,

not because I brought her home,

she came on her own.

She found herself a place,

and she planted herself firmly in that place.

She had company,

but she quietly grew and made her presence felt.

She neither stopped the growth of whoever grew beside her as her company,

nor did she stop her own growth.

I did not know who she was,

and didn’t do any research on her either.

Let her be, was my thought.

She continued being green (no pun intended) and only green.

As I heard many others posting pictures of those of her family,

and how they flowered, bloomed and blossomed in their homes,

I kept looking at her to see if there was a change.

There was a change – in her height and strength,

but she didn’t flower, bloom or blossom.

Year on year, I learnt a little more about her, from those posting pictures of her family members, growing in their homes,

That she would flower only once a year,

when she does, she makes her smell and beauty felt.

I had no clue though of what was happening and why she did not flower,  bloom or blossom, since she made our home hers, five years ago.

It didn’t bother me much but I was wondering what to do with her,

because she was growing much more effusively,

now taking away space of others, outside of her space.

Her growth was pruned, to give space to the others growing around her

And Voilà!! As though she was waiting for this,

a few days back, she decided to flower.

When she flowers, her flowering captures all attention,

not she being green, not her height and neither her strength,

she is her flower and her flower is she!!

This year too, when many others posted pictures of those of her family,

in their homes, flowering, blooming and blossoming.

I would immediately rush to see my girl, every evening I saw someone posting a picture of their girl flowering, blooming and blossoming.

I thought, ‘tomorrow will come’ and my girl will bloom,

Tomorrow came and she remains the same.

In fact, she has now become smaller and what holds her and protects her,

looks shrivelled and ready to drop.

It is evident that she will not bloom or blossom,

her brown colour indicates that she is ready to fall away as a flower.

However, no heavy gust of wind makes her fall,

no rain makes her drop away.

Many girls of her family, get ready for an evening date once a year,

they bloom, blossom, dance and live fully that evening and night,

Once the date and dance is over, they decide to move on.

My girl,

she may not bloom and blossom this year.

I however love the way she holds herself strong,

living her life to the fullest as a small flower, for days together,

giving joy all day long, every time I look at her.

She taught me a big lesson this year saying –

You accepted me when I came uninvited,

You gave me the place, space and nutrition,

with no expected outcome.

I did not flower, let alone bloom or blossom for quite some years,

but you let me be myself.

I decided to flower,

and you looked at me in anticipation of seeing me bloom and blossom, enjoying the wait.

I didn’t bloom and blossom and I know you are a tad disappointed,

and yet you wait.

I haven’t yet and am not likely to this year.

Don’t you say “Accept everyone as they are and let them be”?

Now,

Accept me as I am and let me be – as a plant, as a bud or as a blooming and blossoming flower,

whichever way I am, I am the ‘Brahma Kamala’..